Age and body weight appropriate dress.

My daughter and I were watching Dr Phil yesterday. The story was about a Mom who was doing pageants with her daughter, and the stress this caused on their relationship. I couldn't think of anything I ever did to compete with my daughter, and the only reason I could think of for a Mom to want to do that, is to feel young.

 My daughter joked that the Mom needed Stacy and Clinton (from the show "What not to wear"). Then we got into a discussion of people (mostly women), dressing in either an age inappropriate way, or a body inappropriate way.

I know a couple of large women, they are not ever going to fit into clothes bought in the junior section, yet they always look great. They dress well, classy, and appropriate for their size. They are always healthy looking and well groomed. I also know a bunch of over 40 women who try to dress like their kids. Ripped clothes, and teenager styles. They look terrible. Why? Because even though they may look younger than their age, it doesn't mean they look young. Just becasue someone is thin , doesn't mean they look young, or even good! We are so weight and age obsessed in this country, it is unhealthy.

We know a lady with gorgeous blonde hair in a cute, hip, style like the "20 somethings" wear. She is in her late 50's and looks every bit of 60! From the back it looks great, when she turns around it is shocking. The "young" hair" makes her look older!

There are some young Mom's out there, but if you are either more than 20 years older than your child, or over 35, you are pretty much guaranteed to look silly wearing the same things your kid wears to high school or college. Recently I watched some ladies in a store meet up with a "40 something" dressed in a mini skirt that looked like it was caught in a fight between two of my cats on a bad day. She was wearing some other little hip clothes. Daughter was standing by her side. A group of friends stopped and chatted a bit, and commented (nicely) on her skirt. They finished the conversation and walked away, and then they started to laugh. The first comment was "doesn't she look ridiculous?" Another then said "She thinks she looks 18..." and they had moved past my hearing.

You DON'T look slimmer because you are wearing tight clothing, just the opposite actually. You DON'T look younger in a bikini, just becasue you are slim, you look old and starved usually. You DON'T look younger just becasue you are thin, really you don't. You DON'T look thinner with rolls of fat under that tight top and your boobs falling out. You DON'T look younger because your clothes are ripped, you look either sloppy or scared to death of passing the 40 mark. you DON'T look younger with pink, or green, or orange hair, you look like the punk rocker that is fighting getting older.

The ladies that look good, look age and weight appropriate. You may THINK you look 20, and so you can dress 20, but you usually don't. If you are 50, and look 40, dress 40, but not 20. I have seen so many people lately that look silly. Not young, not hot, jut silly.Looking younger than your age is great, but I doubt you really look 25 years younger. I have seen 2 people lately that are taking fast weight loss diet pills. They worked on the waistline, but the faces are drawn, with dark circles under the eyes. These people don't look better, they look worse!

They want to know where the men are, they are hiding, they see you as insecure, silly, and having an age crises that they really don't want to deal with.

We all age (if we are lucky), the ones that do it with grace, are the ones that people think look good. Looking like Joan Rivers isn't fooling anyone. Looking younger than your years because you are healthy, and dressed and groomed well, is the key. There are ladies tipping the scales at 200 that look better than some 120 pounders out there.

God gave you a body to take care of, not to torture into clothes smaller than the frame he gave you. He gave you wrinkles to show wisdom , and he gave you a long life to celebrate with others, don't waste it on trying to be 20 again. Women used to laugh at men who wore toupees and dressed in tight clothing, now they are doing it in a different manner, and looking just as silly. Trust in what God naturally gave you , and don't try to force it to be something it is not.

Be healthy, be happy, and don't try to be or look , something that you are not, otherwise you just end up looking silly.


Peshaui Wequashimese



(C)2011 Dr. R M Wolf, may not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission