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Nobody talks about lamb disguised as lamb anymore. There are no longer strict rules for dressing at your age (that’s the last century), just one big essential rule that we all must follow: when you reach 50, be aware that what suited you last year or the year before may now add you up to a decade.
Whether you like it or not, your fifties are the time when you need to keep an open mind, keep looking in the mirror, and start making adjustments. Starting with…
1. DON’T GO BOHO
I hate to say this, but… what used to look cutely disheveled (at least sometimes) now looks like a moth-eaten 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 (especially since smart sneakers are a useful injection of modern style); no to the wrinkled and baggy ones (unless they’re baggy, stylish pants) and no to the freshly rolled out of bed hair (even if that was common in our Blondie-worshipping days).
Your new fashion rule: make your sportswear stylish and stylish.
2. DON’T BRING CAKES OR PRETTY
If there’s one message when dressing over 50, it’s to “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’s red sock left in a white wash.
Two, we all need more definition in our fifties: floppy, bohemian levels don’t look good on anyone, and a well-tailored jacket makes you look and feel put together. Don’t blur the background, adjust it to stay relevant.
Your new fashion rule: If you’re wearing a print, make it graphic.
3. DON’T STAY IN YOUR LANE
Get out of your comfort zone! We spend years figuring out what suits us, but after 50 we have to keep checking and adding something new, whether it’s a pant shape, a new sleeve, a new color or a new shoe style.
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 look abandoned… and that’s as old as American tan tights.
Your new fashion rule: something new, like cute wide-leg jeans, will keep your look relevant.
4. BANISH THE BLACK
Black is the number one enemy of women over fifty, unless worn sparingly, or in 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, peeking out from under a jacket.
Your new fashion rule: if it’s black, make it sexy.
5. DO NOT WEAR HEELS WITH EVERYTHING
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 type of simple, high-cut shoe we wore in the eighties ages instantly. So is a low heel.
After 50, you need your footwear to be cost-effective, surprising, modern and easy to wear. The footwear sets the tone and the tone should be a little ‘Oh, that looks interesting.’
Your new fashion rule: have fun on your feet. Get some sparkly sneakers, leopard print ballet flats, and a crackle silver kitten heel with a slingback.
6. DON’T SEE SIMPLE AND CLASSIC
Your twenty-something daughter can wear a gray sweater, navy pants, loafers, and a ponytail and look wonderful, but the classic, simple clothes of those over fifty may look more sensible than dressy and need an extra touch.
It could be a diamond and pearl brooch; It could be a silk scarf tied around your neck or a pair of thick chain necklaces, a leopard belt or tortoiseshell glasses.
Your new fashion rule: accessories need to work harder; Swap out the generic “so what” sunglasses for a fabulous, bold pair that makes you feel like you’re stepping off a boat in Venice, with George Clooney.
7. DO NOT WEAR OLD UNDERWEAR
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 ten for 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 five-year-old bikini panties that are too small? you need Kmart Outta-Sight Bikini Briefs 3 Pack ($12) seamless panties that cover your assets like cling film. You will also feel more confident.
Your new fashion rule: opt for a bra fitting. We guarantee you are not the size you think you are.
8. DO NOT COVER
A baggy sweater, jeans, and biker boots may have worked once, but once you hit 50, it’s worth increasing your appeal by 25 percent or no one will notice.
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.
Your new fashion rule: change long sleeves for bracelets and long blouses for short, hip-length ones.