I'm 61 and still wear miniskirts – people say I 'look like an old woman trying to be a teenager' but I don't care | The Sun

I WAS at a sophisticated garden party last weekend. The sun was shining, glasses were clinked and merriment was in the air.

One of the male guests — a vague acquaintance — sauntered over, looked me up and down, raised his eyebrow, and smirked as he said: “Oh dear, Kate. You look like an older women trying to be a teenager.”

I caught a few people tittering in unison and felt the usual irritation shoot through me.

"Here we go again," I thought. Shock, horror — I was daring to wear a mini-skirt at the grand old age of 61.

To be more precise, a distressed mid-thigh jean mini-skirt with a tight-fitting pink T-shirt and gold mules. 

While I thought I looked fun and maybe even a bit slinky, they clearly thought it was time for me to opt for the mid-calf floral dress, topped off with a chunky necklace and a pair of mimsy kitten heels.

In other words, safe, sensible, and in the right age-appropriate box.

Well, I'm sorry. I have no intention of hanging up my mini. I've been wearing short skirts since I was 16.

In the late seventies, I sauntered around London wearing skimpy tops and bottom-skimming micro-minis, often in bright pink or leopard print with an ankle bracelet and a suntan.

Fast forward five decades, and while my mini-skirts are no longer micro or pink, they are still my go-to summer and winter uniform — with skinny ribbed sweaters and boots in winter, and colorful T-shirts in summer.

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Factor in a smattering of patterned mini-shift dresses, and I'm set for any occasion.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not under any delusion that I look like my 20-year-old self. Like most women, I am no stranger to wobbly fat, a sunken soufflé bottom, and things heading south. 

But I also make an effort to look as good as I can too.

I banish white carbs from my diet in an effort to maintain midlife slimness.

I walk miles to firm up thighs that are more and more wobbly as each year passes.

I refuse to slink into the background and shroud my figure in waterfall cardigans and beige slacks.

Mini-skirts are liberating and empowering.

It is incredible that despite 50 years of feminism, some people still feel distinctly uncomfortable accepting that a woman in the hormonal twilight zone could ever be attractive, full-stop, let alone flashing a bit of leg.

It’s the same old double standard with bells on.

Robert de Niro may sire a child at 79 and not a murmur. Mick Jagger, also 79, strutting on the stage last year during their European Sixty Tour, in a red and black leather jacket and skinny black jeans — what a great guy.

Yet when Madonna, at 64, dared to step out at the Grammys earlier in the year — her face looking decades younger — she was globally criticized and hit back saying the comments were rooted in ageism and misogyny.

"The truth is, men can do what they want at any age, whereas a woman is judged much more harshly by society, should she dare to step out of line," said social psychologist Dr. Sandra Wheatley.

She added that women are their own worst enemies, and some feel entitled to judge, turn up their noses, and say how shocking it is — when they're really envious of someone looking more attractive than they do.

Well, I’m sick of the negative comments and the tutting and the eye-rolling I get when I go to social events.

"Far too short," female friends roar at me.

Some male friends comment sarcastically that "my face no longer matches my body in a mini." 

I am not the only one who is defying the stereotypes. More and more women in their 50s and 60s are refusing to become invisible and are slowly shifting the narrative. 

According to a 2018 study, The Elastic Generation by the Innovation Group at J. Walter Thomson, 86 percent of 50-60 aged women believe that style should not be defined by age.

It also found that a whopping 90 percent refuse to start dressing in beige just because they are over 50.

According to the report: "These women are proving that there is no longer any such thing as age-appropriate behavior."

I couldn’t agree more. Clothes communicate who we are and a mid-thigh black suede mini says I’m fun, a bit glamorous, and maybe even up for a night of dancing on tables.

"Nothing says confidence more than a short skirt, and men find confidence one of the most attractive things in a potential partner," explained Gillian McCallun, CEO of matchmaking agency Drawing Down The Moon.

"I can't imagine sending anyone out on a first date in anything better, and my job as a matchmaker is to maximize your chances of finding love."

If you are still uncertain, a few midlife tweaks can come in handy.

Stylist Lisa Gillbe thinks that balance is the way forward for us mid-lifers.

"The mini is a daring rock and roll look, so pairing it with more classic items such as a tailored jacket gives it a bit of sophistication," she said.

She advises opting for an ankle boot, a chunky heel, a trainer, or knee-high boots, which all work better than anything spindly — because then it's too much. 

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At the end of the day, the perfect accessories are a smidge of devil may care, a wide smile, and lots of confidence.

Now, where’s my gold lamé number?

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