Skinny Mini | Feel It | Powder Room Graffiti

I sat in a café today, minding my own business (whilst trying to overhear any juicy conversations), and an older lady came and sat down opposite me. She was in her late 70's, salt and pepper shoulder length hair, brown polo neck jumper. A woman that, unfortunately and unfairly, a lot of people wouldn't even notice.

The reason I noticed her was because she was wearing a mini skirt. I don't know how many inches of material doth a mini skirt make - I just know this skirt was mighty short. I was torn between thinking, "You go girlfriend!" and feeling slightly put off my morning scone.

When I was younger, I was never one to wear short skirts, even though, in hindsight, I could have gotten away with it. I can't have been any bigger than a UK size 14 as a teenager but I always felt like "the big one" out of my numerous abnormally skinny, short friends. Maybe I should have picked my friends more carefully. Would I have worn short skirts if I had been more confident? If I'd had skinny legs? Probably. And at 16, why not?

Now that I'm in my forties, I like to think I dress as well as my size and budget will allow. If I show a little cleavage, I'll cover up the legs, and vice versa. I'm not averse to "flashing a little flesh" on occasion. As long as it's not too cold. But I would hate to put anyone off their dinner.

Which leads me back to this older lady. She had the sort of skinny legs, which look good in miniskirts, so if she feels good, should everyone just leave her to get on with it? After all, there's no written law to say people cannot wear what they like. Freedom of choice!

But what of that unspoken law? The law that says, once you're past a certain age, your wardrobe should adapt accordingly. So should the miniskirt-wearing pensioner take a leaf out of Helen Mirren's book and try to be classy and sexy? Is it possible? Had she worn a cute pair of kitten heels to go with the skirt, I might have been more forgiving. Had she shaved her legs, even more so. I admire her bravery and "screw you all" attitude, but sometimes you just have to know what looks good on you - and what doesn't. And always, always remember to look in the mirror when you leave the house. No matter what your age.

via powderroomgraffiti.com