Why don’t you dress your age?
At age 24, freshly graduated from law school and living the Gaijin English teacher life in Japan in my triumphant gap year, I was fancying myself young and free (and possibly just a little bit wild). Little did I know that in the land of Japan, unmarried women in their mid twenties are affectionately dubbed ‘Christmas cakes’ – they get marked down on boxing day, get it? Amidst the commentary from my college about my not being married yet, and the stunned looks from my students who encountered me in cheek-baring short shorts on the weekend, the message to ‘dress my age’ was received loud and clear.
So I swapped my and logo tees with peter-pan collars, and denim jackets with pastel cardigans. Of course, the endeavour was – if aimed at satirising a storybook matron who lived in a giant shoe and had a goose in the cupboard – an unequivocal success. As for reinventing myself as the very image of a sensible adult, not so much.
To begin with, how does one dress one’s age anyway?
In my view, every age should be celebrated for their unique experiences, and therefore the prospect of exploring the wardrobes of every phase of life is an exciting one – if indeed there is a meaningful difference. On the other hand, I also don’t believe in age limits for clothes, per se (context in fashion entails so much more than just age). I do think that at some stage the ‘I’ll figure it out when I’m older’ excuse no longer flies for dressing oneself from our high school wardrobes or the clean laundry pile.
But the question is not the desirability of ‘retro’ apparel or a clean-dirty binary sorting system. Rather, I suspect that maturity has less to do which what we choose to wear, and more to do with having the presence of mind to chose it well. And as for what it looks like when you dress your age, it may simply be the general impression that you have left your identity crisis days behind you – in other words, you now know what your style is, and you know how to dress to it.
But of course, fashion is ever evolving, as does the human mind, so polar shifts in one’s style from time to time are not just inevitable, but highly advisable. As for me, I had for years dismissed a 3/4 length path as a style for be-freckled pigtailed girls on bikes, and now the cropped flared jean is my new obsession, as a sensible jean with a rebellious kick. And having promised myself never to wear a too-cute-to-be-chic Mary Jane again, here I am counting a round toe block heel shoe among my favourite all-occasion shoe silhouettes.
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Absolutely love this post! It’s a real truth, and just a clean vision of the situation. By the way, this outfit is brilliant!
-xx, Sia
I relate with this post so much. I used to be very conscious and mindful of what I wear and to reflect my age. But then as time went by, ironically, I learned that what I want to dress is really my choice and my reflection of myself. Although I am still figuring out what my style is, I dress comfortably and feel good in my own skin. Great post! xx
I am glad to hear that you now feel confident in yourself and the clothes that you choose to wear! Thank you for reading xx
Beige Renegade
“Dressing your age” is one of the most annoying things you can hear. I mean, which age do they refer to anyway? Passport? Lifestyle? Looks?
Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking
so very true!! love this post and the outfit of course!
kisses from dubai ❤️
http://www.mahryska.com
I loved this post, and omg, I want your outfit so bad! I can absolutely relate, although, that’d probably be a more appropriate outfit then the one you describe as appropriate in my country (Norway) (it’s crazy how culture changes so drastically depending on where it is!). So if anybody ever questions your style, just wink at them and say “I do dress my age, in Scandinavia!” haha! In Norway it’s almost the opposite, wearing shirts, skirts and blazers makes people question why 20-25 dress so old!
Kinkx
What a great post – so true – totally feel with you! love your look btw!!
x. Mirjam
http://www.jeneregretterien.ch
So on board with this post! This is why I never swear off ‘styles’, if I did, I would constantly be eating my words.
You’re rocking these jeans, Girl!
I’m still not in love with these jeans yet :p but i don’t care cuz i’m LIVING for that lace bra + white shirt combo.
xx Faiyaz
http://www.fixatedf.com
amazing look
I enjoyed reading this post . There is a lot more to style than ages appropriation , it’s who one is , how they carry thenselves, what they are about , how they chose to experience the world ,(and maturity yes ) but it has never been solely rooted in one thing . i really loved this. Well written
I couldn’t agree with you more! I especially love what you said about how we choose to experience the world. Thanks so much for reading, and your kind words 🙂
What a wonderful post! Totally agree with what you are saying. Too often people want to put you in an age group by looking at what you are wearing. I also love the cropped denim trend that is going around!
Sophie xx
http://basicapparel.de
Loved this post and you look amazing! I totally agree with you!
xo Pam
http://www.thegirlfrompanama.com
Nice style!
http://ecleticaandchic.blogspot.pt/