Article by Lisa Maynard-Atem
Marva is quite simply Marvallous! If you are wondering who Marva is, she is my mother and the inspiration behind this article. My mother has and always will be, the most stylish lady I know. Whenever I smell Chanel No 5, it immediately conjures up images of mum sat at her dressing table, spraying herself delicately with the sumptuous fragrance. Her wardrobe is strictly navy blue and brown, and exquisitely tasteful. She knows what suits her and woe betide anyone (including myself), who tries to tell her different.
Fabulous fashion after 50 
In terms of fabulous fashion after fifty, there are no hard and fast rules but there are things that you should embrace and avoid equally. What you should be aiming for is the capsule wardrobe. These are key pieces such as the little black dress, black tailored trousers, and a white shirt but to name a few. They are timeless and interchangeable. If you can get this right, then you can add in other pieces that can be worn with your capsule wardrobe or on their own. Whatever you do, do not be tempted to rush out and buy the latest ‘must-have’ item unless you know for a fact they will suit you and you have other items (minimum three) in your wardrobe that they can be worn with.
Another rule is learning to be comfortable in your own skin. Over the years, I have become more confident in the choices I make, especially when it comes to my wardrobe. As a result of this, I now have a much greater sense of my own style compared to my younger years. Okay, so I am a fashion stylist but that does not mean that I have not made mistakes in the past (all photographic evidence of any fashion crimes I committed were destroyed many moons ago). Over the years I have trained myself to be able to look at something in a shop and know instantly whether it will suit me before I even take it off the hanger to inspect the stitching (no I am not weird, I just like to know what I am getting for my money). The saying that some of us are born with style is true, but that does not mean that for those who are not, it is an impossible dream. There are those of us who have a better sense of it than others, but the basic knowledge of being stylish can be learnt provided you are willing to invest the time…remember Rome was not built in a day and neither is the perfect wardrobe!!!
Buy Better Quality
Another key factor is money. Your capacity to earn greater amounts increases which means you will have more disposable income. You can afford to buy better quality clothing, although this should not stop you from entering the realms of Primark and TK Maxx.
Avoid shops like Jane Norman, The Vestry and Kookai. They are great but they really are not suited to anyone who isn’t in their teens or very early 20s. Aim for shops like House of Fraser, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, which houses many different designers under one roof and has something for every age group (boutique-style shops are also great). Also try Hobbs, LK 
Bennett, and Phase Eight. However, if you find something in Topshop that suits your personality and body shape, then go for it. Age should never be seen as a barrier to being stylish. Remember it’s about clever style choices. Style is a state of mind, not a number!
Being fabulous is the right of every woman regardless of age, colour, or body shape. So get your glad rags on and focus on being the most amazing you that you can be.
Take a leaf out of Marva’s book – she is certainly fab after fifty!
Note: Cocktail dress from Hobbs, blue dress and citrine shrug from Phase Eight
Lisa’s commercial styling experience includes ITV (Celebrity Love Island, Soapstar Superstar), the BBC, L’Oreal Colour Trophy Awards, Hello and OK Magazine. Lisa also writes fashion-related articles for several fashion and lifestyle magazines. Lisa can be contacted via www.stylisa.com
Related posts:
- How to Dress Stylishly over 50 on a Budget!
- Winter Style Tips for Women over 50
- Creating Your Style in Your 50s
- Peta Mathias’s Fabulous Thoughts on Being a Woman
- Actress Jane Seymour Looks Stylish at 60
