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The Harsh Fashion Realities of Aging Women

aadmin — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 17:47:32 +0000

Style consultant Sherrie Mathieson is on a mission to modernize aging women’s fashion. Working with older clients into their 80's, she aims to develop a wardrobe based on simplicity.

She believes older women need to forgo competition with their younger counterparts and opt for classic restraint and clean lines.

“I see women committing the most egregious mistakes,” says Mathieson who is the author of “Forever Cool: How to Achieve Ageless, Youthful and Modern Personal Style” and “Steal This Style: Moms and Daughters Swap Wardrobe Secrets.”

The Fashion Mistakes of Older Women

Their apparel can be unflattering and outdated. Below is a list of Mathieson's concerns:

• Roomy or bulky clothes that attempt to hide a woman's weight and figure
• Clothing that is too tight and too revealing
• High heels. Difficult for walking, especially for older women
• An overload of accessories – diamonds, rhinestones, gold and lamé
• Animal prints such as leopard prints
• Leather or fake leather, especially black
• Short skirts, revealing cleavage, to imitate younger women
• Makeup. If makeup is worn it needs to have a natural tone
• Black outfits which are too harsh against older womens' skin
• Dressing down. Older women who gain weight may resort to bulky t-shirts and jeans
• Pastel colors like pink, light blue, pale yellow and mint green – typical of Sun City
• T-shirts that say: "My Grandchild Loves Me"

How Older Women Can Dress and Remain Vibrant

Mathieson’s classic fashion approach for senior women counters the plethora of senior style faux pas. Apparel should include:

• Clothing with clean lines and modern fabrics
• Ensembles that fit correctly on the figure
• Simple white shirts or denim shirts
• Polo shirts - the collar frames the neck, diverting attention away from wrinkles
• Athletic wear designed for casual comfort
• Sporty sneakers, flats and rubber-soled shoes for walking ease
• A durable bag that complements an outfit
• Clothes that pack effortlessly without requiring excessive care for travel purposes
• For the pool, a one-piece bathing suit in a solid color, not overly revealing

The classic wardrobe favored by Mathieson originates in the preppy look of New England and the Southern states. Its simplicity evokes a modernity that preserves a younger look for older adults.

After women achieve an easier, streamlined approach, they can layer; add a shawl or a bracelet if chosen wisely.

Before becoming a fashion consultant, Mathieson worked extensively in high fashion. She has spent years as a consume designer in film, TV, MTV, and has dressed rock bands.

Now, she feels prepared her to advocate for an aging population, an overlooked demographic in her consideration.

“They’re basically ignored and improperly handled by the media,” she insists. “People who are easily dismissed.”

Clothing is an intimate form of self-expression for older adults and can be elevated beyond the harsh realities.

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Elderly Couple Stumbles into All-Night Rave

aadmin — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:12:25 +0000

All-night raves are great for fun-loving millennials but hazardous for the elderly who tend to go to bed before 9:00 pm. Dick and Lil Dickens - 80 and 79 - are a good example, an older couple who stumbled into a Cambridgeshire, England warehouse, 70 miles north of London.

According to the nation's daily tabloid, The Sun, the older couple noticed dozens of cars parked outside a warehouse and headed inside looking for bargains. Instead of discounts, the Dickens faced 1,000 party goers happily engaged in an all-night rave.

In their confusion, the couple agreed to pose for pictures with the partiers before leaving for their car. Dick told The Sun, "We’re in our 80's so we don’t want to get mixed up in anything like that." He continued, “Some girl just popped up with a camera and took our picture. She said ’right, you’ll be on Facebook now!”

The couple were stunned when they discovered in media reports that the party ended in £50,000 of damage to the warehouse - nearly $80,000 USD.

The Cambridgeshire Constabulary has launched a major campaign to prosecute those who organised the bash and have made one arrest. In response to community anger, North East Cambridgeshire Member of Parliament Steve Barclay raised objections during a meeting with English Home Secretary Theresa May.

“It’s essential that those responsible are brought to justice," May was quoted, from her Parliamentary office in London.

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Politics and Government

Good News for retirement living seniors: Social Security sites receive high ratings

aadmin — Fri, 07 May 2010 09:04:09 +0000

A new report shows that three of the online services offered by the U.S. government's Social Security website rank high when it comes to customer satisfaction. Both the online retirement estimator and the benefits application received a rating of 90, which is higher than the private sector's top scoring website, Netflix.

User friendly websites are a major benefit to seniors, whether they are adept at navigating the internet or not.

Michael J.

Asture, commissioner of Social Security, made a statement commending the office's performance. "The internet provides the public with the ability to conduct business at their convenience and at their own pace, without the need to take leave from work, travel to a field office, and wait to meet with an agency representative."

Asture also remarked that the sites allow Social Security employees to expediently process customer information.

For many seniors who are disabled or do not have viable transportation, the internet can be a very useful tool. The ability to access information and receive customer support via the web is a way for many to avoid the hassle and bureaucracy that inconvenience many retirement living seniors.

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Love of learning key to long life for retirement living seniors

aadmin — Fri, 07 May 2010 06:04:09 +0000

Retirement living seniors who tend to shun pop culture news and the latest technological advances may want to consider giving the modern world another try.

According to Reuters, the key to a long and happy life may lie in embracing technology and current events. The news source reports that a recent study, which surveyed 100 centenarians, found that several retirement living seniors reported constant use of iPods and text messaging.

"If I could leave any message, never stop learning. Period. That's it," said Maurice Eisman, a centenarian who lives in Maryland, told the news source.

One surprising result of the survey is how much the 100-year-old participants kept up with pop culture. When asked who they would like to invite to dinner if given the chance, the most popular response was Betty White.

