3 Fashion Advantages of Getting Older
What we can learn from style icons who have left their forties long behind and are better dressed than ever before.
Good style knows no age
Even if a youth-obsessed society wants us to believe that we have to stay young forever... Getting older also means becoming more mature, having more life experience and often being more serene. These qualities are beneficial for every aspect in life - even when it comes to fashion. Being well dressed is definitely not linked to a number. With this article, we celebrate all the women who show us what elegance and good style look like at every stage of life. This much we can already say: we can learn a thing or two from them (at any age)!
1. "I dress how I want and don't give a damn about the rules"
Carine Roitfeld poses on Instagram dressed in a latex skirt and wearing only a bra under her blazer. Another photo shows her wearing dark nylon tights, heels and a black T-shirt - without trousers or skirt. Presumptuous at the age of 68? Some would comment here that this is definitely going too far, there are social norms after all, aren't there? Others might argue that the former editor-in-chief of French Vogue can afford it, as she still has the figure of a 25-year-old.
But no matter whose arguments we would sign, we live in an era in which we can really allow ourselves a certain "fashion freedom". The boundaries between men's and women's fashion are blurring, men now wear bags, feminine cuts and pink. Women wear androgynous pieces and have fought hard for the right to wear trousers in the 20th century.
Perhaps in 2023 it is time to break the norms imposed on mature women?
Fashion is always an expression of one's own personality and attitude to life. Anyone who feels like wearing a miniskirt should be allowed to do so at any age - without fear of being looked at askance. Always with the ulterior motive of making it stylish and not just randomly revealing. The question of how much skin to expose without making an outfit look tasteless arises at any age. The trick is to find the golden middle: show a little skin, but not too much.
One advantage of getting older is that we pay less attention to the opinions of others. This also gives us the freedom to try something new without fearing what "people" might think about us. So in the future, step out of your fashion comfort zone and show a little more colour, skin or eccentricity! We demand: Fashion Freedom for All!
2. "I care less about trends and follow my own style"
While we care less about what others think about us, we also get to know ourselves better as we get older. Those who know themselves are aware of their individual taste, which is also the foundation for a personal style. That again is the key to being well dressed.
If you have a wardrobe with pieces that match your personal style, you are less likely to find yourself in a situation where you have nothing suitable to wear. There is something timeless about personal style, it doesn't change as quickly as trends. Trends are exciting, but it's important to choose carefully which one to follow and which one to let pass. That way, you end up with a wardrobe that suits you well and at the same time is an expression of your own fashion sense.
A wonderful example is Iris Apfel. Were oversize glasses and flashy colours always trendy in the past years? Not at all. But the fashion icon stays true to what she likes and thus makes a statement: her style has recognition value and the large glasses have become her trademark.
Of course, it has to be said that the New Yorker's shrill eccentricity is not necessarily for everyone. But following our own preferences and style more and giving less about trends is definitely an aspect of growing older that we should live out.
3. "I only wear what I feel comfortable in"
Another fashion advantage that comes with a more mature age: comfort becomes a priority. Squeezing yourself into skinny jeans even though you don't feel comfortable in them or running your feet sore in stilettos? You can try that in your early twenties, but the older you get, the clearer such actions become an absolute no-go. Feeling comfortable in what you wear is now more important than before, because you no longer feel like suffering just to look good.
But "comfort" by no means implies only walking around in a jogging suit. Whether in a long viscose skirt to the grocery store or in a cosy mohair jumper to a date with a friend: comfort has many faces.
A fashionable résumé
On the Instagram channel @sciuraglam we get to see how chic growing older can look. We definitely want to see more of that in the future...
It's time to say goodbye to old conventions and celebrate elegance, personality and individuality - at any age. Fashion can and should bring us joy at every stage of life; and with every year we grow older, we do not only learn in life, but hopefully also when it comes to fashion.
