Monday, December 10, 2012

What She Wears

What She Eats, 2012

When I returned home last week I took a quick look at what I'd missed on Twitter and was stopped by this tweet.

I've accidentally come into town dressed as a 45yo and I'm getting "madam"-ed left right and centre.    

I thought of replying to ask what she had worn.  My birthday this month had just let me into this year of my life and I wondered if there were certain garments I should be wearing.  Then I recalled a rule my friends and I had when we were in our mid-twenties. 

Once you see a fashion reach the 35 year old moms, cease wearing it immediately.  It's over.   

Oh my.  I've exceeded this grim and tragic age by ten years now.  I felt a little jab in my heart.  Time does pass quickly.

I momentarily longed for those mid-twenties, and my invincibility,  but quickly remembered I was even more fragile and susceptible to such little jabs in the heart back then.  Wisdom is strength.

I looked down at my jeans and my fresh-from-the-wash unironed oxford, and then into the mirror at my subtly glossed lips and my ponytail.  No need for guidance.  I like what I wear.

44 comments:

  1. That was me! And I should have more accurately tweeted that I looked however old the Queen is... I honestly looked exactly like her, right down to the frown. Except I had no corgi and my clothes were cheaper: http://bit.ly/RXHBmw. I much prefer the sound of what you wear..!

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  2. I totally agree: wisdom IS strenght! I feel that my fashion sense - in other words: not caring so much about the trends - is getting better as I'm getting older. :)

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  3. laughing at this because i've had that same moment where i had to stop and wonder if i was perhaps dressing too young. thankfully jeans, clogs, knit shirts are relatively timeless!

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    1. I must admit that my reference to wondering was heavily weighted with sarcasm.

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  4. My hair is 75% gray so I will be called ma'am regardless of my dress. That said, my uniform is usually a pair of knit tights, knee length skirt and a long sleeve striped t-shirt this time of year. It feels like me, at nearly 40.

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  5. I'm only 5 years away from you, and i never thought of it this way. I too still wear my ponytail daily (plus jeans and a T-shirt as a regular outfit, or my joga suit). I cringe at "lady" outfits... and do what i can to wear little or no make-up. I know I can't slow the course of time, and while I'd love to look a few years less, i also really like how far I've come. I am so much more confident and "me" at this point than I was in my 20s. Celebrate with pride your maturity. Once upon a time (before the era of the reigning young) maturity was a sought-after prize of a well lived life. But I have a strong feeling you know this already, you beautiful you!

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    1. I love your reference to "lady" outfits, Amelia. I'm creating the image in my mind. Cheers to "me"!

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  6. I wear what I like too. Welcome back.

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  7. "wisdom is strength". I agree completely.

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  8. Part of the fun of visiting here is reading all the comments from your chosen topic. This is good stuff! It all passes so quickly indeed, and I too, like what I wear.

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    1. I know, Alexandria. I feel lucky to have such an excellent group visiting here.

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  9. I found this post (and the comments) pretty humorous...I've never even thought twice about fashion. What I wear now, approaching too quickly the 4th decade, is very similar to what I wore in my twenties...some are even the same articles of clothing. I've always worn what feels comfortable with pretty much no regard to what it looks like. No make-up then, no make-up now. Didn't brush my hair then, don't brush my hair now.

    It sounds to me like you are comfortable in what you wear and that is the most important thing...no matter what decade you currently reside.

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  10. Oh that tweet made me smile...accidentally coming to town as a 45yo...I'm still chuckling. I often have days where I'm 'madam-ed' left right and centre, and yes at times it ever so slightly touches a nerve. But as the years go by I try to shrug my shoulders and think 'oh well'...and yes there's days where I feel (and no doubt look) every one of my 42 years, and yet there's others where I feel quite the opposite...

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    1. It's a funny thing, age. I'm thinking of all of those years I couldn't wait to be older.

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  11. Love this. As one in her 6th decade, the fine line between what is fashionable and what is age appropriate is always front and center.I can't say that I don't care what I wear, because I do.Timeless classics--just like me--with a dash of trendiness,but I can't go wrong with my jeans and converse sneakers.

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    1. Yes, Michele. You are a timeless classic. I'm aspiring to be the same.

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  12. Just from your writing style, I can tell that your personal style must be simple and elegant. Can't go wrong with that!

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  13. ah! at 44 i can identify.... jeans are my staple,,, and amazing how people of all ages look cool in them. :)

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    1. Yup, jeans, in one form or another, have been a part of my wardrobe as far back as I can remember.

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  14. It is what it is, my wardrobe and my wrinkles... and I'll take "madam-ed" over "dude" any day. Yes - I was addressed "dude" by some sullen teen at Peet's on Portola a few years ago. I can assure you we had a conversation about it!
    ;^D

    p.s. Mr. Daniel would approve of the lox.

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    1. Oh, sullen teens. Why do I recall the boys being more manipulative and Eddie Haskell like when I was a teen? But then why am I assuming your sullen teen interaction was with a male teen... Hmmm. I do love lox! Cheers to Daniel.

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  15. Amen!! I am 37 and I decided that fashion is what I like, feel comfortable and beautiful in. My inspiration is Diane Keaton I love how she dresses and makes her own drum beat!

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  16. I might be slightly older than you-slightly older that god but I'm small boned and honestly clothes from the Jr. dept fit me best.

    So I'm a senior/junior with an eternally blonde bob and an aversion to heels.

    works for me.

    xo jane

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  17. So good, Denise, on so many levels. I'm with you - it's painful to think about, but mostly it's good to be at a life point at which wearing what you want to wear is enough.

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  18. I think it is so nice to be happy in the skin you wear regardless of what is covering it...I have grown into mine and rather like it as well.

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  19. i love this. and that it was inspired by a tweet. and all the wonderful comments about fashion and age and timelessness and inspiration. lovely.

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    1. Thanks, Katrina. It seems Twitter does start some conversations that move beyond 140 characters.

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  20. yes.
    well.
    so funny to think about the choices we make. Have I changed what I wear as I have aged... sort of- maybe- not really... I have evolved. I have never found a favourite pair of jeans... I am still looking

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    1. RW, have you tried Levi's Curve ID? They sized me up at the Levi's store here in SF and I'm pretty happy. It looks like they have online guidance...

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  21. Ha, I love this post! I would not return to my early or mid twenties for the world. All that wondering about how life will turn out. Wisdom is strength indeed. My skin is so much more comfortable than it used to be.

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  22. I'm in the 35-year old (36 actually) demographic of moms who represent fashion death! Dang! I kinda felt the jab too. But like you, I like what I wear now. Much more than what I wore in my twenties.

    xo
    cortnie

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