This website aims to inspire women over 40 with the way they dress. It’s created especially for every woman over 40, even though everyone is welcome here of course!
Sometimes I feature women in their early 40s, sometimes in their 60s and sometimes in their 80s. Yes you will be 40+ forever!
My son sometimes jokingly asks me: so is your website going to be called 50plusstyle when you turn 50 next year? And that’s what I always reply to him, No it will be 40plusstyle forever.
I recently got asked if I could feature more outfits for women in their 60s, but to me, there is not such a huge difference between dressing for 40+, 60+ or 80+. I can’t imagine dressing much differently from what I do now to when I’m 80. The only difference I can see is that it may be my personal preference to cover up more. But that is something I started doing at 40+ already.
Early 40+: Catherine
Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb wearing a timeless outfit that will look good any any age. Also check out Ann.
I do feel that there is quite a big difference between dressing for 20+ and 40+, which is why I specifically narrowed in on the 40+ age group group with this website. I did formulate a few tentative guidelines for dressing over 40 here.
Late 40+: Sylvia
This is an outfit I could wear at any age. Choosing a top that is a little bit more unusual will help to keep the outfit current and fresh! See also the fabulous Suzanne.
I feel that at 40+ our style is a bit more sophisticated, a little less revealing. A bit more focussed on your unique style rather than just fashion and what is on trend.
We also often face more challenges when it comes to our bodies. We want to wear clothes that are both comfortable, downplay the areas we don’t want to highlight, are practical AND stylish and modern.
These are the principles that will guide my style for all the years that are ahead of me. As I age, I will hopefully finetune my style even further.
50+: Annette
The Lady of Style Annette’s outfits are a combination of classic and modern and all of them would look just as good at a later age. Also check out Beth and Lisa.
I do not specifically aim to look younger with my style. But I certainly don’t want to make my style look older as I age. I will keep adding some trendy elements here and there and will keep wearing booties when they are in style and fit my personal style and mix them with skirts.
60+: Greetje
Greetje of No Fear of Fashion also loves the combination of classic and modern which looks good at any age. Other great examples are Susan and Lyn.
Style plays a role in keeping you look fresh and modern and right there with the times. The women that look ‘older’ are often the ones that have given up on styling themselves. They stick too much to the ‘comfortable’ aspect of dressing and too little to the ‘stylish’ one.
Styling yourself, maintaining your body strength and grooming will take more effort as you get older and it’s easy to just let it all go and be ‘comfortable’.
70+: Judith
Judith of Style Crone is a perfect example of a woman who wears clothes I would easily wear at my age. This outfit is timeless. More examples Diana and Carol.
But if you put in a little bit more effort, it can make all the difference. I can wear blue jeans, a cashmere top, and some fabulous brogues right now and look current and hip at 40+. If I was 80 now, I could wear those exact same items and look current at hip at 80+. The key is balance and proportion and fit. If you get those right, you can look chic at any age.
80+: Dorrie
Finally, here is Dorrie from Senior Style Bible who shows that jeans can look just as good at 80+ as they do at 40+. Also check out Betty.
There are many more examples of women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond in my style interview series. All of the women featured there know how to dress in an ageless way. Even more bloggers and inspiration can be found in the 40+Community.
What do you think? Is there a big difference between dressing at 45 and 75?
Want to get more articles from 40+style in your inbox, subscribe here.
You can also connect with 40+style on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
Support 40+style by using the links in our articles to shop. As an associate for Amazon and many other brands, we receive a small commission (at no cost to you) on qualifying purchases which enables us to keep creating amazing free content for you. Thanks!
Don’t think there’s any difference, as long as your comfortable with what you put on. Clothes can always be revamped depending on your spirit and your style
As a 40-something, I am filled with horror at the thought of wearing something that my mother (a 70-something) or an 80-something would wear. If I see something in a shop that I like but find a lady considerably older than me is looking at it as well, I walk away. However, if I look at this rationally, I know that I will probably be wearing the same sort of clothes at 70 and 80. I guess I come from the era where women of the older age group looked old and dressed accordingly (thinking back to my grandparents) but the reality is so different for today’s older generation. Have to say that Dorrie and Judith both look amazing and I can only hope to look as good as them, which just gives further credence to my rational self!!!!!
