Have you ever taken a walk down the neighborhood or in your local mall and spotted a wild stranger sporting weirdly inappropriate clothes for their age? It’s a guilty pleasure among many of us to poke fun at these people, but if you’re over 40, you may be guilty of the same crime. For our elderly readers out there, for the love of all things good, please avoid these 20 pieces of clothing!
1. Message Tees
Granted, your favorite celebs might sport a t-shirt with inspiring writing on it, but if you’re pushing 40, then perhaps leave it to the younger folks. T-shirts are comfortable and easy to slip on, but if you’re tying to pull of a younger look with writing like Live, Laugh, and Love, people will be doing only the second word. At you.
2. Novelty Headbands
We’re not saying avoid accessories, period. Just, you know, stay away from novelty headbands that make you look like you’re in costume. And believe us when we say that “punk” teens will look for anything about passersby to point and laugh at. A novelty headband is an invitation for hurt feelings if you’re over 40.
3. Trendy Jeans
At a certain age, trendy denim just loses its appeal. Tight-fitting jeans look good on a certain age group, and ripped jeans are ridiculous to say the least. If you’re over 40, perhaps you might want to conceal more skin and body shape. Also, stick to a more traditional color—brightly colored jeans on older women look downright ridiculous.
4. Sorority Clothes
We get it, you were in college and had a wonderful time. But perhaps it’s time to put your sorority clothing in your closets, either as a souvenir of your younger days of for moths to feed on. Look for modern clothing in darker colors. It’s about time you moved past your sorority days.
5. Baggy Clothing
Baggy clothing was in fashion for like a decade but never on older women. We’re not opposed to baggy clothing at home where you are free to wear what you like without judgment, but in view of the public, you’re putting a target on your forehead. But don’t go to extremes in the other direction and wear super-tight clothing that will only make skin folds more prom inent!
6. Scruffy Sneakers
Back in your youth, perhaps tattered sneakers were all the rage. Today, not so much. Times have changed, and your wardrobe should have evolved, including what you put on your feet. If you want to wear sneakers, find something inexpensive and comfortable. There are plenty of sneaker brands to choose from.
7. Costume Shoes
All women, whether they like to admit or not, have purchased something impulsively without thinking it through. In most cases, it’s shoes. If you’re up there in age, costume shoes are for Halloween only. Plus, how much support do those super-thin heels offer? Look for a pair of heels that adds more stability to your step.
8. Tutus
Wearing tutu skirts might have been cute when you were a kid or teenager, but they don’t anymore. Sorry for being brutally honest, but if you have a tutu skirt hanging in your closet right now, do yourself a favor and donate it to a child in need. An A-line skirt is a lot more age-appropriate for women around 40.
9. Miniskirts
The same goes for miniskirts! DO NOT—we repeat—DO NOT wear a miniskirt in public unless you can like the attention from passersby. Oh, by the way, they’re not gawking at you because you look good. At best, they’re staring in wonderment at the courage of an older women wearing something that does not look good on her. Sort of like how you’d stare at a person wearing one of those horse masks.
10. Reversible Clothing
Reversible clothing is great if you don’t have time to do the laundry. However, as you grow older, reversible clothing becomes cheesier. Don’t indulge your laziness and upgrade your wardrobe. We get the versatility of flipping your clothes inside-out and back, but c’mon! Versatility is about finding what you need at the moment, not wearing an old jacket that reeks of week-old sweat!
11. Ribbed Tank Tops
Don’t wear ribbed tank tops or any piece of clothing that rightly fits around your ageing body. You can be proud of having a fit body in your 40s or 50s, but a ribbed tank top is definitely out of the question. A loose-fitting scoop-neck t-shirt is just as comfortable while also showing fewer neck and chest wrinkles.
12. Festive Tights
When did these ever look good? Probably decades in the past when we were still in our 20s. Older women should wear tights when sporting a knee-long skirt, but flower prints and other festive designs do nothing to improve your image. Wearing tights is about looking sophisticated and staying warm. Find a plain, dark-colored pair of tights instead.
13. Low-Cut Shirts
So… yeah… this pretty much speaks for itself. Low-cut shirts can look good on a certain age group, but if you’re pushing 30, it’s high time that you toss the low-cut tees out and find something more age-appropriate. As we mentioned earlier, a scoop-neck tee is just fine. If you can see the cleavage, you’ve gone too far down.
14. Platform Sandals
What is the purpose of wearing platform sandals after the age of 20? If you want to look taller, you fail; you only look ridiculous. We don’t say this to hurt your feelings, but it’s for your own good. Platform sandals serve no purpose other than to artificially increase your height, which is something you should have accepted decades ago.
15. Overly-Stylized Hair Accessories
Things like flower scrunchies and banana clips may have looked cute in your teens and 20s, but with those glorious years behind us, it’s about time you keep those silly gadgets away from your head. Worst-case scenario, you pull out a bunch of hair while dismantling these complicated trinkets. Instead, use something more subtle to you get your hair the way you like it.
16. Booty Shorts
Absolutely no exceptions here. If you’re over 35 and want to show the world what kind of junk you got in your trunk, it’s too late. Accept it—there’s no going back, no matter how fit your buns are. Look for something classier and more age-appropriate like actual jeans. The goal is to hide parts of your body that don’t age well, not flaunt it!
17. Decorated Fabric Bags
You’ve probably seen older women donning decorated fabric bags while running errands. In this case, we have no problem, but if you’re wearing one of these to a formal event or while out meeting friends, you’re not going to have a good time. These bags are great for carrying around documents and small groceries and nothing else.
18. Tube Tops
In your teens, you might have been driving the guys crazy with tube tops, but at a certain age (after your teens, pretty much), tube tops become cheesy and unflattering. Plus, on older women, you’re showing off more than you might want others to see. This include wrinkles, age spots, and fat folds.
19. Ill-Fitting Underwear
If your underwear is showing, then we’ve got a problem. When it comes to underwear, especially bras, make sure that you’re getting the right size. As we grow older, our breasts begin to sag, and we need all the support we can get. Also, if possible (it should be), don’t try and pull off a sexy look by showing off the straps or any other part of your undergarments.
20. Obnoxiously Loud Rings and Bracelets
It’s amazing that people still go over the top in rings and bracelets. We blame modern rappers for this one. And since you’re not a Soundcloud rapper, perhaps you’ll want to keep a majority of your jewelry off of your fingers and wrists. One or two items at once is fine. More than that and you might as well get face tats.
