Monday 20 August 2012

Is "cute" a good look for over sixties?

That is a rhetorical question, as I already know the answer.  Once we are over sixty "cute" isn't an easily achieved look and it's certainly not one we should be trying to achieve any more.   Herein lies my dilemma.

I am short, I have freckles and cute hairstyles suit my small features - so I guess that over the years that has been my signature look.  Some women look elegant, others look dramatic and a few are effortlessly glamorous, but these looks have always eluded me.  If you are tall and slim you will look stylish no matter what you wear, but when you are five foot something it isn't so easy.  No matter what clothes you wear, the best you can hope to achieve is - yes, that's right, cute.

I have been through my wardrobe with a ruthlessness that I didn't realise I possessed.  I have recycled all my "cute" clothes and have been relieved to find that there are still enough clothes left to get me through the week. A few are relics from the days when I had to go out to earn a living and others are more recent purchases to help me cope with the hot summers here in Spain.  Going through what remains, I was trying to figure out what my new look could be.  At the moment the best I can come up with is "classic", which is fine, but a small voice is whispering "boring".  Now I am over sixty, do I have to settle for looking boring?

Being British, the look that I would secretly love to adopt is "eccentric".  It's fine to be over sixty and eccentric, especially if you are British, though I'm not sure how that would go down in the small Spanish town where we live.  The mere fact of being English and pale-skinned is enough to make people notice me, even when I am wearing boring clothes.  I'm tempted to dye my hair bright red and start wearing dramatic clothes.  Would this be a step too far?

The amazing Vivienne Westwood - my style icon

4 comments:

  1. I think you look fabulous in the picture sitting by the fountain in Paris.

    I agree about cute, I am also short and with a small face so cute and frilly worked well when I was younger, but now that I am also over 60 that doesn't look good at all. I personally am going for more classic basic pieces (like you showed in "The uncommon Wardrobe") with personality in the accessories.

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  2. Thanks for your comment Anon (do you mind if I call you Anon?!) I am pleased you liked the outfit I was wearing as it felt very "me". I am definitely moving in the same direction as you - going for more classic basics and using accessories to brighten things up. I'm thinking I may get my ears pierced when I am 70, so I can wear lots of crazy earrings - what do you think?

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    1. I pierced my ears back in the 60's when I was a teenager (and no, I wasn't a hippie, its just that 'everyone' pierced their ears and wore dangly earrings).

      To answer your question about crazy earrings - I would just look around at what others in Spain or the UK are wearing, also study the earrings chosen by Vivienne - and then just go with what you liked and thought looked good on you.

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  3. I guess I must have been a rebel in the 60's by not piercing my ears then! I occasionally wear clip-on earrings, and may look for some when I visit London next month. They are hard to find in Spain as most children have pierced ears, never mind adults!

    I have found some inspiration on this recent blog post: http://www.faboverfifty.com/wstyleblog.php/?p=22155

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