Hi Sylvia. I agree with you that we can wear the same “style” in your 40’s, 50’s and beyond 🙂 I think that once we’ve reached our 40’s, we have finally (hopefully!) realised what makes us feel good and comfortable, and that should stick with us into our older years. I do strongly believe tho’ that a woman’s style in her teens, 20’s and perhaps into her 30’s can be different in some way, than when she is older. I think our figure, and our youthful skin, hair etc can tolerate a different look whilst we’re younger 🙂 I can see for myself that the colours I could wear when I was younger e.g. I used to always wear a cool red lipstick; now looks horrid and I need to wear a pinker version. The same with clothes – I’ve always looked good in black, but now it seems to harsh and funereal 😉 Also, when we’re younger, we think of impressing our friends and work colleagues (male and female) with our “style/look” far more than when we’re older. I think we’re more “understanding” of each other’s looks as we age, and while we still want to look “good”, we tend to value comfort perhaps a little bit more than when we were young 😀
Just wondering whether those older women — 70s and 80s — had had face lifts. They sure didn’t look as though they had an wrinkles. And, if so, isn’t featuring them as fashion or style icons rather a form of cheating. Some of us older women love to dress well and we either refuse to get plastic surgery or perhaps can’t afford it. We may, indeed, question its safety.
If I were one of the women pictured, I would be hurt to think that someone feels I don’t qualify to be featured in an article about older women’s style, because my face doesn’t meet some standard of “age authenticity”.
Should we decide who is stylish on the basis of their facial skin fold count? Such a criterion has overtones of the eugenicist’s “racial evaluation” process.
And personally, I think it would be rude to ask anyone if they have had cosmetic surgery (as the comment seems to imply.) Cosmetic surgery, like all medical matters, is a private decision between a woman and her doctor; it isn’t anyone else’s business.
An older woman who has had cosmetic procedures is nevertheless still an older woman – she hasn’t suddenly thrown away her membership of the senior sisterhood. In the end, I feel that whether a woman has had plastic surgery or not, dyes her hair or not, wears makeup or not, wears shapewear or not, and so on, is irrelevant. We are still all in the same senior boat, and each of us has to decide every day on what to wear. I believe that we seniors should be sticking together and supporting one another, and avoid getting caught up making false distinctions between who is an “authentic” older woman and who is not, and who is a “proper” representative of the “older woman”. I believe that each and every one of us seniors is eligible to represent the “older woman”.
BTW, I have not had cosmetic surgery.
Well said, Louise. This post has been generating some comments that show how mean women can be to other women.
I’m 77 and don’t have wrinkles on my face, but my neck gives my age away.
I’m fifty plus… but I have the same fun to dress like when I was thirty. I think that you can easily dress how you feel and if you like it the game is done! Rita
http://www.notonlytwenty.com
All the women in your post look awesome. I am at a cross road fashion wise you might say. I am 58 and petite with a fit body that Looks younger than my face imo anyway. I can wear a younger style but I feel a little uncomfortable as if I am betraying my age group. Lol. Anyway its a journey and sometimes its painful. Fashion is fun and should be approached that way. Thanks for sharing.
New to blogging but found your Blog a few months ago and love reading it. Everything you say is so relevant. Also follow all the women you featured and think they are such a great inspiration. I’m just 60+ and these women have taken me out of my rut to try new things and get back a little edge in the way I dress. Great job – all of you!
First, I really enjoyed this post as a 61 year old who feels like the same woman I was at 20, 30, 40, or 50. I am still the same person in here, although find that dressing the 61 year old is not as effortless as the 20 year old. So I have taken great inspiration from Sylvia’s daily blog posts and this one in particular. I like that style goes on at any age and I like the ideas I get from Sylvia all the ladies.
