Women Over 50 Living Visibly

S10 Ep6 - Am I Too Old for This? Rethinking Age-Appropriate Style at Any Stage

Have you ever asked, "Am I too old to wear this?" Most women wonder if there is an age rule for certain styles and makeup.

Linda & Lisa discuss the false notion that our age determines whether or not we can wear something. What you wear is based on so much more than just your age.

The good news is THERE ARE NO STYLE RULES when it comes to age appropriate dressing and makeup. Linda gives you the style rules you should follow that have nothing to do with age, and examples of clothes you can wear at any age!

Lisa dispels the notion that at a certain age we can't wear certain types of makeup. Let's all wear clothes & makeup we love to wear regardless of our age!

Mentioned in the Episode:

S1 Ep10 Don’t Give Up
S3 Ep1 Dress Your Personality
S6 Ep10 Get Rid of the Frump!

Foundation Mineral Powders - Find Your Shade

Find Linda & Lisa:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Style With Linda Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linda's Self-Guided Color & Style Courses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Simple Beauty Minerals Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SimpleBeautyMinerals.com⁠⁠

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Duration:: 28m
Broadcast on:: 15 Oct 2024
Audio Format:: other

Linda? Am I too old to wear this? Oh, Lisa, you need to listen to this episode. I know exactly right. Exactly right. To that question that we have all asked ourselves, I say, and bear with me, I'm going to have a little sass here. I say, you know, get over it. I mean, you can wear whatever you want, even if you wore it in your 20s or your 30s or even your 40s, which is, don't be scared to wear it because it's, quote, too young, right? I mean, we're all guilty of it, but we need to really work on this. Yeah, don't just count yourself. The bottom line is what you and I talk about a lot is dressing to please ourselves and dressing from an educated aspect. In other words, we know our body shape. We know our best colors. We know our personality. And that's what's most important, not your age. We just, it's not part of the equation anymore. No, absolutely. But we're all a little bit stuck still. We're stuck. We admitted we are admitted. So, so we're hoping that this conversation helps us all shift a little bit. And I wanted to close it with, um, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who said older women just don't look good in makeup. We were talking about doing a makeover for her. And oh, dear, I, and she was afraid to say this. She knew I'd get upset. And I said, I'm not upset with you. I'm, I'm, I'm discouraged, not at you, but just overall, right? I mean, older women don't look good in makeup. I, to me, there's an underlying of, um, I've given up in that statement, right? And so we're not giving up at all. No, we're still having fun. We're having fun with style. We're having fun with makeup. Yes. We're having fun with good style. That's really the key. So let's just, let's just start our conversation. All right. If it's Tuesday, it's another episode of living visibly over 50, where we challenge the notion that beauty fades with age. We've just given up on our style. I'm Lisa and I'm Linda. Lisa and I talk about positive aging with beauty and style wisdom that keeps us looking and feeling confident and relevant in our second act. You know, Lisa, have you ever asked someone, am I too old to wear this? You know, I hate to say it, but I'm sure I have. And then I, I know that it's an incorrect question to ask your brain. I mean, we've all asked ourselves or a group or a friend, this ridiculous question. Here's a question. Have you ever heard a man ask that question? Am I too old for this? Have you never heard a man? No, never, ever, ever. So that's right. That is why we wanted to have this conversation because we were having a conversation offline or off air on our own. And I said, Oh my gosh, this would be maybe I said, maybe you said, I don't know, one of us said, what a great conversation to have. So we're just going to, we are just going to throw out our ideas and our, yeah, our conflicts and our thoughts around am I too old to wear this? Well, it's almost like women, we place these magic ages, right, like these barriers against fashion. And I think the notion of whether or not we should be wearing something based on our age is actually insulting. It is insulting. And I think it's an old bygone notion. Yeah. And some of us haven't caught up yet. You know, those over 50 we haven't caught up yet. Right. Our daughters won't have to go through this. Yeah, I think there's a degree to a lesser degree. And you and I have been speaking about ageism for years since we started the podcast. And this is just another way of expressing ageism