By BR Kellie
Pretty much every day something ‘breaks’ the internet. A new style. A new trend. An outspoken rant. I don’t know about you, but I’ve become a bit immune to these one second wonders, and it’s fair to say as quickly as I read them I forget them. However one breaker of the interwebs has stuck with me, and that’s this piece on 24 Things Women Should Stop Wearing After 30. What’s interesting about this is that it’s been around for a couple of years, but this year I saw an influx of people talking about it with the majority taking the stance of wear whatever the heck you want. I nodded my head vigorously to these stances but still couldn’t move on, so you, my lovelies, get to read (or not, you can click away now) my rarr-iness on the subject.
I think what is rarking me up is that I feel like there’s finality to her list. The writer has put her opinion out there in such a way that there’s no room for movement. Something that never sits well in my little ol’ mind. Heck, we all have opinions, they make us interesting, but when someone comes out and says ‘here are 24 things no woman should be caught wearing after age 30’ I really have to watch where I step, for I fear I’ll tread on my eyes, because they’ve rolled straight out of my head. I mean gosh, feel free to state your thoughts, but there’s no harm in saying ‘in my opinion’ and then allowing other people to try things out and find their own way. I mean, fashion and makeup is a bit like skincare – sure there may be some ‘rules’ as created by the great ‘they’, but those rules won’t work for everyone. And for every 39 people who find doing things the so-called ‘right’ way work, there’ll be one person who finds for them it’s wrong and that the so-called ‘wrong’ way is their right way.
On Beauty Review we work hard to keep you up to date with new looks and styles and trends, or those that came and went and then have returned once again, but at the end of the day we’re all about ‘you do you’. What we regret doing within the beauty realm (or any realm to be honest), things we’ve done but would never do again, does not apply to anyone else. I wish I’d never shoved sparkly mini butterfly clips into the twists in my hair, but if someone else wants to then that’s good as gold. Queenie wishes she’d tamed her big hair earlier, yet if you want to wear big hair and love it, that’s good with her. I think that’s why this ‘Stop Wearing’ piece grates me. It’s as if the author refuses to see another point of view. Or maybe she secretly does, but that hardly makes for getting clicks and advertising revenue and all that big grown up stuff internet magazine type things have to concern themselves with.
I don’t know, perhaps if she’d titled it ’24 Things I Will Never Wear Once I Hit 30’ I would’ve been ok with it. Would’ve? Actually I would have been more than fine with it. Because then it would be about her, and her style sense and rules. I have my ‘no butterfly clips’, she has her ‘no glittery eyeshadow’. Instead she’s deigned a bunch of things off limit for all women over a certain age. Well, being well over that certain age I can certainly say her rules do not apply to me. My sneakers are old… and filthy, and exceedingly comfortable. Oversized sunglasses are this tired mummy’s friend. I’ve been wearing non-matching socks since my teens and I’m not going to stop anytime soon, partly because there’s more chance of finding gold nuggets in my front yard than there is of finding a pair that matching socks in my household, partly because I like this youthful quirk of mine. In summer I will put my pasty curvy pins out there in a short frock. And while I’ve yet to wear leopard print, I hold affection for it, and it’s only a matter of time before a pair of ballet flats in leopard print come prowling into my wardrobe.
So what does my brain diarrhoea all boil down to? Wear what makes you feel comfortable, or happy, or sexy. Put on the makeup that when you look in the mirror makes your soul sing with joy. Don’t allow other people’s opinions to rule your life, especially if they’re likely to make you feel less fabulous about yourself. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life, and we only get one life (that we know of), it should be as happy and delightful and free from worry as we can humanly make it. Geez Louise, it’s just fashion, it’s just beauty. It’s meant to be fun! It’s not like it’s 24 Things You Must Do In Order To Save The World From Certain Destruction. Even if it was you could choose to ignore it, because we have that wonderful thing called ‘freedom of choice’.
Anyway, out of all the opinions I’ve read on the article in question, I do believe this is my favourite. (Don’t click if the ‘f’ word offends you.)
So there you have it, my ramblings/thoughts/mutterings/ponderings on one woman’s dictatorial stance on women of a certain age’s style. Bah. Me do me. You do you. I shall now put it in a bubble and blow it away to join the big pile of ‘internet breakers’ in the sky.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree! These days 60 is the new 40, 50 is the new 35, and 40 is the new 25. Women of today are so much younger, healthier and more vibrant than they were years ago. I know women in their 40's who can wear the same outfit as a 30 year old and who look fantastic. If you work out, look after yourself or you're just comfortable in your own skin, that's what makes someone look great in their clothes. It has nothing to do with your chronological age. There is NO magic line, which you can no longer cross just because you have turned 30, 40 or even 50. Most of the women I know who dress "appropriately" according to their age, look a lot older than my friends who dress in clothes that supposedly they should have abandoned years ago, according to those so called experts with their little list of rules for women over 30.