Friday, October 17th, 2008...1:06 pm
#131: Try Not To Be So Chic
My fashionista daughter in Paris forwarded me a link to Advanced Style, a blog on chic into one’s golden years, or silver years, or wizened years, or something.
Thanks for thinking of me and HNTAO, sweetie, though I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted by the viewpoint of this blog. On the one hand, gee, it’s nice when someone, anyone, notices that people over 40ish exist, much less applauds them for their superior style. When that applause is public and coming from the Evil Young, it’s truly a breakthrough event.
And yet, do I detect a whiff of patronization here? A hint of: Yeah, those silver-headed wizened people, they’ve got individual style, sometimes even chic, but they’re not truly hot and cool like us.
I was disappointed not to find a single person on the blog who I aspired to dress like, though I’m always on the lookout for old people style role models. The best one I ever found was an ancient Asian man I spotted on a beach in California, wearing a straw hat, a white shirt, black pants, and brown sandals. Now that’s authentic and eternal chic.
9 Comments
October 17th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
My fundamental flaw in determining “my fashion style” as I age, (if I still have one!) is trying decide what I care about most – what others think about how I am dressed OR what I think about how I am dressed! I love the quote “why you age is up to nature, how you age is up to you”. I have decided to age with grace, but stay young forever!
October 26th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Oh my gosh, at 62 still working two jobs my favorite outfits is: washing my face clean from all make up, ripping off my bra and putting on a baggy patterned blouse, and the finality large warm sweat pants and big soft socks…the picture is to dream about.
I love getting older and not having to be a fashion queen…and now since chemo and loosing my hair as it’s come in gray..I left is gray, short and no longer have bad hair days…I love it…
Dorothy from grammology
http://grammology.com
November 9th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Okay, but remember this mantra: I must not end up on What Not To Wear. I must not end up on What Not To Wear! You score old points if you’re chosen for that show, even if you’re twenty-five.
July 11th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Interesting blog. Part of me went “Awesome!” another part of me went “WTF?”
November 16th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I spend a lot of time in Mexico where there are a lot of American retirees. It’s mostly a golf and boating scene and the over tanned and over bleached look of most of the older women makes me very uncomfortable… the aging Gidget who never really looks in the mirror anymore. I was worried I had a problem with aging, even though I am already there myself. Then,early one morning I was walking the beach and saw a quite elderly woman walking towards me. Even though she used a cane and had long frizzy gray hair there was something so vibrant in her face.. she seemed years younger than the ladies at the marina or on the golf course. She had a colorful dress and was stopping to pick up shells ( I know, a no no if one doesn’t want to act old ). I think trying not to look old can sometimes make a person ( men too ) look older than they actually are. And I still pick up shells too.
December 21st, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Look at how Davina (Joanna Lumley) dresses in the BBC series “Sensitive Skin”: fantastic and just the way I want to dress anyway.
June 18th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Madonna comes to mind on this one….she is starting to wear her daughter’s styles. And it looks like she is trying desperately to be young again. Sure, she looks great for her age, but she needs to dress a little more conservatively and classy. She has to understand her revealing, raunchy attire will look even more ridiculous as she nears 60. She needs to stop- now.
September 16th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Jackie Kennedy was always in style. Elegant not flashy in clothes that were expensive and tasteful and impeccably tailored. Audrey Hepburn was another classic. Who today compares?
February 16th, 2011 at 9:59 am
Audrey is a very jovial person, it shows in the quote that she left us with “I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person. ” -Hannah Lee
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