Dressing As A Mature Woman

[Martha G]

I made the unfortunate mistake of getting rid of my old clothing.

Am beginning to buid a new wardrobe.

Any recommendations for clothing types and colors for a mature lady of 73.

I prefer skirts and dresses.

I want to dress my age thought a knee length skirt or two is not out of the question.

Thanks ladies.

[Trudy]

Probably the best way to dress your age Martha is to observe women your age and how they dress in various situations. That said I know most women my age, 65, tend to wear slacks and while I do as well I do like to wear skirts and dresses and heels as well. The biggest trick I have found is to dress classy, not trashy. Leave the mini skirts and 4" heels at home except for special occasions and go from there.

IMO there is nothing wrong with a mature woman wearing a knee length skirt if she has the figure and legs for it. I have many and wear them often although I would never go out without some form of hose on. Probably a combination of the generations we grew up in as well as I really don't have nice looking legs without hose.

[Sarah Beth]

I saw an article on the budgetfashionista.com not to long ago about how to be fashionable after 60 so you might try to find that. I don't go out so I didn't follow her suggestions about what to throw out to start with because that would have eliminated half my already sparse wardrobe.

[Eileen (SO)]

Dear Martha,

Dress your personality! I had thought you already dressed very nicely. If you have the legs and figure for dresses and knee length skirts, go for it. When I say, 'and figure', I mean that even great legs won't make a portly lady look good wearing a mini skirt.

Eileen

[Martha G]

Though on the heavy side I am compactly built. People say I don't look my weight. They are surprised to find out how much I weigh.

Thank goodness I am not portly.

So I will certainly dress appropriate in beautiful skirts and dresses, even a few shorter ones.

No mini skirts or crazy stuff like that.

The clothes make the man or the woman in this case, since I am a woman at heart!

Thank you for your comments.

[Anne Bonny]

Late comer but agree with Trudy all the perspectives are good. But with Age women who still care about their looks go classy. That classy depends on what you want to wear and if it's dresses and skirts I believe after 70 ... definitely knee length or just below only a few perhaps thin fit entertainers would go for something much shorter than that, perhaps flair would make up for short? Observe the women who's style you admire around you who are your age.

[Noeleena]

Hi,

Well my clothes most are not what you call todays fashion and as I don't follow others I can be different in how I look what I wear and go over sea,s dressed in my garb ,

Okay day wear , plain well sometimes yes if im around our house working I have two skirts I wear just for painting and many details I do and yes down the road as well , they are long and done in many colour,s im not one for just one or two colours a blue jean type skirt and I sew on those peace,s of different coloured strips a mis match if you like and I get comments of where did you buy that , my own design and sewing ,

My garb is more german / and from our county Prussia many colours and I mean lots ,and I prefer that than my normal day / night wear . my point being I like colours lots together , bright and fun and stand out .

okay most of my skirts are long wide like 10 foot around the bottom that's how I like them tops gee white /cream with a lovely trim to set it off short sleaves with the same trim neck line not to low as I don't like how men look at myself so yes im a little ...whats the word ...shy... or just embarrised ,

yes I know im in the public eye ...any way .

At our camp The SCA Renaissance we have just had 330 people on site was lovely still did meals for 130 three times a day for the week, one Lady I know well as we were talking about clothes and I said most of the clothes I make are quite plain well I think so with a little lovely trim , she said we need to get to gether and start looking at and doing some more feminine clothes one to show off my body in a more pretty way , yes I know my body is for my age very female and feminine I do have some tops that show my features very well , hips waist and breasts are nicely proportioned and she said I need to show that aspect of myself,

I thought.... OH HECK....help.....so she wonts me to do more clothes that are ,,,,and im not sure what style shape or colours , in fact I have no idear what im to do or will do , this is where I go mind blank ,
Im just so used to doing what I know in my clothes style , that's suits how I look ,so there you are ,

Of cause my friend is well versed in clothes and what we wear for our group. I have a good idear for others just for myself I get ummm I cant do that and I feel im stepping way out side my normal detail ,.So I,v been told ......

I know most of this wont help you , though you may find its not about dressing ....your age ...I find that a very strong PUT DOWN ,im over 68 I will not wear age apropreate what ever the hell that is , sorry I wont do it my life is one...... of,,,,,,, im my own person and I,ll wear lovely clothes that are about who I am as a person , and I don't conform to others ,

What I have found is no matter where I go my clothes / garb, are looked at because people see something different they like what they see and are more willing to come up to me and say Hi and talk ,many women are interested and funny as most men will only look when im not looking at them if I do then they turn away , how strange , now I don't do it to get looked at yet I know I will .

I would look at some clothes that look nice and fit you well and you are comfortable in don't try and look like a young girl of 20 or 36 , you don't have to look at others to see what they wear as many times their clothes wont work for you or fit , sizing is the difference there plus your body shape size height and weight all have a bearing on what looks right , .

Be happy in what you wear look nice and expect to be seen .

...noeleena...

[Ralitsa]

Martha, consider this as a fortunate opportunity to find yourself a new look

I very much agree with Eileen - dress your personality!!
When I first started, I tried to dress like the women I found attractive. Then I quickly realized that I'm not a hot 25 year old and attempting to dress like one was ridiculous. So I tried dressing like women I admired - and that would be a great idea if I could afford that. I considered dressing like the women my age and in this geographic region, but actually I hate the clothes many of them wear and will never do it.
Now I've come to the conclusion that I am not any of those people, I am only me. So I should dress like me. But while it's pretty easy to look around and see what others are wearing, it's not easy at all to decide what I want to wear. (It took me an hour this morning, but that's another subject. I have so many clothes and nothing to wear.)

