Age appropriate or not!

[Charlotte_Ringwood ✅]

Looking at clothes just now I found myself considering the concept of age appropriateness. One thing for sure is I don't feel 44 years old!

In my head I occupy a various range of ages, often having affinity for aesthetics more popular in younger women in 20s-30s. I guess I'm not necessarily inclined to stay still and like to embrace these things.

The question then is how do others feel about age appropriateness? Should this be a thing or not?

One school of thought says to always be your true authentic self and not let society dictate to you. This is the core  of our life as transgender people in a way!

Another says that particular looks just don't work after a certain age. This can negatively affect societal views of you as a person. Should this be considered too?

Some common themes of age appropriateness in women's fashion revolve around modesty; short dresses, low cuts, showing skin. Materials and styles also come into it. I love alt / goth looks but these are often seen as less appropriate for older women.

Anyway, this is a big topic for sure! I would love others thoughts as I'm always stuck in this conundrum and sure others will be too!

Charlotte 😻

[Lori Dee ✅]

I don't dress for age appropriateness; I dress for the occasion.

I am comfortable with clothes more appropriate for women half my age. On many occasions, I have been complimented on my looks because I don't look like a 68-year-old woman.

Dressing for age appropriateness can have this kind of effect. So, depending on the situation, it might be safer to help blend in by wearing clothes to match the occasion. I would never wear a miniskirt, hose, heels, and a low-cut top to church or a funeral. Try to fit the decorum.

I also don't wear "old lady clothes" or styles that are more suitable for my chronological age, because that is not how I see myself. It is not unusual to see women shopping for groceries and looking like they just finished auditioning at a strip club. But there is nothing wrong with dressing that way for a night out on the town.

Since my lifestyle does not include strip clubs or dance venues, I don't own anything that I would wear to such places. I also don't go to church or attend funerals. That saves on wardrobe costs (but that isn't why I don't go.)

Dress for what makes you happy and expresses what you want to express. Temper it with the occasion, and you should be fine.

[big kim]

I don't dress age appropriate at 68.I also dont dress like a teenager. This time of year its warmth. I wear jeans,hiking pants or smart black dress pants. T shirts, flannel  shirts, smart or casual tops etc.Comfy Chelsea boots or hiking and combat  boots.
Wear what you're  comfortable with. Confidence comes with wearing  what you want and not giving a rats what others think.

[Charlotte_Ringwood ✅]

I think I'm pretty much on the same wavelength Lori and Kim. My thoughts are that work is definitely limited...I have that sussed though can still let my personality show through.

Out and about I think summer will afford me the options to show a bit more skin and a bit of attitude, but right now I still love my cozy winter looks!

I do have one place where I can pretty much do what I want and explore things that'd probably gain unwanted attention elsewhere...that's furry meets. I can go fully alt, fully suggestive or whatever. As long as I'm decent furrys really don't care! My character Serana is a young raver wolf so I can fill my boots 😀

[Sephirah]

To be fair, Charlotte, that's only a couple of years younger than me. And you most certainly don't look 44. If someone had asked me to guess how old you were based on your avatar, I would have gone with mid 30s at the most.

I can't really comment on age appropriate because I really have just reached a point in my life where I don't care about social expectations or what you are, or aren't supposed to do. Life's too short to care about that kind of stuff. For me, anyway. So... my answer would be just do what makes you happy. People will have something to say, no matter what you do, so you may as well be happy doing it.

[Rochelle]

I don't dress age appropriate.  I still currently present as male but dress not 62.  I am getting misgendered more though, in the good way.  Out to dinner right now with girlfriend and server asked what he could get for you ladies. 😀

[Lori Dee ✅]

People will have something to say, no matter what you do, so you may as well be happy doing it give them something to talk about!

There. I fixed it for you.

😁

[Simplycause]

Casually I've dressed the same way since high-school as male. Hoody, jeans and skate shoes year round. Still have a few goodies I got after my first few paychecks way back in 03/04.

