Dress Your Age?!

I seem to be an in-betweener when it comes to fashion at the moment. I’m neither old and yet nor am I young, so what should I be wearing? Should, could, would?! I mean, I have literally spent so much of my life worrying about what I CAN wear because by my way of thinking aged 19, weighing in at 6 and a half stone, denying myself any food most of all the time AND my way of thinking aged 40, post third baby and weighing more than I ever have in my life, I’ve been too fat for everything. I’ve never been kind to myself about the way I look, until now. And, now that now I’ve reached levels of comfort in my own body (I am no longer emaciated and nor am I fat) I’m finding whole new levels to worry about and the main cause for concern is that I’m dressing appropriately for my age! Am I?! I’ve literally no idea!

My Mum was horrified when I bought some leather look trousers recently…

The Coated Skinny Jeans are from Next (£26), which when discussing their suitability with a mate gave the deciding factor that they MUST be for me. I’d not have shopped in Next as a tween, teen or even twenty something so the fashion Gods have spoken and leather/wet look jeans are for women in their 40s. Probably! Well that’s the angle I’m going for anyway!

By contrast, Florence was equally as horrified as my Mum was about the leather look jeans when I bought a skirt from Seasalt Cornwall (the Pebble Drop Seersucker Skirt – £65), but in the other direction. She said it’s too old for me! Cant win!

She said my new skirt is frumpy and mumsy like. So my Mum thinks I’m mutton and my daughter says I have no idea whatsoever but clearly doesn’t think I’m totally past it just yet – which is good, because I am not! I love the skirt though!

Florence looks at me rather witheringly with her resting tween face any time I mention anything to do with clothes. In fact, fashion, and shopping (unless of course it’s along the lines of “I’ll pay” when at the check out) are not something she associates with me at all, but now that I’m happy with my size, bigger than I have been as an adult and smaller too (I’m a size 10) and actually feel I WANT to wear nice clothes (rather than my “winter uniform” and “summer uniform” as she’s called my choices in recent years for I’d wear the same things over and over if I felt good in them and they didn’t show too many unsightly bulges), I am really enjoying buying them.

It’s not Just Florence and my Mum who have ideas about what a woman my age should be wearing though and that’s what put this new niggle in my head. Society in general is so dismissive of middle aged women and yet we are attractive, bright, fun and at this point in our lives we have more money than we have had so actually, we should be the ones everyone is appealing to. Yet the messages we are given are that we should be dressing for our age – judgement given on if something is too old for us or too young. But… What IS for my age then?! For us inbetweeners it’s all a bit grey! So, I’ve decided in that case, it just has to be wearing whatever I like! And if other people don’t like it well, who cares?!

If my arse looks good in leather look pants then that’s what I’m wearing. If I fancy a seersucker flowy skirt, then that too! I’ve realised 40 isn’t flailing about in the midden of middle age but it is, in fact, a beautiful time whereby I can wear anything my heart desires (as long as my rear end doesn’t look disastrous in it)! A beautiful moment, if you will, of expressionism and exhibitionism that I am revelling in. I don’t actually give a monkeys what anyone thinks of me with anything else so if I’m too old, or, actually, if I’m too young, whatever. I’m wearing it. All. As I like it!

I thought I’d show you what I’ve been buying in my fashion splurges – including some items from the kid’s department like I mentioned. In Next as they go up to age 16 – 26 years too young for me then – and I reckon age 16 must be about a size 10 as it fits me. Cheaper dresses that fit, in the kids department? Oh yes please and thank you very much!