Firstly, it’s hard to comprehend that almost 50yrs have gone by since I came into being. 50 whole years! That’s 365 x 50, my body, mind and soul will soon be approximately 18,250 days old! I’ve always felt that we are as old as we feel, and our behaviour reflects how old we feel physically and mentally. So, let’s just say I don’t feel like a soon to be 50yr old…. I guess I don’t behave like one too. Hahahahaha! That saying, having a youthful nature does not mean one is/should be irresponsible in behaviour.
Fashion is another thing. Because I’m a personal shopper, I’m usually aware of current trends, but I’m not a trend follower. I don’t gravitate towards doing or wearing what everyone else is wearing or doing. I very often go in the other direction. I like things that don’t date.
When I was younger, I hated exposing my legs and disliked wearing loose fitting clothes. Back at home in Nigeria, whenever I had clothes made by a tailor, my mum would always ask why I had the clothes made “dead fit”. Not sure if she felt “dead fit” clothes looked suggestive or that they made me look younger. Today, my style is not easy to describe. Part of me still likes wearing “dead fit” clothes but only on the top half of my body. Nowadays, I like lose-er bottoms.
I sometimes ponder about appropriate dressing for a woman approaching 50yrs and over. Dresses? Gowns? Skirts? Long? Short? Wrappers? Kaftans? Trousers? Jeans? Tight? Loose? Plunging neckline? High neck? Long sleeves? Frills? No frills? Etc etc.
My mum stopped wearing trousers when she landed in Lagos in 1977 from living in NYC where she regularly wore trousers. That’s 42yrs ago. I don’t recall seeing many women (if any) of her generation wearing trousers is Lagos back in the day. Did she feel that it was inappropriate? Did she want to fit in? Or did the weather make wrappers and “up and down” (long skirts and blouses) more comfortable? I don’t know and I’ve never bothered to ask her. Today my mum at 85yrs old, mostly wears buba and wrapper and when she travels abroad, she reluctantly wears skirts and jumpers for practical reasons. My mother-in-law on the other hand, sometimes wears loose fitting jeans and vests around the house at 79yrs. I find it quite amusing, but I like it, I like it very much. I guess it’s because I can see myself wearing jeans and a vest at 79yrs.
I like to feel comfortable, look not too dressed up and relaxed. I also don’t mind looking my age. When I cut my Afro hair short, it made me look young and boyish, that’s not a look I covet. I hated it and have started growing it back. When I wear above the knee skirts and dresses, I look (imo) like a woman trying to look like a little girl – that is also not a look I covet, so I avoid mini skirts and dresses. Even though I don’t look my age, I don’t strive to look younger. I don’t feel I need to look 40yrs old at 50yrs and I don’t try to look like that. I like looking like a 50yr old in good nick and I like to dress like a 50yr old in good nick. Thinking about it now as I type, I guess….. a 50yr old in good nick, won’t look 50yrs old? So no need to try hard to look younger?
We express ourselves through our fashion choices. What we wear says something about our personality, tastes, background and where we’re at in life.
Below are some of my favourite fashion quotes.
“Style is the only thing you can’t buy. It’s not in a shopping bag, a label, or a price tag. It’s something reflected from our soul to the outside world—an emotion.”—Alber Elbaz
“The hardest thing in fashion is not to be known for a logo, but to be known for a silhouette.” —Giambattista Valli
“Fashion is about dressing according to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.” —Oscar de la Renta
“Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.” —Gianni Versace
“What’s my style is not your style, and I don’t see how you can define it. It’s something that expresses who you are in your own way.” —Iris Apfel
“What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.” —Miuccia Prada
“Fashion is about dressing according to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.” —Oscar de la Renta
“Fashions fade, style is eternal.” —Yves Saint Laurent
“Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self expression and, above all, attitude.” —Iris Apfel
“The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress.” —Hubert de Givenchy
“Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who’s wearing it.” —Yves Saint Laurent
And the radical quotes…..
“Trendy is the last stage before tacky.” —Karl Lagerfeld
Hahahahaha!!!
“People will stare. Make it worth their while.” —Harry Winston
Love this! Own your style with sway. Don’t care about what anyone else thinks or is wearing. Give them something to gossip about.
“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, and of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked at all times.” —Betsey Johnson
Yeah, this is kinda true. 😂
“A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika. We all need a splash of bad taste—it’s hearty, it’s healthy, it’s physical. I think we could use more of it. No taste is what I’m against.” —Diana Vreeland
Okay, I’m not a lover of bad taste but getting it wrong once in a while can be fun and shouldn’t be seen any other way. Life’s too short.
I’d like to hear your thoughts about what you think 50+ dressing should be.
K💙
6 Comments.
Trendy is the last stage before tacky.” —Karl Lagerfeld
Hahahahaha!!! He was such a bitch!
Thanks for all the write ups, keep them all including the old diet ones. They are very valuable.🌺🌺
😜😜😜
Good one K 👊🏾. Love to create my own style and bit follow any fashion.
Thank you.
And your own style is very stylish indeed! 😁
Interesting read! Have you tried making your mum wear trousers? I will like to know the response 😂😂😂😂.
My mum 85 and we get her to wear trousers when overseas. In Nigeria it’s a no no for her
She will ask me if all is well with me.
😂😂😂