Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved dressing up. My go-to shopping places then were Cartimar, Zurbaran, Divisoria, and department stores in Manila namely Shoemart (before it became famous as SM), Good Earth Emporium, and Syvel's. In later years as a career woman, shops of choice were Rustan's, Sari-Sari, Kamiseta, Marks and Spencer and the like. As a senior citizen still having fun with fashion, I now find myself favoring the comfort of online shopping.

Evolution of Fashion Choices

As a young girl, I was more intent in keeping up with the fad. Whatever was in fashion during a particular period, I try hard to have. I was lucky to have a mother who loved shopping so I was able to manage to sneak in my own purchases and just surprise her at the counter.

Work wardrobe is a totally different scenario, I focused on building a wardrobe that is professional, can mix and match, can withstand the fashion trends, and quality made. Being careful with clothes purchases is a direct result of having to pay them from my own salary and having my own family to take care of.

Now that I am in my senior years, my main concerns in buying clothes are comfort, style, and affordability. I want to be able to move with ease and confidence without breaking the bank. Even with me still earning and my now grown-up children indulging me, I still have to be practical enough to understand that there are other priorities to prepare for such as healthcare and retirement.

Fashion Tips for Seniors

With this in mind, let me share some fashion tips for senior citizens like me who still want to enjoy dressing up whether it is for daily use or for special occasions.

1. Choose clothes that make sense for your activities. While age usually allows more freedom to be more adventurous in fashion choices due to lesser concern with judgment from other people, people still do judge. Thus, it wouldn't hurt to still dress appropriately for an event, a venue, or an activity.

2. Choose clothes that are comfortable yet stylish. Fit trumps trend. How well clothes fit is more important than wearing the latest trend. But again, it wouldn't hurt to choose clothes that are comfortable yet able to exude the style you want to project.

3. Have your basic neutral colors and monochrome tones for a streamlined look. This does not mean your color experimenting days are over. You just need to find your individual style and work around it.

4. Opt for easy closures, pull-on bottoms, and natural fabrics to minimize effort in dressing up. Many seniors still don't feel comfortable seeking assistance from others. For some, not being able to dress up by themselves signals loss of autonomy or personal control.

5. Choose comfortable and quality shoes. Not doing so greatly impacts the overall quality of life of a senior.  Wearing the proper shoes can prevent falls, pain and joint issues, It also encourages mobility which is very important for aging people.

My Say

Age should not restrict a person's fashion sense. It just refines it as we become familiar with our own bodies and better understand what clothes and shoes work for us. 

That said,  being a senior citizen does not mean boring clothes. Dressing up serves its physical and psychological benefits as we maintain our personal identity at a life phase many consider as going into social invisibility.