Bare Arms at 60: How I Chose To Embrace Them

Lots of women my age, and younger, prefer not to wear sleeveless clothing. I used to be one of them. My reluctance was partly based on the impossibly perfect arms we see on commercial fashion sites. Smooth, undimpled, taut skin is what’s shown in magazines and catalogs, even those aimed at mature women.

This is what arms really look like as we age (thank you to Ari Seth Cohen). Not “perfect”, but perfectly fine:

Photo by Ari Seth Cohen from his fabulous site Advanced Style.

I
do upper-body workouts, and I like having strength as well as a
mini-bicep-bulge. But I’ve still got crepey skin, freckles and folds
because I have been on the planet for many decades. I didn’t even notice my upper arms when they were toned and tight. That is the curse of youth. And insight is one of the benefits of aging – our bodies don’t always change for the better, but our attitudes can.

Living in Florida year-round requires comfort and there’s nothing more comfortable for me than a tank top. I
could wear one and fret all day about my less-than-perfect upper arms,
or I can put one on and forget about my arms. That’s my new choice.

I still have no-show body parts – I almost never show my thighs – so I haven’t
made complete peace with all the aging skin yet. But I wear sleeveless and
tank tops almost every summer day. And some decollete; I think mine looks
pretty good.

How do you feel about sleeveless?

Stay fabulous,



Browse the sleeveless life:

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patti