Friday, August 10, 2007

"To thine own self be true"

I've noticed a somewhat disturbing trend on the various online communities that I visit and I felt I had to talk about it. And the phenomenon in question is (drum roll, please)...a rise in the number of threads dedicated to "Dressing Your Age". Now, these may be the three most depressing words in the English language. The thought that because you are 29...or 43...or 56 you can only wear certain styles is laughable. The urge to conform to whatever is deemed acceptable for your demographic must come from somewhere...probably High School where we are all trying desperately to "fit in"...but does that mean that realism should be thrown out of the window? If you've got good legs (or other body part) are you suddenly supposed to become a nun or a frump as you age? Aging gracefully is one thing...aging prematurely is another.

I admit, there are obviously crimes of fashion being perpetrated by those who wish to remain frozen in perpetual youth (a.k.a. the Dorian Grey effect) but I don't see the need to go to the opposite extreme and dress "old" because that is what society expects. Surely there's room for a happy medium...taking elements associated with various age groups in the same way we'd mix High Street and designer pieces?

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:23 AM

    Hey, are you talking about the Lucky forum? I look at it sometimes and noticed that you had a post mentioning your blog. I don't post much there anymore (I started to find it rather mainstream and boring) but the age question pops up from time to time and people tend to get worked up about it. Especially the authoritative types.

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  2. Anonymous10:27 AM

    Oh, I also meant to say - I totally agree with you!

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  3. That was one of the places I saw it but it's started cropping up more in other forums too.

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