Thursday, May 12, 2016

Mature Fashion: Frump into Fashionista


Thumbs Up
Thumbs Down

Having the unexpected week off, I took the opportunity to catch up on reviewing and reading some of the accumulated articles on aging (knowing that many of us would still be in the work force long after the conventional retirement age, I have always been interested in Gerontology while studying Industrial and Organization Psychology)  I wanted to catch up on some of the newest material because I will likely be seeking a new part time job very soon.

Several of the articles I read, (some in professional journals and one or two, to my pleasant surprise) suggested that for job interviews it was important for the more mature applicant to make sure that her handbag was of a more modern shape and that the shoes should not look too "frumpy".  Of course, I totally agree with this concept.  As you may guess, I carefully choose the garments I am going to wear when I am seeking a job.

I always go in person to the job site to seek information on a position I may want, even when I know I will be told to submit a resume elsewhere, etc.  I find that being dressed 'appropriately' is one step nearer to obtaining my end goal; the job.  Obviously, I am using that initial "first impression" to my advantage.  I find I get a little bit more cooperation from whoever I am speaking with, and, because many of the places I now want to work are smaller and less 'corporate', my application may be accompanied by a favorable referral.

Although the outfit shown above is not one I would wear on an interview, I do want to use it as an example of what I mean by "frumpy" versus "current".  I also want to point out this evaluation only pertains to my body type, age, visual appearance, etc.  These statements might not apply to someone with a different physical make-up or age.  If you notice, I am wearing everything identical except the hat and jewelry.  I originally planned on wearing the cloche hat on the right and the Indian silver bracelet. (I was excited about the hat when I found it in this lovely vintage shop down by Carmel.  It has elements that beautifully reflect the hand made dark teal suede heels)  Unfortunately, when I put it all together, and looked in the mirror, my first thought was 'little old lady'.  It just didn't feel or look right to me. Regretfully, I removed the bracelet, replaced it with two hammered silver rings, and exchanged the hat for the hounds tooth fedora. Voila!!  I had the look I wanted; mature but youthful, energetic and involved.

At my age, it is unlikely I would ever wear a regular business suit (I would wear a pantsuit) to any interview.  I will not wear anything that could ever be construed as "cutesy", too short, too long, bare-footed sandals (bare footed anything) or anything too "girly", or with too much make-up. )I do get the valid criticism that I look a bit washed out in most of my pictures..true, but it is my normal make-up which always photographs less vivid than real life.).  I will probably publish some of the outfits when I am seeking various employments, probably on RockMyRole.blogspot.com.

As mentioned earlier, these stipulations pertain to me only; every woman must find her own guidelines for what is 'right' for her, and based on the role she wants to play.





No comments:

Post a Comment