I have an article in this (the April/May) issue of Girl's Life. To say that I'm ridiculously excited about it would be a total understatement; I mean, it's GIRL'S LIFE! And my piece is in there, complete with hilarious teen-mag illustration, sandwiched nicely between an interview with Aly & AJ and the "Body Q & A" column which inevitably contains a letter from a girl asking if her vagina smells normal. (Note to teenage girls: Seriously, this is ridiculous. Stop sniffing your vagina and go take an advanced math class. You'll thank me later.)
I ran out and bought the magazine in a big hurry. Delayed gratification is not my thing, after all. But then, I was faced with a dilemma.
Having just had a birthday which officially put me in the "closer to 30 years old than 20" bracket, I've become newly aware of the concept of age-appropriateness. It seems like I can't round a corner without running headlong into another blaring headline about The Importance of Dressing Your Age, or a television show focusing on some kind of Fashion Intervention for a 30something woman whose default wardrobe is a pair of shorts that only cover one fourth of her ass. Basically, I'm alarmed at the idea that I am apparently just one bad choice away from being rushed in the street by Carson Kressley, who will be brandishing a skirt-suit and shrieking, "Giiiiiiiiiirlfriend, you are a FASHION EMERGENCY!", hellbent on forcing me to acknowledge the error of my ways.
So what do you do, at age 26, when you find yourself desperately wanting to read a magazine which is decidedly, and more to the point, evidently intended for fourteen year-old girls? Wait until you can read it, unembarrassed, in the privacy of your own home; or tear into it on the subway and suffer the uncomprehending looks of fellow passengers who are clearly wondering if you're a high school freshman to whom life has been really, really wrinkle-inducing?
I doubt that I even have to tell you this, but I chose the latter (feeling vaguely justified by the fact that I sometimes still get carded when I buy a pack of cigarettes). And then, since I was already in it, I decided to go ahead and read the rest of the magazine.
Whatever, I thought, turning the pages. I'm just reading it. It's not that age-inappropriate. I mean, it's not like I'm listening to Aly & AJ or reading teen novels or wearing these clot--
(Outfit bearing undeniable resemblance to one I wore last week)Ah, shit.
12 comments:
Congrats on the article. I don't blame you for tearing into the magazine right away. I felt the same way when I had cover photo on "Modern Agriculture". I'm sure GL is a better read.
Congratulations on getting published!
I feel you on the "age-appropriate" dressing.
Upon further review of my outfit this morning, it is decidedly something that Delia's would put together.
I'm going to be 28.
Congrats, Kat! Just read the article as we conveniently subscribe to GL at work. Farts in jars. Hilarious.
OMG! I have that green shirt with stripes and I AM 30! However I do not dress 14. Seriously. What about 14 yr olds trying to dress 23?
brava on the article!
and I have this conversation with myself all the time.
Does this make me look old? Do I look ridiculous? Can I wear this to work, what do 26 year old WOMEN wear to the bar??
Cleavage and a smile? Or the hint of cleavage and a slight grimace?
I'm more careful now that Im thirty-freaking-six, but I still kind of take the "I'll wear whatever the hell I want" approach to dressing.
Lucky for me, I never liked leggings past 1989, I don't enjoy baring my belly, and shorts just look silly on me.
But I'm sure I still pull the occasional "Oh my god, did you see what that woman was WEARING??" out of the occasional stranger. So be it.
I buy stuff from Macy's, Gap & JCrew, but I also still occasionally shop at Forever 21, Delias and Alloy.
Congratulations on the article!
Congratulations! Hope to see many more.
I say, dress however the hell you want until someone laughs at you in public. And even then maybe you should just laugh back.
Trust me, gravity will inform you when you're too old to wear whatever you want.
Sometimes I look down at my outfit and think "shit, didn't I own this shirt in high school?"
OMG!!!!!! this is great!!!
That's awesome! You're totally on a roll good for you on all the recent articles!!!
Full disclosure: I totes still read Seventeen from time to time. Trendy clothes that aren't $600? Oh hell yes.
(P.S. Congrats on the article!)
not gonna lie, i subscribe to teen vogue.
i'm 27.
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