for ourselves. And so that's why it's good to let it go. You know, Lisa, I was just watching old episodes of say yes to the dress. Do you remember that? I've never watched it. Okay. So that's in plate takes place in Manhattan at Kleinfeld's. It's a bridal salon. Okay. This is years ago. You know, I don't think they have it anymore. But it's a reality show about women buying wedding dresses. And on this one episode, a woman in her late 30s, maybe early 40s, was buying a dress for her second wedding. Okay. And all the staff kept saying was, Oh, this dress is too young a style for her. Let's put it back or she should be dressing more conservatively now. Well, I was screaming at the television. And I was like early 2000s. Okay. All right. So it just it I really was screaming at them. They didn't hear me. But you know, this isn't the 1800s where, you know, you only get married once and you have to dress a certain way. And they're kind of now, obviously, brides are deciding what they're going to wear and, you know, what color dress they're going to wear things like that. But when they even the staff was mentioning ageism, it was making me nuts. I totally see that. And it's it is that way when you go back and watch older shows and I bet that show they would not be having that those conversations, they would not be that would not be going down. I think like to think, right? I'd like to think. I think there's something about asking yourself, is this still me? Do I still go who I'm who I am in the world? Yeah, who I want to be in the world versus am I too old for this? Right? And there's also, you know, we don't have style rules when it comes to age, but we have good taste and good style. Okay, so can you explain that a little bit? Well, how do you define that? Good style. Good taste. I know. Well, good taste is very personal, as we know, subjective, sure. But good style is something that you know it when you see it, because everything is in harmony. You're dressing in proportion to your body shape. It's harmonious with your coloring, we're expressing you're a very authentic personality. And people get that in style, as you know, is very personal. So my style doesn't necessarily match your good style. So I'm, I think what I'm saying is, you know, no, I'm not wearing what I wore in my 20s. That may have been good style for me back then, but I'm looking at good style in a very different way in my 70s than I did in my 20s. Well, I think that also contains that question of as who am I now? Yeah, we're not the same women we were in our 20s. So are we going to dress the same? No, that we might pull elements from it. Yeah, maybe definitely. I think, you know, we're dressing our body shape, we're dressing our coloring, we're dressing our personality at every age. And of course, as we change our age and get older, our body shape is going to dictate whether or not you're wearing something that you could wear super short, maybe 40 years ago, and now it doesn't look as great because our body has changed. Here's where I get conflicted. So what if your body has changed? Yeah, you the general you, not you Linda, but the general you, your body has changed. And you still, let's say, I don't know, your legs are bigger, your arms are bigger, whatever, but you still really feel good and want to wear those shorts or want to wear that tank top. I say, if you feel good in it, you wear it. Yes, it's not about age, it's more about does it flatter your body shape? I mean, being honest about that. Well, and this is, I think what we wanted to do was have this honest discussion and share our conflicts around the concept of am I too old for that? Yeah. And and share our differing opinions and and also just open up the conversation because it's the whole concept is evolving right before us. Yeah, it is almost like in the wider culture. And do we care what other people think? I mean, that goes back to what you were saying. If you feel good in it, right, I can continue to wear it. I read someone who said, if you have, if you feel really good in something, but the rules say you shouldn't wear it because of your age, because of your body shape, because of your whatever. But you feel really good in it. Then if you want to wear it, wear it, but then she went on to say, but if you hear the word, but coming up like, oh, but maybe it should be longer or oh, but maybe it shouldn't be so low in the cleavage. Oh, but anything, anything with that, but that is your self consciousness. Yeah, your fear or self conscious part speaking to you. And you probably aren't going to feel 100% comfortable wearing it. And then that's when you question, and it's not about how old you are, but how comfortable you are wearing it. Yeah, like, I don't wear short that. I know it's true. It's like, I don't wear my short, Holston dress anymore. It's about three inches above