Does This Make Me Look Old?
Did you catch the lively discussion we had on my Facebook page last week? We chat about style, beauty, and life in general. That particular discussion affected how I got dressed yesterday. I shared a story I’d found on the web and wondered what my readers thought. They were as annoyed as I was. The article is called “The 10 Fashion Mistakes Making You Look Older Than You Are”. Titles like that always intrigue me but here’s the thing – the author looks about 30 and her theories are way off base.
Why do young women think they know how we should dress? I’m a firm believer that everyone is entitled to their opinion but please don’t dictate what I should wear until you get some experience under your belt and even then…
She was down on eyeliner, chunky jewelry, and brooches. I wear them all the time so feeling inspired, I darkened my eyeliner and pinned on a chunky brooch before we headed out to do some Christmas shopping. I don’t think they made me look older.
We drove to Nevada City which has tons of charm and cute little shops. Our first stop was a funky used bookstore. 
It was quirky, charming and filled with books that aren’t found at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. We got some great ones for my grandson which I know he’s never seen.
After 20 minutes I dropped my jacket back in the car – shopping can be aerobic – and transferred my brooch to the scarf. I still didn’t feel older.
Red and green plaid with a snowflake brooch felt particularly festive and perfect for this time of year.
I wore flat booties which are perfect for the uneven sidewalks and kept my feet comfy. Nevada City is dog-friendly but that means you need to look down as you’re walking because some dog owners aren’t as diligent as they should be.
I added a small touch of leopard for some pattern mixing and a pop of red lipstick. I didn’t see anyone else wearing a brooch, nor did I feel older wearing mine. It’s all how you style things, ladies so mix things up and have fun.
Do you wear brooches?
Thanks for reading ladies and have a great day.
I think you looked amazing! I loved the outfit you gave me inspiration I have always wanted a broach but unsure how to wear them so thank you I have a local charity thrift that has quite a few so I will be going there soon. I saw that post young woman shouldn’t tell us older woman what we should or shouldn’t wear btw I wear dark eyeliner I don’t feel old wearing it
❤️ thank you so much for sharing
At almost 60, I shouldn’t be wearing everything my almost 30-yo daughter is wearing! As long as I look good it really shouldn’t matter what I’m wearing.
Those rules are ridiculous!
You look so cute!
You look fabulous, my dear (to borrow a phrase). And you have inspired me to dig into my jewelry box to wear brooches I haven’t worn in years.
Yay! Pin them on Eileen;)
Let’s see what happens in about 5 years when some designer decides that brooches are cool & puts them on the runway. Then there will be lots of stories on “Not your Grandma’s Brooches,” only they will look just like my Grandma’s! I still have a drawerful of brooches passed down from my mom & aunt that I wore in the last revival-was it the 90s or all the way into the new millenium? Ah, having a knowledge of history causes my smug smiles when I see these types of articles on the “newest & freshest” ways of styling _______. (Fill in the blank) Do I sound like an old curmudgeon?
You sound right on the money to me Carol. Pins are always in style if we like them. You’re so lucky to have your Grandmother’s brooches!!
Oh good grief! If brooches and pins make a person look old, well, then I’m in good company with you and others! I’ve gotten so many compliments on brooches. I’ve done cluster of them on a sweater, all Christmas trees I’ve collected, looked so festive and fun. I’ve had people stop me, asking about some of the rhinestone ones clustered on a denim jacket. I think it depends on the brooch and the way you wear your clothes and accessories.
You have panache and youthful attitude. You wear your outfits with a certain flair and creativity. You may be mature in age, but certainly not in your style and way you present yourself. I love following you and getting new ideas on styling myself.
I’m going to cluster some on today Kathleen! Thanks for inspiring me;)
You look terrific well put together in an age appropbut with youthful flair. I have a thirty something daughter and daughter in law. I don’t try to imitate them. I like clothes that fit well in good fabrics. I agree good underpinnings go a long way to elevate the look along with good grooming. I wear my hair a bit longer than I did my 40’s and early 50’s. I am comfortable in what I wear. Enjoy your style. Thanks for your continued blogging.
Thanks, Pat. I too don’t want to look like a 20-year-old, and I’m sure she wouldn’t want to look like me but we can have fun with style and wear what makes us feel and looks our best.
