Time and time again in
my business as a personal stylist I speak to women in their 40s, 50s and 60s
who complain about feeling like there aren’t any clothing store ‘niches’ for
them. They see shops catering to the young and those who poke their nose into
what is considered a shop suitable for ‘more mature’ women then sharply pull it
back out as they feel it’s too frumpy. The crazy thing is, this generation of
women are the ones who have the money to spend on clothing!
Most of these women want to wear modern clothing that suits them, but they
worry about the ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ factor. Quite a lot. Often this means
they then swing completely the other way and dress down in three-quarter
trousers and a fleece. Or they wear loads and loads of black.
I recently had a lovely email from a fan of our Facebook page about this
particular issue. She mentioned how she finds NZ women also like to save things
for ‘best’ and as she very rightly says ‘TODAY is the best there is’. I
completely agree. She also mentioned that when she wears a skirt, she sometimes
gets told ‘there is no need to dress up’.
So here is my advice to you if you are in this age bracket. Firstly, learn what
colours and shapes suit you. That way it doesn’t matter what type of clothing
shop you go into, you are able to select items that will suit your body and age
bracket.
A great pair of jeans from Just Jeans, a coloured T-shirt with the right
neckline, that fits well and is a good length with a string of beads or a scarf,
then a blazer chucked on over the top is a fantastic ‘any-age’ outfit. Use
accessories to modernise what you have. Again, draw inspiration from some of
the younger shops to add some chucky jewellery, a pretty floral scarf or a
coloured pair of sunglasses to your day-to-day ensemble.
And if you have some nice pieces of clothing, wear them. Plain and simple.
Don’t use the fact you are not going out as an excuse not to put on a dress.
You will feel fantastic all day, even if you don’t see anyone. If you do happen
to see someone, they will probably tell you how nice you look. Pop a denim
jacket on over the top if you feel to dressed up, denim instantly makes things
look more casual. If you add stylish sneakers as well you are comfortable,
stylish and completely on trend! There are usually always ways of
problem-solving any fashion issues so that it works for any age.
Shops that carry many labels can also be very handy as each label has a
different style and cut. Mainstream mall stores that cater to multiple labels
include, Vincents, Identity, Hartleys and Farmers. But I also take my 40+
client’s into Max, Country Road, Jacqui E, Glassons, Jeans West and
DeCjuba.
If you find the mainstream shops just don’t have what you are looking for, don’t
have colours you like or you just don’t like having the same as everyone else,
then head to the pre-loved shops. There you will find wonderful gems that will
give your wardrobe whatever you need, be it modernisation, or a quirky,
colourful, yet inexpensive lift.
Don’t despair! It’s
not about trying to dress to be younger. It’s about looking the very best you
version of you at your age!
Trudi XX