my knee. And I used to rock it, you know, and I even wore leggings under it sometimes. And I just don't want to mess with that anymore. But so I resold it. And I was very happy to do that. Okay, see, on that it had to do with age, but I just wasn't comfortable wearing it anymore. And that's totally fair. But yeah, as long as it's not, there's some external pressure saying, someone said, or I heard someone say I'm too old to wear this. That's when I shake my head and say that there is that coming from that should not be a thing. But if it's an internal, if it's us driving it, then that's different. Yeah, I, you know, I know, it's hard to clarify. I know. And I do have some conflict with it. But I anyways, keep, let's keep talking. Okay, because, okay, so this morning I was talking to my younger sister and I asked her if there's anything she wouldn't wear because she feels too old to wear it. Can I ask you, or so, would you say younger sister? He is late 60s. Okay, okay, go ahead. I just wanted to get some parameters. And why did that? Why does that matter? I know. I guess in the context of our conversation, it does. Okay. Yeah. All right. So here's what she said. She said, you know, they make a lot of short crop tops now, and I wouldn't wear those. And she said t-shirts with rock bands or sayings on them. Nope. And see you and I wear graphics. I would wear those all the time. Right. And she's, and her last thing was short squirts, you know, the skirt short. Okay. And she said, well, I guess if you're playing pickleball, you could wear it, but she saw a woman store wearing it and she thought it looked terrible. She said, so there you go. That's her opinion. I really wanted to know, I think we all internalize certain boundaries. That's what I was talking about before. Not sure that's even relevant anymore in this day and age, but she would feel uncomfortable wearing a crop top. Okay. And letting her belly show. Okay. You know, I just bought a pair of shorts that are like dress shorts. Have you seen them in the stores? They're like, like trousers, only their shorts. They're so cute. And I thought those would be cute with a little, like a strappy heel or a little form. I haven't had a chance to wear them yet. But on hot days, when you don't want to wear long pants, it's, you don't want to put on a pair of denim shorts. No. Anyway, Remember we talked about that in one of our last podcasts. I told you the wide leg short is really in. It's kind of a nice, yeah. And you went out and got one. That's great. Yeah. Oh, that's great. I'm very excited about that. But you know, that question did enter my head somewhere in the back of my brain was this little question bumping around him. I'm too old for this. I know. I know. I know. I know. Well, I think we've kind of gotten it all wrong. Okay. I think the stereotype regarding what women over 50, what's appropriate to wear, you know, staying in sort of an old lady lane now, getting, you know, remaining invisible and compliant and uncomplicated. Not happening. We have gotten none of those stereotypes work anymore. We're not our mothers. We're not our grandmothers. So I think the appropriate question is to say, you know, is this my personal style? Right. Like you said, do I feel comfortable wearing this now? So if you go with that, you kind of change this around. I wanted to kind of talk about four basic rules that I go by when it comes to saying to myself, even, and clients, this is appropriate for me to wear. I feel I feel comfortable. Okay, I'd love to hear this. Hi, Linda here, you know, closets don't organize themselves. In fact, most closets are cluttered, overfilled and confusing. I want you to imagine a more refined closet where everything in it is something special that you love to wear and everything fits and flatters your shape and getting dressed every day is effortless. If you're ready to refine your closet and your life, I do virtual closet consultations where we meet on zoom and we weed out the clothes you're never wear. We create new outfits and bam, you're ready to effortlessly rock your style. Email me at Linda at lindawalden.com and we'll get started and say goodbye to closet clutter. So I think the first rule I go by is to buy the best quality and fit of clothing that I can afford. Okay, so you buy less. Yeah, better quality. Okay, that's right. So I'm aware of which stores I take my clients to and which stores I shop in. Instead of like thinking about age appropriateness, I'm thinking about who has the highest quality and the and the best fit for my body, you know, the best styles for my body or my client's bodies. And that is going to once you meet those two criteria, that is what elevates you and makes you feel great. I think paying attention to buying the best quality and really being careful about fit is going to take you a lot further. Okay, so