The only advice I can offer is to find a shopping buddy. It must be someone with a good eye for fashion, who knows your personality and will give you an honest opinion. Another thing I've noticed is that you might get entirely opposite opinions on the same pair of earrings (like the ones I'm wearing now). What I usually do is ask the SA's for their advice. The whole reason that most of them are working there is because they love fashion and clothes and helping people find outfits they look good in and a person would be nuts not to take advantage of their help.
So find a shop with the sorts of styles you like, and go in and ask them to help you find something that works for you.

[Anne Bonny]

Yes! That is the key...you have to be "you!" You have to be comfortable, you have to like what you see in the mirror and you have to learn what looks good on your frame. It is a challenge having broader shoulders, more bicep and shoulder musculature, flat chests, narrow hips and more muscular legs without any subcutaneous fat! What's a girl to do!? I happen to be very lucky that I am a guy of average height but I still have several inches on the average height of many women. BUT! There are really really large women, I mean height over 6 foot not necessarily who are also obese...hope not for them, or who are exceedingly petite under 5 foot. It is important for us to realize there are women out there who are our exact same size and height! That is really cool, and I am lucky that there are many who are 5'9" like myself, it is true that there not as many over 6' but there are many who are and who also have a large frame weighing in probably in the 180's and who are at their weight! That is encouragement for us that we do fit in.

I am no expert...but I do use women who are my age who's style I admire as a guide too.

A lot goes into finding who you are, what is comfortable that you really enjoy wearing, and what works for your body.

All I know about overcoming our masculine frame is that for myself I need some sort of sleeve as sleeve less highlights my muscular broader shoulders and upper arms.

Of course we have to use gel pads, or breast forms in our bras. Not having breasts does dictate what we are really able to wear such as sun dresses or tops made to be worn without a bra unless you really enjoy having stick um with glue on breast forms stuck on your chest I have never done that, and do not want the work of trying to remove the stick um yuck! Though I do believe feeling what it is like to have breasts hanging from your chest must be a wonderful sensation...having implants ... not really something for someone who is gender fluid.

Hips can be made to appear broader with tops that drape or flair over them, or by wearing skirts that flair some.

Skinny jeans can show off shapely legs which are muscular, lacking the softening effect of subcutaneous fat which unfortunately without hormone therapy over a long period we will just never have.

Black or colored tights can help too, and pantie hose...

Those are the limits of the strategies I know short of patterns in the material of our clothing, and certain colors which can be slimming, or thinning, or accentuate a part ...upper or lower part of our male bodies.

[Carol Elizabeth]

Dressing as a mature woman? That is a difficult question, but 73 clearly puts one into the "mature woman" age group.

What I have observed includes both skirts and dresses that reach well past the knees from mid-calf length
to high-ankle length.

Formal colors of the garments ranged from black - dark to light grays - and Navy blue and get worn at Church functions - funeral and wedding receptions (usually with hosiery)and if a splash of color is added, it is with a blouse, scarf, or sweater.

No, I cannot identify the kinds of materials the garments were made out of, but they do tend to drape well.

On a different note. I taught school in a technical college that often had adult students returning to try and obtain new skills due to factory closures.

One particular year, I had three students who were in their mid to upper forties. Two were blessed with trim figures and they carefully applied their makeup and dressed as if they were in their twenties and could have passed as such. The third one was not blessed with a youthful figure and dressed as if she were in her sixties - (flowered blouse - baggy pants, no makeup etc.) Each person looked appropriate for their age, but most of the class thought that the third one was forty years older than the other two when they all were within a year of the same age.

My point, is that regardless of one's age, the clothing must be right for how one looks or wants to look. If the years have been kind, dressing to look twenty years younger may work. If not, then finding a clothes that make you look right may not be what we want to wear simply because we are no longer kids.

[Martha G]

I think that I would like to dress as Angela Lansbury's character Jessica Fletcher.

Very fashionable, mature woman style but not an old fuddy type.

I think that would make a perfect wardrobe for me along with some casual clothing.

What do you think?

[Eileen (SO)]

How about Partricia Routledge as Hyacinth Bucket in the series 'Keeping up Appearances'?
She's always fashionable. Funny show!

Eileen

[Martha G]

Have never seen nor heard of that show.

But thanks anyway

[Alisa]

Giggle... we girls have the advantage of being able to look and present younger than our age. I'm a firm believer in "If you got it flaunt it!" If you like the "Murder She Wrote" protagonist look, that's cool but she is not very interesting, IMHO, visually (beauty and fashion) but I just love her problem solving skills! In other words I'm a fan but not because of her attire.

[Tasi]

It really has all to do with your body shape. I have a 85 yr old TG friend who looks marvelous in a bikini and she has the most wonderful long grey hair. If you want some solid advice, check out the Body Shape Compendium on Sister House http://www.sisterhouse.net/library/cate ... rchive=yes or the pinterest page on Over 60 and still fashionable https://www.pinterest.com/tasidevil/ove ... shionable/.