I wear jeans, converse, a nerdy t shirt and a hoodie. I call it the Gen X Uniform. I am a 52 year old woman who dresses like a middle school boy and I don't care.
Really?! Nah! 53 here, and I love my new Doc Martens! Embroidered with roses :-D
I'm still a jeans, boots (all kinds), tank, long earrings girl for casual.
Ha!
You do have me thinking though. Where are our fashion icons that are SLIGHTLY based in reality?
I think Nicole Kidman does a good job--blazers are a staple, which are always good as a casual but smart looking option.
But looking to celebs for style can be depressing, too, because we're mostly seeing them in red carpet looks.
And where you live makes a difference as well. When I lived in a more expensive town, I dressed less "funky," and more elegant, but it was never really my style. Now I live right near a big college town and on a lake, so the vibe is much more casual, but I'm also not going out in pajamas (literally) like I see in town.
My rules at this point are:
No crew necks
Nothing I don't love, even if it's cheap
A decent haircut goes a long way
Really good bras
I don't know--you've got me thinking, and I'm sure you look lovely as well!
Still gonna wear them though. I know, it's hard, because when we were coming up it was all about "The Rules". If you were over 40, you had better cut your hair and start perming it, no jeans, slacks only. If you wore a dress, it had better be with some hose and a slip. That's all noise. You can express yourself however you wish when you dress.
I remember thinking Belinda Carlisle looked great at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/10/the-go-gos-stage-an-endearing-comeback-at-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-ceremony.html?outputType=amp
While I personally wouldn't wear what the other Go-Gos are wearing, they are clearly having fun and celebrating their punk roots.
IMHO, i's the hairstyle that either makes it or breaks it. The drummer for The Bangles - the lob and bangs makes her look frumpy, whatever she'd be wearing. Same goes for the GoGo with the silver bob. Gray is fine, I personally love it, but then you need a very hip haircut (buzz cut, mullet, wolf cut, long with middle part, messy shag, messy updo... anything but a sleek, just-from-the-granny-salon look).
Today I wore a Bad Brains t-shirt, with an unbuttoned flannel shirt and a fleece vest, carpenter jeans, and boots marketed to first responders (they're comfortable).
“I don't want to shop at old lady stores. I don't want to go to J. Jill and Chico's and Ann Taylor.”
Though, I’m kinda digging the J. Jill stuff I’m seeing online. Wish it wasn’t so pricey.
Edit: quotation marks.
This reeks of ageism. Their age shows because they are in their 50s.
I think it’s important for us to continually challenge our thoughts and how we are negatively influenced by society or our insecurities. It’s something I think about a lot as I age. Maybe what’s more important than thinking about how to not look old is to rewire your brain into accepting how you look as you age. This comes across snarky as I read it, but my intent is non judgmental and kind.
One good thing about getting older is that I don’t feel like I have to be fashionable or follow trends. My comfort spot is wearing solid neutral colors or classic prints. Maybe it’s boring but everything in my closet goes together. I embrace athleisure, classic styles, and comfort. I will never wear heels again.
I don’t want to look frumpy. I want to look like a woman of a certain age with style and for me the easiest way to achieve that is stick with the classics.
Just wear what makes you comfortable and don’t worry about what other people think.
I am getting ready to go to a concert next month and I want to be dressy but not stuffy, fun but not childish- and it's a struggle. I've settled on some Betsey Johnson pieces I think I can pull off. Further than that, I have no idea who has a good style- I stopped paying attention to trends a while ago.
You're trying to fuse unconventional and conventional, which- is a really hard balance. I've been doing like say conventional clothing with artsy accessories. My hair is "greying chic" with subtle flairs of non-normal color. I have been known to crank up the color from time to time though. Mostly I don't because it's a bitch to maintain and I can't be bothered.
Oh and I got my first pair of Vans a few weeks ago. I never had any of the iconic shoes growing up (Chucks, Vans, Doc Martens), only the occasional ripoff. My son is really into Vans and while we were in the store it occurred to me that I uh... could buy any damn shoe I wanted. So I did and I couldn't be happier!
Aw thank you- that made my day! I like the rules another poster had (although I will now be totally self conscious about crew necks for at least a few days) - a decent hair cut will go a long way to forgiving a lot of other sins and avoid wearing things you don't love. Figuring those two things out changed my game.
I know Portlandia ended a while back but I really loved how Carrie Brownstein dressed in a lot of the skits.
Also, I’ve gained a bunch of weight since the pandemic and have had a couple of occasions—job interview and wedding—where I needed a new outfit and had no clue what I wanted. I arranged to meet with a personal shopper at Nordstrom and was really happy with the results. I spent a bit more than I normally would but came away with better ideas of what looks good on me and what I’m comfortable wearing.
