The following post was actually a comment by Josi of The Art of Crochet on the question of risk-taking and acting your age, posed by Tricia at bits and bobbins. Josi has kindly given permission for me to re-publish it here.
Perhaps part of what is meant by dressing one’s age is dressing appropriate to the situation. When we are young, we are allowed a certain amount of social folly but consider these:
1. Don’t upstage the bride, or guest of honor. If the event is in celebration of someone other than yourself, an adult woman understands she has a certain obligation not to be overly flashy (and certainly not if the guests of honor are more subdued).
2. Similar to #1, if you are attending something held by those with conservative tastes, it is considerate to show up accordingly. Being considerate might be boring for some, but it is a hallmark of acting like an adult. Remember – some people’s ideas of taking chances involve showing a lot of skin, or glitter, or mismatching shoes… all of which are perhaps best left in the closet when attending a luncheon with one’s future in-laws.
3. Being weather-inappropriate just looks stupid. Period. High heels in the snow, or scarves in the heat – just dumb.
4. It’s a fact of life that people will attribute qualities to a person based upon her clothing. A woman in a Chanel suit appears more professional that a woman in a Betsey Johnson dress. Can both pull off a business meeting – well, that depends upon the person. I would say a naturally confident woman could pull it off, but a more shy and unsure woman might want the advantage in initial reaction that the suit provides.
I think one of the main differences between acting like an adult and acting like a child is the ability to compromise. Every situation isn’t, primarily, an opportunity to be a fashion-plate, and being able to set that aside isn’t about conformity, but about learning how to respect a situation. (For instance, most legal offices have a ‘no knees’ rule which I don’t find stodgy at all. A legal office and a night club should have differences in the appropriate apparel.)
I had to deal with #1 & #2 just recently – an old friend of mine got married but she is very conserative and somewhat prude – it was actually quite hard to come up with an outfit that still reflected my personal style while still being tasteful by her means.
Those things are such a challenge, aren’t they? So what did you end up wearing? I’m keeping my pink twin set for just such occasions. Although I probably should just break down and make myself a dress. 😕