Looking good at every age
November 12th, 2007With the help of three fashion experts, Oprah explored how women from ages 30 to 70 can dress stylishly, fashionably and age-appropriately. The panel of stylists included Stacy London (host of America’s “What Not To Wear”), Lloyd Boston (author of “Before You Put That On”) and Charla Krupp (author of “How Not To Look Old”).
Between the three experts and a whole slew makeovers, many of the points made resonated strongly with my personal beliefs on style and fashion:
- One mistake that women make is to shop by size rather than fit. Going up a size for the most flattering fit should be the main focus, and not the number on the size tag.
- Body type, age and lifestyle dictate which trends will work for you and which won’t – not every trend works for every person.
- Many women in America are hung up on comfort and wear clothes as if they are going to the gym (I believe comfort and style are important, but that sweats are for working out and lounging at home).
- Dressing well causes people to sit up and take notice.
- Handbags do not need to match shoes.
- Patent is great at any age but in smaller doses as you get older. Less is more as you age.
- You can wear cream and white through Autumn and Winter as long as the fabric of the garment is season-appropriate.
- If you wear clothing that is waist-conscious, you will always have a flattering silhouette.
- Women at any age can wear classic and sophisticated looks.
- A pair of good jeans can make you look 10 years younger.
The experts also made some points that can be true in some situations, but really depend on your body type:
- The older you are, the slimmer you should go on a wide-leg pant. Wide-leg pants are best with chunky heels and boots as opposed to thin-heeled stilettos.
- Pencil skirts are a great look for women in their 50’s and over because it gives the body a great shape.
- You should wear high neck blouses if you are feeling bad about your neck because it draws the eye upward to the face.
One other point: While the style makeovers were impressive for that TV moment, the crux to having style is maintaining it from day to day. Perhaps this topic will get covered another time. Do you agree with the fashion experts? If you didn’t see the show, there is a lot of coverage and extra material on Oprah’s website.
November 12th, 2007 at 9:30 am
How did I ever live without your advice? Linda H
November 12th, 2007 at 9:31 am
What great tips! Between you and Oprah, Angie - women have no excusees for looking less than stylish!
I was pleased to see that many of my “looks” were highlighted for women over 50. Long jeans with heels, a stylish cape, sexy boots, tights and fishnets. I keep my skirts at the knee and pair with boots or tights in the winter. I NEVER wear sweats or mom jeans - even at home. I loved the idea of an animal print skirt - I will definitely add that with a white blouse and my new black suede lace-up boots (from Sofft so I can wear them all day!). I may add some new handbags - but so far have been too lazy to switch contents. Great post Angie!
November 12th, 2007 at 9:42 am
I’m glad you enjoyed that show, too, Angie!
One thing I particularly appreciated about that program was Lloyd’s suggestions on turning ‘rush out to the gym clothes’ into a flight worthy outfit. (Although I am still not a huge fan of yoga pants outside the gym.)
I’m excited that I’ll be travelling from Canada to Australia (with layovers in London & Dubai) in March, but it’s 36 hours of travel — and markedly different seasons and temperatures from country to country. I expect I will wear a loose comfortable tunic and leggings so that I can sleep comfortably and not be worried about what position I may find myself in!
November 12th, 2007 at 11:06 am
I work from home but I never wear work-out clothes unless I am going to the gym. Right now I am wearing a gray light v-neck thin sweater with gray slacks and I can’t tell you how comfortable my clothes are and yet they are classic in style. Sometimes when I am on the train, I am so shocked to see women with stained blouses, missing buttons, visible panty-lines, ill fitting bras, shiny hosiery, dirty shoes & the list goes on. What I have heard women say is that they don’t have time to shop, mend or dry-clean their clothes. Sorry, but this is no excuse. I tend to streamline my closet every day. In fact, last night I went through my sweater collection. I made sure my cashmere sweaters were stored properly, I made sure my other sweaters were nicely folded by color. I eveb tossed a button down shirt that kept unbuttoning in the front every time I wore it which meant that it didn’t fit. So my wardrobe is always a work in progress.
