There are many fashion myths that seem to burden women when they hit 50. Be a hostage no more! Style blogger Susan Good is here to break four myths that might be making your life miserable. Enjoy the show!
Margaret Manning:
My guest today is Susan “Honey” Good. Susan is a wife, a mother and a grandmother to 25. She’s also an author and has a fabulous website called HoneyGood.com.
Susan has spent her life working with older women, helping them gain confidence for their lifestyle and well-being. I’m really pleased to have her here with us today. Welcome, Susan. I’ll try to call you Honey, as I know you like going by that nickname.
Susan “Honey” Good:
Thank you. I’m very pleased to be here as well. Hello, everyone.
Margaret:
So, Honey, as you know, the Sixty and Me community consists of women in their 50s and 60s who are dealing with redefining and reassessing who they are. They are looking at style and fashion and all kinds of other aspects of life to reinvent themselves.
But they also encounter some myths that society tries to impose on them. Please tell us, what are the style myths that we really need to learn to ignore?
Susan:
I would love to. The first myth is related to age. In my mind, age is just a number, so all those rules about women of a certain age needing to dress a certain way or wear our hair a certain way should be ignored. It’s all about how you feel about yourself. Your particular style should never be dependent on your age.
For example, I’ve decided to let my hair be natural. Many women are afraid to, but if you want to be gray, be gray. You don’t have to dye or bleach your hair.
I think gray can be stunning and eye-catching on a woman. It doesn’t necessarily have an aging effect. Also, it depends on how you feel about yourself and how the color comes in. There are times when you may not have a choice, but if you want to be gray, try it.
Margaret:
I think a lot of women believe the myth that youth is associated with a certain hair color or style of clothing. They believe it with such a passion that it really holds them back from trying new things. Thank you for reminding us that age is just a number that is irrelevant when it comes to style.
Susan:
The second myth has to do with the length of our skirts and dresses. Just because we are older, does not mean we can’t show our legs. Many of us have beautiful legs, and we can decide on the length of our clothing.
If you think a skirt that goes to the top or middle of your knee looks attractive on you, go for it. Don’t be dissuaded because of the myth that when you’re older you have to wear your skirts longer.
Margaret:
To be honest, even if your legs don’t look that great, it still doesn’t matter. If you want to wear a skirt that’s to your knee, just do it. I believe that we judge ourselves more than other people judge us, so stop doing it. I wear leggings despite the fact that people say not to wear leggings over 50, and my legs aren’t particularly great.
Susan:
I wear leggings, too.
Margaret:
So, we’ve disbanded myth number two because we are not afraid to wear what we like. Your skirt length shouldn’t affect your decisions about fashion or style.
Susan:
I think your idea about wearing leggings is great. When I wear my leggings, I wear them with a boot that comes above my ankle and a white shirt that’s longer. I may also put a little belt around my waist and let it sling down a little. So, go for your leggings.
Margaret:
I really wish I was like you, but I don’t wear white. Still though, I can imagine the outfit you described with a red beret – that would look so amazing.
Susan:
It’s very chic, and wearing a long white blouse covers your thigh nicely.
The next thing on my list is jeans. I know many women shy away from jeans, and to tell you the truth, I really don’t wear them that often, but I do have jeans in my wardrobe. If you’re a jeans girl, whether they’re tight or baggy, wear your jeans. It has nothing to do with age.
Margaret:
The jeans myth is being shattered by 50-plus-year-old women around the world because we’re tired of people telling us not to wear jeans. We can wear jeans however we feel comfortable wearing them. Thank you for reminding us about this myth.
Susan:
My last is this: as we age, we don’t like to show our arms. So, we may see a dress that we really love, but we don’t buy it because it has no sleeves to cover up our arms. It has happened to me, so what I do is this: I buy the dress, but I also buy a body suit that I can wear under my dress.
There are body suits with really thin, light fabric, and when I wear one under a sleeveless dress, my arms are covered, and I still look and feel good.
Margaret:
I’ve seen short, lacy dress tops that you can buy and that are quite decorative as well. They can cover your arms if you wear a sleeveless dress.
Well, thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Those four myths are very important for women over 50 to pay attention to. Do you have any last words for our community?
Susan:
In fact, I do. Being on the Sixty and Me show is a major thing for me, and I want you to know I’m very grateful. I hope that my little tips help your wonderful community of women on their journey to finding their style. I really had fun with you, Margaret.
Margaret:
Thank you. You won’t believe how lovely you look while you’re talking and saying all of that. The feeling is mutual, Honey. I’m so happy to have met you and for you to have shared all that you did with our community.
I would like to invite you to come back at a later point, perhaps closer to the holidays, and we can talk about glitter and glam. I’ve been inspired by you very much. Thank you.
Susan:
Thank you for everything. Bye, bye.
Margaret:
Bye, bye for now.
Which of these myths has been holding you prisoner after 50? Do you know of any others that you want mature women to learn to ignore? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