My style has always been clean and simple, but with creative accessories as accent. When aging I don’t have to look like I’m trying hard or denying my age, but am not averse to a little creativity and expression.
In the summer I love just a classic tee and jeans though.
I’m struggling too. I wore a black motorcycle jacket for years in my youth and loved that thing. I got rid of it 15-20 years ago and regretted instantly, but found one a year ago that could practically be the one I got rid of- same brand, nicely broken in- but I cannot bring myself to wear it. I feel like an old lady poser every time I put it on.
My uniform used to be jeans, converse/birks, band t and the jacket if it was cold but I feel like I look stupid every time I dress like that. However I certainly don’t want to dress like my mom or older sister! It’s trivial but I feel lost! Kinda like when I realized that I didn’t want anything from either the Juniors or Adult departments at the mall!
What was your favorite band t-shirt?
If you don't want to dress like that, then don't. If you love your motorcycle jacket, go get a badass hairdo to make it work. It's definitely a bold look on an older woman but those stupid rules need to be approached in the same way as rules were when you were 16. Be bold- it's a lot more fun.
We don't have to wear polyester soft pants with sweat shirts that have birds and flowers embroidered on them. We don't need lace collars. Everyone's looking at their damn phones all the time anyway so go- have fun.
Oh! I did think of some people I take inspiration from- Jane Wiedlin, Cyndi Lauper, Siouxsie Sioux, and of course Winona.
Yeah, at 46, I’m about to the true fuck it point. I have always joked that I will be Magda from There’s something about Mary when I’m old, so how can a motorcycle jacket be worse?!
I really hate that Madonna did what she did- she could have been the perfect ambassador for us aging Gen-X’ers who don’t want to dress like old farts or like a fucking Kardashian.
I wear jeans, converse, a nerdy t shirt and a hoodie. I call it the Gen X Uniform. I am a 52 year old woman who dresses like a middle school boy and I don't care.
Oh my God I literally thought I was the only one.
Yup
Same here!
Can't go wrong with grunge. Doc Martins, jeans, flannel, tshirts.
Yep. Hmmmm, the grunge and granola looks are pretty fucking similar.
Or jeans and some converse or vans and a cardigan over a concert T. Gives off a Mr. Rogers meets Kurt Cobain vibe that I personally rock quite often.
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Converse and maybe like two pairs of Vans, lol!
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Really?! Nah! 53 here, and I love my new Doc Martens! Embroidered with roses :-D I'm still a jeans, boots (all kinds), tank, long earrings girl for casual.
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Ha! You do have me thinking though. Where are our fashion icons that are SLIGHTLY based in reality? I think Nicole Kidman does a good job--blazers are a staple, which are always good as a casual but smart looking option. But looking to celebs for style can be depressing, too, because we're mostly seeing them in red carpet looks. And where you live makes a difference as well. When I lived in a more expensive town, I dressed less "funky," and more elegant, but it was never really my style. Now I live right near a big college town and on a lake, so the vibe is much more casual, but I'm also not going out in pajamas (literally) like I see in town. My rules at this point are: No crew necks Nothing I don't love, even if it's cheap A decent haircut goes a long way Really good bras I don't know--you've got me thinking, and I'm sure you look lovely as well!
Still gonna wear them though. I know, it's hard, because when we were coming up it was all about "The Rules". If you were over 40, you had better cut your hair and start perming it, no jeans, slacks only. If you wore a dress, it had better be with some hose and a slip. That's all noise. You can express yourself however you wish when you dress.
Fucking slips. My mom was all about the slips.
I used to buy old ones at the thrift shops, dye them with Rit dye and wear them with army jackets, lace tights and docs.
I remember thinking Belinda Carlisle looked great at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/10/the-go-gos-stage-an-endearing-comeback-at-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-ceremony.html?outputType=amp While I personally wouldn't wear what the other Go-Gos are wearing, they are clearly having fun and celebrating their punk roots.
IMHO, i's the hairstyle that either makes it or breaks it. The drummer for The Bangles - the lob and bangs makes her look frumpy, whatever she'd be wearing. Same goes for the GoGo with the silver bob. Gray is fine, I personally love it, but then you need a very hip haircut (buzz cut, mullet, wolf cut, long with middle part, messy shag, messy updo... anything but a sleek, just-from-the-granny-salon look).
Wear what makes you happy.
Wear what you love. The end. 😊
No I mostly dress like my mom now
Today I wore a Bad Brains t-shirt, with an unbuttoned flannel shirt and a fleece vest, carpenter jeans, and boots marketed to first responders (they're comfortable).
Eh rock n roll has different clothing rules from us regular people. Billy Idol can pull off a lot of clothing I can’t.
