The miniskirt is back, and I'm so happy! I'm also a little confused. Some days I know exactly what dressing my age means. Other times, I'm not so sure.
We like to claim that "a woman should feel free to wear whatever she wants," and I mostly believe that. But that's also one of those sayings that I wish were true more than it actually is true. I think most of us can think of a time we've seen an older lady dressed in an outfit that was just wrong—not because it was ill-fitting, but because it was much too young...like it belonged to her teenage daughter.
I know—who am I to decide what's "much too young?" It's hard to say, but I kinda know it when I see it (and I know you do, too), and I don't want to be that woman.
In general, my attire tends toward stylish but not trendy. I like to look good, but I'm a lazy shopper, so I need clothes that will work for many seasons. I can’t be bothered with an item of clothing that has a short shelf life. And that’s why I actually might have been that woman a few times, though I don’t like to admit it. The downside of staying pretty much the same size most of my adult life is that I can still fit into clothes I wore many years ago. At one point, I think my girlfriends were going to do an intervention on me if I didn’t stop wearing my beloved Daisy Dukes (inappropriately short cut-off denim jeans, for those unfamiliar with the term.).
Rather than admit that I was a little long in the tooth for shorts that short, I decided that they were just jealous because they could no longer fit into theirs. I eventually and reluctantly retired my short shorts…kind of. Now I wear them only on vacation. Mostly I dress like a grown-up now.
I've always loved short skirts and dresses. But then, at one point, I started wearing my hemlines at a more respectable length. I decided that if I was going to shake my head at other women who looked like they’d been shopping in the juniors department, then I should stop being one of them. I convinced myself that they looked foolish, but I looked cute. But it was getting tough to keep up the self-delusion. When I started a new job, I used that as an excuse to try out a new look. I bought myself a few skirts and dresses with hemlines designed for a more grown-up" woman.
OMG. Way too boring.
I looked matronly. Like I was losing my mojo. And I couldn't have that. So my hemlines started to creep back up—not quite to mini length, but up above my knees. Where they belonged.
I heard or read somewhere that if you were old enough to wear a trend the first time around then you're probably too old for it the next time. Makes sense, right? But you know what? To heck with that. Remember how I said a few paragraphs back that I no longer want to be that woman who's rocking an outfit that's too young? I've decided that I don't really care. I'm wearing my minis. Proudly. Spinsterliciously. Because they're fun. Watch out!
This and other fun posts are also available at Women's Voices for Change
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