At some point, women start getting handed a completely imaginary list of things we’re apparently no longer supposed to wear.

Too short.

Too bright.

Too trendy.

Too fitted.

Too oversized.

Too much cleavage.

Too much colour.

Too much something.

And perhaps the most ridiculous phrase in fashion:

“Am I too old to wear this?”

We have questions.

First: according to whom?

Because we certainly don’t remember receiving the official handbook explaining exactly when leopard print becomes inappropriate, what birthday requires us to surrender our ripped jeans, or the precise age at which we’re expected to develop a passionate interest in sensible beige cardigans.

Your Birthday Is Not a Dress Code

Style doesn’t have an expiration date.

That doesn’t mean our style never changes. Of course it does.

What made us feel fabulous at 25 might not be what makes us feel fabulous at 45, 55 or 65. Our bodies change. Our lifestyles change. Our tastes change.

And thank God for that.

But there’s a very big difference between choosing not to wear something anymore because it no longer feels like you and deciding you can’t wear it because you’ve crossed some imaginary age threshold.

One is personal style.

The other is a rule somebody made up.

Maybe We’ve Been Asking the Wrong Question

Instead of:

“Am I too old for this?”

Try:

“Do I feel fantastic in this?”

Does the colour make you happy?

Do you love the way the jeans fit?

Does that slightly outrageous jacket make an ordinary outfit approximately 87% more interesting?

Do you catch yourself doing the little mirror turn before leaving the house?

Excellent.

Case closed.

Because the goal isn’t to dress younger.

It isn’t to dress older, either.

It’s to dress like yourself.

Getting Older Should Make Style Easier, Not More Boring

One of the genuine perks of getting older is that we’ve had enough fashion disasters to know a few things.

We’ve survived low-rise jeans.

We’ve worn shoes that required an Advil and an exit strategy.

We’ve bought things solely because they were trendy, only to discover that looking fabulous on someone else does not constitute a legally binding agreement that they’ll look fabulous on us.

Eventually, you figure out what works.

You know which silhouettes make you feel great. Which colours wake up your face. Which fabrics you can’t stand touching your body for longer than eleven seconds.

And, perhaps most importantly, you start caring a little less about whether everyone else approves.

That isn’t giving up on fashion.

That’s graduating.

There’s No Prize for Becoming Invisible

Somewhere along the way, women can start getting the message that getting older means toning themselves down.

Be tasteful.

Be appropriate.

Don’t try too hard.

Don’t draw too much attention.

We respectfully decline.

You can love bold prints at 63.

You can discover wide-leg jeans at 48.

You can wear the fabulous pink sweater.

You can try the weird pants.

You can absolutely buy the jacket that makes people stop and ask, “WHERE did you get that?”

You don’t have to become quieter just because you got another candle on the cake.

Wear the Clothes You Can’t Wait to Wear

At Creative Muse, we’ve never been particularly interested in telling women what they’re supposed to wear.

We’re much more interested in what happens when you put something on and immediately think:

Ohhhhh. THIS is me.

That’s the standard.

Not the number on the label.

Not the year on your birth certificate.

Not whether someone on the internet declared a trend “for women over 40.”

Just you.

Your body.

Your personality.

Your life.

Your style.

So the next time you catch yourself wondering whether you’re too old to wear something, try asking yourself a different question:

Do I freaking love it?

If the answer is yes…

We think you know what to do.