age

Motherhood and my 30th birthday came at around the same time, making it hard to ignore that voice in the back of my head urging me to reevaluate my wardrobe. I could hear it coughing loudly in the checkout line at Urban Outfitters, rolling its eyes at H and M, and making gross barfing noises as I'd scour the racks at Forever 21.

That's not to say I listen to the voice all the time. Thirty's not that old, and it would be a shame to cut the fun out of our closets completely when most of us look better than we did at 20 anyway. But once in a while it's good to embrace the voice. What if it's not saying "dress your age," but rather "dress agelessly"?

I once read an interview in Lula magazine with Guillaume Henry, the creative director at Carven. He said that he designs with five women in mind, ranging in age from early 20's to close to 50. If something doesn't work for one of the women, he said, it has no place in his collection.

I think this ethic is very French and perfect for 30-something women who don't want to look either too young or too old. It's what I like about quintessentially French brands like A.P.C. and Sandro and what I love about these women, all French, gorgeous and over 50!!

carine roitfeld via pinterest

francoise hardy, unkown source

ines de la fressange via

The first thing I thought when I looked at these photos was how good - not how "good for their age" - these women look, which I think should be the standard for all of us.