The "growing older" plus size woman's wardrobe

I'm a great observer of women and how they dress. While I'd like to shop at some of the better boutiques, it's not always possible. And the same goes for many thousands of growing older women.

Spending budgets seem to shrink over the years for many women. And this is borne out by the clothing you see in your own local community worn by ladies of greying years. It's not that they're no longer adventurous when it comes to choosing clothing, it's just that for some reason they feel less confident in choosing things that won't make them look like "mutton dressed up as lamb."

Which is a shame really. Because if you look around the traps, at your local shopping mall, at your chain stores (such as K Mart, Target etc) and even some of the spicy little "younger" focussed fashion stores springing up, you're sure to find something that will look on you, regardless of your age. Very often the cost is affordable and if you choose wisely, that garment may well fit in with your life-style for many seasons, not just the one.

What seems to happen is that the clothes in the wardrobe "will do"; and quite often they will, but many times with a little bit of courage, the older woman can look twice as spectacular by extending her horizon beyond thinking that "I'm old, therefore I might as well wear old women's clothes".

And I question the idea of OLD women's clothes. There is no such thing. Just as there is no such thing as a 26 year old's dress, or a 42 year old's dress. Let's leave the number out of the equation and look at the clothing as women's clothing, nothing else.

When we can look at things in the right perspective, a whole new world opens up. Instead of just wearing well-loved and well-worn track suits when going shopping or even meeting up with the "girls", try a little flair. Wear your favourite pants or jeans but dress them up with something really lovely such as the shirt shown above. Tie a white or blue silk or chiffon scarf around your neck, choose a favourite matching tote bag and off you go. Enjoy your "growing older" years by enhancing your knowledge of what you will look good in and feel good in wearing. Age has nothing to do with enjoying life, just as being plus size is irrelevant.

(The above blue shirt is from North Style.com Have a look at their website).