Ever looked at someone's outfit and thought, "Lady, you are too old to be wearing that?"
With new fashion trends popping up every season, it can be hard to know what is appropriate for what age, and where to draw the line.
The result is often dirty looks and people laughing under their breath if they think what you are wearing is not suitable for your age.
So, how do we know what is age-appropriate and what is not?
We spoke to two celebrity stylists, Alexis Tshangana and Mahlatse James, who gave us cut-off dates when it comes to dressing appropriately. We look at some trends and tell you what you simply should not be caught wearing.
"I think the first thing about dressing up is knowing that you dress how you want to be addressed. As time goes on, the crowd you attract and mingle with changes. So should your wardrobe.
"If what you are wearing clashes with the type of crowd you are attracting with your outfit, then that's when you know the item is age-inappropriate," says Tshangana.
By looking at certain trends, our stylists agreed on the ages they think are too young or too old for some fashion trends.
LEGGINGS
Too young: 11
Too old: 30 and above
James says leggings can often scream desperation.
"There is a very fine line. When you are too young, they can be deemed too sexy, and when you are over 30 and still rocking leggings, it can come across as too desperate and cheap," he says.
MINISKIRT:
Too young: 16
Too old: 40
"What are you doing wearing a miniskirt at 40? It just doesn't look right. Again, it goes back to the issue of attracting the wrong crowd. When you were in your 20s, rocking a miniskirt was fun and flirty, but after 40 what message are you trying to send out?" asks Tshangana.
James adds that women should be careful of wearing a miniskirt at 40 for one reason - their knees.
"It's very rare to find someone with perfect knees at that age, so it's best to have them covered. It does not look attractive and instead ends up looking like you were on your knees cleaning the floors throughout your adult life. Cover them up," he says.
SHOWING YOUR MIDRIFF
Too young: 12
Too old: 45
Tshangana says it doesn't matter if you have the perfect abs, but after 40 you need to cover up.
"Unless you are Jennifer Lopez, showing your midriff when you're over 40 stops being sexy and leans more to the tacky, cheap side.
"At that age you surely have had a baby and certain things are starting to creep up - and down - so for your own good, please cover up," she says.
"When you are 17 and above, showing your midriff, if done tastefully, can be very sexy and chic. Just be careful of not showing too much. If you are going to expose the midriff, make sure all the other areas are covered. Otherwise, it looks inappropriate," says James.
LONG NAILS
Too young: 15
Too old: 30
"I really think long nails should not be done by anyone over 30. It looks wrong and desperate, unless you are a guest on the Ricki Lake show talking about some baby mama drama," says James.
"Anybody younger than 15 has no business having long nails. It just sends the wrong message. Besides, you still have your chores to do at that age," he adds.
MAKE-UP
Too young: 10
Too old: 60
Tshangana says the older you get, the less you should make up.
"I do not necessarily think there is a cut-off age for wearing make-up, but it's the type of make-up you wear" she says.
"A 50-year-old has no business wearing false eyelashes and blue eyeshadow. It looks wrong.
"The older they get, the less they should be wearing. Women make the mistake of wanting to cover up more, and it often looks flaky because of wrinkles. When you hit your 50s, stick to more natural and earthy tones," she says.
James warns teens that unless they are in pageants or on TV, teenagers' skin is too fresh and fragile to be ruined by early use of make-up.
WIGS AND WEAVES
Too young: 16
Too old: 50
"What is a 16-year-old doing wearing a wig or a weave?" exclaims James.
"This is the time you should be experimenting with your own hair to find the style that best suits you, not hiding under a wig!" he says.
For older women, James says that after 50 weaves tend to look desperate.
"Unless you are Wendy Williams with perfect wigs, any grandmother wearing a wig just looks wrong. It looks like you are trying too hard to hold onto your youth.
"Embrace getting older and keep it natural. That makes a much more powerful statement," he says.
KILLER HEELS
Too young: 18
Too old: 50
"Look, unless the killer heels you are wearing are in the boardroom when you are in the corporate world and hold some important title, you shouldn't be rocking killer heels after 50," says James.
"Young girls run the risk of being too sexy, looking like a hostess at a club."
