When you hit the big forty, drop the trashy clothes

It seems that some Kenyan women didn’t get the memo that when they reach a certain age, they inevitably must leave behind some components of their quickly fleeting youth.

I went to a plush watering hole this past weekend and among the patrons who were there that evening were three older women, probably well into their 40s. As the evening wore on, it became apparent that the women were having a having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that they are not spring chicken anymore.

They thought they could get away with acting and dressing like their 20-something counterparts. It was appalling. It was not the first time I was seeing older women stepping out in outfits that would make their children cringe. Why are they so intent on resurrecting the outfits of their oh-so-trashy teenage years?

Even though I strongly uphold that all women should be proud of their bodies, I believe that women of a certain age should ease gracefully into decorum. You can get away with dressing like the resident street prostitute when you are in your teens and early 20s, but as soon as you hit the big four-Oh, you just look ridiculous trying to pull off tank tops and denim ultra-miniskirts.

Even I, at 23, wouldn’t be caught dead in some of those outrageously provocative outfits the women were rocking. I would never allow my rebellious high school fashion sense to transcend into my 20s, leave alone my 40s! There is a fine line between dressing “trashy” or “sexy” and that line becomes even more difficult to cross when you reach a certain age.

I understand that women, no matter how many birthdays they’ve had, need to express their style. However, let the teenagers and 20-somethings look cute and hot.

At 40, you should strive to look elegant and sophisticated. This doesn’t mean you have to wear modest and boring attires. There are a lot of age appropriate clothes that will make you look sexy.

As much as you want to relive your teenage years by dressing provocatively and knocking back drinks all night long, remember that you don’t have the body of a sixteen-year-old anymore.

You are way past your physical prime. You should not have belly shirts and booty shorts in your closet. They had their moment in the sun when you were 19. Now that you are a mature woman, they should not be a viable option for a night out with the girls.

If you didn’t use your teenage years to dress ridiculously and get it out of your system, you are not allowed to start experimenting in your 40s.

Just because we live in a youth obsessed society where boundaries between different generations are blurred doesn’t mean it is okay for someone’s mother or grandmother to throw modesty out the window and step out looking like a street walker. What reaction are you trying to elicit from others? For your information, you can turn heads with age appropriate styles too.

@roxannekenya