Aging Gracefully...

You all know that occasionally I blog about how I look and all that. I look for things that I can do to improve, or at least maintain, my appearance. Makeup, light peels, hairstyles...all fair game. Recently, I've even been more critical of my wardrobe choices.

Most of it is tongue-in-cheek though. I'm pretty cool with how I look. I want to look the best that I can, but I am not trying to turn back the clock or fix anything...ok--I did 'fix' my teeth with braces, but none of the stuff I do is driven by a desire to alter or replace something about how I look. I want my skin to be clear, my body to be healthy, my hair to be attractive, my clothes to be fashionable...I don't think anything is wrong with the way I look though. I hope that the things that I do will enhance my appearance, not make me look like I'm trying too hard.

But I do feel like I'm in that in-between gap. I'm no longer 'young' but I'm definitely not 'older.' I recently lifted my moratorium on shorts--I guess it's OK to wear them, but I've reimposed my ban on mini-skirts--I will not wear anything I have to hold down or tug on to be decent. Since I no longer drive everywhere, I notice I hardly ever wear all the pretty high-heeled shoes I bought. But I am forcing myself not to devolve into wearing my Aerosole loafers everyday. They are super comfortable, but I do think I owe to myself not to get too complacent about how I present myself. When I choose clothes I try to focus on whether the garment will flatter me than how cute it is. I don't want my clothes wearing me. I'm not attracted to clothes because they are trendy. It's about whether it suits me. Similarly with make-up, I want to look like I care enough to pull myself together, but not like I've cowered beneath cosmetics to hide my insecurities.

I think it's far more attractive for a woman to look comfortable in her skin than seem to be trying too hard to hold on to youth or fighting the inevitable 'maturing' process. Our culture is so youth obsessed, it's hard not to get pulled into currents that just aren't in our interest, to be distracted by a quest for youth rather than embracing who and where we are. I was fortunate to grow up around women of all ages. I developed an appreciation for beauty at all ages. Don't get me wrong, I didn't like finding wrinkles beneath my eyes, but I certainly don't take offense when I'm NOT carded at clubs or bars anymore. I've dated older and younger--I appreciate both. Most days I don't think about how old am I at all, but when I do I don't hyperventilate.

I posted this picture not be catty, but as a catalyst for thought. Where is the line? Is there a point when we are go too far? I was always told that everything that's good to you, isn't good for you. Is it possible for us to lose perspective about ourselves...how we should look or dress? How would we know if we had crossed the line? There are so many ways we can change ourselves, are any off-limits? Are we fabulous or foolish when we do these things?