Hide your knees, girl - dressing for your age
Ever looked at someone's outfit and thought, "Lady, you are too old to be wearing that?"
With new fashion trends popping up every season, it can be hard to know what is appropriate for what age, and where to draw the line.
The result is often dirty looks and people laughing under their breath if they think what you are wearing is not suitable for your age.
So, how do we know what is age-appropriate and what is not?
We spoke to two celebrity stylists, Alexis Tshangana and Mahlatse James, who gave us cut-off dates when it comes to dressing appropriately. We look at some trends and tell you what you simply should not be caught wearing.
"I think the first thing about dressing up is knowing that you dress how you want to be addressed. As time goes on, the crowd you attract and mingle with changes. So should your wardrobe.
"If what you are wearing clashes with the type of crowd you are attracting with your outfit, then that's when you know the item is age-inappropriate," says Tshangana.
By looking at certain trends, our stylists agreed on the ages they think are too young or too old for some fashion trends.
LEGGINGS
Too young: 11
Too old: 30 and above
James says leggings can often scream desperation.
"There is a very fine line. When you are too young, they can be deemed too sexy, and when you are over 30 and still rocking leggings, it can come across as too desperate and cheap," he says.
MINISKIRT:
Too young: 16
Too old: 40
"What are you doing wearing a miniskirt at 40? It just doesn't look right. Again, it goes back to the issue of attracting the wrong crowd. When you were in your 20s, rocking a miniskirt was fun and flirty, but after 40 what message are you trying to send out?" asks Tshangana.
James adds that women should be careful of wearing a miniskirt at 40 for one reason - their knees.
"It's very rare to find someone with perfect knees at that age, so it's best to have them covered. It does not look attractive and instead ends up looking like you were on your knees cleaning the floors throughout your adult life. Cover them up," he says.
SHOWING YOUR MIDRIFF
Too young: 12
Too old: 45
Tshangana says it doesn't matter if you have the perfect abs, but after 40 you need to cover up.
"Unless you are Jennifer Lopez, showing your midriff when you're over 40 stops being sexy and leans more to the tacky, cheap side.
"At that age you surely have had a baby and certain things are starting to creep up - and down - so for your own good, please cover up," she says.
"When you are 17 and above, showing your midriff, if done tastefully, can be very sexy and chic. Just be careful of not showing too much. If you are going to expose the midriff, make sure all the other areas are covered. Otherwise, it looks inappropriate," says James.
LONG NAILS
Too young: 15
Too old: 30
"I really think long nails should not be done by anyone over 30. It looks wrong and desperate, unless you are a guest on the Ricki Lake show talking about some baby mama drama," says James.
"Anybody younger than 15 has no business having long nails. It just sends the wrong message. Besides, you still have your chores to do at that age," he adds.
MAKE-UP
Too young: 10
Too old: 60
Tshangana says the older you get, the less you should make up.
"I do not necessarily think there is a cut-off age for wearing make-up, but it's the type of make-up you wear" she says.
"A 50-year-old has no business wearing false eyelashes and blue eyeshadow. It looks wrong.
"The older they get, the less they should be wearing. Women make the mistake of wanting to cover up more, and it often looks flaky because of wrinkles. When you hit your 50s, stick to more natural and earthy tones," she says.
James warns teens that unless they are in pageants or on TV, teenagers' skin is too fresh and fragile to be ruined by early use of make-up.
WIGS AND WEAVES
Too young: 16
Too old: 50
"What is a 16-year-old doing wearing a wig or a weave?" exclaims James.
"This is the time you should be experimenting with your own hair to find the style that best suits you, not hiding under a wig!" he says.
For older women, James says that after 50 weaves tend to look desperate.
"Unless you are Wendy Williams with perfect wigs, any grandmother wearing a wig just looks wrong. It looks like you are trying too hard to hold onto your youth.
"Embrace getting older and keep it natural. That makes a much more powerful statement," he says.
KILLER HEELS
Too young: 18
Too old: 50
"Look, unless the killer heels you are wearing are in the boardroom when you are in the corporate world and hold some important title, you shouldn't be rocking killer heels after 50," says James.
"Young girls run the risk of being too sexy, looking like a hostess at a club."
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