quality and fit. Yeah. And the second thing is, is really paying attention to your lifestyle. Okay. So instead of thinking am I tooled to wear this, you're thinking you're asking, what do I do in my life every day? What are my activities? Yeah, when would I wear this if you're looking at something in a store? Or what do I need more of? Because yeah. So I mean, this is what really should dictate what you wear. And if you are really into sports and like my hairstylist, I've mentioned before, plays pickleball like three, four days a week, you know, she's buying clothes for picker pickleball. Of course, of course. And she's wearing the short little sports thing. She is. She is. By all the works. And she's got the legs to prove it now. So it's great. You're going to think about your lifestyle more than your age. Okay. And the third thing is you're going to like you had mentioned before, you're thinking about your style preferences. So you want to express your personality with your clothes at every age. So keeping in mind, hopefully with age comes wisdom. So we would like to think one would hope. So we hopefully are developing a more sophisticated taste level as we get older, we're really much better at, you know, especially when the women that listen to our podcast, they've really decided on their best colors and their style and things that we know we like. And we don't let the fashion industry influence our style as much as we did in our 20s. Right. So your style preferences. And then last, having fun with style. So it's so important not to let your style grow old or stale or frumpy and boring. Right. That's not age appropriate. Right. I completely agree. Do not get stuck. We have several episodes. And I wish I could think of the one that talked about don't get stuck. Something about don't don't give up don't get stuck up that rid of the front. We did that one. Dress your personality. We talk a lot about this episodes to study up on. So I also I made a list of clothes you might be surprised that I'm telling women you can still wear it any age. Okay. Want to hear? I'd love to. Okay. So ruffles and bows. And these cut these come in and out of style. So you'll be able to find them in the stores, some seasons, and not in others. Right. That's right. And they're on the runway these days. For the last few years, it's been ruffles and bows. And if it's your style, go get them. Okay. The other one next one is platform or me saying shoes. And I would say when you say Mary Jane shoes, I instantly get this little girl Mary Jane shoe in my head. But if you Google Mary Jane shoes, yeah, there are some sexy sassy Mary Jane shoes on the market. And I am I am here for it. You would look great in nice. I think that's your style. It is my style. And you know, things like the heavy lugs, old boots. Those are very popular. People think that's for 20 year old. No, I see women my age wearing them and they are fierce. Yes. Great word. We can wear those shoes, ladies. The other one is overalls or jumpsuits and rompers. All of those we can wear. Do not hesitate if that's your style. It's great style. Short shorts. Like you would mention, you know, I don't know. That's a personal preference completely. I can pull them off because I have, you know, fear, I still have fairly good legs. Yes, you do. I think it's a matter of what you're comfortable wearing. Honestly, I don't wear them outside the house. I wear them inside my house. Okay. And that's that comfort level we're talking about. Yeah. That's completely healthy. It's all about where you're confident. Okay. Now, graphic tees, unlike my sister, you and I, we're still wearing them. We rock them. I like them. I like them. They're fun. And a bling in sequence. Oh, yeah. Bring it. Hello. Hello. If you are a bling girl, I swear to God, you can pull it off. Every age. I love sequence. Low cut tops. Now, do you have an opinion about that? I say, if you're comfortable wearing a low cut top and the occasion showing a little booby, I say go for it. Okay. That might be your one of your assets that you want to put forth. Yeah. Go for it. Exactly. And it elongates your upper body. You know, I think there's many benefits. Yes. Crop tops. Okay. Now, I like a good crop top because I'm short-waisted. I actually do wear them. I just wear like a high-waisted short with them in their perfect. And if a little bit of skin shows through, you're comfortable with that? I think so, too. I know. It's flirty. Okay. What about fringe? I say we can wear it. Absolutely. It's rockabilly. It's rockstar. It's boho, you know, fringe. Comes and goes, too. Sometimes you'll find it all over. And other times you can't find a fringe anywhere. Now, here's one spaghetti strap tops. I love them. Do you have a good strapless bra to wear with them? No, I just let the bra straps show. Okay. Like me. Yeah. I just don't care. Okay. Me