I also agree with Wendy’s sharp assessment of overweight. In addition to making stylish dressing much more difficult, it is dangerous. As a woman with a weight problem myself, I sort of wish people would stop telling me that it is okay, or I should rely on my pretty face. But I do find it helpful as I struggle to reach a more healthy and optimized weight, that there are ideas for me to look my best with where my body is today. It is awful to get dressed and hate yourself every day — I feel much better when I make an effort to dress as well as possible the body I have today. This even helps with the weight loss process — to keep as much as possible positive. Many good, thought-provoking comments here, which I appreciate as much as the main post.
Dear Sylvia, I found your site because I was looking for help in ‘fixing’ up my closet. I am in the 80’s category (83) and have lots of shape problems. I have a badly curved spine which makes one shoulder higher than the other and my head is in a decided tilt. I’m short – 5 ft 1 in. tall, weight 127 or so and have small bones. I usually buy in the petite department but have some real issues even there. Since I am retired and live alone my dog does not care that I live in sweat pants and a baggy shirt. I want to fix that. I also handicapped by a very small budget. Am I wasting my time and yours by checking your site out?
But YOU care right? It’s my experience that you will want to look good for YOU. You will feel better about yourself. I encourage to visit the sites of women like Judith for whom the act of dressing has become healing and a daily delight. And I encourage you to go through the archives of this site (through the navigation above) where you will find more than 1000 articles full of inspiration and encouragement. So no, you are not wasting your time looking through my site and those of others. You may just find that it ignites a spark which will make you feel better, gets you out of the house and perhaps discover new opportunities.
Hazel, it sounds like you have a cute, little figure. I have a dog and 3 cats, plus occasional foster kitties in the house, and sometimes I honestly think they DO look at me and think, “You aren’t going to wear those scrubby jeans one more time, are you?” LOL Even on a budget, you will get some really great ideas on even little things you can try to polish up a bit. Have fun!
I really love this site. Very hepful to me. Diane
I am a wheelchair blogger. Being confined to a wheelchair at age 63 has more disadvantages in dressing. I have to find clothes that hide my belly (I have a urostomy pouch) and when you sit your pant legs ride up. My hips are big because I have loss of muscle tone. So I find your site helps me see how I can put things together in my wardrobe to adapt to my body. When I shop I shop for shirts and sweaters that cover up my hips and my bulging pouch. I found that I can wear leggings all year around and look stylish. I get many compliments at the elementary school I work at. I don’t look like a 63 year old trying to dress like a 30 year old thanks to your page. I love it…keep it up.
Hi Judi, you are like my friend Marianne who has MS and is also in a wheelchair. She has the same problems as you but luckily she is an awesome stylist. Even though she is on a tight budget she always looks a million dollar. I must try and pursuade her to start a blog.
Greetje,
It would be awesome if she could get on 40 plus style and add some of her fashions style. I love new ideas.
Judi
I see there is a lot of discussions about being slim, changing body-shape etc. To me this is not the most important (women of all ages can have difficult to dress bodyshapes). The main critical point is to not create a “gap” between the body and the face. Avoid too youthfull clothes, that will then, by contrast, make your face look older. In short: I don’t want people to say, once I turn around, “oh I didn’t think she was so old”. That means, at 58, I have skipped, since my early 40s:
– mini-skirts
– shorts (even with opaque tights and high boots)
– strapless or otherwise sexy tops (my armpits are looking ugly now)
– dungarees
– socks in sandals or courtshoes
– sweatshirts
Skinny pants and legggins are still a staple of my wardrobe … (often wearing them with mini-dresses).
It certainly also depends on the occasions – I still would wear some of these items on weekends, but no more in the office. Which is another aspect of “age-apropriate clothing”: when you are older, in many jobs your are expected to be more of a leader, less playful, more business-minded – which also means your look to be more formal.
