Style, appearance, dress, and physique clearly vary across subcultures and geography in the US and the Western World, and certainly in the rest of the world.
When people look good, they feel good. Chicken and egg. Codes of personal presentation are useful even if we do not like the codes other groups use. In my somewhat hoity-toity set, being athletic and preppily-proper at all times (except at the gym) is standard, regardless of age. There is a similar expectation, or a higher one, in the American Southland.
I recently began estate work for a new client. She said she was 78. I had to ask her to prove it, because I have seen lots of 45 year-olds who looked far worse than she did and I do not mean at WalMart. I should say, she looked great, elegant, sexy. She skis all winter, golfs and plays tennis all summer, lifts weights, does her own gardening in Vermont and in Connecticut, has two volunteer community projects, plays bridge twice a week, hikes - and has availed herself of a bit of face and neck work in New York. Not enough to notice until she told me her age. A proud lady, I think.
How important do you think it is to look good when in public? Is it about signaling, or class-consciousness, work expectations, or just plain dignity? Or is letting yourself go to pot at some point ok with you?
