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What does it mean to "dress your age"?


Darryl

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I was with mates on the weekend and one of them was ribbing another about dressing like a "young dandy" (yeah, we're old, the word dandy was used).


"Dress your age" was one of the comments made. I'm pretty sure it was the first time I've ever heard that said about a man.


Do you dress your age? What does it really even mean?

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Oriental lily

To me the deffinition is wearing fashionable clothes that no longer suites your body type .youth makes everything more forgivable. It's a pass to look ridiculous in the name of fashion .


Other people seem to think it's about sex appeal .if you get to a certain age you need to dress more conservative ,cover up your assets due to sex appeal only being a youthful thing .I don't agree with that at all .


Of course I really done know why anyone needs to comment at all and I find it bizarre anyone really cares . People should be allowed to dress the way they want .

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I would say if you remember a band/movie/tv show etc. the first time round you have full permission to wear the clothes (I am joking people can wear what they want) at any age


Better than a 16 year old in 2021 wearing a Rolling Stones tshirt thinking they are the first age group to discover them :) (again i am joking)

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I don't know what it means but it would only be something required by small minded people.

I am mid 60's. I do not dress like my mum did at the same age.


I have a similar wardrobe to my daughters ( except in a larger size ). I do not show as much skin as they do but the world needs to be thankful for that.


efc

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I often tell my kids (and DH) to dress ‘appropriately’.


It’s not about being age appropriate but situation appropriate. My teen DD going out with friends? Lots and lots of skin. Going to lunch with grandparents? A little more covered up and dressier. Going to church? Shoulders and knees covered. Hiking or mountain biking? Practical, sun smart, protective clothing. She mostly makes the correct choice.


My DH? Bumming around? Ripped shirt from a concert 20yrs ago, daggy shorts. Lunch at a restaurant? Smart casual. Important white collar work meeting? Suit with tie. Mowing the lawn? Long pants and closed in shoes.


DH will often get it wrong and has ruined many clothes. He’s mowed the lawn in his work suit in bare feet. He’s also turned up to lunch at a restaurant in his bumming around clothes. Admittedly it was with his parents and he wasn’t keen.

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I've been told it's not a good look to walk to the corner store barefoot - but if I don't do it occasionally the bindii's will take me down like a lego on lino!

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I get if a tshirt has an offense slogan, here is no sun safe issues or safety ie not wearing shoes to mow the lawn or for work/school dress code?


Then why does it matter what people wear? if someone wanted to wear jeans to a cocktail party or a mini skirt to church it is not actually causing any harm sure these are both things I don't wear personally but I don't care who does

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Fruitmincepies

[mention]Basil[/mention] DH once decided to test paint colours on a fence, while wearing his suit. Lucky he took off his jacket as he got paint on the sleeve of his shirt.

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I have to say, I don't understand why you can't show your shoulders in church. Pretty sure whatever deity you believe in (or profess to believe in) knows you have shoulders. And knees are offensive now?? What about all the mini skirts in the 60's? I doubt anyone went to hell (or is going) for wearing a skirt above the knee. It just seems like a really outdated social norm.

Sure, no death metal tees in a church, but if people are judging you on what you wear, that's their issue, not yours.

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I think for the most part, fashion is becoming ubiquitous across age groups. The way people may wear the outfit is different though. For example, when I used to work in an office (ore covid) I used to buy dresses from David Lawrence or David Jones to wear to work. Other women a bit older than me may have bought these same dresses as formal wear or to wear to the races etc. Same dress, different purpose.


I think people should dress in a way they are comfortable with and hopefully find flattering to their own figure.


PS I am 174 cm so literally every dress or skirt I own shows my knees so I have never covered these in church. And I've gone sleeveless lots of times (my gran was buried on a 39 degree day, many shoulders were shown on church that day).

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acidulous osprey

. For example, when I used to work in an office (ore covid) I used to buy dresses from David Lawrence or David Jones to wear to work. Other women a bit older than me may have bought these same dresses as formal wear or to wear to the races etc. Same dress, different purpose.


.

 

What? I'm trying to imagine as an older woman a dress I would wear for formal wear that a younger woman would see as suitable office wear.

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I have to say, I don't understand why you can't show your shoulders in church. Pretty sure whatever deity you believe in (or profess to believe in) knows you have shoulders. And knees are offensive now?? What about all the mini skirts in the 60's? I doubt anyone went to hell (or is going) for wearing a skirt above the knee. It just seems like a really outdated social norm.

Sure, no death metal tees in a church, but if people are judging you on what you wear, that's their issue, not yours.

I agree that the ‘dress code’ for church is a social construct. It’s why what is seen as acceptable or not, changes over time.


I’m not religious so only go to church for the benefit of others - weddings, christenings, funerals. I dress in a way that I presume would be respectful and comforting to the family. So, for some, it would be quite dressed up and conservative. For others, it would be casual because too dressed up would be out of place.


Yeah, if other people choose to judge me, that’s their issue and not mine but out of respect for whomever I’m attending church for, the day/ceremony is about them and not me so I do t want to be the cause of attention, speculation or talk.

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I’m 50 and no longer feel like I look my best in short skirts or shorts. I will still wear sleeveless tops but no spaghetti straps. They’re my only new rules compared to when I was say 30. But I will still wear skinny jeans and generally dress reasonably “young” otherwise. Will I be wearing skinny jeans at 60 or 70? Only if I feel comfortable that it still suits me.

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If I choose to go with social norms when attending weddings/funerals etc then it is because I feel better doing so for me not so much that I am being told to do so. I will not wear black because I am told to for a funeral unless specifically required by the family ( never has happened) nor would I not wear white to a wedding because the bride told me not to.


And despite myself being somewhat of a floozy in my clothes choices when young I spent years trying to stop my girls from wearing revealing necklines and very short dresses and skirts because I hated so much the stares they got from the sleaze bags, it was nothing to do with me thinking they looked awful, I am not sure whether I would be different these days? I do have a different perspective now.

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I remember being upset about essentially being told off as a teenager for wearing a particular outfit to church. I was upset as I was just trying to be fashionable and it really wasn't that daring.


My Mum told me not to worry and told me about the old fuddy daddies in the church who had told her generation off for miniskirts (which were much shorter than what I had worn), and church elders telling off young women for showing too much shoulder then their own daughters turning up showing more!


The lesson? Wear what is right for you and you would be happy to be seen in by God and ignore the tsk tskrs as you would never escape them.


And in general wear what is you and isn't outright offensive and stuff the social police. Life is too short

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DH has a mate who only wears long pants, even in summer, because according to him shorts are for young boys and men wear long pants.

Such an old fashioned notion. But there were a few rules like that in the olden days. Hair styles, hem lengths, cuts of dresses, lengths of pants and sleeve length. That’s probably what “dress your age” began as.

Who knows what it means these days, cause I don’t care.

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I've been told it's not a good look to walk to the corner store barefoot - but if I don't do it occasionally the bindii's will take me down like a lego on lino!

 

People need to be barefoot more, I think shoes are over worn these days.

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