Polish
I’m sorry to say this, but… what used to look cutely disheveled (at least sometimes) now looks like ‘a moth-eaten old lady who got dressed in the dark.’
At 50 we say no to ripped jeans (frayed pants are fine as long as the rest of them are clean); no to worn out shoes and dirty sneakers (smart sneakers add a modern touch); not to wrinkled, baggy hair (unless it’s baggy, dressy pants) and not to straight-out-of-bed hair (even if that was common in our Blondie-worshipping days).
50+ rule: Make your sportswear stylish and stylish.
Get rid of pastel or pretty colors
If there is a message for dressing those over 50, it is “Become bolder and brighter”, for two reasons. One, pale colors look faded and scruffy on older skin: a young person’s tea rose is a fifty-something red sock, left in a white wash.
Sarah Jessica Parker, 59 years old, with an elegant jacket… looking disheveled is no longer ‘cute’ at 50
Two, we all need more definition at 50: floppy, bohemian levels don’t look good on anyone, and a well-tailored jacket makes you look and feel put together. Refine to stay relevant.
50+ rule: If you wear a print, make it graphic.
Don’t stay in your lane
Get out of your comfort zone. We spend years figuring out what suits us (great job!), but after 50 we have to keep checking and adding something new, whether it’s the shape of the pants, the color, the sleeve or the style of the shoe.
Relevant is a word that is used a lot in fashion and it is the one that counts. You may look good in your velvet pantsuit, but if you don’t look relevant for now, you’ll look abandoned.
50+ rule: One new thing (a pair of wide-leg jeans) will keep your look relevant.
banish black
Black is the number one enemy of women over 50, unless worn sparingly or in an awards night style, with combed hair and light-reflecting jewelry. Forget black office tailoring, t-shirts, pants and even black cashmere.
That said, tights should always be black, boots are usually best black, and there’s always room for a little black lace-trimmed blouse, barely peeking out from under a jacket.
50+ rule: If it has to be black, make it sexy.
Halle Berry, 58, in baggy jeans. Wearing this style of jeans will keep your look relevant.
check your shoes
In my opinion, the Duchess of Sussex always looks much older than her dressing age, because she goes all out with a high-heeled shoe. The flat, high-top court shoe we wore in the 1980s ages instantly.
So is a low heel. After 50, you need your footwear to be cost-effective, surprising, modern and easy to wear. The shoe sets the tone, and the tone should be: ‘Oh, she looks interesting.’
50+ rule: Have fun with sparkly sneakers, leopard-print ballet flats, or a crackled silver kitten heel with a slingback.
Avoid the simple classic
Your 20-something daughter can wear a gray sweater, navy pants, loafers, and a ponytail and look wonderful, but classic, simple clothes for people over 50 can look sensible rather than dressy and need an extra touch.
It could be a diamond and pearl brooch; a zinger silk scarf tied around the neck or a pair of thick chain necklaces; a leopard belt or even tortoiseshell glasses.
50+ rule: Accessories need to work harder. Trade in the generic “so what” sunglasses for a bold pair that makes you feel like you’re stepping off a boat in Venice, with George Clooney.
Throw away the old bra
Check your bra. Too small? Too dark under a pale blouse? Doesn’t he support you enough? Any of the above will add six years. Make it eight if they are too tight. With the right bra you will have your shoulders back, your clothes organized and comfortable.
The wrong panties are the gateway to looking like your butt is soaked, when it isn’t.
What are you doing wearing old, too-small bikini panties? You need seamless Flexifit panties that cover your assets like cling film. You will also feel more confident.
50+ rule: Opt for a bra fitting. I guarantee you are not the size you think you are.
don’t cover yourself
A baggy sweater, jeans, and biker boots may have worked once, but after age 50 it pays to be up to 25 percent sexy.
Show your arms if they are up to par. Wear a buttoned velvet suit with nothing underneath. Wear an artfully gathered dress that shows off your silhouette without revealing too much.
50+ rule: Change long sleeves for bracelets and long blouses for short ones on the hips.
If there’s one message for dressing over 50s, it’s “Go bolder and brighter”… like Julia Roberts, 56, in a bright pink dress at a premiere in Los Angeles.
