I spent most of my 30’s (and early 40’s, lets be real) as a size 12 or pregnant. In my mid 40’s I finally got my act together and I am enjoying the spoils of a healthier and more active lifestyle. So believe me, I understand the temptation to wear things that are best left left to younger women.
In my 30’s I also spent a lot of time navigating the Bay Bridge to the Queenstown Outlets where I procured a small selection of pricey, staid St. John pieces for work. I though they made me seem serious and smart and very Republican , but it turns out I just looked dowdy.
But if I looked too old then and I trying to look too young now?
I have a Pinterest board called “If I Were Younger” of looks I aspire to but will never wear, and when in doubt I ask my girls if my outfit is too young, but I generally trust my instincts. I am sure I make mistakes. But what’s the worst thing that can happen? A sideways glance from another Mom who saw my jumpsuit at Forever 21 when she was shopping with her teenagers? I can live with that. My usual shopping companions are my girls, so I frequent stores better suited for my girls more often than I am in stores targeted to women my age. I’m already settling in for an hour of shopping with them, so of course I am eventually going to try on the perhaps too-young-for-me-and-also-made-of-the-cheapest-fabric-imaginable-trendy-top. And yes, sometimes I buy it.
And that’s ok. But there are a few guidelines.
1. Get a really good bra. Your breasts should be between your shoulder and your elbow, no lower. If they are lower than that its time for a fitting and some new undergarments. Get to a bra specialist at Bloomers or Nordstrom asap.
2. Acquire one nice quality handbag – not necessarily designer – who cares – but a bag that says you are a grown up. If you are not Vegan it should be made of leather (no pleather after 25, vegans aside) and if you are a gal who likes to carry lots of stuff you should acknowledge that and get a big bag. A small bag stuffed beyond capacity is not elegant. Find a style you love and search EBay or consignment stores. I’ve been obsessed with the D&G Lily bag for years and was finally rewarded when one turned up on EBay at a great price.
3. Don’ t give up. I know it’s easier to go the route of yoga pants all the time, or find a uniform for work (I once worked with a woman who wore a beautiful dashiki dress and a matching turban every day – very chic- and I was jealous of the ease of her morning routine, but I don’t think I can pull it off), or just give in and decide that 2015 is the year we stop trying, but don’t. Even if you occasionally have a style mishap, keep at it.
These really are the best years for us – with any luck we know what looks good on us, we can adopt a “take it or leave it” attitude toward trends, and we have honed a strong sense of our own personal style over the years. That’s worth celebrating.
burnish 