Hi dears!!! Today we’ll talk about a very new-fangled topic i.e. what 10 things women after the age of 40 should not wear.
Black leather pants or jackets should be circumvented after the age of forty.
Jackets that are of mid-thigh length should be avoided.
Creased trousers should be evaded.
Fluorescent colors should also be shunned.
3/4th length trousers should not be worn.
Low rise jeans.
Plunge V necklines should not be worn.
Mini skirts should be avoided.
Wearing bikinis means violating this ninth rule.
Wearing sleeveless clothes may reveal your skin aging.
I honestly think that dressing age appropiate is very important but more importantly a women should consider her shape. But I do believe in the right setting if you got it flaunt it as long as its tasteful. There is a time and place for everything. I just wrote a blog ” How to shop at Forever 21 if your 31″
I also feel its a matter of figure.There are so many young girls now a days that wouldnt look good in the low rise jeans or bikinis!They are barely out of their teens and sad to say with a bulging stomach of an older woman.I personally work with a young woman,whose body looks much older for her age.Bottom line,wear it if you can pull it off!
This article is beyond absurd!
The author must be from the stone age.
My wife still wears low rise jeans, low necklines, string bikini’s, cut off jeans and mini skirts………….she is 51! (My 49 year old sister does also)
totally agree fashion shouldn’t be limitted by age,if you feel good in it wear it .
I agree with you 100% I am 55 still in very good shape blessed with good genes, if it makes you feel good to hell with what others think!
I agree….i couldn’t believe this list…so once you are over 40 you get to wear turtlenecks and snowpants….what a bunch of crap!
I disagree that once you are over a certain age, you need to cover you entire body up. I will be 62 soon and just bought my first bikini and feel great in it. I am 5’4″ 118 lbs and have always worked out. I am proud that I feel comfortable wearing a bikini..never felt this comfortable at 40.
you are so right !!! i am 59 and my son is proud that i dont weare clothes like old ladies.
Be proud of your wife and let her wear the way she feels !!!!
Just because a woman wears low rise jeans, low necklines, and bikinis doesn’t mean she should. Even if she is thin enough she still looks ridiculous.
when did you become the fashion police,and who do you think really cares what you think.
I totally agree with you!!!
My mom is 51 and she looks great with half of the clothes you mention above.
From where do you get your fashion advice and sense of style!!??
I think that if you have the right shape, it doesnt matter what you wear as long as you look tasteful and it looks good on you.
One of the first things listed in this discussion as being unsuitable for over 40s to wear was leather. I cannot see why this should be so. Currently a major fashion trend, leather has come a long way from the stereotype bad ass image typified by Marlon Brando. Sure it can be edgy and sexy but so can many fabric. My girlfriend thought that leather trousers would be warm and practical to wear as she bicycled to work. We duly had some made and she loved them. They were warm, comfortable, hard wearing and looked terrific. More trousers, a couple of jackets, skirts and a coat soon followed and she now wears something made of leather most of the time. She looks great, has received noting but good comments. She has worn a black leather skirt to the office. What can anyone possibly object to. She is in good shape and had just turned 50.
That’s because most if not all the advice to women about what they should/shouldn’t wear past 40 is based on stereotypes. Leather = sexy like you said, and generally older women are not thought to be sexy in anyway. If you are trying to be sexy past a certain age you are trying to be young, chase your youth, you’re thought to be pathetic and sad and not aging gracefully.
Certain people need to come out of the dark ages with that sh** and realize it’s a new era. Forty year old women are not giving up, letting themselves go, and retiring from life or being women. Still, there is so much pressure for women to do just that. They want to scoot you off the stage before you’re even ready and throw a potato sack on you.
If you’re not shiny and new as a woman in this society you’re already old. It’s like 30 is the new 85.
I’d like to know what the author says we grannies should wear to work out at the gym or for yoga.
Get real…..look at Demi Moore, Venessa Marcel any many more and it is not just stars, I know alot of women in thier 40′s that look awesome. These days 40 is the new 30 and 30 is not old by no means…they are just coming from there 20′s…its all in how you take care of yourself, there is so much you can do in this time era to look younger and some women have very good genes.
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. If you’re 40 or over , and have the body…wear it!
Lol. I know plenty of women friends in their late 40s, 50s and early 60s still looking like hot babes. Seriously! Why? They take really good care of themselves by diet and exercise plus skin care. Sure, they may not wear plunging cleavages or mini skirts but can get away wearing bikini because they don’t have a lot of fat or bulge. For me, as a gal in mid 30s, I can’t stand dressing like a granny or older woman clothing because they are BORING! I love bright colors and details like ruffles, animal prints, etc. But I do draw the line when it comes to short shorts, mini skirts (unless they’re just 2 or 3 inches above my knees) or showing a lot of cleavage. But I love bikinis! They’re like my second wardrobe because I live near the beach. Many people think I’m 25 all the time and get shocked when they find out I’m in my mid 30s. =)
You are totally young right now.