too. I try to match the color of the bra with the... And sometimes I get a little sassy and have a color that kind of coordinates instead of trying to match perfectly. Just for fun. Yeah. Not always. So these are all really playful clothes that some women would say to me, "Oh, I would never wear a spaghetti strap top." Right. But I say go for it if you love that. And then the last one is bright colors. I can't tell you how many women tell me, "Oh, I don't wear bright colors anymore." Any more. See, that's the word that gets me. So they were once happy to wear bright colors, but now are not because it's because it draws too much attention to them. Is that where the discomfort lies? I really do. But as you and I know, there are brights in the world where bright colors look very natural. Right. And every palette has their own brights. That's right. That's right. So it doesn't have to be fluorescent pink or green. It could be a softer color, which would still look bright. Absolutely. Some people. So if you look and feel great in bright colors, anyone who's a bright will, then go for it. And if you want to, yes, absolutely. So I would say that knowing your body type is key. Yeah. Excuse me. And also knowing your best colors based on your personal color palette, which we just covered through all this. But and then being educated on that and learning, you know, self-knowledge is really going to help you in your competence level. Maybe your something is like that strapless top is calling to you, but you're a little unsure. So, you know, get a little educated, go back and listen to some of our podcasts. How could you wear that strapless top and feel more confident? That's just something to think about. Absolutely. Can I touch on makeup? Yeah. We have a moment. I want to touch on some of the makeup advice that we get as we get older. And that is, don't wear shimmer. Oh, right. Don't wear glitter. And don't wear a matte foundation. Just just those three are the ones that come to the top of my. Okay. So shimmer, shimmer. Today's shimmers are not the shimmers of yesteryear. They they give a glow. They bring a dew. They bring they have a youthfulness to them. And they can be gorgeous shimmer eyeshadow, a little shimmer blush. So play with that. If you're not sure, but you're being called to it and you want to experiment, just less is more, less is more to play with to start with and get comfortable with it. But shimmer can be beautiful. No matter what your age is, glitter, glitter is different than shimmer, glitter, they're larger chunks. Yeah, you're being called to glitter. How about a little bit of glimmer on an evening out when you go out to dinner, a little dab in the center of eyelid, a little dab on the high points of your cheeks. Why not? Oh, especially like a dark restaurant. Wouldn't that be fun? Where the light flickers and catches it? I mean, who says we have to give up on fun things and not play, right? Yeah, yeah. And the last one is we're told not to wear a matte foundation or powder, most specifically a powder foundation. Okay. And I say to that, it's unfair because I would say 50% of women that I come that I work with do better with the powder foundation and others do better with the liquid foundation. It's personal reference and it's unfair to have that blanket statement out there because then women don't don't try it and they don't know what they're missing. I recommend your foundation powder so much. I absolutely love them. Right? Yeah. It's smooth, velvety finish. Yes. And it still gives that youthful look and it wears really well. If there's some women, that's all they they just they won't do anything else. So, you know, they're happy to explore that. Yes. Just those are the top three that I think of when. So basically what you and I are saying is we're giving women permission to cancel that for that question. Am I tooled to wear this insane? Remember men never ask. Do I love wearing this? Right. Do I feel comfortable in this? Those are appropriate questions. Right. And if something is calling to you and you're unsure, just educate yourself and see if that's something that you could could wear with great confidence. We'd love any comments. Please come back to us, give us a, bring us a voice memo and share your thoughts. We'd love them. Thank you for being here and listening to the entire episode of Living Visibly Over 50. If you love our show and it's helped you in any way, would you mind doing two things for us? Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and leave us a review. Your five star rating, wink, wink and review help us to reach more women. So they too can get a confidence boost to show up and stand out over 50. And be sure to head over to simplebeautyminnerals.com for your beauty and skincare needs and lindawaldon.com. That's w-a-l-d-o-n.com to help refine your closet