& #WowOnWednesday
Dear friends. It's certainly been a scorcher this summer. Record temperatures, crops dying in the fields, serious drought - and that's just the UK. In an effort to keep cool, with no air conditioning, I've been wearing shorts and sleeveless tops all summer. And I'm over 60.
Why does that matter? Well, I know a lot of us have been programmed by the media / well meaning relatives / society in general to think we shouldn't be wearing shorts over a certain age, and we certainly shouldn't be baring our arms.
When I worked full-time in tech, which was fairly recent, I never alluded to my age. Working mainly with millennials and gen Z, it didn't seem a winning strategy. But now I'm retired, I don't mind who knows my age. Let's not be cowed by outdated stereotypes.
Two people who are role models for this are singer / actor Toyah Willcox, 64, and guitarist husband Robert Fripp, 76. You may remember Toyah from her hits in the 1980s, and Robert from his time with King Crimson.
They have had more than 33 million views for their weekly YouTube video Sunday Lunch with Toyah and Robert. Each week they take a rock classic and re-interpret it, with Toyah showing off her energy and amazing body in outfits which the tabloids would scream shouldn't be worn by anyone over 30, let alone 60. She radiates confidence and sexiness.
Toyah was a guest on the How to Be 60 podcast with Kaye Adams, and I was blown away by her attitude to ageing. In the process of hiring a PR, one of the candidates, a young man, asked her: "How are you, old woman?" She said she was very well, and wouldn't be hiring him.
All of this is a long winded way of saying forget how we've been pre-programmed. Wear whatever we like!
Shorts and sleeveless tops can be stylish: knee-length shorts are no different than a knee-length skirt, so fine for the office. A simple sleeveless top can be dressed up with a scarf or necklace. Stretchy material can be more flattering - the shorts in the top pic are cotton but I also have knee-length shorts and cropped trousers in a stretchy material, like the ones below from
Robell.
Rachel jacket and apple zebra infinity,
Kettlewell Colours.
Have you been wearing shorts all summer? What women over the age of 50 do you admire for throwing away the "rule book" on dressing? Do share in the comments.
Sharing this post with: On Mondays We Link Up at Glass of Glam, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #SpreadTheKindness and #Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Style with a Smile at Stylesplash, TFF at Doused in Pink, Confident Twosday at IDoDeclaire, Rena at Fine Whatever,, #Neverendingstyle at The Grey Brunette, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style, Weekday Wear Link-Up at Away from the Blue Sunday Showcase with Chez Mireille and Elegance and Mommyhood (first Sunday of the month), Talent Sharing Tuesdays at Scribbling Boomer, Link Up Pot Pourri at My Bijou Life, Traffic Jam Weekend at Marsha in the Middle, Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi
Now it's time for the #WowOnWednesday link-up. Bloggers/Instagrammers can find new readers, plus readers can find new blogs to read.
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