Are you told old for your clothes?

“The world's a minefield for women over 40 trying to dress youthfully." 

High street stores are the most one sided aspects of fashion, it all comes down to ‘Am I too old for that store?’. This is the most realistic question all women aged 40 and over will ask themselves at least once in their life. 

Is it acceptable for a 40 year old to be seen in a shop such as Topshop and River Island and where does this age barrier of clothing shops stop? 

It is a fact that certain trends spring a sense of nostalgia but we see countless women cling on to every garment of their youth in hope of trying to stay ‘hip’ and ‘down with the trends’. Although, done tastefully, it would be acceptable but women like these feel like they are stuck in the ‘too old for Topshop but too young for Bonmarche’ phase.

Louise Mudd, 43, spotted buying black denim jeans in Topshop says: “I only really buy the basic things from Topshop, like denim jeans, from my experience they have the best quality. I don't really have a preferred shop where I go for everything, I think you should just know what a person your age should wear and go with it, its all about knowing the boundaries when you’re a woman my age”. 

There is such thing as dressing age appropriate and staying on trend, a woman should never let a clothing shop dictate whether something is too old for them. Jennifer Gibson, 42 says: “What puts me off stores like Topshop, River Island, Miss Selfridge etc is the fact that 2 of my teenage daughters shop there. There’s been countless times where I’ve picked up something for myself and asked their opinion and they’ve looked at me like I had something on my face”. 

It is arguable whether women who stay on top of the fashion trends feel like an outsider when a lot of trends encourage showing parts of the body that are not traditionally displayed. Summer is the bane of a lot of women’s lives, its famous for that moment where you dive into your wardrobe and ask yourselves ‘bikini or swimming costume?’. But who says you shouldn't go into a shop and buy that flashy pink bikini if you’re above the age of 40? if you want that flashy pink bikini, you get that flashy pink bikini. 

A Topshop Sales Advisor, Rhianna Bonus, 19 says: “I see women of all ages in here, once there was an 70 odd year old buying a fluffy lilac cropped jumper, I loved it. Mostly everyone who I’ve served has been about 14-30 so maybe she was buying it for her granddaughter or daughter. If not, I just hope I’m that trendy when I’m her age”.

There are countless women above 30 who are doing it right. Helen Mirren is a good example when it comes to the ‘wow shes good for her age’. This proves that it isn't all about flashing skin, its about how you wear it. No one wants to be deemed as that try hard who dresses like their daughter, as women get older they become more sensible, mentally and in how they dress. This is where the saying ’40 is the new 30’ comes along, women in their 40’s and 50’s have never been more sexy and talked about in the media than now. 

And if you ever find yourself committing the long lived age-appropriate venture, just dream of that time you turn 70 years old, all slippers and no judgements.