“They’re so comfortable your feet will actually feel the aging process reverse!”
That’s part of the advertising hype used to sell “Anti-Aging” slippers, which, according to the ad, make your feet feel 20 years younger. That would be great, but even when I was 48, my feet didn’t feel so wonderful. I’d like something that makes my whole body feel 20 years younger – maybe more.
Some 23-year-old copy writer in an ad agency has no clue how 68-year-old feet feel but he/she wants us to believe these fleece-lined, stiff looking slippers will make our feet feel like dancing.
I’ll keep my old leather moccasins, the ones which have “L.L.” on the tag (the “Bean” part was cut away). If you want really comfortable slippers, nothing beats 12-year-old slippers which have become molded to every bunion and angle of your own feet.
Most of the fashion designers seem to be men. Since their own clothing doesn’t change (tiny shirts and pants to larger shirts and pants), they can impose anything their wild imaginations dream up on the female of the species.
It would be wonderful, though, if those skinny, Botox-lipped clothing designers would pay attention to what is important in the fashion world for many upper-aged women.
Take pockets, for example. Everything – slacks, sweaters and skirts should have pockets. They serve a great purpose and can hold tissues (a necessity), change, door key and in my case, a snack! It’s a real disappointment when a favorite style of sweater doesn’t have a pocket.
Something happens to cuffs, as one gets more mature, too. Cuffs seem to be extra-tight. The rest of the sleeve is usually roomy enough to hold a lunch or very small child, but the cuffs can’t be moved. A friend of mine said she sometimes has to change clothes to wash dishes since she can’t shove the cuffs up her arms.
I’ve thought for a long time there’s a sock conspiracy. First are the years of disappearing socks and you end up with 21 socks of varying lengths, color and condition – all singles. The Yankee in me says they’re too good to throw away and the sock-mate is lurking nearby. About the time when you give up panty hose and go to socks full-time, something happens. Could it be the shifting weight issue again? Does some of it shift to ankles? All of a sudden, socks become tight. These are the same ones which used to bag around your ankles!
We need a fresh approach to socks. They need to be suitable to wear with slacks…warm, but not so bulky that they make your shoes too tight through the toes. And how about eliminating the elastic on the cuff. Can’t they manufacturer socks that will stay up, but not leave a ring that hurts when you take off the sock. While we’re at it, let’s make socks from materials that don’t shrink.
There isn’t enough time nor room in this column for an in-depth commentary on senior fashion style. Designers need to realize that for the most part, older women want comfort and simplicity. Draping hunks of cloth get caught on things, so forget those scarves which hang off shoulders. Give us a little more room – these insets of material used to be called gussets. Surely that’s still taught in clothing design classes.
Most of us have given up (or should have) skirts which are about the size of a dishwiper. Learn how to use gores and make skirts which flare naturally, and at least come to the knee. We really don’t care to have them slit up to the waist.
Puffy down-filled jackets are fine if you don’t have to sit down or get behind a steering wheel. So try and make a warm jacket without the down, and have it roomy enough to actually button. Don’t forget the pockets.
And finally, all footwear should have rubber soles, and as for those anti-aging slippers mentioned above, we’d like that feature applied to everything that’s size 14 or over.
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