A Few More Inches Please...

When did everything get so short? I am talking about clothes here people – more specifically dresses, shorts and skirts. I am not a prude and consider myself fashionable, yet there are times when short is too short and less really isn’t more.

I hate to be an ageist and I don’t usually go for “rules”, BUT I just can't help myself. There are ages on the spectrum where you need to be careful. I’m going to pick on celebrities because it’s so much easier to criticize people you don’t know (#truth) and there are endless pictures to illustrate my point.

12-18 ish:

These young ladies have developing bodies and the last thing they are thinking about is what message is being sent by their clothes. They are more interested in what their friends are wearing, their latest Instagram post and what their favorite Disney channel sitcom star thinks is cool.

For example, jean shorts (jorts as I like to call them) – girls love them as do I, but my mother would never have let me out of the house with my “cheeks” hanging out like Selena Gomez below - hell to the no.

Selena is a beautiful twenty something year old that millions of little girls admire and want to emulate. But the message she is sending in the right hand picture is hey, it's ok to have your ass hanging out on the street...in daylight. It is not. When she adds a few more inches, her jorts are still on trend, still cute and don’t send the wrong message or encourage leering by middle-age men (say it with me...ewwwww).

25-35

This age range is tricky – women are entering the workforce in earnest and discovering what kind of a career they want to build. Clothes really make a difference in these situations. Even if you work in a fashion-forward industry like publishing or communications, you still need to look polished and professional. Helpful hint: there should be absolutely no question if your "outfit" is a dress or a shirt.

I saw the movie, Trainwreck last week and loved it. Brava Amy Schumer – it's smart and funny - but what was up with her work wardrobe? A few more inches please. I am not saying you have to pull out your turtlenecks and your maxi skirt, but you should be able to sit down without having a "Sharon Stone in Basic-Instinct" moment. If she showed up to work in this first outfit I would send her home to change. The second look, albeit more formal, could be dressed down for work with funky booties and a jean jacket or cardigan. The few more inches (or in this case a foot or so) make her look sophisticated, highlight her killer curves and exude confidence.

45+

I know some kick-ass women over 45 that look better than most 20-somethings. I love that they are fit and confident, but they are not 20 or even 30. Micro-mini anything is not appropriate and invariably will make them look like they are trying too hard.

Halle Berry is one of the most beautiful women in the world. She is impeccable. That being said, what the hell was she wearing at the ESPY’s? A few more inches please. She doesn’t need to wear that short of a dress. She wasn’t in a client meeting or at work, but a few more inches and that dress would have been perfection instead of a little tacky. In contrast the second dress, also in black leather, accomplishes the same sexy look while allowing her to actually sit down at some point.

Us mere mortals should follow the same guidelines. If you are dressing for your body type, you don’t need to go super short. I often ask my clients to bend over from the waist when they try on a short dress or skirt. If I can see their lady business its too short! Their respond is invariably, “but I never bend over like that.” Doesn’t matter – it’s too short for most occasions, especially work. I also have a friend (you know who you are) who likes to point out where her whoo-ha is compared to the end of her dress/skirt. I don’t need you to point it out; I can pretty much see it. A few more inches please.