Article by Ceri Wheeldon
When it comes to what to wear over 50 as far as I am concerned there are no rules. There used to be so many inferences in the media and society with rules quoted such as ‘women over 50 shouldn’t have long hair’, women over 50 shouldn’t wear jeans, women over 50 shouldn’t wear sleeveless dresses, women over 50 shouldn’t wear bikinis, wear black, wear short skirts…it seemed that the list was endless in terms of what we were expected to not wear.
Define your style over 50 by wearing what makes you feel confident
For me the secret of defining your style over 50 is wearing what makes you feel confident and comfortable in your own skin.
I had a major rethink of my own personal style in my mid 50s following my divorce. Over the years I had dresses increasingly the way that ‘he’ liked as opposed to a style that reflected ‘me’. Re- establishing myself after my divorce led me to go back to my core style – gone were the plain boring clothes and out came my much loved pink leather jacket, animal prints and ‘bling’.
I’m a bit of a magpie and cant help being attracted to things that sparkle and shine!! Back were the heels with dresses, and more colour – although I do still have a huge amount of black in my wardrobe. In fact my ‘go to’ style is black trousers, black jacket and different tops and tees. If I wear a plain top I tend to team it with quite bold accessories – a favourite necklace being one that I bought at a French market. When I wear this I feel like ‘me’. This look can take me from day to evening – depending on how formal I need to be I can wear more tailored trousers and jacket, or snakeskin or leather look for casual.
Shop in your own wardrobe first
Shopping in your own wardrobe first can be so rewarding. If you look at the pic of me in the black jacket – it’s an old suit jacket I’ve probably had for 20 years, and the animal print shoes are likely to be just as old – they are on my ‘favourite’ list and have been reheeled more times than I can remember. I have mixed them with a favourite long sleeved tee which is relatively recent purchase to refresh the look.
It’s a style that suits the way I live – and doesn’t fit into any ‘age’ category. It ticks all the boxes in terms of what I like to wear.
So how do you choose a style that defines you? What do you wear that makes you feel confident? What is it about that specific outfit. Is it the cut? Is it the colour? Build on that when you make your style choices and create your signature look.
Are there any celebrities whose style you admire?
Follow them on social media – Instagram is where they tend to share their outfit details and details of what they are wearing.
I have never thought of myself as a style blogger, but am being encouraged by friends to share more photos of me on the Fab after Fifty Instagram feed – so do follow me there too. I will share more images moving forward on the website too. As I dress on a budget ( my divorce was rather costly!) I genuinely shop in my own wardrobe and have to be creative with how I put things together.
Being stylish over 50 needn’t cost a fortune! And sustainable fashion is on trend – for every age!!
Which of the items in your wardrobe do you feel best in?
Ceri Wheeldon
Ceri is Founder and Editor of Fabafterfifty.co.uk She is a frequent speaker at events and in the media on topics related to women over 50 , including style and living agelessly. With 20+ years experience as a headhunter Ceri also now helps support those looking to extend their working lives.
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