Sorry if I sounded harsh. I have lost friends to obesity-related diseases (as in, they are dead) and even years later I am still grieving. It is such a waste of lives. I miss my friends.
Very sorry that you lost your friends, Wendy. It is good to be reminded that obesity is not just an issue of aesthetics, but a very serious health issue. I believe that in the effort to not “body shame”, as the kids say these days, we do quite the opposite and tell everyone they look great and to be happy the way they are, perhaps giving a false sense of physical well being. Sometimes we need to be more honest than that, while trying not to be hurtful.
Totally agree with you Wendy – I lost my mother to obesity related issues 5 years ago and I ‘m still grieving. She was depressed about her weight in her last 10 years but didn’t do anything about it. She had been a very active and well dressed woman previously and we used to have fun going clothes shopping. I miss her so much and I don’t want to go down that path so I’m reducing my excess weight first and foremost for my health and then to be able to wear ‘non-frumpy’ clothes.
Thank you for including me in your post on dressing through the decades. I feel honored to be amidst the amazing women featured here.
I love to have fun with style and I wear what I love and makes me feel good. It has little to do with age. Self expression can be practiced throughout one’s life span!
I just don’t feel 58 Sylvia and I think all of these ladies look great! Personally I don’t think have changed my way of dressing from my 40s. Great article.
This is such a great post, and you do such a neat job of empowering all of us to embrace our personal style–regardless of age. The other component on this topic that is super important is women supporting other women. We need to support each other; when we pass judgement on one another we so limit each other. Women can be so critical of one another, yet when we support each other, our confidence sky rockets. Let’s try to start remembering this and be nice to one another. Let’s support rather than judge.
Sylvia, thank you for using my 40+ style as an example. What a humongous compliment! And in terms of my weight, I’d say I’m very average with a big pair of boobs. I don’t consider myself thin–not at a US size 12. Rather than having a complex about my weight and my large breasts, I continually try to dress my figure. I like my legs–well, you’ll be seeing those then! I hate my double chin and don’t get me started on my arms. But, if I stopped enjoying style all because of what I don’t like about myself, well I might not ever get dressed. Ooh, and that would be so sad because getting dressed is such fun!
It all goes back to my style interview that I did with you. I think all of us, we need to wear our confidence. And, we need to help each other in feeling confident in what we wear.
Thanks again for this post Sylvia. It’s definitely very thought provoking. And also so very inspiring!
Love, Ann from Kremb de la Kremb
Thanks Ann and very well said!
Hear hear! I so agree.
Sylvia, I think I’m a year younger than you. (I’m two years from 50.) And I must say that your work on this blog has done a lot toward making me feel good about my grayed hair and lumpified body as I progress through middle age. I’m a lot more creative in how I dress and as a result I have a lot more people say that they like something I’m wearing than ever commented on my clothes when I was 30. Thank you.
Thanks for letting me know Lisa. That’s great to know and it does help to keep me going!
The shifting body is a lifelong process whether it involves weight gain, loosing height, foot changes, or thickening waistline doesn’t really matter if a women recognizes how she would like to feel in her clothes and puts an effort into dressing in a way that makes the most of how she is today she will succeed. After finding myself in a post-career fashion rut based on “comfort”, “usefulness” “sensible” and “frugal” clothing decisions I took Sylvia’s course and have made good progress. My attitude about myself is better and I smile more! I’m in my sixties and feel very comfortable in the modern classic style.
Sylvia what a great post – and thank you so much for featuring me and these wonderful ladies I love so much!! The question of “will I change what I wear as I age” is quite simply no… Simply meaning that age, to me, has always had nothing to do with it. I don’t *feel* I dress any differently to how I did when I was 20, but then on the other hand OF COURSE I do – it isn’t 1992 any more!
I’ve never let my age be a factor in terms of what I wear – in fact it’s never once occurred to me, ever – before or after having a blog. So I honestly think that’ll stay with me through every decade: I’ll simply put together outfits I feel good in, wear the trends I like, ignore the ones I don’t, and have fun with getting dressed [up].
