Dressing Your Age After 60: What Does That Even Mean?

Apparently, somewhere there is a rulebook explaining exactly how a woman over 60 is supposed to dress.

I seem to have misplaced my copy.

I know I’m 72. I’m not wandering around under the impression that I’m 25. But I still like cute clothes, makeup, fun glasses, gold hoops, a little leopard print, and yes, under the right circumstances, I will still put on a pair of stilettos.

So what exactly does dressing your age after 60 mean?

Because if it means giving up everything fun, colorful, stylish, fitted, modern, or even slightly noticeable, I’m not interested.

Dressing Your Age After 60 Doesn’t Mean Disappearing

There seems to be a strange idea that once women reach a certain age, they should start toning everything down.

Shorter hair.

More sensible shoes.

Less makeup.

Less color.

Nothing too fitted. Nothing too trendy. Nothing too young.

And definitely nothing that might cause someone to look at you twice.

Why?

Getting older does not mean becoming invisible. It does not mean you suddenly stop liking clothes or stop noticing what’s in style.

It certainly doesn’t mean you need to start dressing according to someone else’s idea of what a woman in her 60s or 70s should look like.

I Still Want to Look Current

There is a big difference between trying to look younger and wanting to look current.

I’m not trying to dress like a teenager. I don’t want to look like I’m trying desperately to hang onto some younger version of myself.

I just don’t want to look dated.

I can still walk through a store at 72, see a cute sweater or blouse and think, “Oh, I like that.”

That doesn’t stop because of a birthday.

Fashion changes, and I think it’s fun to change a little with it.

Maybe I don’t wear every trend that comes along. Actually, I definitely don’t.

But if I see something that feels like me, I’m going to wear it.

Yes, I Still Wear Jeans

Jeans are probably one of the easiest examples of this.

I wear jeans. I wear cute tops, sweaters, jackets, casual shoes, and whatever else works for where I’m going.

Most of the time when Frank and I go out to dinner with friends, everyone is dressed pretty casually.

That doesn’t mean I don’t want to look cute.

I might wear jeans with a nice blouse, a good pair of shoes, earrings, makeup, and glasses I actually like instead of glasses that just happen to help me see.

Casual and stylish can absolutely go together.

And being over 60 does not mean jeans suddenly become forbidden.

And About Those Stilettos…

Stiletto heels used to be my go-to shoes when I went out.

I wore them all the time.

Now? Not quite as often.

Going out to dinner with friends usually means something more casual these days, and I’m perfectly happy wearing a comfortable pair of shoes that still looks cute.

But if the occasion merits heels and I feel like wearing them, I still will.

I don’t think a shoe becomes inappropriate just because you reached a certain age.

Obviously, comfort and safety matter more to me now than they did years ago.

But that’s different from saying, “Women over 60 shouldn’t wear stilettos.”

Maybe you shouldn’t wear stilettos.

Maybe I shouldn’t wear them to the grocery store.

But those are completely different things.

Long Hair Doesn’t Have an Expiration Date Either

Another one of those strange age rules is that women are supposed to cut their hair short once they get older.

I’ve never understood that one.

Long hair can look beautiful on women over 60.

So can shoulder-length hair.

So can a pixie cut.

What matters is whether the style works for your hair, your face, your lifestyle, and what you actually like.

Your birth certificate does not need to approve your haircut.

I recently wrote about whether women over 60 can wear long hair, and my answer is still yes.

If you love your hair longer, wear it longer.

Neither Do Leopard Print, Fun Glasses or Lipstick

I happen to like leopard print.

I also like fun glasses.

And gold hoop earrings.

And lipstick.

Sometimes a brighter lipstick.

None of those things became off-limits when I turned 60, 65, 70, or 72.

I’ve written before about wearing fun glasses over 60, because I think glasses are one of the easiest ways to add personality.

If I have to wear them anyway, why would I want them to be boring?

The same goes for clothes.

I don’t think getting older means your wardrobe has to become beige unless beige happens to be your favorite color.

Makeup Is Personal Too

Makeup is another area where women get a lot of rules thrown at them.

