IS Hello Kitty really still my home girl???
In spite of the fact that admittedly I am not necessarily the most stylish gal on the block (per Vogue standards, anyway) I find that I have a fascination with fashion none-the-less. Though when it comes to my own personal wardrobe choices, I typically end up opting for jeans, t-shirts, flip flops, etc... I still enjoy leisurely thumbing through the pages of fashion magazines, and enviously ogling beautiful dresses in the store windows.
I found myself at J.C.Penney today, in need of a few new pairs of pants for work, and happened to overhear a woman who appeared to be somewhere between 50 and 60 years of age exclaim to her friend "I hate Penney's! It's for old fuddy duddies!" This statement of hers really got me thinking about fashion and style as it relates to age. The woman who made this statement was dressed in an incredibly ill-fitting get-up that could only be described as a 'Project-Runway' reject. It was a strange combination of odds and ends that all looked like they were designed for an adolescent as opposed to a full grown adult. Some might argue that this woman was not 'dressing her age'. I have gone back and forth on this matter for some time now (long before today's J.C. Penney experience), and ultimately end up asking the same question, "Should women 'dress their age' ? OR should they wear whatever the hell that they feel like wearing , whenever the hell that they feel like wearing it, in spite of the 'age appropriateness' of their garment choice? Further, what specifically constitutes, 'age appropriateness' when it comes to our attire anyway?
Frankly, I'm no closer to answering this question then I was when it originally entered into my mind many years ago. I'm not even entirely sure what my current opinion on the matter is, being as it tends to change like the weather. On the one hand, I believe that people should make clothing choices that make themselves feel good, but on the other hand I sometimes have a difficult time believing that a 40 year old woman who dresses like a 14 year old girl really feels good about herself on much deeper, personal level. Perhaps it's presumptuous of me to think that I even know the first thing about how such a woman might feel about herself on any level (let alone on a deep and personal one), but it's still cause for me to speculate none-the-less.
Ultimately I suppose what this entry really boils down to is me, and my own personal wardrobe choices. Being as I am in my thirties, I guess that I'm wondering if it's finally time to toss the 'Hello Kitty' t-shirt(s) in my closet, or can I get away with hanging on to them for a little bit longer, so long as I only wear them around the house? Instead of asking 'What Would Jesus Do?' perhaps the more appropriate question would be, "What Would Clinton and Stacy Do?". Having just asked it, I'm pretty confident that I know what the answer is. Well, it's been a good long run 'Hello Kitty', thanks for the memories...
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2 comments :
Clinton and Stacy can stick it in their ear. You can wear whatever you like around your house, especially if you feel good about yourself when you wear it.
And I highly doubt Hello Kitty makes you feel bad about yourself. How could that even be possible??
That said, I firmly believe that 60 year old ladies are supposed to dress like old fuddy duddies. You ARE an old fuddy duddy when you are that age, for pete's sake! And what is wrong with that, anyhow?
You know, I was looking through Etsy today and saw a delightful purse with an elegant paisley pattern. I loved it! But then, with a slightly more objective eye, I thought, "Is it possible that this is an old lady print, the kind you see on their glasses cases?"
But then I thought, "Why the hell should it matter?" I liked it. With a bit of disposable income, I might buy it. To hell with whether or not it makes me look old.
And the reverse argument is true, too. Wear whatever you like, if it gives you pleasure, even if you are "too old" for it. Perhaps we should not be surprised if we are mocked by someone who thinks we are "age inappropriate", but it's still our right.
Am I thrilled when I see fat 13 year olds jiggling their cellulite in their itty bitty shorts? Hell no. But I am pleased that I have another reason to feel superior. Am I admiring when I see older women in their Project Runway get-up? Hell no, not as a rule. But if the woman who put donned that attire did so with a feeling of happiness and self-confidence, I WOULD be admiring.
But either way, I am going to wear my Hello Kitty shirt, in public, until I just don't want to anymore. :)
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