Wow, this author must be either 18 or living in the stone age. With the exception of the pleated pants and fluorescent colors (nobody should wear these), these rules are so ignorant of the times and the many,many women over 40 who look awesome in skirts, bikinis,low rise jeans etc. Amateur journalism, if journalism at all. Please do women over 40 a favor and go back in your cave. My wife is 44 and looks great in all of the above (well almost all) — I am proud to say she is so much hotter today than when we first met 20 years ago. We can do without such advice
i think sometimes young people are afraid of getting into their 40′s and 50′s.my sister is going to have a stress out when she gets to 50 i reckon she’s only just got used to being 40.we don’t have to roll over and play dead just because we have a few extra wrinkles.buy yourself something chic and trendy and go out with your head high and ignore the people who try to put you in a box and make you feel like you don’t exist.
Most of the things on this list are absurd. Why shouldn’t over 40 women wear mid length coats or capris? Or bikinis, for that matter.
The question is not age, it’s body shape. There are a LOT of 20 something gals out there wearing things they do not have the body style for. Low rise pants look good on about 0.5% of the population for example.
I loved Lynda’s comment regarding people who try to put you in a box and make you feel like you don’t exist. Turning 40 is not a reason to slink away in shame. It’s around that age that you really start coming into your own and being proud of who you are inside.
A patriarchal and misogynistic society is what encourages the hatred and disdain of women who have reached an age where they know exactly who is full of B.S….namely the paunchy, balding midlife crisis suffering men who can only feel better about themselves if they keep trading down with younger women, or the pinched, anorexic conveyors of unhealthy body image, most likely found in the fashion industry.
Wear classic, flattering styles. Actually look at yourself in a full length mirror to access whether or not a style suits you, and then wear what makes you happy. Anybody who wants to dictate your choices can either shut up or offer to foot your clothing expenses. I vote for the former.
“Turning 40/around that age that you really start coming into your own and being proud of who you are inside. A patriarchal and misogynistic society is what encourages the hatred and disdain of women who have reached an age where they know exactly who is full of B.S….namely the paunchy, balding midlife crisis suffering men who can only feel better about themselves if they keep trading down with younger women, or the pinched, anorexic conveyors of unhealthy body image, most likely found in the fashion industry.”
AGREE! I’m 43 or 44 (not sure haha) and only now realising my power – of being a woman. No longer a girl… and never looked better or dressed better.
i cant stop laughing at this advice..who wrote this..i look better than most 20 year olds and can wear all you have shown above..my husband would kill me if i ever decided i was going to wear frump a dumps..no way dress how you feel..i can proudly say i look better and sexier at age 40 than i did at age 20..and feel better than ever…
Diane, I agree with you 110%. Particularly “A patriarchal and misogynistic society is what encourages the hatred and disdain of women who have reached an age where they know exactly who is full of B.S…” Truer words have never been spoken.
I you have a nice figure. You can wear anything you want. I am 43 and work out and have a nice figure. Just because you are over 40 you don’t have to look like a frumpy old lady.
I don’t subscribe to this theory!
As long as the body parts that need to be covered are covered, why should I care?
Now we should police older woman’s wardrobes? yet we complain about other nations doing this????
Sure the other cultures that are complained about are more extreme but it doesn’t always start out that way.
How I wear my hair is my concern and the same goes for my wardrobe.
Exactly!
There are always people who want to have a say on women’s wardrobe. In less liberal world, it is usually men who do that, but at least they have “religion” or “culture” as a front. In more liberal cultures, it is, sadly, women who are more scathing in their remarks about other women, as shown in this forum.
This, (What not to wear) list over age “40″ In my perspective, is absolutly rediculous.
Just becuase someone is aged, does not mean
they are not just as beautiful & able to wear
Certain clothing, as a young adult would… Such as “sleeveless” shirts,
or clothing that shows a little skin, Keep it
classy & dont over do showing too much, but
never feel that being older enables you from
wearing Edgy/or/sexy clothing that fits your style. Express yourself in your fashionable image is one thing woman should take advantage of. Everyone knows the saying, that never go’s out of style, “First impressions last a lifetime.” Portray yourself as you wish fellow beings.
I can’t believe over 40 is too old for 3/4 pants and sleeveless shirts??? I am in my 50′s and I don’t wear shorts because 3/4 pants and crop pants look so much better on me . I am not going to sweat all summer because you think some shouldn’t look at a small section of my legs and ankles. Same with sleeveless shirts and no my arms don’t look that great. I have a pair of low rise jeans that I wear with a sweater or longer top. The jeans have cute pocket trim and fit well but no I don’t need to show my stomach. If I had a nice one I would show it. Some 30 year olds look 45 and vice versa. I say wear what you like. I look about 10 years younger than I am . (good genes) If someone is laughing at you because they think you don’t dress like they think you should, the laugh is on them. You are enjoying your life and they are wasting time worrying about what you are wearing. What a waste of time.
This advice is ridiculous! Do not wear a sleeveless blouse? That bit of advice could be given to a woman of any age depending on what her arms look like.
