It is well known that I am a sucker for a good hashtag. And if one doesn’t exist – I tend to just invent one. But today I discovered one, along with Catherine Summers and a whole new community of ‘midlife’ bloggers. It is #IWearWhatILike and it has opened a world of possibilities, as well as throwing the whole concept of ‘age-appropriate’ on its head.
Who do you dress for?
It can be hard to inject a bit of personality into your everyday outfits. Maybe there is a compulsory aspect to your work clothing, or you dress for comfort and practicality because you are running around after family members or pets. After all, dog hair and black clothing do not good bedfellows make.
You may be limited by budget. Perhaps you might even reign in your inner diva because you just aren’t brave enough or you have been told your clothing is inappropriate – for whatever reason.
This final suggestion resonates with me.
I have stopped counting the number of times I have heard ‘You’re wearing that!’ from my Mother.
Can I just take a moment here and remind readers that I am in my forties. I left home at 18 and have bought pretty much all of my own clothes since getting a job at 13- presents aside. As such, I feel that I am in charge of what I wear. Therefore I am also sure that none of my Mum’s friends, or indeed the general public look at my clothes and hold my Mother personally responsible for my choices.
Because let’s be honest. That is what this ’embarrassment’ is about. That my frilly skirts and dolly shoes reflect on her, in some weird way.
We need to get past dressing to make other people comfortable. I previously wrote a post on what women of our age shouldn’t wear. It wasn’t one of those hatchet jobs like some fashion journalists are known to write, but an honest look at some of the mistakes women my age are making.
There are some articles out there that are quite vitriolic in their bashing of older fashion. One of the pieces I read even suggests that women my age shouldn’t wear big hair accessories! Well, my 13 obnoxiously large bows and I will have to beg to differ.
When you have an opportunity to wear what you want – go for it. If you are able to inject small doses of your personality into a uniform – do that.
In praise of the capsule wardrobe
As part of my mass life and home declutter, I have been working on reducing my wardrobe down to a capsule. I have used a number of methods including Courtney Carvers Project 333 and that of Marie Kondo, and my clothing collection has seen a number of changes over the last 2 years.
I am certainly a proponent of limiting the number of clothes you have. It just makes life a lot easier. That doesn’t mean I am suggesting you go and chuck out half of your wardrobe. However, consider which pieces are doing the work.
There are probably items that are working overtime, while other pieces are getting an easy life, just hanging out at the back. All of your clothes should be pulling their weight, and if there are clothes you are not regularly wearing it is worth asking why.
Create your own uniform
The second best innovation my workplace bought in was ‘dress for the day’. This means that as long as you don’t have interviews or important business meeting planned, you can wear what you like. Within reason.
What has been interesting is that a number of people seem to have subconsciously lapsed back into office wear, or have developed their own uniform. Usually jeans and a tee-shirt. Perhaps the pressure of having to find new outfits every day was too much for some.
I have even heard people complain that they have had to go out and buy new clothes just for work. Surely if you can wear what you want then you can wear the clothes you currently own?
People seem to separate their clothes into ‘work clothes’, ‘going out clothes’, ‘keep for best’ etc. Why? You have a rail of things that you liked enough to spend money on. Why are you limiting yourself to when and where you can wear them?
I fully appreciate my navy party dress is not suitable workwear, and neither would I wear it to dig the garden.
Nor, would I indeed dig the garden, but that is another matter.
The point is we create uniforms for certain places or jobs. It is time to revisit your wardrobe and make the items in it work for you and your vision of what you want your look to be.
(As an aside, the best innovation my workplace bought in was letting us wear headphones and listen to tunes all day. Utter bliss!)
#IWearWhatILike
As I said at the top of this piece: I am ALL about hashtags. This particular one has really resonated. I know that there have been times when I have changed full outfits before going somewhere because of disapproving looks from family, or because I just wasn’t brave enough to go outside with it.
It is so heartening to know that there is an army of ladies out there, living their best lives, and not caring what others think. Time to crack out my pink dolly shoes and butterfly dress; you are never too old to look fabulous.
Now, whether I will be brave enough to forgo a cardi is another matter…I really overwork that poor blue cardigan.
Hi Polly. Loving the new look.
I’ve nominated you for a blog award 😊
Me?! Cheers Marie!