You're GOING to get old!

 

Guess what!  We’re getting older.  And with any luck, we’re going to get old.  That’s right.  OLD.  And everything that comes with it…..wrinkles, gray hair, menopause, incontinence (going potty is so tedious anyway; to just be able to wear an adult diaper and change it when it’s convenient MAY not be such a bad thing), forgetfulness (that came early for me), hairs growing in the strangest places and shrinking about 3 inches.  Sounds fun, eh?  But consider the alternative……a youthful corpse?

Thus far, I’ve been fortunate to have aged fairly well.  Hey, tomorrow I may have jowls down to my knees and size 10 crows’ feet; but so far so good.  I feel like I can say this with absolutely no conceit  because I really can’t take credit for it.  I’ve got pretty good genes.  My grandmother is 80 and is finally REALLY going gray.  My aunt who is in her mid fifties looks about 15 years younger than that.  And my mother, when she passed away at 56, still looked absolutely amazing.  To a large extent, how we age, depends on genetics; so if you’ve been fortunate in that area, be sure to give credit where credit’s due.

However, there ARE things that we can do that will make the wheels of age turn gently and not like they’re being driven by Bo and Luke Duke!  I started thinking about this the other day, and here are some things that I’ve done through the years and some things that I SHOULD have done through the years to gently traverse the years.

1.  Use moisturizer EVERY day.  I think it’s the ONLY thing I’ve done consistently all these years.  I heard it on the Donahue Show when I was still in high school.  The topic was secrets of great looking older women and it was the one “secret” that they all had in common.

2.   Unless you’re health endangering overweight, don’t lose more than about 10 pounds.  As we age, our skin loses elasticity.  The gaining and losing weight takes it’s toll and when we lose weight, it shows in our faces.  Think saggy skin and withered lips.  You’ll look better with, what you think, (must be the curse of being a woman – always thinking we’re 20 pounds away from the elusive perfection), are those few extra pounds.

3.  Beware the sun!  Laying out in the sun was all well and good when we were in high school.  I remember basting myself with baby oil for a deep dark all over roast!  But now we know…too much sun leaves one looking like fine corinthian leather – a beautiful thing for a Jaguar, not so much for the face!

4.  Under no condition, no matter what those incessant voices in your head tell you, DO NOT TRY TO DRESS TO LOOK YOUNG.  When we do that, we don’t look young.  We look desperate.  We aren’t desperate

5.  MOVE….the women that I have seen that have aged the best move their bodies.  They get regular exercise.  It doesn’t have to be tortuous, it just needs to be vigorous and consistent. 

6.  Laugh a lot!  If I’m going to get wrinkles, I’d like for them to be laugh lines not that big ugly line across your forehead that advertises that I’m a worry wart. 

7.  Wear what you like because you like it!  That’s what I hear the most from my friends who are older – they just don’t worry about what people think as much as they did when they were younger.  So if you want to wear a hat every day or a feather boa, wear it!  Now if you’re wearing it because you think it makes you look younger, put it away!

Here  are some of my AWESOME over 40 blogger friends!  They have incredible style and have aged amazingly well….I feel like I learn from them all the time:

Fashion over Fifty

Rags against the Machine

Style Underdog

Over Fifty, Feeling Forty

Mis Papelicos

Pull Your Socks Up

Southern Comfort (Joy and Lise….amazing women of style!)

Senora Allnut

Amended: Please please please turn me on to over 40 fashion bloggers! I know there must be more out there, so if it's you or you know one....share a link.

Check these wonderful women out! Also, I'd LOVE to hear some of your advice on aging....no matter what your age!