To me knowing your own personal style is nothing more than wearing whatever you like – the only ‘rule’ is to be respectful of the occasion and the venue you’re dressing for. After that – anything goes…!
Catherine x
Where can I find the hat on the lady in the full black outfit? Thanks for your help.
You will need to check with Judith on that one. The link to the blog is just below the picture.
I personally feel sad when I see obese young women paraded as role models and labelled “real women” (as if slim women aren’t real women too!) because I know that by my age, most such individuals will be dead, and to me, that is a horrible waste of all those lives.
How many women do you see who are both old and heavy for their height (having a waist circumference that is greater than 30″)? None — because they are all dead. There is such a lot of self-delusion WRT fatness. If you look at dressmaking patterns from the 50s or 60s, you will notice that many of today’s women are huge compared to women of the 50s and 60s. People now eat vastly more than we used to. Portion sizes are insane in USA.
Despite the extreme cultural pressure on us all not to stay fit and healthily slim as we age, the fact is that if you want to live a long and healthy life as I do, you would do well to take a cold hard look at the statistics, and if you are unfit or have a waist that is “thickening”, instead of thinking that there is nothing you can do about it, start taking action to increase the proportion of muscle to fat in your body. Yes it is not easy to stay fit and healthily slim as you age, because yes we do lose muscle as we age and have to fight to keep it, and yes our metabolisms do slow down because older people move less, so yes, we do have to fight to move more, and eat less. But as one who has been both fit and unfit, slim and fat, I know which I prefer, and if I have to do an hour of HIIT/heavy weight training and running daily to remain fit and healthy, that is what I will do (and I do, in fact). (And once you get into it, the rewards in energy levels and general aliveness and zing are so well worth it!)
So don’t look at Dorrie and the others and think that they are too thin, or abnormally thin, and that we should be shown examples of fatter fashion bloggers in their 80s, because there aren’t any, and even if you were to find one, it would not be a good idea to emulate such a person’s lifestyle, unless you have a deathwish.
all my female ancestors – grannies, aunts – lived long over 80 a happy life with a waist much more then only 76cm! i myself have 85m and i´m fit like a mountain goat – if you do not believe we can go together hiking a mountain! ts.
We are all real women and I think you are being a bit too harsh here. Let’s just respect all women and celebrate all kinds of bodies. Not all of us have a choice in how big we become and women struggle enough as it is with weight.
Although I believe that finding the right clothes is a bit more challenging when you carry extra weight, I also believe that it is not a hurdle in looking good.
Wendy, as hard as it may be to hear, and maybe some won’t like the forcefulness with which you have said it, I do think you are spot on.
I have watched so many men and women (my mother included) succumb to mobility issues and disease because they carry too much extra weight into their senior years. I’m not talking about 10-20 extra pounds and being “curvy”, rather 50+ extra pounds. That is just too much for a body to bear, especially an older body. At that point, just getting through their day at all is such an effort that what they wear is of no consequence to them. Such things as just breathing and getting to the bathroom in time becomes priority. Weight isn’t about appearances at that point and feeling bad (or feeling “confident”) about how they look…they just feel bad, period.
Carrying excess weight starting in the 40’s and 50’s just compounds over time to even more weight for aging bodies to carry, so people needs to be mindful of it at a younger age to avoid/mitigate the health issues. The “I’m OK, you’re OK”, mantra does not work here, IMO.
I totally agree Wendy. I don’t agree with the latest trend of young women being unhealthily overweight and being promoted as real women. I fear for their health as they age.
