https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/middle-age-shrinkage Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 27 May 2026 23:41:59 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/middle-age-shrinkage#post-705431 Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:10:05 +0000 unfrumped 705431@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Parsley, deb, Joy and Caro--thanks for the "support"! May as well use realism to our fashion advantage.</p> <p>rachylou, you are on to something. Hopefully it is more that we are supposed to develop patience, self-awareness and self-control in our buying and fashions and not that, like movie stars, we must always be "on" for the public and can't ever let our fashion guard down a bit. Sometimes other things just take precedence.</p> <p>MNSara, we do relate. The good thing is that paying attention to fit DOES seem to pay off, no matter what body type or time of life. It's all relative--best fit for who we are now. Another thing I like about your observation is the need to ration fashion a bit over time. Many folks have posted about whether classics are true classics, and what I find is that I have to keep in mind not only general style, length and so on but that the fit may change just enough that I will have to replace an item with a very similar one. There is obviously an incompletely defined overlap between fit and "style", but I'm in agreement with a lot of other posters that actual clothing has a shorter lifespan than I used to think. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/middle-age-shrinkage#post-704841 Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:01:45 +0000 MNsara 704841@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, I can relate! I normally love loose (comfy), less structured clothing. And in my 30s and even 40s I think I got away with it quite well. But as I age (now 54) and get a bit softer everywhere, I feel the need to gravitate toward structure and fit!</p> <p>And proper fit has become like a moving target between middle age and hormones!! I do the best I can and my body is STILL changing in ways I really didn't expect :-\ I used to freely buy off-season and know it would fit later, but now I'm not so sure . . . </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/middle-age-shrinkage#post-704809 Mon, 27 Aug 2012 23:48:20 +0000 rachylou 704809@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Actually, I think you've hit on something about "age appropriate dressing." Like Angie says, women of all ages can wear all styles, but it's in the how. Fit is one of the aspects of the how.</p> <p> I think at a certain point in life, you're expected to know and do better. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/middle-age-shrinkage#post-704783 Mon, 27 Aug 2012 23:34:46 +0000 Caro in Oz 704783@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Absolutely agree I'm 60+ &amp; I don't usually wear wide bottoms or unstructured tops. I think it's something to do with the softening of our bodies &amp; of course gravity. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/middle-age-shrinkage#post-704701 Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:40:42 +0000 Anonymous 704701@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm almost 66 and am definitely paying more attention to fit these days. The underarm area you mention is especially troublesome, as is good fit in trousers when the bum has dropped. I'm paying better attention to shoulder seams too. Structure in garments really helps too. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/middle-age-shrinkage#post-704645 Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:53:52 +0000 deb 704645@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I saw your title and my first thought was, how did you do it? I am 58 find I am wearing my clothes closer to my body because my body shape has changed so much and has gotten larger. Thinking about it, my clothes take up aproximately the same amount of air space, just a different style. I used to wear more floaty, artsy clothes because I could ware them well. Because of my body changes, I am not able to pull those looks off anymore. No more wide legged trousers, harem pants, etc. Hmmm... an interesting thought. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/middle-age-shrinkage#post-704641 Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:51:14 +0000 Parsley 704641@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi unfrumped,<br /> When I read the tiltle of your post, I thought, "I wish I were shrinking- I seem to keep GROWING!"<br /> It sounds like you've done a good job with the exercise and toning. What a good problem to have! I'm a couple of years older than you, and I need to get working on some shrinkage!<br /> I do think good fit in clothing is extremely important at every age, but I know what you mean about the pretty young things being able to get away with fashion sins that we may not.<br /> Oh, well, we can use our acquired wisdom to make up for the changes of age- I hope, anyway! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/middle-age-shrinkage#post-704628 Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:41:42 +0000 unfrumped 704628@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, that sounds terrible now that I posted it. What I mean is, the main theme in clothing I've purged over the past few months is that they seem to big/loose.<br /> Now, I did start trying to exercise and tone up more and lost 5 # or so, and that's some of it. I am slender in general though am a pear and would like better toned thighs and rear! So I've always probably needed to pay close attention to fit through the shoulders and in general so as not to look sloppy and frumpy, and have had to fight my tendencies for "loose" comfy fits. I've been trying to do better about that.</p> <p>What I've noticed though is it seems to be increasingly important to have this near-perfect fit in middle age or I appear diminished, or something! But too fitted and I feel too juvenile, plus I don't like the "shrunken" blazer/sweater-type look either.</p> <p>I know the generic manta, fit-fit-fit, but have any of you ladies of a certain age (okay, I'm 57!) noticed that you can't seem to get away with any slack in either fit direction, that you used to be able to do when younger ? In some ways I think it is quite generic for those of us who aren't fashion models, because your eye is not distracted by both the youth and the innate beauty (admittedly, the stereotype of female beauty). I'm just struck by how just a bit of a too-big armhole or shoulder is less tolerable.</p> <p>Admittedly I may just be finally employing better judgment for my body type and a more critical eye, but I think there is something about the subtle or not-so-subtle changes with age. </p>