As I've started to transition I dress like a Victorian woman dying of tuberculosis.

[Paulie]

More important than age appropriate comes body appropriate.  I think Lori kind an alluded to this.

There are things that one 25 year old woman can wear that another probably shouldn't.  As we age the line becomes more defined.  At 40, there are things that one woman could wear that another really shouldn't.  At 60 we get more to the definitely shouldn't area.

So many things affect the way the body ages, genetics, diet, sun exposure, and so on.  That said there are plenty of 40 year olds that can rock with the best of 25 year olds.  Likewise with the 60's and 40's.  I dare say there are even some 60 + that can make some aspects of the 25 year olds fashion work for them too.

With smooth skin, a trim body, and no gray, at 68 you can still get away with a quite a bit.

BTW. I colored my hair just last night. 🤫

[Maid Marion]

The youngest outfit I wore last year was a Hello Kitty T-shirt and skort that fell a few inches above the knee with open toe platform shoes.  I have an petite hourglass figure with a thin waist and salt and pepper hair.  I used to wear long pants all the time so I have very little sun damage on my legs.  Now I used sun screen on my legs.  Instead of using sunscreen on my arms I'll wear golf shirts with sun sleeves.

[Charlotte_Ringwood ✅]

More important than age appropriate comes body appropriate.  I think Lori kind an alluded to this.
 

BTW. I colored my hair just last night. 🤫

Very true body does have a big part in this, although I don't see body size being part of the equation at least.

Having a male body makes it a problem too as there are many things that look awful on my male hips and bum shape. Also the fact that dresses for size 16 people are assumed to also have large breasts so with me are really baggy at the top unless fitted!

Coloured hair is awesome BTW. What colour did you get? I'm sure it'll look very cute!

C😻

[Paulie]

Very true body does have a big part in this, although I don't see body size being part of the equation at least.

Having a male body makes it a problem too as there are many things that look awful on my male hips and bum shape. Also the fact that dresses for size 16 people are assumed to also have large breasts so with me are really baggy at the top unless fitted!

Coloured hair is awesome BTW. What colour did you get? I'm sure it'll look very cute!

C😻

My comment on body size only had to do with the fact that a young early 20 something that's a little on the chubby side could get away showing a little bare midriff, where a 40 something that's a little on the chubby side would have some trouble making that work. A very thin 40 something would fair better.  Otherwise, I agree with you.

Dress can be problematic since you can't mix and match the top and bottom.  I seem to have the opposite issue as you with dresses.  I can find a dress that fit my upper body well but I do not fill them out well in the hips.

I always had light brown hair until the gray came in many year ago, then I started dying light brown.  Last summer my hair got bleached out from the sun and I got a few nice comments on the look.  So now I"m an "Ultra Light Natural Blonde" or at least that's what the box says. 😆

Paulie.

[Maid Marion]

Having a male body makes it a problem too as there are many things that look awful on my male hips and bum shape. Also the fact that dresses for size 16 people are assumed to also have large breasts so with me are really baggy at the top unless fitted!

This is also a problem for small FtM tying to wear clothes for older boys.  The fit is all wrong for the typical female body shape.  They are much better off with Boyfriend styles that are cut for their body shape.

The biggest issue as I see it is getting used to wearing tightly fitting clothes.
Woman wear stretchy fabrics and clothes sized smaller than what would be appropriate for men.
It took me a while to get used to wearing form fitting clothes.

On the golf course I recall one of my random playing partners commenting that he wished his wife could wear clothes that fit as well as mine did!

Marion

[Charlotte_Ringwood ✅]

Woman wear stretchy fabrics and clothes sized smaller than what would be appropriate for men.
It took me a while to get used to wearing form fitting clothes.

Marion

Thankfully this is something I adapted too quite easily. Worked out quickly that stretchy stuff enhanced the right areas and is much more forgiving fit wise. Also feels much more comfortable to wear.

Leggings and stretch jeans were already a thing in boy mode, along with lycra tops, so was somewhat used to it.

Charlotte 😻