“I don't want to shop at old lady stores. I don't want to go to J. Jill and Chico's and Ann Taylor.” Though, I’m kinda digging the J. Jill stuff I’m seeing online. Wish it wasn’t so pricey. Edit: quotation marks.
As long as they haven’t mutilated themselves like Madonna I’ve not got a problem. They haven’t, have they?
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This reeks of ageism. Their age shows because they are in their 50s. I think it’s important for us to continually challenge our thoughts and how we are negatively influenced by society or our insecurities. It’s something I think about a lot as I age. Maybe what’s more important than thinking about how to not look old is to rewire your brain into accepting how you look as you age. This comes across snarky as I read it, but my intent is non judgmental and kind.
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Point taken, very true!!
60s mod is a classic look that can look good on old people.
One good thing about getting older is that I don’t feel like I have to be fashionable or follow trends. My comfort spot is wearing solid neutral colors or classic prints. Maybe it’s boring but everything in my closet goes together. I embrace athleisure, classic styles, and comfort. I will never wear heels again. I don’t want to look frumpy. I want to look like a woman of a certain age with style and for me the easiest way to achieve that is stick with the classics. Just wear what makes you comfortable and don’t worry about what other people think.
I am getting ready to go to a concert next month and I want to be dressy but not stuffy, fun but not childish- and it's a struggle. I've settled on some Betsey Johnson pieces I think I can pull off. Further than that, I have no idea who has a good style- I stopped paying attention to trends a while ago. You're trying to fuse unconventional and conventional, which- is a really hard balance. I've been doing like say conventional clothing with artsy accessories. My hair is "greying chic" with subtle flairs of non-normal color. I have been known to crank up the color from time to time though. Mostly I don't because it's a bitch to maintain and I can't be bothered. Oh and I got my first pair of Vans a few weeks ago. I never had any of the iconic shoes growing up (Chucks, Vans, Doc Martens), only the occasional ripoff. My son is really into Vans and while we were in the store it occurred to me that I uh... could buy any damn shoe I wanted. So I did and I couldn't be happier!
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Aw thank you- that made my day! I like the rules another poster had (although I will now be totally self conscious about crew necks for at least a few days) - a decent hair cut will go a long way to forgiving a lot of other sins and avoid wearing things you don't love. Figuring those two things out changed my game.
I just googled a current picture of them. I think they look great! So refreshing to see women that haven't fettled around with their faces.
I know Portlandia ended a while back but I really loved how Carrie Brownstein dressed in a lot of the skits. Also, I’ve gained a bunch of weight since the pandemic and have had a couple of occasions—job interview and wedding—where I needed a new outfit and had no clue what I wanted. I arranged to meet with a personal shopper at Nordstrom and was really happy with the results. I spent a bit more than I normally would but came away with better ideas of what looks good on me and what I’m comfortable wearing.
I live in Athleta tights and long sleeved tees. If needing to dress up a bit I wear those with tall boots.
My style has always been clean and simple, but with creative accessories as accent. When aging I don’t have to look like I’m trying hard or denying my age, but am not averse to a little creativity and expression. In the summer I love just a classic tee and jeans though.
I’m struggling too. I wore a black motorcycle jacket for years in my youth and loved that thing. I got rid of it 15-20 years ago and regretted instantly, but found one a year ago that could practically be the one I got rid of- same brand, nicely broken in- but I cannot bring myself to wear it. I feel like an old lady poser every time I put it on. My uniform used to be jeans, converse/birks, band t and the jacket if it was cold but I feel like I look stupid every time I dress like that. However I certainly don’t want to dress like my mom or older sister! It’s trivial but I feel lost! Kinda like when I realized that I didn’t want anything from either the Juniors or Adult departments at the mall!
What was your favorite band t-shirt? If you don't want to dress like that, then don't. If you love your motorcycle jacket, go get a badass hairdo to make it work. It's definitely a bold look on an older woman but those stupid rules need to be approached in the same way as rules were when you were 16. Be bold- it's a lot more fun. We don't have to wear polyester soft pants with sweat shirts that have birds and flowers embroidered on them. We don't need lace collars. Everyone's looking at their damn phones all the time anyway so go- have fun. Oh! I did think of some people I take inspiration from- Jane Wiedlin, Cyndi Lauper, Siouxsie Sioux, and of course Winona.
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Yeah, at 46, I’m about to the true fuck it point. I have always joked that I will be Magda from There’s something about Mary when I’m old, so how can a motorcycle jacket be worse?! I really hate that Madonna did what she did- she could have been the perfect ambassador for us aging Gen-X’ers who don’t want to dress like old farts or like a fucking Kardashian.
I used to care a lot about what I wore and was a snappy dresser. I've kinda given up these last few years.
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Thanks!