These tips you may agree or disagree with, but they are a guide for the woman who is passed the age of 30.
“How to stay fashionable when half of the current fashions don’t suit my shape particularly when I like the look of them.”
Understanding what suits you – the colours, contrasts, clothing styles and lines, where to add the details, where to keep free and plain, which proportions are best for you and all those other physical aspects of fabric selection (texture, sheen, drape) are important and form your style foundation. You need to know them to start developing your style.
Don’t worry too much about needing to wear every latest fashion trend. There will always be a new one on the horizon and the new one may be more “you” than the current one..
How to be Fashionably Fabulous not Frumpy or a Fashion Victim
1.Style Revivals
If you’ve worn it before, and it’s a fad, don’t wear it again unless it’s a style that really flatters you.
2. Knee High Socks
The schoolgirl look is for schoolgirls, unless you’re going to a fancy dress party, forget about it. Oh, and this includes knee-high stockings – never, ever wear them under skirts – pants only PLEASE!
3. Dressing Old
You don’t need to get into old lady clothes before your time. Keep current with the trends without going overboard with the fads. Don’t keep hanging onto items you wore 5, 10 or 20 years ago, let them go.
4. Dressing for Your Body Shape
You need to know what fits and flatters your shape so you can best adapt current trends to suit you.
5. Update your accessories yearly
An easy way to keep up with fashion and look current, without breaking the bank. Glasses, shoes, jewellery and handbags can really add some pizazz to your outfit, so make them work for you.
6. Update in Small Doses
Don’t wear fashion trends such as boho or military head to toe, take an element, one piece and work it back with your basics to look up to date but not fashion victim.
7. Wear What Suits You
Be aware of your personality and how it affects the clothes you wear – your clothes should say something about you, rather than trying to copy someone else’s style.
8. Get a New Hairstyle
When was the last time you changed your style? Update and look younger with a current cut and style.
9. Colours
Want to look classy? Your best neutral colours will do it for you. Bright or fashion colours come and go, but neutrals will keep you looking good.
10. Get Your Clothes Altered so they Fit
If your clothes fit you well, they’ll look more expensive and you’ll look great – add in the cost of alterations to all your purchases, you’ll also enjoy wearing your clothes more because they’ll be more comfortable.
What are your fashion rules?
Further reading:
How to Decide if a Fashion Trend is For You or To be Avoided
Words of wisdom, all. I love how you focus on the individual, Imogen. It is SO important to wear clothes that fit YOUR bod and YOUR personality … no matter what the mags may say.
1. Spend the most money I can on basic pieces in enduring neutrals that will last.
2. Scrimp on fashion forward pieces.
3. No appliques. I hate anything with applique.
4. No pleated pants, ever.
5. Wear a signature piece every day: red shoes or charm bracelet or a red scarf.
6.Ignore magazines.
7. Listen to Imogen.;-)
Thanks so much Sal!
I so believe that it’s all about the individual. When I first became and image consultant, one of the hardest things to learn was that it wasn’t about my taste, but the clients. It wasn’t about the colours that I liked, but the ones that suited them that they looked great in. It wasn’t about my body shape, but theirs (and that’s the fun bit, because now I get to dress others in clothes that would look atrocious on me, but I might find visually appealing and wish I could wear).
La Belette – what a brilliant list!
I too hate applique! And you can keep your bedazzler too.
Pleated pants are the work of the devil – as are birkenstocks!
Signature pieces are so important – I do lots of signature jewellery – I’m known for my necklaces.
And point 7 – the sublime truth! (cheque’s in the mail)
sound advice-love it!
I just found your blog via La Belette Rouge and Une Femme’s blogs and love your style advice!
I was just looking at the Nordstrom website and see that maxi dresses are popular again for spring and summer! I wore them as a teenager in the mid 1970’s…so I don’t think I am a candidate for them again!
I read some other posts on your blog and really liked
the “three accessory-same color” idea…today I wore jeans, a brown Talbots boatneck tee, a cream-colored cropped sweater and gold hoop earrings, a gold necklace in three graduated layers with little stars and gold flats…it looks really nice and pulled together so thank you for the “3” idea!
Kelly – thanks so much for coming by! Glad you’ve found something that you can put into practise already.
Maxi-dresses – they work best in a beach culture I think, and would work on you if you have a bohemian style, no matter what your age – do you love them? Are they really you?
Hi Imogen!
No, I don’t think maxi dresses are really me, not at least in the Pacific Northwest…I definitely can see them though for a beach-vibe on a warm weather island or something. There’s a little part of me though that likes the boho look as I have a few long peasant-type skirts and lacy sweaters. I have been trying to look up what the spring trends are this year and found the maxi dress, jumpsuits (I wore those in the70’s too!)asymmetrical tops and dresses and lace.
One of the designers I admire is Carolina Herrera, although there’s no way I can afford anything but her perfume! I like her personal style a lot, and I like Michael Kors’ fall 2008 collection of clothes. I think I lean towards classic styles and I am trying to get away from black so much, especially near my face, since I found out I am ‘soft’ in colors and have the color strips to help with shopping for clothes now. My darkest color is a charcoal grey. But I have a lot of black…suits, tops, etc..that I do wear to work, so I guess I will replace slowly.
Anyway, thank you for your blog and your website is great too…I wish you were in Tacoma, WA as I know you would be a great help in helping me with figuring out best clothing styles and purging stuff that doesn’t work!
You don’t object to knee socks under trousers, do you? Because I will wear nothing else. I think it dates back to when I was a school girl and socks were never tall enough to reach my knees. Now there are such lovely options available – angora, wool, bamboo – I’m in sock heaven. Why anyone would ever wear crew socks when there are such wonderful knee socks available is beyond me!
Just a peek into my idiom. 😉
Rebecca – under trousers fine – just not under skirts – the number of times I’ve walked behind women who think that you can’t see their knee-high stockings under their skirts, not realising that the hem of their skirt flips up when walking and we get to see the unflattering top.
I always get clothes altered to fit properly, and I stick to basic neutrals & solids and go with the trends in accessories.
I really enjoy your articles, especially the one about mixing prints. Visiting via Fifi's site!
I recently read this and found myself out shopping with this in mind. I hate shopping and I rarely do it (being inbetween sizes is not fun) but I had been “working” my sunglasses for four years. Yikes.
I usually spend the most money on outerwear and shoes.
I never buy any thing I see on a teenager just because she looks great in it.
I have a wardrobe list of things I “need” and update it every three months to remind myself not to purchase anything that is not on that list.
Elizabeth – thanks so much for coming by! I really appreciate your comments.
SWC – I love your list of rules – very practical! I wish I could take you shopping so that you hated it less.