I hear what you’re saying Wendy, but I have to add that I have indeed seen women in the 80’s who are quite overweight. I have always been slim but a few years ago was put on medication that I’m having to stay on for a while, that unfortunately has the horrid side effect of causing weight gain, and gain it I have, so much so, that I’ve had to change my “style”. Whilst I would love to be “thin” again, I have to live with what I have, for the moment. I’m 48 and do my best not to look frumpy!! I do agree with you that as we get older, to be slim, we have to work a heck of a lot harder at it, eating much less and exercising more, perhaps not only to keep our weight down but also to keep our fitness and strength up. I must say that I really admire your style and your dedication to keeping yourself as fit as you can be. I only hope I can be at least half of what you present today – 😀
Wendy, I am 81 years young and have never had a slim or athletic build in my entire life. Never have I been obese, but I never have worn less than U.S. 12-14 in size. Today I wear size 16 and I have shrunk from 5’4” to 5’1”. Much of my apple shape is in genetic. I will never look like a model but try to dress fashionably. I have degenerative osteoarthritis in the lower back and moderate scoliosis in the upper back. I do muscle strengthening exercise as much as I’m able with my osteoporosis. My walking and standing is limited, but I daily walk for exercise in a limited way. Pain is part of my life. I refuse to sit back and do nothing, but feel I have definite limits.
Walking and physical therapy have always been a part of my exercise program.
I think your goals are great for you. I agree we need to work at keepin fit. But being “fit” is different for each person.
My wish is to stay healthy, but what works for one person, is not necessarily helpful for everyone.
Thanks for sharing Nancy. Everyone’s goals are different and it’s about being the best version of ourselves and keeping as fit and healthy as we can manage to!
I’m working as a volunteer stylist for a charity. One of last week’s clients was an 80-year-old woman needing an outfit for her grand-neice’s summer beach wedding. She was a curvy size 16 AUS (12 US), about 5’1″‘ tall with white hair, and she arrived using a walking frame for mobility. She told me she could only wear flat fully enclosed shoes.
I styled her in exactly the same way I would have dressed a 30-year-old with her body shape, and she and her daughter and friends (who came with her) loved the result, particularly the slimming effect.The outfit? a sleeveless silky jersey asymmetrical tunic in lime green, a plain dark pencil skirt underneath, a pair of dainty gold leather laceup “jazz ballet” flats, a beige clutch with a metallic shoulder chain, gold jewellery, and a long drapy cardigan (in case the weather turned.) Every item was on trend.
The only difference that a 30-year-old might have requested would probably be a pencil skirt that finished above the knee, rather than below it, and one with a fashionable slit.
In my experience, the differences in styling for the senior years come down to minor tweaks, e.g. more knee or arm coverage may be preferred, safe footwear is essential, and garments need to be easy to get on and off if mobility is restricted.
We should never assume that we can’t look fashionable (or slimmer) once we reach a certain age. What we need to do is not settle for looks that are “just okay”. Is that ever what any of us really truly want? Fabulous, flattering and wellfitting outfits for all ages do exist, we just have to be open and persistent in order to get our hands on them.
Lovely feedback and story Louise. Thanks for sharing!
I hope I’ll dress about the same as I do now (at 51), only continue my baby-step journey to add more modern things and keep developing my personal style as I age. I agree that keeping fit and taking care or oneself is just as important (if not more so) than one’s choice of clothing, so that is always at the top of my “to do” list.
Your post is great! There should be a different between 40s and 80s. But when I look at the beautiful pictures, I can’t see any difference. All of these ladies on the pictures are so graceful – I’m 55 and feel really great with my age. Greetings from Munich – Martina
The only “thing” I’ve changed in my wardrobe from 40+ to 60+ is my style of bathing suit. I wore “two piece” bathing suits through my mid-fifties, but now opt for a tankini that covers my belly. I’m no heavier than I was in my forties and fifties, I just feel more comfortable covering my mid-body. As a side note to the remarks about how much easier it might be to fashionably dress a slimmer body as we age….I do pilates three times a week to help keep myself trim and flexible and as an unexpected side benefit at my last bone density test the doctor found I had “grown” almost an inch! So much for shrinking as we age!
I used to think there should be a difference. But this post has changed my mind set. I am 45 and was already heading towards frumpy. I hope to continue to look somewhat stylish throughout all my years. These women look fantastic!