November 12th, 2007 at 11:12 am
The tip of shopping by fit not by size was directed to me. I have spent so much time in the fitting rooms trying on cloth and believing that certain styles don’t look good on me, I should give it a try changing the size too.
The topic was perfect for me too as I am in my fortys and I want to look like a modern lady, my fear is that I would look like a lady trying to be a teeneger.
Thanks!!
Ana
November 12th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
I highly recommend the books “Trinny & Susannah -What You Wear Can Change Your Life” & “Trinny & Susannah Take on America”. Wow! These books gave me the push that I needed to be ruthless and toss out things that were unflattering even it I’d spent money on the items. I used to buy cheap items but these ladies taught me that it was ok to splurge on an item because it was an investment in my wardrobe. It even has great tips for moms on the go. They suggested you not buy a black coat since stains are more obvious. Instead a tweed or a busy pattern can be quite chic. The book talks about buying quality shoes which is so interesting because a lot of women won’t pay $200 or more on a good pair of shoes and yet they have all sorts of ‘feet’ problems that could have been avoided if they spent a little more on the padding of the shoes. What’s cool about the books is that it tells you where they bought a lot of the items in the book. I am re-reading one of the books b/c I always need a refresher course so I won’t go back to my old ways!
November 12th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I didn’t catch the show…but I do think what you’ve highlighted here makes alot of sense. (not sure I follow the chunky heel with wide pant legs though.) But, if I could add one item to the list it would be, “buy great bras”. Nothing makes a woman appear old and out of shape like a bad bra. It can be difficult to spend a lot of money on good bras, since they aren’t seen by the general public. But a good bra will make your clothes look a lot better. You don’t need to have a dozen either. You can get by with 2 or 3 and add to that. And remember, bras don’t last forever. And if you have to hold it together with a safety pin, it’s time to toss it.
November 12th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Such super comments from everyone ladies. I wasn’t aware of this particular Oprah show and I do thank Stephanie for suggesting that I watch it!
Your excellent wardrobe attitude is music to my ears Patricia, and thanks Nicole for reiterating that updating bras is vitally important. It’s quite odd that this was not mentioned by any of the stylists at all.
November 12th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
That is so true, Nicole. I went to Intimacy last winter when I was in NYC. I spent more than I ever thought I would on 3 bras, but what an education. The difference is remarkable (I am over 50 and the girls are sagging…); now I sold on the investment in the undergarment world. Talk about looking like you lost 10 pounds!
November 12th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
Angie - bras were mentioned in the link you provided. One women was taken to the lingerie section of Nordstrom because all she had was a sports bra.
I really want a chunky knit, preferably grey, but I’m having such a hard time finding one that I am willing to invest in. Chunky knits can easily be very unflattering, so I’m waiting until I find the perfect one…hopefully a BCBG on the sale rack.
November 13th, 2007 at 7:56 am
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November 13th, 2007 at 8:24 am
I don’t watch Oprah but this seemed like a good, informative episode. Hopefully, it will make women change their mindset about dressing.
In my European travels what I am most struck by is how amazing older women look. They know how to dress their bodies and their clothes FIT to perfection, even if the clothes are older they fit perfectly. They also introduce trends judiciously into their classic wardrobe resulting in a modern and age appropriate look. That is my inspiration for dressing and it seems like the show introduced this same concept, sorry I missed it.
November 13th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Ana, How chunky do you want to go with your sweater? My 78 fashionable mother showed up at my house in a beautiful cable knit sweater the other day. She was a dress designer in her youth and she NEVER wears anything that isn’t pefectly flattering. The main thing I noticed about this sweater is the cables didn’t pull open at the bust. This gave the sweater a very streamlined look for a somewhat chunky sweater. I immediately asked her where she got it, and she beamed with frugal pride when she told me “Lands End–$60″ Its the only time I’ve seen a cable knit sweater on a busty woman that was slimming and so well fitting.