- Wear sunscreen – every day of the year – no matter where you live –even if you don’t think you’re going to go outside. 80% of wrinkles come from environmental damage. Just look of pictures of Brigitte Bardot today and compare her to her 20 year old self … not a good advertisement for baking yourself in the sun.
- If you don’t love it, don’t buy it – it will just hang in your wardrobe and be a waste of money. When you’re in the change room, if you’re not sure, it’s probably best to put the garment back. If a day or two later you really think that it’s the right one, then go back and get it. If you generally are confused about what suits you, arrange a Style Consultation to work out what is going to make you look your very best.
- Accept the fact that you will need to get your clothes altered. Every body is different, and clothing manufacturers make their clothes for their ‘house model’, if she or he has your shape – great – if not you may need to take in the waistband, or the hips and thighs. Make sure your trousers and skirts are the right length – the wrong length can add kilos and completely alter your look. Plus, clothing that fits you really well looks more expensive, plus you’ll enjoy wearing the garment more because it fits you like a glove.
- Stand up straight – it will take 5kg off your frame and make you look more confident. It will also help your internal organs work more efficiently and effectively as they’re not being squashed.
- Make sure your clothes are clean before wearing, make sure threads aren’t hanging off and that there aren’t any holes. Look at your clothes as if they were in an op-shop – would you want to buy them? If not, it’s time to let them go.
- Get a great up-to-date haircut – if your hairstyle has been the same for a few years, it’s time to get a new style. Find a great stylist who can show you how to do your hair at home yourself, so you don’t feel worried that you’ll look good as you walk out the salon door.
- Update your accessories – especially reading and sun glasses – frames that are more than a couple of years old are making you look older as they’re now out-of-date. New shoes can really boost an outfit, as can a great new handbag or briefcase.
- Buy wardrobe basics in the sales – don’t be suckered into buying something that you wouldn’t pay full price for just because it’s cheap. Buy great dark neutral trousers, shirts and every day basics in the sales. Leave that lurid print shirt that’s 70% off – unless you love it so much that you’re going to wear it at least once a week.
- Wear colours, don’t get caught in the black trap. Not sure what suits your complexion? Invest in a Colour Analysis and give yourself colour confidence, so you know that any colour you buy will look great.
- Smile – it makes you happy and it makes others happy.
As always, great advice! My sweet Grandmother always stayed out of the sun and at 65, she looked at least ten years younger. Such an inspiration for sunscreen and hats.
I need to type out the one about if you don’t love it, don’t buy it. I’m such an impulse buyer or a “I need something so I’ll just buy this” buyer.
Brilliant. Completely brilliant. ESPECIALLY the reminder that tailoring is normal and necessary for nearly all women. I just took a couple of pieces in for alterations and am so excited to have them wearable once more!
These are all great tips, but my favourite is No. 4. It’s immediately added to my list of resolutions. Thanks, Imogen, and Happy New Year to you.
I heartily agree with all of these but particularly the sunblock one – I’m 38 and I’m just starting to see the benefits of years of daily sunblock use – compared with my sun-worshipper friends especially. I look a decade younger than some, at this point.
Fantastic advice and I follow all of it, that is except the black track. I am waiting for my brilliant style consultant to come to L.A. 😉
Andrea: All you have to do for evidence is look at the consistency of your skin on your inner thigh or some area that doesn’t get much sun, and compare it to your forearms and you can see the damage.
Stay away from the ‘it’ll do’ purchases and you’ll save yourself a fortune!
Sal – tailoring is so important – we are all so different shape wise, yet we all expect to be able to walk into the same store and buy the same piece of clothing and it will fit us perfectly – are we INSANE?
Angela: Standing up straight is so easy and completely FREE – yet I like many slouch around far too much. We need to remind ourselves more often to improve our posture!
K.Line – I’m lucky too – my parents were always big on sunscreen when everyone else was using coconut oil and baby oil and frying themselves in the sun (and we have some seriously hot sun here in Australia). So even though I’m 40 most people think I’m in my early 30s (and some think I’m even younger – which I find hard to believe).
La Belette – I shall get you into some colour when I come to LA! And you will love it as it makes you look 10 years younger!
I was right with you till #9, in my large urban North American city, neutrals generally rule. Pops of colour are fine, but brights look too “Dallas”. At the same time, when I am on vacation in Spain, bright colour looks perfect. A lot of it has to do with the quality of the light.
Duchesse – thanks for stopping by! Colours don’t have to be brights – subtle sophisticated smokey colours are very flattering on a lot of skins and don’t scream tropical holiday!