Don’t wear this.

Don’t wear that.

Never wear shimmer.

Always wear something dewy.

Use less.

Use more.

It gets exhausting.

I personally prefer matte makeup now because I think too much shimmer can emphasize things I would rather not emphasize.

That’s what works for me.

I wrote more about that in my post on matte makeup for older women.

But even with makeup, I don’t think there is one rule that works for every woman over 60.

If you like it, it looks good on you, and you feel good wearing it, that matters more than somebody’s age chart.

There Are Also Days I Don’t Bother at All

Now, before I make it sound like I’m sitting around the house every morning in lipstick, earrings, and perfectly coordinated clothes, let me clear something up.

I am not.

There are plenty of days when I don’t wear makeup at all.

If I’m staying home, I’m much more comfortable doing nothing.

My neighbors know a completely different version of me.

LOL.

They get the no-makeup, whatever-I-threw-on version.

And I’m perfectly comfortable with that too.

That may actually be one of the best parts of getting older.

I don’t feel like I have to be “done” all the time.

When I want to dress up, I do.

When I don’t, I don’t.

Going Gray, Going Blonde, or Doing Whatever You Want

Hair color is another place where everyone suddenly has an opinion once you get older.

You should embrace your gray.

You should stop coloring it.

You should go lighter.

You should stay natural.

I started going lighter after I noticed my first gray hairs, probably around age 40, and eventually I went blonde.

That was what felt right for me.

Other women love going completely gray, and that can look gorgeous too.

I wrote more about that in my article on going gray gracefully.

The point isn’t whether you color your hair.

The point is that it should be your decision.

Maybe “Dressing Your Age” Should Mean Something Else

There may actually be something to that. Personal style can be a wonderful form of self-expression and confidence, and I think that becomes even more important when you finally know what you like.

Maybe we’ve had the whole idea backward.

Maybe dressing your age after 60 doesn’t mean following more rules.

Maybe it means finally knowing yourself well enough to need fewer of them.

That’s something I’ve been thinking about more at 72—not just with clothes, but with life in general. Getting older hasn’t stopped me from wanting new things and new experiences, and I don’t think it should.

At this point, I know what I like.

I know what colors I reach for.

I know what kind of glasses make me happy.

I know which clothes make me feel good and which ones can stay right there on the store rack.

I also know I don’t need to wear something just because it’s trendy.

And I don’t need to avoid something just because somebody thinks I’m too old for it.

That feels a lot more like dressing my age to me.

Comfort Matters More Now, But So Does Style

I will admit that comfort matters more to me now.

I’m not going to spend an entire evening miserable just because a pair of shoes looks good.

I’m less willing to tolerate itchy fabric, impossible buttons, uncomfortable waistbands, or anything else that makes me wonder why I bought it.

But comfortable doesn’t have to mean frumpy.

There are too many good-looking clothes and shoes available now to settle for something you dislike just because it’s practical.

I want both.

I want something that feels good and still looks like me.

The One Rule I Actually Follow

I do have one rule.

Put it on.

Look in the mirror.

And pay attention to your first reaction.

If you think, “I look good,” that tells you quite a bit.

If you immediately start pulling at it, adjusting it, covering something up, or trying to convince yourself that you should like it, maybe it isn’t the right thing.

Not because you’re too old for it.

Because you don’t feel good in it.

There is a difference.

I’m 72. This Is What 72 Looks Like on Me.

I don’t want to dress like I’m 25.

I don’t want to dress like I’m 40 either.

I want to dress like myself.

And right now, myself happens to be 72.

That version of me still likes nice clothes.

She still likes lipstick.

She still likes long hair, fun glasses, leopard print, and gold earrings.

She occasionally still likes heels.

And she also likes sitting around the house with no makeup on and not caring one bit.

Maybe that’s the real advantage of getting older.

You finally realize that “dressing your age” doesn’t have to mean dressing the way other people expect a woman your age to look.

It can simply mean dressing like the woman you are now.

And I think I’m finally pretty good at that.