Ask the Guru: Dressing at 50

Dear Fashion Guru:

I have lost my identity. I will be 50 soon, and can not for the life of me, know what to wear and what would look good on someone my age. Even my hair is giving me problems. I don’t want to look and dress old but I also don’t want to wear something too young for me either. I hate this feeling of confusion! Please help.

-Oceans

Dear “Oceans”:

This is a complicated question for me since I’m only 23 years old. But I did find some information that may prove to be useful to you.

This was taken from WikiHow:

Go for a classy style. It’s the best choice for a woman your age. Get inspired by Coco Chanel in the 20’s or by Audrey Hepburn in the 60’s- they have a classy, ageless look that suits anyone, no matter how young or how old they are.

Be more conservative than you used to be. If you used to wear short skirts, go for knee-length. Instead of skinny jeans, choose a classic, straight cut and so on. Remember you no longer have either the body or the look of a young woman.

Don’t follow trends like crazy. Trends are for twenty-something girls with tall, skinny bodies and rich boyfriends. Just face it: you no longer look good in everything.

Don’t limit yourself to jeans and T-shirts. Try a skirt, a deux-pieces, a trench, a dress- they’re suitable for your age and provide a welcome escape from the Jeans-T-shirt routine.

Start wearing diamonds. If you haven’t done so already, remember Audrey Hepburn’s words in Breakfast at Tiffany’s: “Diamonds look tacky on women under 45.”

(I think everybody should dress like that though!)

Also:

Read Kendall Farr’s book, The Pocket Stylist. It contains great styling advice for women at any age, and has special paragraphs dedicated to this age category. It’s also a great shopping guide.

Harper’s Bazaar also has articles that tell you what to wear and how to style your hair and apply makeup at 20, 30, 40, and 50 years old.

Glamour and Women’s Wear Daily also have great articles on how to dress appropriately for your age. Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice great style! You can find a few pieces that are on trend, but are tailored to your age and body type. Think classy, not trendy!

As for your hair, just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean your hair should be getting shorter. Go for a cute “bob” hair cut and try a new hair color. Don’t be too dramatic. Your hair stylist can always give you ideas on what hair colors would suit you.

Turning 50 shouldn’t be a scary time. It should be a time to celebrate your inner and outer beauty. Show off your womaness! Below are some style ideas from Spiegel, which have a lot of apparel for women 50 and over.

Good luck and have fun!

-The Fashion Guru

Bring edge to a shirt and sweater by wearing leather pants.

Dress up a blazer with lace. (Adding a belt with also make your waist look slimmer.)

Channel your inner “Coco Chanel”.

P.S. If you need any fashion or beauty advice, don’t be shy! Submit your questions here. (Aliases are okay as long as you’re not trying to be “funny”. Those questions will end up deleted.)

~ by cda5 on October 27, 2009.