That’s easy. They’re big girls, they can wear anything they want as long it looks good on them, and I say this to all women, not just those over 40.
There’s this article I was reading in The Star Online yesterday, “Fabulous After 40″, where they asked 4 women this question.
Yeoleene Yeow, brand manager of Jimmy Choo, and former stylist and fashion editor, says:
Some women over 40 can’t accept that they’ve reached that stage. At that age, one should look a lot classier. Yes, there’s nothing wrong in being trendy but if mini-skirts are in, it doesn’t mean you have to wear it! Mini-skirts are good up to a certain age.
I’m tempted to ask, so up to what age are mini-skirts good for? I’ve seen young women with spare tires and thunder thighs in supermini-skirts.
Wirda Adnan, editor-in-chief of Glam magazine says:
Dressing right is all about dressing according to the environment you are in, the occasion and the people you associate with. You might be in your 20s but if you have big arms and big thighs, wearing something that highlights those areas isn’t attractive. If you’re 50, a figure-hugging dress might fit your body but not your face and personality.
I agree you should dress for the occasion though I can’t say as much for some of the women I’ve seen trawling our malls.
Hairstylist extraordinaire, Winnie Loo says:
Age is not an issue. It’s a matter of whether I look great in it or not, and how it complements how I feel. It’s all about having the right attributes to carry it off. It’s also about presence and attitude as “you carry the look, not the age”.
Yes, she said it right there. If it’s comfortable and it makes you look and feel good, I say why not?
She adds:
No matter how good you might look despite your age, it’s hard to escape catty comments (especially from other women)! Her advice? Be confident about your style and ignore the bitchy remarks.
This made me laugh. How true! If someone tells you you’re trying too hard or that you should ‘accept that you’ve reached that age’, tell them to bugger off, they’re just jealous
.
Designer of Mayfair Designs and former newspaper editor, Leung Thong Ping says:
When you’re young, there are many options but as you get older, the choices dwindle down to the same few things and it gets harder to look nice. Even if society doesn’t shudder, the older woman should think twice about stepping out in skimpy clothes. Why? Because ageing flesh is subprime! (In other words, not so marketable).
It’s not that the choices have dwindled, it’s really what you make of them. If you keep telling yourself you’re old and withered and shouldn’t be wearing this and that, then you’re severely limiting your choices.
It doesn’t ‘get harder to look nice’, it’s a matter of how nice you want to look. If you work out, eat right and keep yourself fit, ‘ageing flesh’ can still be choice meat!
See, the trouble is too many Asian women are worried about what society thinks. If I wear this, people will laugh at me and say it’s unbecoming of a woman my age. I say, to hell with what society thinks!
It’s also a fact that many women let themselves go after they get married and have kids. Their mentality is they’re already happily married so who cares, no one’s going to look at them.
That’s their excuse for growing sideways and looking like a pear and then throwing on frumpy tents to cover it all up.
Leung is right in saying “The few who take the trouble with their appearance though have worked out a look for themselves and stand out whatever their age”.
My thoughts exactly. Doesn’t matter what your age, you can wear anything you want as long as it’s comfortable and makes you look good and feel self-confident. Simple. What do you think?

(Image from tmz.com)
My favorite actress, Michelle Pfeiffer who turns 50 this year in an off-shoulder dress!
















You’re right. The key is to be confident and to wear the heck out of what you are wearing.
A beautiful, stylish woman is beautiful at any age. I love this post. Girl power!
Bravo! I’m so tired of hearing “No miniskirts after 35.” Uh, my legs are freakin’ fabulous and I don’t look like I’m over 40, so why should I be limited because some women don’t know how to dress themselves?
It’s about appropriateness, for sure. But if those of us who understand that hot pink and lime green aren’t good colors for someone over 13 know that something looks good on us, why not? It takes a critical eye to dress ourselves at ANY age. I’ve seen women wearing ridiculous outfits at 18, 28, 38….
[...] It’s a shame that many women arrive at that glamorous age of 40 thinking “oh now that I’m over 40, I shouldn’t be wearing this dress or I can’t be seen in that color”. If you ask me, that’s a whole lot of negative self-talk and here is how I think a woman above 40 should dress! [...]
[...] you’ve got toned arms, don’t be afraid to bare your biceps (even if you’re over 40, so what?). You know what’s really great is that we’ve got someone like Michelle Obama [...]