This post needs to be shared everywhere, what a huge inspiration to see over 40 in every decade and how fabulous everyone looks
cant believe the numbers of greetje and judith!!! i wish i look that fab in their age!!!
as for my own dressing i think the style would not change – just the construction of the garments – i.e. front length versus back length….
actually some people say i wear granny clothes already 😉
xxxx
Thank you Beate..
This is a great post and you have used perfect examples of how a look can be modified but not radically changed as we age. As a 70 year old woman, I dress in a modern, classic look with bold accessories like Greetje or Dorrie (my new style crush!). I do agree that it is easier to dress a slimmer body but am always impressed by how stunning Georgette (Grown & Curvy woman) and other curvy bloggers look.
I will admit that being slim means more choice. As I have a vast wardrobe and adore clothes, this is a big stick for maintaining the same weight. I am not a person who loves eating. That helps. But I also agree with you that Georgette and Delilah have no trouble finding things to express their style and they look wonderful.
Thanks for featuring me.
What is apparent is that these lovely women are all physically fit,and can wear
fashionable clothes- or- clothes that look great on them. However, too many
people gain weight- for many reasons,as they age,and do not have the choices
that slimmer,healthy,fit women do- as they age.It almost appears that no matter
what one’s age,as long as they are slim,there are always great fashion choices
available.
If you showed some heavier women,as I’ve seen on various blogs,their choices
would be along the muu-muu style! These women look wonderful!
Unfortunately, I don’t know many curvy bloggers (whose examples I am able to use) in their 60s but I can’t imagine Georgette https://40plusstyle.com/how-to-dress-for-the-curvy-body/ and Delilah https://40plusstyle.com/how-to-break-the-plus-size-style-rules-and-look-amazing/ who are in their 40s looking any less fabulous in their 60s than they do now.
not only being +sized can be challenging – even just a matronly bosom (like mine) can get in the way of dressing stylish – because lets face it – stylish women are slim everywhere in the collective mind….
xxxx
I totally agree with you. I have little confidence due to my weight gain. Taking Sylvia’ course has helped me find some more stylish choices but deep down inside I’m still unhappy.
Catherine and Sylvia’s outfits above are both flowing and would make a heavy woman look heavier, but all the others are tailored enough that they would work on any body type. Annette’s look in particular would be very slimming on a plus side body because that jacket creates a slimmer sillouette.
I’m certainly not as slim as I was at 30, but in many ways I think I look better than I did then! Maybe I should say I look better compared to people my own age now, than I did to people my own age then. Or maybe it’s just that as I age I am more forgiving of imperfections. And while plus sized options are not the best, they are a lot better than they’ve been in any previous generation.
This was a great post.
For me I have to wait till I get there to know how I’ll be feeling. Body confidence and over all self confidence dictates our clothing choices much more so than age I find.
I hope I will still be feeling strong and confident to wear whatever I choose no matter my age.
bisous
Suzanne
I hope so too Suzanne. And I’m sure you will!
I am 65 and don’t think I dress differently to when I was in my 50s. I would say that as my lifestyle has changed so has my wardrobe. I no longer invest in corporate style suits and now opt for more casual and possibly more fashion forward clothes.
Yes! You are another great example of a woman who dresses in beautiful timeless clothing that look just as good on a 45 year old as they do on you!
Beyond the obvious (covering up more, toned down colors perhaps as one’s complexion softens) – I found as I went from 40+ to 60+ is I really cannot tolerate heels any higher than an inch and a half. And I need more cushioning in shoes. So the “stylish” shoe is harder to find.
Yes shoes are more challenging as you get older. Still I think there are more and more good comfortable shoe options. I keep track of them on this page https://40plusstyle.com/arch-support-shoes/
I think it is fun to brighten up the colours! Maybe not near your face depending on your complexion, but for me toned down colours make me think pastels and beige which could be too “old lady”.
Shoes I definitely agree with – lower and thicker heels are much more comfortable and thankfully they are in fashion right now.