There are other ways to achieve longevity for those retirement living seniors who aren't able to adopt a technological way of living. Yahoo! Health advises people to eat healthy, drink clean water and practice tai chi in order to promote longevity.

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Personality may affect chances of Alzheimer's Disease

aadmin — Wed, 05 May 2010 12:04:09 +0000

Most retirement living seniors are concerned about Alzheimer's Disease, but new research suggests that one's personality may have an effect on being diagnosed with the mental illness.

Psychologists at the University of Washington in St.

Louis conducted a study on 79 individuals between the ages of 44 and 88. The team performed MRIs on the volunteers and discovered a noticeable difference in brain matter between people who were considered neurotic and those who were even-tempered.

"There are lots of nonhuman animal studies that suggest that chronic stress is associated with deleterious effects on the brain, and this helped us form the hypothesis that we'd see similar effects in older adults," said Jonathan Jackson, the study's co-author.

However, the researchers also noted that it's the brain changes that may be influencing one's personality, and not the other way around.

"Right now, we can't disentangle those two," said co-author Denise Head.

Alzheimer's Disease remains one of the most serious mental illnesses amongst retirement living seniors. According to the Alzheimer's Association, over five million people are currently battling the illness in the United States.

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Retirement living seniors set to fly solo around the world

aadmin — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:04:08 +0000

Some active living seniors set out to accomplish something new when they retire. Those who are passionate about writing a novel or running a marathon often discover they suddenly have the time to commit themselves to an exciting goal.

According to the New Straight Times, one retirement living senior has sky high aspirations for his golden years.

The news source reports that Captain William M.

Charney, a Vietnam War veteran, is planning on flying solo around the world. The 74-year-old active senior will attempt to circumnavigate the globe, but will be doing it without a time crunch.

"I am not racing against anything. This is a personal challenge and adventure for me as I am able to meet many people and see many world heritage sites. And what better way than to do it lying low level," he told the New Strait Times.

The first person to fly solo around the world was Wiley Post, who accomplished the task in 1933.

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Aspirin may be harmful for some retirement living seniors

aadmin — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:04:08 +0000

While some people believe in the age-old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," other retirement living seniors rely on their daily dose of aspirin to remain healthy. The over-the-counter medication is widely believed to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Now, a new study may shed some light on these ideas.

According to the AARP Bulletin Today, the risks of taking aspirin, which includes bleeding in the brain and stomach, far outweighs its benefits.

"That's not a trivial side effect," Michael LeFevre, a professor of family medicine at the University of Missouri, told the news source. "We're talking about people who get hospitalized."

The news outlet reports that retirement living seniors over the age of 80 should think about refraining from taking aspirin as part of their everyday health regimen. However, not everyone should immediately discount the miracle pill.

"Aspirin is a lifesaving medicine in patients with established cardiovascular disease," Jeffrey Berger, a cardiologist at New York University, told the news outlet.

Retirement living seniors who are concerned about their cardio health may also consider a regular fitness routine and eating healthy as ways to prevent heart disease.

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Retirement living seniors to be featured in new reality show

aadmin — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:04:08 +0000

Reality television may be all the rage now, but shows such as The Jersey Shore and the Real World are filmed with the younger generation in mind. Now, the WE channel will be producing a reality series that highlights the daily lives of a group of active living seniors.

Sunset Daze, which follows a group of active seniors between the ages of 61 and 70 years old, premieres tonight on the women's cable channel.

"So many people watch those other shows," cast member Linda Durkee-Quigley, 64, told the Sun Times.

"But we have all that stuff on our show, too."

The reality series is set in a retirement living community located in Sun City, Arizona, and will follow the active living seniors as they go drinking and dancing, and enjoy each other's company in a hot tub.

"From my point of view, the show is trying to let everybody know that whether you're 55 or 65 or whatever, life doesn't end at that age," Durkee-Quigley told the news source.

According to Neilsen.com, the average American watches four hours of television every day.

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Active living seniors find laughter through yoga

aadmin — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:04:08 +0000

Yoga may be a wonderful activity, but completing the difficult poses while grinning from ear to ear is often rare.

According to the Chicago Tribune, a group of active living seniors are trying to grin and bear it. The seniors, along with other individuals from the Chicago area, recently gathered to take a session in Laughter Yoga, taught by Indian guru Madan Kataria.

"The feeling of laughing is therapeutic," Adelle Becker, 87, told the news source.

"Laughing until your eyes water, it's just fun being in a group, doing the same thing at the same time and just acting like kids when you are in your 80s."

Laugher yoga, otherwise known as Hasyayoga, was created by Jiten Kohi, and has been made popular by Kataria since 1995. The practice aims for the giggles to be contagious amongst participants, which will bring oxygen to the body and brain.

"Learn to be joyful and happiness will follow," Kataria told the news source. "What we lost in the process of growing up we can retrain. Laughter becomes habit when you repeat every day."

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Retirement living seniors who are dog owners may exercise more

aadmin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:04:10 +0000

While many retirement seniors love to exercise daily, others may find it difficult to stay active. Seniors who want to stay in shape but have problems channeling the energy may want to become pet owners.

According to a study in an AARP Bulletin Today, one-third of individuals who are dog owners say they exercise with their canines. The report surveyed 1,062 people age 50 and over.

The most popular activity respondents stated as participating in with their pets was walking.

Coming in second was playing catch or Frisbee, while jogging and wrestling placed third.

While walking doesn't increase one's heart rate as much as running, it remains an extremely healthy hobby. According to MedicineNet.com, the activity can reduce one's risk of heart disease, improve cognitive function and alleviate symptoms of depression.

Retirement living seniors who are looking to become more active may want to consider beginning a walking routine and increase the time spent on the road each day.

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