Ladies – Wear What The Hell You Like!

There’s a trend, actually it’s more than a trend, let’s call it an assumption – that as soon as women hit a certain age they need to start behaving and particularly dressing differently – appropriately. In a Facebook group a couple of weeks ago, a woman asked for advice. She had gorgeous, very long hair and this month she was turning 37, so she wanted to know if now was the time she should cut it all off. Perhaps it hit a nerve for me as I’m due to hit 37 this year, but she was genuinely concerned and used a phrase I have never heard before – 16/60. Which apparently means looking 16 at the back and 60 at the front. What an utterly awful phrase.

Then there are those ghastly articles you see circulating on Facebook. You know the ones I mean; what clothes you should never wear when you’re past thirty; fashion mistakes women over forty make. You shouldn’t wear a mini skirt, a graphic tee, leopard print (seriously what?!), oversized sunglasses, non matching socks, hoop earrings, old trainers and scrunchies were amongst the bonkers things I have seen on one list. Ugh, just ugh. I mean non matching socks – who the hell is likely to see them anyway?

Gone are the days when you hit a certain age and you have to chop off your locks and get a set and a perm – thank goodness! I really am confused by the 16/60 concept too, surely you could easily say that about someone with a chic, glossy bob? Or a slim person who turns around and you realise she’s pregnant, or someone that dyes their hair so it’s no longer grey? Looks can be deceiving in all walks of life, so why should you cut off your hair to appease an outdated belief that it’s only acceptable for young women to have long hair? Plus, who are you actually offending by looking one way at the front and back and why the hell should you care?

In society it is easy to full into the trap of what’s the right thing to do or the right thing to wear, without stopping to think about what the point of it all is. By being complicit with these unwritten rules we are adding strength to this nonsense. Worrying too much about what is right and proper and how we should be ‘ageing gracefully’ without really stopping to think about what the actual point of it is.

You only get one life, that life is here to be enjoyed to full capacity, as much as you can – grab on and enjoy the ride. Wear what you want, have fun, live. Dance down the streets in a leopard print catsuit if you want to, in non matching socks and hoop earrings, but most importantly do what makes you happy.