Being Timeless
I have to be honest, as a woman over 40 it’s easy to feel invisible in the fashion industry. Most notably, the social media aspects of the industry.
Sure, there are social media fashion icons in their 80s like man-stealing Baddy Winkle, and “More is More” Iris Apfel. Terms like Boss Babe and Girl Boss continue to embolden and empower the female entrepreneurial spirit. Yes these ladies are killing it for sure. However, this kinda’ leaves a large swath of the population of women on the fashion sidelines. Not all of us want to dress brightly (yet), or be constantly reminded that we are no longer a “girl” or “babe”.
So, how do women of a certain age keep up with the latest trends when all the attention is directed towards our younger or signficantly older sisters?
How can YOU develop Timeless Style for the Ageless Woman? The answer comes down to 3 simple words. You Do You.
That’s it! No greater joy comes from just being yourself, as cliché as it sounds. What does this mean for me? While there’s no one formula for all of us, what has worked for me will probably work for most:
- Accepting what I was born with and,
- Simplifying my routine.
Cutting my hair and foregoing chemical hair straighter was the start. Believe me! Chopping it all off was the hardest personal appearance decision I’ve ever made. There were tons of self-acceptance-self-talks involved. And while my husband and colleagues loved my new “do”, to this day I receive un-approving glances! Nevertheless, clipping my locks has saved me time and money, both of which have now carried over into other areas of my life. Eventually I began to wear a lot less makeup (lipstick, concealer, mascara, brow gel), focusing instead on clean clear skin.
I won’t lie, I have nonsurgical “help” too. Such as booking regular facial appointments and following a mini-Asian skin care routine. (My Go-to’s: SKII, Tatcha Camelia Cleanser, Camelia oil, and Smoothing Rice Enzyme). Don’t forget the Retin-A with its proven wrinkle fighting qualities. Now I look forward to my bare skin and rarely conceal the natural lines and contours i.e. wrinkles that I’m earning through my life experiences.
By now you’ve probably done the math on my age from the T-shirt I’m proudly sporting. And yes, its 100% true: I’m 45. But as Aaliyah crooned, “age ain’t nothin’ but a number”.
Dismissing the Unimportant
Even the large fashion brands are slowly starting to realize that age is just a number. Zara recently launched their Timeless collection featuring veteran models Caroline Murphy and Kirsten Owen. When discussing aging, Ms. Owen proudly looks forward to becoming “dismissive about what’s not important.
I started fashion blogging in earnest 18 months ago.
My inspiration came when Lucky Magazine published an article featuring my mother for their “My Mom the Style Icon” series. I guess I must have thought, “if Mom can, so can I”. I hesitated before taking up a hobby that quite frankly caters to youth culture, but seeing my mom’s reaction to seeing herself in Lucky magazine inspired me to share my style in a way that her style inspired Lucky Magazine and its readers.
My experience so far from my readers and followings indicate that most people (surprise!) couldn’t care less about my age. Tagging my photos #over40 or #over40fashion seems to have no noticeable impact on followings or engagement. My demographic is largely the 25-50 age group.
What seems to resonate most is authenticity and high quality content. 18 months of focused blogging has resulted in 8 designer collaborations just by being my “older” self! Which takes us back to my previous point: being your authentic self, and quality over quantity. Now that’s Timeless Style for the Ageless Woman!
Xoxo, TenKeyPieces
