I’m 70. Recently I was at the beach and noticed a woman my age in a very low-cut swimsuit. I decided to approach her and tell her that, at our age, it’s not very appropriate to wear that kind of outfit.
This woman of about seventy — perhaps a little more or a little less — walked confidently along the shore in her very daring suit, completely unselfconscious about her appearance.
It seemed as if she didn’t notice anyone around her; she was fully enjoying her body and showing it to everyone nearby. At one point I felt a little awkward. Maybe I was overthinking what’s “appropriate” for women our age.
I admit it — I looked at her with admiration, but I couldn’t help wondering: isn’t it time to show a bit more restraint?
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not against self-confidence. Like that woman, I feel young at heart, I try to stay active and enjoy life.
Still, her assurance made me reflect: shouldn’t we, as we age, aim for a more covered style?
So I went over and shared my observation. I suggested she might choose a more modest swimsuit — after all, we’re no longer young girls, and sometimes a touch of elegance is called for.
But the woman’s reaction was unexpected: she simply laughed and kept walking, as if my advice hadn’t even touched her.
That made me ask myself: why did I feel the need to give that kind of advice, and what really matters at our age?
Maybe I was raised in a different context, with other ideas about how one “should” present oneself after seventy. Maybe old values like reserve and elegance are no longer relevant today, and the notion of “appropriateness” itself is changing.
This encounter — her confidence and self-acceptance — showed me there are a thousand ways to express oneself. And perhaps I was wrong to think that modesty always goes hand in hand with elegance.
Everyone makes their own choices about how to live and dress according to how they feel. The true message of this story may not be that one of us must change clothes, but that each person has the right to choose freely, whatever their age.
Our life, our body and our style are personal matters; the essential thing is that we feel comfortable and confident.
