In Real Life: Age-Appropriate And Backpacks

Hardly a controversial fashion item, the backpack was originally functional gear for outdoor enthusiasts. In the 70s, it made to crossover to the college set as a convenient means to carry textbooks. More recently, the backpack has gone mainstream, no hiking or studies required. But given its origins and more practical uses, is a backpack an age-appropriate style accessory for a “woman of a certain maturity”?

I first wrote on the subject of age-appropriate early in my blogging journey when I mused on whether I should get combat boots. Spoiler alert, I did. In writing that post, I’d come across an article in the Telegraph by a journalist name Shane Watson who insightfully said “Real style is the combination of being at an age when you know exactly who you are and expressing it with what suits you, regardless of what anyone else thinks. It literally gets better with age.” So why am I revisiting this subject?

The term age-appropriate is one that gets a lot of buzz and can stir up a host of reactions. Every so often, an article will be written on the topic as recently happened in the March edition of Woman’s Day. Rather than a discussion on what rules to follow, the angle of the article was that our mothers’/grandmothers’ restrictive formulas of how an “older woman” should dress or act no longer hold true. The skies the limit because even if we’re no longer being young, we aren’t any less vibrant, attractive, or connected.

Many of my tastes and fashion sensibilities have changed as I’ve sought to address my desires for comfort and practicality while blending them with a style that is modern and current.  Most recently this has manifested into a transition from purses with shoulder straps to ones with longer crossbody straps.  While they may not be the most flattering to my figure, they are infinitely easier to keep secure and easier on my back.   Not too much unlike the backpack.

Somewhere in my travels (either on foot or online), I’d seen examples of what looked like a hybrid of these two styles.  Depending on your needs, the strap could be configured so that purse is either a crossbody or a backpack.  Mind blown, I set out to find such a wonder at a price that wouldn’t break the bank.

I found my beauty by happenstance at Target a couple of months ago when shopping was still a relaxing excursion. The photos below give you an idea as to how the conversion from crossbody to backpack is achieved. It just depends on through which rings the strap is threaded.

Of the color choices available, I went with beige because I thought it would be a good neutral for Spring. My plan had been to show it in a Last Week This Week post or two in the weeks before I retired but we all know how that went. Instead, my new convertible backpack has been patiently waiting in my closet. It was coming across that Woman’s Day article which had me reflecting on my combat boot post, which sparked the idea for this post.

As to the rest of the outfit, this was the first wearing of my skirt, too. It is a thrift store find as are most of my recently bought skirts. My denim jacket has been shown many times before, my top made its first appearance four years ago in Boho Florals (Part 2), and the sandals nearly three years ago in Ruffle-Edged Skirt: Up Down All-Around.

In the combat boot post, I credit my ‘oh so wise’ daughter with bringing me into an enlightened state regarding the concept of age-appropriate. With regards to the boots, she had said that she didn’t think that they were inappropriate for me and, that the way she saw it, a woman can wear what she likes. So what I like is to be comfortable, practical, and stylish. A backpack, especially one that converts to a crossbody purse, hits on all three of those points.

Be well and let’s connect! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, love, pin … all options are available and waiting for you. I look forward to hearing from you.

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