Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Do Beauty and Taste Have an Expiration Date?

Day 347

A friend sent me a link to this story. Supposedly, some U.K. beauty company surveyed women 45 and older about the age in which women should go au natural and "stop wearing red lipstick." Survey said: Age 59. Additionally, these same women supposedly felt that women should "tone down" their appearance in their mid-forties. Maybe this is true in the U.K., but here is the good old U.S. of A., I think we beg to differ. Am I right?

It is this kind of nonsense that sends us on that vicious cycle. Turning to magazines, store windows and articles like this to determine what we should and should not wear. 

"And we've all seen the stereotype of the too-youthful older woman, in leather pants, animal prints, a mask of heavy makeup, giant jewelry and—this is the worst violation in our opinion—wrinkled cleavage. Still, we at Shine like to see appropriately dressed older women with bright lipstick, bright nails and beautiful fabrics and colors. Appropriate being the key word. "

It's true, for most of us, our bodies change as we age. But that does not mean we hide it! I am tired of wearing sleeves lest someone be offended by my less-than-toned arms. And if you don't want to see my wrinkled cleavage, look away. Furthermore, for many women, fine assets like great legs do NOT expire. 

I am not advocating that we all revert to the juniors department but we should all wear what makes us feel good and what we think is pretty. The women that I know are smart enough, much smarter than certain Shine authors, to know what they should wear. I am offended by the suggestion that our beauty and taste has an expiration date. I, for one, will be wearing red lipstick and leopard print something as long as I can dress myself and my arms can reach my face.

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