My husband shops for fun. He'll spend hours on the Internet, perusing different sites from Zappos to HauteLook to Orvis in search of the perfect kahki pants. Or, he'll swing over to Bloomingdale's on a Saturday afternoon to see what's on sale, lingering a little longer at Armani.
Me? After I turned 50, I was so confused about what I should or shouldn't wear that I preferred unloading the dishwasher -- my least favorite household chore -- to buying clothes. Shopping, for me, was intimidating and time-consuming. And I usually got hungry, tired, and grumpy, which meant that I ended up buying either the wrong things or stuff I didn't need. On the flip side, though, I love style and I love to look good. It's a dilemma.
I thought about paying my husband an hourly fee to shop for me -- but that option became unnecessary when I decided to write The Best of Everything After 50. While doing research for the book, I had the great opportunity to interview Diane von Furstenberg, Ginny Hilfiger, and a few other fashion-forward experts who gave me guidelines (no rules, please!) on what to wear and to avoid once I turned 50. Here's their master list of "must haves":
I now have all these pieces, which I mix and match, depending on the occasion, for different looks. By adding a few key accessories, like a cool necklace, big ring, scarf, perfect shoes, or a bag, and I'm ready to rock and roll. My two favorite purchases were the Merona dress from Target (which costs $39.99) and the cropped black leather motorcycle jacket from Saks (it costs a tad more than the Target dress, but given how often I wear it, it was oh-so-worth it!) I wear it with the jeans, pants, dresses, and pencil skirt . . . year round. The leather should be buttery and thin so you can wear it in lieu of a black jacket or cardigan. Check out this short video showing the different ways I can wear the Merona dress and Target cardigans:
What's the best overall style advice for women over fifty? We don't want strict rules, but there are some pretty good guidelines to help achieve a polished, confidence-boosting look:
Having a basic wardrobe is essential, but there's a world of fantastic fashion out there, and your personal style should be your guide. Pick a look that reinforces your confidence and sexiness, put it on, and then go out and live your life. Don't worry about what you look like; we did too much of that in our younger -- and more insecure -- years. Now, we should enjoy ourselves and not waste time overthinking every fashion choice.
Best advice? Forget rules and just wear what makes you feel good about . . . you.
For more tips on living your best life after 50, check out The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts' Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More . . . and stay tuned for news about my new book!
Staying connected is a powerful tool: "Friend" me on Facebook and "Tweet" me on Twitter (BGrufferman).
Turning 50 is more than an age . . . it's a movement!
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Sarah McGiven: Saint Bustier: First Boutique Site With Designer Fashion for Busty Women Launches
Antonia O'Brien: All Right in White
Thanks for reading and commenting . . . .
This is one the main reasons I love writing for Huffington Post: you are a wonderful, open, opinionated group and have no qualms whatsoever about voicing your thoughts. That's what I've come to expect--and love--about all of you who read and leave comments on my articles. Keep your ideas coming because we all learn from each other. And please remember that the "must haves" listed in this article are just simply ideas for you to consider, and maybe even try . . . certainly not RULES! One of the things we post50 women and men cherish the most is we understand that we don't need to follow any rules, and in fact, we're making up our own as go go along.
So again, thank you for your input here, and in other articles I've posted during the year and a half I've been a part of the Huffington Post community.
Barbara
Thanks for the input!
Barbara
My issue is the clothing offered for my age group. I don't want to dress like a teen, but neither do I want to dress my age, and I definitely don't want the conservative tailored looks I see. Shoe offerings are even more limited. I was recently shopping for a pair of semi-dressy low heeled shoes. Just about everything is towering heels on high platforms. I like them, but I couldn't possibly wear anything like that. The few low heels available were either the type that would be worn in a very conservative corporate environment or just plain old lady styles. Who wants that? I hear the same thing from many women my age. We want stylish, youthful styles that are still age and figure appropriate, but they simply do not exist, especially in the more moderately-priced clothes.
Jeanne
www.betterafter50.com
For some of us, it's amazing what an emotional boost we feel, with a small amount of time to put ourselves together. (A friend's mother, French, is 83 years young and always, always looks elegant. She is a woman of humor, ease, and grace. She wears classics, and has several colorful and stylish glasses that look fantastic against her skin and silver hair.)
Thanks for reading and commenting,
Barbara
Nothing was said about hose. That's my confusion right now. Hose? no hose? tights?
Thans for commenting,
Barbara
As an experienced fashion consultant with many 50+ clients, there are many minefields in this list. Unless personal coloring is dramatic, black will age like nothing else - highlighting puffiness, lines and creating shadows on the face where there are none. And if your weight has shifted south, nothing says "look at my big bottom" more than white jeans. Cardigans can appear "schlumpy" on women without defined muscle mass and perfect posture. Legs often age first so skirts and dresses will not be the best option.
I shake my head at the notion that "fashion experts" are either people with clothing lines to sell or stores' personal shoppers (in actuality, the top salespeople in their stores who earn commissions on how much they sell). If women really want to understand what to wear, a couple hours with an independent and certified image consultant will return huge personal and financial benefits - allowing you to wear clothing that you love and saving you from making bad purchases that never get worn. Color, body type, and personal style can be professionally analyzed with reports and guidelines the client can take away and use on their own. A simple click on www.aici.org (Association of Image Consultants International) will help any woman find the right consultant who will offer targeted solutions to her specific issues.
Also, brown, navy and gray are other great color options for basic clothes, instead of black. My cousin, who is a stylish 62 and whom I consider my fashion mentor, steers clear of black, but LOVES navy.
All the best,
Barbara