What Age Appropriate Fashion Really Means

Have you ever heard "she needs to dress her age", normally by other women, regarding a woman’s style being age appropriate? Yes, it’s actually a thing.  To be judge based upon your age and what you decide to wear.  The first time I had heard someone say "her dress is not age appropriate" was while watching the E Network.  I admit that I was initially offended.  At the time I was in my late twenties and I didn’t understand why this mattered. The celebrity that was under the microscope was not a senior citizen and she looked adorable to me.  It took me about fifteen years to start to understand how your age can and should be considered when making fashion decisions.  

Many women who are over the age of thirty still shop at inexpensive stores that are super trendy like Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe. Being trendy does not stop at a certain age.  However, dressing like a junior should be avoided after about the age of thirty-five.  What does junior mean? Junior’s was created for pre-teens and early twenty somethings to wear inexpensively made clothing for a short period of time.  Occasionally junior wear crosses into women’s wear and vice versa.  Some good examples are high low skirts, rompers, jumpers, turtlenecks, etc.   

How to avoid being labeled as inappropriately dressed for your age.  Here are some tips that can help you avoid being put in this ambiguous position.    

1.  Does it look cheap?  

If the garment is not well made and looks cheap it will be much harder to pull off at the age of 30 versus 16. If it looks cheap just don’t bother. 

      2. When you wear it are you constantly tugging and pulling at it to stay on or up? 

An ill-fitting garment is not cute and typically means that it isn’t a good for your body type. I learned in design school, the human body changes as we get older. If the support isn't there than you shouldn't dare.

      3. Is the garment appropriate to wear for where you are going? 

Sometimes it’s not about the age of the person who wore the garment, the garment itself is simply inappropriate for the occasion.