What Not To Wear In Your 30s

I saw a "suggested link" on Facebook tonight, to an article titled "What Not To Wear In Your 30s." I don't normally go for the click-bait, but I'm having a much-needed night in and there's not a lot going on, so I opened it, prepared for the worst.

It was as bad as you're thinking.

I could go on and on about how I was in my 30s before I figured out how to like my body, and it took a lot of work to get to a place where I could feel comfortable in my clothes.

There are so many "rules" in society about how women should dress...and they are a bunch of hooey. Now, I'm not going to the grocery store in my pajamas any time soon, but if you are, well, more power to you. I personally can't stand flip-flops (except to shower at the gym, and that's necessity, not comfort) and I am not likely to don any faux-fur any time soon, but if that is what floats your boat, wear it with pride. I will be over here in my leggings-as-pants, not judging you.

With the spirit of the original article in mind, here is one simple rule for what to wear in your 30s and beyond:

Wear whatever the hell you want.

Leggings as pants? Go for it, no matter what size you are. Wear pants and a sweater to the club? Go for it (I did, on New Year's, and I was perfectly happy to). Graphic t-shirts (specifically mentioned in the article)? You can pry my Keane t-shirts out of my cold, dead hands. Leopard print? Faux fur? Just do it!

I don't have to look at someone's outfit and love it, but I also don't have the right to shame them from wearing it. How a person presents themselves to the world is completely up to them.

That said, there are, of course certain situations that require certain etiquette. I'd probably roll my eyes if someone wore flip-flops to a fancy wedding, and I reserve the right to mock my brother (Sibling Law Number 4, Section 6) for wearing baggy shorts and t-shirts pretty much year-round, because the dude lives in Idaho. It snows there. Have some variety, bro! I agree to an extent that school dress codes are good--not to crack down on an itty-bitty bit of exposed bra strap (hell, my bra straps sometimes peek out when I don't want them to) but to prohibit explicit images or words on shirts and the like.

Otherwise, just wear what you are comfortable in. And for heaven's sake, stop telling others how to dress.