About Gabrielle Johnson
When shopping finally becomes an Olympic event, editor Gabrielle Johnson is pretty sure she’ll take home the gold medal for Canada – after inquiring about the availability of other colours (lilac? chartreuse?) and politely requesting a discount. Every week, she shares a glimpse into what’s on her style radar.
How Old is Too Old to Wear Short Skirts?
life/style t.o.: when to give up wearing miniskirt canada, Toronto
(Jan.25.12)
Left to right: Miu Miu, Milly and Forever 21
I turned another year older on Monday, and while it wasn't a big milestone birthday, the event itself still forced me to think about the passing of time and made me feel, well, older. Not older as in wiser, or more mature. or more accomplished somehow, but mainly along the lines of, "Wow, I'm really not a kid anymore." Then yesterday, as I was getting dressed for work and pulling on a pair of opaque black tights and a short-ish skirt — my typical winter uniform — I thought to myself, "Am I getting too old to wear short skirts?"
There are certain items of clothing or beauty trends I know I'm too old to get away with, like knee socks, pigtails or glitter on my face, but where do we draw the line with short skirts? A significant number of celebs of a certain age wear miniskirts on a regular basis; when is the last time you saw Jennifer Aniston (42) or Demi Moore (49) NOT revealing their toned legs in something ultra-short?
Generally speaking, I subscribe to the "if you've got it, flaunt it" school of thought, but I also believe there's a time and a place for everything, and red carpets events are not the same as boardroom meetings.
I work in fashion, an industry that lets me get away with a heck of a lot, wardrobe-wise, so it's unlikely that I'll banish my minis altogether anytime soon, but I wonder if it might be time to put a little more focus on longer lengths, like these pretty pieces:
Left to right: Tibi, Topshop and J.Crew
What do you think? Should minis be reserved for the very young, or can women wear them at any age?