LIFESTYLE
We all look back at our past years and cringe, the makeup, the hair, the clothes. And whilst a certain generation of us are grateful that era wasn't permanently recorded on our social profiles, we’re still quietly glad we lived through it (except maybe the 90's eyebrows). You see, without the ugly times, we aren't able to appreciate how far we've come and enjoy the glow up with each passing year.
Late 20s: Our Era of Experimentation
Our twenties are a beautiful kind of chaos. We’re still figuring out who we are, and what that even means, while trying to look like we have it all together. It’s the decade of trial and error, cutting our hair into a bob which looked so good on the model but makes us look like Lord Farquaad, trying out numerous makeup styles and the good the bad and the ugly of fashion trends. But it’s also where our instincts start to form.
We chase novelty because we’re supposed to. It's the most carefree years of our lives, we're earning our own money, often living in our own spaces and have no one to depend on us yet. We buy what’s trending, we wear what our friends wear, we decorate our space with things from the TikTok shop. We live fast, fall hard, and make constant mistakes. Our twenties aren’t about getting it right, they’re about trying everything, so that later we know what we love, what we hate and what definitely doesn't suit us.
30s: Our Edit
Something shifts in our thirties. The need to be everywhere and like everything fades, replaced by a quiet craving for clarity. We start refining, our wardrobe, our skincare, our weekends, our friendship groups and start to really understand what makes us happy. The fun chaos of our twenties gives way to discernment or at least better. We still make mistakes but they are less often and much less dramatic. We invest in better fabrics, better habits, and better taste in boyfriends.
We start to understand that taste isn’t about accumulation, it’s about curation. Acknowledging trends without needing to participate. We buy fewer things, but each one is more fitting for our lives. There’s comfort in now knowing what suits us, the cut of a blazer, a fragrance that settles perfectly on our skin, the pieces that always make us feel put together without trying. This is the decade where we own our choices and enjoy the uncomplicatedness of it all.
40s: Our Ease of Knowing
Our forties brings an elegance that can’t be faked, it’s the kind that comes from time, from being sure enough of who we are that we no longer need to shout it. We no longer dress for approval, for attention, or for fashion that is uncomfortable. We stop buying things we don't love just to impress people, we stop saying yes to things that drain us. We choose better for ourselves because we know ourselves better.
By now, refinement is our second nature. We don’t label our taste as “minimalist” or “classic”, we just know what it is. Our wardrobe is an extension of us, our home reflects our needs rather than trends or price, and our confidence has evolved into something stronger.
50s: Freedom in Our Refinement
If our thirties were about editing, and our forties about ease, our fifties are about freedom. We’ve stopped seeking permission, from others, from expectation, from the version of ourself that once needed others approval. There’s a calm assurance in knowing what works, what doesn’t, and what doesn’t matter anymore.
Taste, at this point, becomes deeply personal. We wear what feels good, not what feels age appropriate. We value comfort along with looking chic. We prioritise experiences that feel nourishing and conversations that mean something. We’ve reached the age where luxury equals time, time for ourself and for things that fill our life with joy rather than clutter it with duty.
Every decade brings its own form of change, a slow evolution of who we are and what we value. Our taste, in fashion, in spaces, in people, in ourselves, doesn’t just change; it matures. Growing older isn’t about becoming someone new or losing the old us, it’s about becoming more us, at every stage.