#2: Too Old For What, Exactly?

Watching people challenge fashion norms has always fascinated me, not just aesthetically, but emotionally. Fashion has a way of reflecting how our priorities shift over time: what brings us joy, what feels fulfilling, and what is simply practical in a given moment.

There’s one phrase I hear that consistently stops me in my tracks: “I’m too old for that.”

It’s a popular saying, casually delivered, and I’m never quite sure what someone means when they say it. Is it self-deprecating? A physical limitation? A quiet nod to societal expectations? Sometimes it feels like a polite stand-in for “I don't want to” or "I don't like that"; and sometimes it feels like a light-hearted statement, but there's more to it.

Age and Perspective

Occasionally, I heard this phrase inside the walls of Welded Hanger, in relation to wearing upcycled fashion. And what made it curious is that I also regularly watched customers well into their retirement walk out of our store having freshly purchased their new fashion piece; inspired and energized. In those moments, I couldn’t help but take the phrase “I’m too old for that” literally, and question it.

Does self expression have an age limit? Or does it actually continue on throughout life, but we just diminish it's value? I suppose then the idea that young people are freer to dress how they want is just that, an idea. When we’re young, we’re encouraged to explore identity. As we get older, there’s pressure to define ourselves neatly, to fit into a box labeled “adult”: black and white palettes, sharp blazers, pencil skirts, name brands, leading to respectability....for the rest of your lives. A little dramatic, but you get it.

Upcycled: Art and Inspiration

If you’ve spent time in our store, you know the quality and intention behind the pieces. Our designers aren’t simply sewing fabrics together. They study a garment’s history; the pull of the material, its wear, its structure. They deconstruct sweaters, t-shirts, pants, and jackets thoughtfully, then enhance them or rebuild them into something entirely new. Sometimes paint, beading, or unexpected details become the finishing touches; the icing on the cake.

When I look at these pieces, I see art. Not "special occasion" art. Wearable, everyday art.

Not everyone will share that perspective, and that’s okay. Through these blue eyes, that’s exactly what I see. I love to love art, and I love not understanding it at times. That tension is what makes art powerful. It’s also why curation is such a deeply personal process for me. I won’t put anything in the store that I don’t love, but I will occasionally put designs in the store that I don’t understand, in order to learn the connection it brings to others.

There is real power in wearing clothing that doesn’t look like what everyone else is wearing.

When Welded Hanger pivoted towards upcycled fashion (something that wasn’t part of my original business plan), I became inspired and had a realization: I had spent much of my life dressing for others based on trends and boxed expectations. For the first time, all I wanted was to dress for myself.

Within a few months of that realization, the core pieces I wore changed. They became more textured, more creative, more expressive, and more honest.

So What Does "Too Old" Really Mean

Perhaps when I hear, “I’m too old for that,” it's not actually about age, it's about the relationship with this form of self-expression. Or, much like my own journey with some art, they just don't like it.

And that's okay.

We will always be a creative outlet. We’re here to encourage inspiration and self-expression. We do invite you to surprise yourself; to discover how it feels to wear art every day, to choose something completely unique. And ultimately, to step outside in it for the first time and realize it isn’t terrifying at all.

In fact, it’s quite simply… liberating.