I am 60 and my arms are my best feature. I am toned and my skin is not wrinkled. I do wear sleeveless tops because they look good on me. Every woman is different. Though I have a flat tummy I would never bare my midriff! I do not wear minis but prefer slacks or just to the knee or below the knee skirts. And not to wear bright colors? I have a bright turquoise top that is sleeveless and have received nothing but compliments. Again, a woman’s skin, figure, weight factor in. As long as she dresses classy, not sleazy, it doesn’t matter!
No low-rise jeans? What, only “Mom jeans” then?
I can’t stand the feel of waistbands around my middle.
Low-rise jeans are comfortable to me. I don’t have any “muffin top” going on like I see on a lot of young women. I don’t do the thing with the thong hanging out.
I just love jeans and the fit that’s most comfortable to me. I’m in my 50′s and comfort means more to me than being in style.
What the??? Who wrote this garbage? I am 45, I look about 35 (or so I get told all the time), I still wear whatever the hell I want to. So with this article you are telling us women over 40 that we should really just dress like a Muslim and cover up and wear a burkha? This is the most ridiculous article I have ever read. You just have to go to the local shopping centre and see the young under 25 year old wearing what THEY shouldn’t be wearing and I bet you it is over 80%!
Ha Ha Ha BOO Boo ! The author of this page needs to look around at some of the teens and young women, most of whom look BAD. Fat hanging out every where. I am 70, I’m slender, I look fantastic in capris.( look fantastic in everything I wear) Nothing looks better on an older woman than a three quarter coat with slacks, especially when she is slender.
There ARE things on here you should skip if you are not slender. The minis, the bikinis, the pleated pants, the low rise jeans. None of those are good on a heavier woman. Capris I think actually depend on shape more than size-some plus size women look just fine in them. What I see though is that YOUNG heavy women wear ALL of those things, and they should not. The rest of the list is pure junk. I have said here before, COLOR is an excellent thing for women over 40. 3/4 coats are not an age thing-they don’t usually look good on short women is all.
I am 40, 4 children, wear all that except leather pants and mini,that’s next I guess I’ll try them just once. Pic of me in bright colored bikini on myspace.
Are you kidding. Most of my young life was spent listening to others tell me what I could and could not wear, how I should talk and carry myself. Then as a woman I am told I can do anything, be anything and be myself. Now in the age of wisdom and reason, you tell me what I can wear. What’s next? A repeat? I did not listen then , don’t expect me to listen now.
totally agree it’s time people stopped telling us what to wear how to have our hair etc,just MYOB.
my opinion is, you dress up as you feel. I am 59 but i dont feel like it. Ok, wrinkles are coming, so what, i still feel younger in by brain and i refuse to weare black clothes like the ladies in the mountain ( i live in Cyprus )I am proud of every year i lived and i love to dress nice !!!
I’m 45 with a six pack and nearly flawless skin. I train and diet like an athlete and most people are shocked when I tell them I’m 45. I do wear short(er) shorts, shorter skirts, bright tank tops and low rise jeans. Why shouldn’t I? I look good in them and feel comfortable. So I’ll salute this article as I salute the status quo–with my middle finger!
This is absurd…if you look good, wear it, simple.
Love yourself ladies and enjoy life. We are only here for a short time:)
I came to this piece after Googling “Bikinis for women in their 40s. I was looking for some good advice and an escape from all the naysayers out their that think a woman’s sex appeal ends at 40. What I, in fact, found was advice from a someone who, apparently, also thinks a woman’s sex appeal ends at 40 (whether it does or not).
I was looking for a boost. But now I just feel more depressed. Thanks a lot.
I agree with most of the comments. The only thing on this I dont wear is skimmpy bikinis. My husband loves it when I wear miniskirts and lowrise jeans. I wasnt on the list but wear heels almost everyday.
It doesn’t matter what age you are. As long as you look pretty damn good in what you’re wearing, WEAR it!
ignore them joann,i stopped taking notice of peoples opinions when i was very young i’m 58 now and i still ignore them wear what you like,live your life for yourself not others,and enjoy yourself don’t let so called know it alls take a hold.
[...] do. Models seem thinner and younger every day and now we have actual articles mandating when women “should” stop wearing certain things. They are not just coming after our swimwear, ladies; no, they are aiming their judgy little [...]
Hmm I guess Demi Moore, Salma Hayek,Halle Berry,Elle MacPherson, Teri Hatcher to name a few must not have read this article. And someone should really notify Cameron Diaz that she has to start dressing like an old granny in two years because she will be turning 40. This article is ridiculous. The women I mentioned could rock any of these looks better than most younger women. Its about how you take care of yourself and attitude, not physical age.
This article is crazy. I should not wear these items just because I’m over 40? I think that if you feel good in something and can look decent in it, then by all means, wear it! Which is worse, someone over 40 who is fit, healthy, and young hearted wearing a miniskirt or a bikini, or a 22 year old who is overweight and unhealthy wearing the same? I agree with the others…what is important is the person’s attitude and how well she takes care of her body and looks.