Fashion Over 50 - Simple Steps To Updating Your Style
It’s no secret that brands, even those intended for women in their 50’s and 60’s, use much younger models to make us feel inspired by their clothing. We all know that sometimes it’s not inspiring at all, sometimes it just makes us feel lost.
Last month, I had the pleasure of working with a new client who was feeling uninspired and uncertain of where to start when it came to finding her style and with a fabulous career change around the corner, she felt like giving herself a little bit of a styling update.
Whenever I have a sparkly new client sit down for a consultation, I always ask about the moment they realised they wanted my help. Her experience with shopping was one I’ve heard many times before, from women with grown children, who felt like they’d fallen out of touch with their sense of style. She said she’d tried visiting her local shopping centre before contacting me, she went into a range of stores, tried to find something different to make her feel fabulous but after all her effort, she still went into the fitting room with similar items to what she already owned and she was struggling to find a pair of work pants that weren’t skin tight. She walked away empty handed and gave me a call.
‘They mustn’t make those types of pants anymore,’ she said, ‘I sound old saying that.’
With a fresh coffee, we discussed what the best possible outcome could be for her session. To find clothing that fits and flatters was a no-brainer, all of my clients learn this. Her concern was heading to work in colours or prints that aged her, she didn’t want to look like she’d had a big break from work and stand out for the wrong reasons. And she wanted some clothing that felt like her, gave her a little extra confidence and was interchangeable.
There are so many ways you can lift your style, but there are only a few ways that will have a big impact on you. In this post, I’ve outlined some of the ways you can update your style to the perfect reflection of where you are in your life right now and who you’ll be in the near future:
GET INSPIRED:
When you’re ready to update your style, you need to think about how you actually want to look. When most people shop (pre-stylist) they go to the shops with either no plan or a very loose idea of ‘new clothes for work’ without much thought to the types of pieces they’ll need.
So that we can make that hit list of what you need to update your style, you need to get inspired. Updating your style is not about doing the same things you’ve been doing for years, or buying the same cut of jean over and over again. So jump on Pinterest and get some ideas by searching for celebrities of a similar age to you, or searching terms relating to fashion like ‘tailored fashion’ or ‘casual summer outfits’. Make a board of looks you love and would love to wear. Give yourself time to make it and curate it over time, this mood board will be a great reference point when you shop.
You can check out some of my Pinterest Boards below! Don’t just focus on the mature style board either, fashion over 50 can be inspired by a range of styles.
FASHION OVER 50 CONTINUED:
FOCUS ON FIT – NOT SIZE
It’s so easy to get hung up on those size tags in stores, one minute we’re a 10, next we’re a 12, by the afternoon we’re a size 14 and we’re on an emotional rollercoaster we can’t get off of. If, instead of focusing on the size tag, or problem areas or the ‘body shape rules’, you can focus on ensuring your clothing fits properly – your style will instantly be better.
This means checking that the hems of those new slim tapered pants sit above your ankle and not on the tops of your shoes and that those sleeves aren’t covering most of your hand and instead providing a great opportunity to show off your snazzy watch!
The biggest thing so many of my clients take away from their sessions is that they don’t have to focus on size tags and worrying that items they haven’t tried on before will be unflattering if they focus on fit and tailor their items to the perfect fit.
STYLING IN A NEW WAY
When you’re trying on new clothes, you should try styling them in a new way. A great way to get ideas for this is to revisit that Pinterest board you made earlier. Take note of the small styling tricks used in those pictures. You might notice that button up shirts are tucked in and the sleeves are rolled up. You might notice a printed belt around jeans paired with a contrasting pair of shoes. Look at how garments are styled so that you can play around in the fitting room. This is your NEW style, try styling your garments in new ways.