by Bridget Webber

Created on: July 23, 2008   Last Updated: August 10, 2011

The question of age in relation to wearing a mini skirt depends largely upon how well an individual is personally aging in terms of appearance. While one fifty year old woman may still have a great figure and fabulous legs, another may still have a bright smile and twinkling eyes, but not such great legs.

What we find acceptable fashion wise bears a direct relation to societies idea of beauty as a whole. We tend to think that the beauty of a woman who is past a certain age lies more within her grace and wisdom than on her outer appearance.

It is fair to say that certain women are breaking the mold by staying younger looking and fitter for far longer than their predecessors. For them, mini skirt wearing may happily go on for far longer than for those who have a more average physique and general appearance. But if we are dealing with a typically average person with regards to aging and mini skirt wearing there are general, unwritten fashion rules which apply.

If you have reached beyond your thirties and have extensive sun damage to your skin, covering up your legs is a good idea if you want to look your best. This is also true if you have unsightly thread veins running across them. However, whatever your age and state of skin, you can still wear a mini skirt with leggings or tights if your legs have a good shape and you feel confident enough to do so.

The one aspect of aging a person has on their side is the wisdom and knowledge about fashion they have gained through the years. An older woman tends to have a better idea of what ultimately suits her and is far more likely to be able to put this into practice than a younger person who is just beginning experimenting with garments.

For this reason a seasoned wearer of a classic mini skirt will be aware that a very short mini is best left to those who are in their twenties or late teenage years. A mini skirt which ends just above the knee area can appear far more sophisticated, and when worn with classic accessories can look wonderful, even on a woman in her thirties, forties or fifties.

It is rare to see a woman in her sixties wearing a mini skirt. This probably isn’t a coincidence. Most of the time it is because women in their sixties or above know what flatters them best is style, tailoring and certain colors depending on skin tone, not a little skirt from which aging legs appear for all the world to see.

Having said this, age should not limit fashion choices, and women can carry on wearing mini skirts for as long as it makes them happy. However, the reality is that doing so may raise eyebrows and appear unattractive. Individuals who aren’t bothered by this should go ahead.

You may decide that as soon as your own legs appear unattractive you intend to cover them up so that no-one knows, and to make the best of whatever attributes you have which are still great.

In the same way, you may not want to see bits of other people that have faded from glory under your nose. This of course, doesn't always have to relate to age as plenty of people display wobbly flesh, orange peel skin, sun-damaged wrinkles and all measure of features which aren‘t regarded as attractive. You may think though, that as people age they should know better.

Learn more about this author, Bridget Webber.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.