In the undeniably superficial Reality show world of the 'Real Housewives', Botox and plastic surgery seem a regular part of their lives. Anything to stop aging or any appearance of growing older. Their clothes however, although generally lower cut than regular city street wear, are obviously expensive and generally fairly elegant in a modern way.
Meanwhile, magazines and media continue to relentlessly glorify 'youth'. I don't think that there is a magazine cover anywhere that hasn't been airbrushed into fantasy. Even the very young teenaged model or airbrushed celebrity, couldn't possibly look like the airbrushed version of herself that sells the magazine covers.
The occasional grandparent model in commercials, movies or television, is unlikely to have gray hair or appear much older than their son or daughter. Perhaps the only place for middle aged and older people in most of the media seems to be when advertising banking.
On Television, older people are frequently portrayed as needing diapers or dentures...with little in between, being young and cool or decrepit and incontinent.
Street fashion, now more than ever, has filtered into the fashion design world. For some time now one of the current trend seems to be that sexy means a Burlesque and pole dance style of dress. This style is now literally 'walking the streets', both day and night.
I watched and wondered at the first couple of Pussycat Doll pole dancing style of competition. The first time someone at a party told me they were taking Pole Dancing, I spit out a mouthful of wine across the room in shock, (for the first and only time in my life).
Street walker style gone suburban means, that among other things, many parents have either bought or not objected to clothing for their young girls which have such words as 'JUICY' printed on the back of their pants.
As a result of this pervasive trend, for the first time perhaps, some wanna be young forever, middle class mothers seem also to be dressed in what was once the 'hoochey mama' version of street wear.
No wonder we enjoy the 'Walmartian' photos so much, it is a real revelation of streetwear in all it's amazing, creative variations. Possibly a mirror might help to cure some of them, but I fear, they see what they see and to them it is just a whole lot of wonderful woman. At least 'Walmartians' are real people, unlike Botoxed, plastic surgery Barbie doll wannabees.
Embarrassed daughters, often nominate their mothers for 'makeover' shows in order to get their mother to stop embarrassing them by wearing the teenagers clothes. If only to cover up the extra skin the mother has put on, it may be the daughters only way to explain to their mother that they are not and won't ever be cool dressed like this.
Whatever happened to being comfortable within your own skin, being happy within yourself? What about having the confidence to find a way to adapt the new trends into something showing you know about fashion and have learned what suits you too?
You probably are already know how you might like to dress to reflect the successful and accomplished woman you now are. To actually do it you need to accept yourself as you are now and use your skills to put your best foot forward.
The first step in what is actually reclaiming our lives and dignity, in the face of media youth bombardment is, to even occasionally, look in a Full Length Mirror. With your glasses on if necessary. Bite the bullet the first time, and take a reasonable and objective look, front (and please dear God, if you're in pants, back).
Since you are not airbrushed, you might look like a slightly older version than you did 5 or 10 years ago. This, probably would not surprise a normal person. The Fashion Victim however, is booking her next Botox appointment. Let her inject more botulism into her already frozen face.
Once you decide to give yourself permission to both acknowledge, but more importantly, try and accept yourself as you are, you will have also have taken a giant step toward reclaiming your self esteem and happiness.
By now, with time and experience you should already understand that you are unique and should be proud of your many accomplishments as well.
By accepting yourself, you will also soon find that you could actually begin to like yourself again. At some point, you might also more easily accept that you deserve the love your friends and family have been offering you, and return it happily.
Most importantly, you are also giving yourself a chance to be happy again with the unique, beautiful person you worked so hard to become and 'grew up' into. The same one everybody but you saw, when they looked at you.
See also: CLOTHES THEN AND NOW and
WHEN EVERY DAY IS CASUAL FRIDAY and
THE CLOTHES LOVER - FINDING BEAUTY ON THE STREET
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