What not to wear...

Elegran, I guess I should have said avoid it.

Cleavage, decolletage, whichever - the phrase that comes to mind is 'quality, not quantity'. This applies to the whole range of ages, though perhaps early on 'quantity' is more relevant, and 'quality' applies later.

A good list of fashion to avoid...Given the hot weather and approaching summer holidays, any thoughts on swim and beachwear?

Supernana You look fantastic in that outfit! Very elegant, I love it!

Forget 'less is more' on the beach unless you are size 14 or less. Cover up for the sake of your skin. It's bad enough to have ageing skin without getting sun damage. Loose fitting tunic and a big hat with big sunglasses and you can look suitably mysterious. Oh, OK, you can wear a swimsuit to swim!

super, you look lovely! Very elegant.

Probably not advisable to go so far as to wear a burkini, a la Nigella Lawson!

super what a great outfit - so elegant. And that hat is to die for!

Super! All I can say is ---SUPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! N

super FABULOUS !!! so elegant and what an amazing colour.

Love the colour! Very striking!

Mazing outfit. Truly wonderful. peplum et al!!! just goes to show.

I'm all of a ...so many lovely compliments. Thank you. My son treated me to the hat...specially made to my specifications. Now wrapped in mountains of tissue in a big box in the loft. When I "pass over" the entire outfit has my daughter-in-law's name on it. In the meantime, should one of our granddaughters walk down the aisle, it may get a second debut!

One of the most unattractive styles are long jean skirts - always worn by the plumper person [I'm not being nasty I'm not exactly skinny] - they don't hide a thing just make you look large ALL the way down. I hate those sweaters with a 'blouse' attached to the inside [why]. Some older people looked just frumpy and 'given up I don't care whay I look like' and others make every effort. There are a lot of old people in my area. I often see an elderly lady in her mid-80's at least. She looks fab. Hair done, make-up just right and super smart outfits - my daughter and I wonder if she'd been a model in the day or just naturally chic. My late MIL always looked nice and just added a scarf or brooch and then you were.

Wrap Dresses- I had to re-read this three times before I eventually twigged 'pull off' as in the looking good sense....not as in 'to get out off'. Says it all really, as I sit here in my stretchy, pull on trousers, long T and thermal socks. Remember wearing peplums in the 70's. They did a great job of sticking out horizontally from my post-baby tummy. Not a look I want to repeat.

I'm tired of being "ghettoised" as an older woman and being told what I should and shouldn't wear by self-styled experts who think they know better than everyone else. I think you should wear what suits you whatever your age, and my list of "ageing" outfits wuold include the following:

tweed skirt suits, teamed with lace-up brogues.
A-Line skirts, worn on the knee.
anything crimplene.
slacks, particularly those with stirrups.
pussycat bows (very Thatcher!!)
shoes that fasten with velcro straps.
anything flowery and flowing.
jeans with an elasticated waistband.

I disagree with the rule about flesh on display too - in my humble opinion too LITTLE flesh on display is as ageing as too much.#

Personally, I'd rather be mutton dressed as lamb as mutton dressed as mutton!! (Apologies if someone has already said it!).

I think elasticated or half elasticated waistbands are a boon for those of us with less-than-svelte figures - but they must not be visible!!

Only just found this thread. I was never any good at getting the clothes right, apart from the mini skirt era when I was young, with a good figure. That whole look - cropped short hair, pale lips, lots of eye make up, high boots and mini skirts, tight jumpers worn with bling - suited me absolutely.

But now I just wear pants and tops and boy's sandals.

But here in the subtropics (Queensland Australia) you see the most awful fashion sights. Graffitied bodies (tattooed), low pants with a bum cleavage and/or the tops of thongs showing, fat old women with their skirts hanging all wrong and getting stuck under their nether regions, tops that look like underwear, crop tops with the midriff bunching out between skirt and top, like a doughnut, dresses like floral sacks, size 22 women wearing size 16 t shirts which show every spare tyre like a Michelin man........ I have stop now because it is all too awful.

Weren't we lucky Joan to have miniskirts first time round AND to be the correct size and shape for them. Happenstance like that doesn't come round often!

We scared them a bit. They think we are fierce! Womens Room commenting on us

Read the comments! 'Dorothy' sounds impressed with us!

Oh yes, Kittylester we were so lucky with fashion back in the 60s

I'd add Crocs to the list - just as ugly as Uggs and make any feet look fat and frumpy. Moccasins or Penny loafers are much better.

Super I love your outfit!

Sorry, but I love crocs! They are very comfy round the house, great for gardening as you can just run them under the tap, and they keep your feet warm!

Wouldn't be seen dead in them out and about though!