Daring or daft?

An article in the French Elle dated 16 October caught my eye.  Titled: "At 40, we dare...", it ended up not only disappointing  but actually completely letting me down. The article looks at specific items of clothing and examines whether a 40 year old could still pull them off. Those items are: bleached jeans, leather jackets, mini-dresses, high-top sneakers, shorts, printed T-shirts, leather trousers and heavy work boots.

Daring?

Those are some of Elle's pictures illustrating the article.

I don't know about you but when I look at those pictures, I can't help but think: this 40 year old looks very much like a 20 year old: fabulous genes, expensive plastic surgery... Wait a minute, this is actually a 20 year old, not a 40 year old woman. So why is she illustrating this article about 40 year old women? Am I to conclude that it would be too shocking to show a 40 year old wearing high top sneakers or a printed T-shirt and that those clothes are really too dangerous, too daring to even be photographed on anybody beyond the age of 25??? Those photos are ridiculous! If you are going to write an article about 40 year old women, show 40 year old women! After all, it is 40 year olds (and beyond) who are going to read the article, not 20 year olds!

In any event, why were these items selected? Are they supposed to be so inherently "young" in the eyes of a (probably) young journalist writing the article that a 40 year old could not wear them? Are they so daring, so out-there that a 40 year-old would not touch them with a barge pole? I can see the point for some of them - mini-dresses (a subject already covered through the miniskirt in these pages), shorts (which can be treated in the same way as miniskirts with leggings and caution) and leather trousers (dangerous at any age if the cut is not perfect). With regards to bleached jeans, why anybody of any age would like to wear them is beyond me.

Another picture from Elle:

Am I daft?

Frankly, I can't see why printed T-shirts are obvious no-go articles for 40+, nor high-top sneakers,  leather jackets or heavy work boots. I might be an extreme dresser in the eyes of French Elle, but I think leather jackets can look incredibly cool on a 40+.  Look at Annie Lennox:

Printed T-shirts can look daft at any age if what is printed is silly or ugly. If they are baggy and shapeless, leave them to hunky surfer dudes. When printed with something relevant to you - fabulous concert you went to, beautiful art work or a significant place, well cut and worn under a smart blazer, why on earth wouldn't you wear them? I have one that I love for its design, that I bought in NY City from a street trader, which in all honesty is not of the greatest quality but reminds me of a good time spent there and that I'll wear in small doses with great pleasure.

High-top sneakers or heavy work boots... it all depends on which ones and what you wear them with.
Emma Hope's sneakers look great at any age, perfect for a woman over 40 as they are elegant whilst cool and versatile. They come in amazing colours and could be worn beautifully with jeans or long skirts: http://www.emmahope.com/womens/sneakers/

Heavy work boots, why not?  They project a certain look but I don't think that look is particularly young. I might be missing the point there, but they could look awful on a young or on an old woman. I can picture them working well with a cool Marithe et Francois Girbaud outfit, autumn colours or just jeans. They could also look heavy, "butch" and a bit ridiculous, paired with the wrong clothes at any age.

By the way, Elle's main advice on how to "dare" those difficult clothes on a 40 year olds seems to be: buy expensive!

For those who want to read the article in the French Elle:
A 40 ans on ose