Four years ago, fashion expert Stacy London of "What Not to Wear" deemed Heather Locklear (who was 44 at the time) too old to wear tank tops. I was flabbergasted that a fashion expert of Stacy's caliber would say that someone in tip-top shape like Heather should avoid tank tops.
So I did a little digging, and found out that the derogatory comment hasn't slowed down Heather's tank-top wearing ways in the least. I found a few years' worth of photos of the lovely blonde midlifer wearing arm-baring tanks, spaghetti strap tops and halters.
The gist of Stacy London's original comment about Heather Locklear wearing tank tops was that sometimes older actresses try to recapture their youth by showing too much skin.
Obviously, this comment was made before the stunning 60-something Helen Mirren showed off an incredible body in her skimpy red bikini. That iconic photo changed the way most of us think about bare skin and aging: that it's not the age, but the body that should dictate what you wear (which means Helen Mirren can carry off anything!)
I'm not an actress – and I don't have anything close to the body of Helen or Heather – but sometimes I show skin. It's never to recapture my youth, but because, say, it's 104 out and I want to wear a tank top. Or because – even in middle age – sometimes I'd like to dress sexy.
While I don't think tank tops should have an expiration date, the whole braless thing after a certain age does needs to be a consideration. Of course, now there are so many gadgets – like a little plastic disc that holds your bra straps back so they don't hang out of sleeveless tops – to help you look pulled together while wearing a bra that it all becomes easier to wear.
And retailers like Lands' End even sell modest tank tops that easily allow you to wear a regular bra, making them accessible to regular gals like us.
So girls, let's wear our tank tops with pride, regardless of what some fashion experts think.