I love Nevada City, but I haven’t been there in ages. I AM old, so I guess whatever I wear makes me “look old.” LOL. I wear what I like and what looks best on me. Some silly child’s idea of how I should dress makes no difference to me. I don’t like some of the get-ups I see on the younger women, but I haven’t yet started writing articles on how they should dress. (Are you aware, young miss, that the color of your tattoo clashes wildly with your lipstick? I guess I’d better not get myself started on that.)
You made me laugh Kay! My mother had a funny expression, “the sights you see when you don’t have your gun with you”
Love the look, you look great in those jeans. The belt and scarf adds adds a nice
holiday touch. I don’t wear brooches but yours is nice.
Thanks Sharon
All this chatter about what we “should” and “should not” wear are a little sad, I think, because they make us overly-conscious of our age, especially after 60 or thereabouts. Being a Red Hatter, I espouse the attitude that I can and should wear anything I like, as long as it doesn’t show too much skin and it doesn’t make me look like I’m trying too hard to be super-trendy. I love odd little accessories that have meaning only for myself.
I love odd little accessories too Sue!
No you certainly don’t look older but then I could be biased as a big fan of yours. . You look on trend in your hat too. It’s so annoying and condescending isn’t it.
Anna at Muttonstyle
You’re so sweet Anna, thank you.
I have a small collection of Christmas pins and scarves that I bring out every year. A number of the pins are snowflakes which I think work all winter. Now that I am retired to Southern California my pin wearing days are limited but my little granddaughters were sporting ones at breakfast with Santa this weekend. I own 2 gorgeous cameos, one of which was given to me by my mother on the day I was married 47 years ago. Wish I could wear it more often & whenever I do it sparks a lot of interest. Now tell me what 30ish young lady could ever really know about style and the mature woman. Wear what makes you feel good!
I love that your grandaughters will be wearing your pins. I gave my grandmothers cameo to my daughter because I never wore it and she adores it. Jewelry is meant to be shared and passed down.
Your post discussion on “brooches” reminded me of a wonderful role model: Madeleine Albright, our first female Secretary of State and her wonderful style trademark of the “brooch”. Loved seeing what she was wearing at huge national and global events.
I immediately thought of Michelle Obama and Madeleine Albright and their brooches also.
Yes, she wore them all the time and looked fabulous in them. I love that she had a trademark to her style.
I have some wonderful brooches I haven’t worn in a long time. After reading your piece today, I’m going to start wearing them again.
I agree with you Jennifer, don’t tell me what I should wear, until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.
PS You look fabulous…brooch and all.
Thanks for the great articles.
Thanks Sandra…get those beauties out and pin them on!
In my 68 year old opinion, what makes women look unflatteringly older are the following: poorly groomed hair– stringy, unattractive greying, and “trying to recapture the 60’s” hair ,; too tight, too short, too revealing clothes; sloppy shoes that reveal badly groomed feet; too much make up ; frumpy dirndl skirts (especially long ones) ; wearing any colors and styles that are wrong for them, even if they are currently fashionable… this will age any woman. My observation is that wearing flattering clothes, hair style, and make up for each individual is about finding ones harmony of shapes, patterns, scale, style and color . Even texture has visual impact that can becunflattering (Wearing a black shiny satin blouse instantly ages me 10 years) Finding and practicing that harmony is a learned skill. I would advise starting with a color consultant but too many are not adequately trained and do not evaluate clients correctly. Check out credentials before investing in this. There are some great fashion consultants offering tips about color and style on YouTube that are helpful and fun guides to self exploration.
I do like A Well Styled Life. Jennifer clearly has good taste and has taken time and effort to develop an awareness of what is flattering to her. It might be interesting for her to show examples of what doesn’t work for her. Sometimes that contrast can be a helpful learning exercise.
Ultimately everyone has her own ” expert” opinion about fashion. These are just mine.
Btw… I love brooches and have worn them since I was a child! The snowflake on plaid is just perfect! Worn well!
You make excellent points here Penelope. Some may not feel as expert as they like but trial and error along with some professional advice can be really helpful. I am a certified image consultant and spent many years helping women hone their personal style. It is my hope that this blog can help a wider audience.
Thank you Jennifer – you look fantastic! I haven’t worn brooches for about 15-20 years I think. I wore a scarf last week that would NOT stay in place and I told myself that next time I wear the scarf I am going to use a brooch to hold it in place!
Thanks Karen..it helps to pin through to your sweater or jacket. Everything stays right where it belongs.