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At 91 years old, most people expect you to slow down, dress conservatively, and stop worrying about how you look.
But I never agreed to those rules.
I still wear skirts.
I still wear heels.
And I still take pride in the way I look when I walk out the door.
Some people are surprised when they see me.
Others stare.
A few even ask the same question:
“Why are you still dressing like that at your age?”
My answer is simple.
Because I like it.
Getting older has never meant that I have to stop being myself.
Age Doesn’t Decide What You Can Wear
I’ve never understood why fashion suddenly becomes forbidden once a woman reaches a certain age.
When I was younger, I wore the clothes I loved.
I chose colors that made me happy.
I wore skirts when I wanted to feel elegant.
I wore heels when I wanted to feel confident.
And I never imagined that reaching my nineties would somehow change those feelings.
My body has changed.
Of course it has.
That’s what happens when you live for nine decades.
But my personality didn’t disappear along the way.
I am still the same woman who enjoys getting dressed and looking in the mirror before leaving home.
People Notice Me
I know people notice.
Sometimes I walk into a room wearing a skirt and heels, and I can immediately see the reaction.
Someone looks twice.
Someone smiles.
Someone whispers something to a friend.
And occasionally, someone asks me directly how I can possibly walk in heels at my age.
I don’t take offense.
In fact, I find it amusing.
People have certain ideas about what a 91-year-old woman is supposed to look like.
Apparently, I’m supposed to wear the same comfortable clothes every day and disappear quietly into the background.
But that’s not me.
too many years becoming comfortable with who I am to start hiding now.
Dressing Well Makes Me Feel Good
For me, clothing has never been about impressing other people.
It’s about how I feel.
There is something special about putting together an outfit that makes you smile.
Maybe it’s a beautiful skirt.
Maybe it’s a pair of shoes.
Maybe it’s a color you particularly love.
It doesn’t have to be expensive.
It doesn’t have to be fashionable according to everyone else.
It simply has to make you feel like yourself.
That’s what fashion means to me.
I Don’t Dress for My Age
People often say things like, “You should dress your age.”
But what does that actually mean?
Who decided that a particular skirt belongs to a 30-year-old woman but not a 70-year-old woman?
Who decided that heels have an expiration date?
Who decided that older women should stop enjoying beautiful clothes?
I’ve never found a satisfying answer.
Age is a number.
It tells you how long you’ve been alive.
It doesn’t tell you what colors you enjoy, what music you like, what clothes make you happy, or how much confidence you have.