6 Ways to Evolve With Your Style As You Age!

'You have to dress age appropriate!' No doubt you have heard this a million times? Yet what exactly is age appropriate?

It goes without saying that the quest for great style doesn't end when you?turn 50 or 60. Mature women and men in general, tend to?know their style inside out. They're not wearing something because it's now suddenly in; they're wearing it because it suits them and fits in with their own lifestyle and wardrobe.

Having 'style' or ageing gracefully is an attitude and it reflects in the way you dress; whether that be classic elegance, simplicity, flamboyance, quirky edge etc. Don't let anyone (not even the well known and well meaning fashion experts) try to convince you that having style is limited to a few and that in order to be stylish you must follow a certain look.

Those who follow me and read my posts both here in Linkedn and on IG @stylebygessica, know I regularly say 'How one dresses should be a reflection of who they are, not what society dictates.' What I refer to when I say this, is to dress in ways that makes you feel great and that represents your uniqueness, at any age. And here's the catch - this doesn't mean wear anything -

What you wear in your younger years will generally be different to what you wear as you age due to various reasons - weight gain/loss, body changes due to childbirth/ menopause, complexion changes, lifestyle changes, maturity and last but not least - your preferences change. Therefore it is important to evolve with your style and not stay stuck in what you were wearing 10, 20 + years ago. Sometimes it's only a few tweaks that need to change, not your entire looks. Or a total re-style might be what is required.

For example, I for one like to cover my knees now as I don't particularly like my knees as I age and feel nicer in midi length or floor lengths which still represents my free spirited style. Mind you I have always loved and worn those lengths, but I have ditched the knee or above lengths. I can however still wear amazing colour and prints and I feel I will always have long hair well and truly into my more mature years, but the colours need to be right for my complexion.

There is no one size fits all for dressing stylishly as you age with each of us having different shapes, colouring, lifestyles and unique personalities.

The tip is to continue to evolve and do it in ways that compliment who you are NOW. That means letting go of the old and re-discovering fun new ways.

Toning down bright colours just because you are older is ridiculous if you love colours, they make you feel great and some still look amazing on you! It could be that the fluorescent green you wore in your 20's and 30's may not look as great on you in your 50's so instead you opt for emerald green to replace it. Having said that, the other day I met an 80 year woman who loves fluorescent green trainers and camisoles and she rocks it because it suits her vibrant, spritly personality.

Although it's ok to gain inspiration from the people in our lives, from people you admire in the public eye, from fashion brands and magazines, we do need to take caution with wanting to be who we are not.

Let's express our authentic selves in the ways that make us sparkle inside and out, no matter what age. And one of the best ways to do that is with our personal style.

However as we age, we also don't want to feel uncomfortable, look too bland or be a mismatch of mutton dressed as lamb. Or maybe you do? Evolving with your style means you do have to take into consideration the changes in your body and lifestyle and knowing what must go and what can stay.

Below are SIX simple tips on ways you can evolve with your style as you age.

Tips:

1) Edit your wardrobe frequently and ruthlessly. I continue to say this. No matter what your age, your wardrobe is the place that allows you to be expressive and creative. The items in your wardrobe need to reflect you. Let go of items you haven't worn for a while and know you won't wear again. Breath new life into your wardrobe by decluttering, purging and playing.

2) Keep images of yourself from over the years, save them in a library on your phone/computer and continue to refer to them just to check in to see if you are stuck from 20 years ago in the same style or slowly evolving. These are a good reminder on where you are heading and what needs to be tweaked.

Also save images of styles you love whether they are images of people who's style you admire or from magazines. Refer to these and notice if your current style is moving in the direction you are wanting.

3) Discover & accept the parts you love about your body and don't love. Be honest, we all have bits we don't like. Being positive body conscious is NOT loving every flaw - it's actually acknowledging the likes and dislikes, accepting what you have and dressing in clothing pieces that are flattering to you and make you feel lovely. Being body positive is wanting to maintain your body in good health, treating it as your 'temple' not as a commodity. The moment you stop obsessing with looking perfect, is the moment you have a positive attitude towards your ageing body.

4) Determine what colours you can still wear and embrace them - even if it's in the form of accessories or single items. Re-evaluate your colours every couple of years to see if certain colours no longer give you the wow factor, or whether you could introduce different ones to spice up your style.

TIP: The easiest way to determine the colours that work for you are to place the item up close to your face in natural light and with NO makeup. Best to do this in the morning. Take a photo if you like. Look in the mirror and you will see if this colour drains you or brightens your complexion. Now I want to make something clear; If the colour in question doesn't look good up close to your face yet you still love it - you can still wear it on the bottom half or as an accessory or shoes, but ensure it is not on the top half of you anywhere close to your face.

5) Lengths do matter: Regardless of me saying dress how you want, as you age certain lengths are not flattering anymore or just don't look stylish. For example midriff tops revealing scars, wrinkles, rolls may not be a good look when heading out for dinner with the girls. Even tops that sat at the waist may no longer be right. With an expanding waistline, the length of tops/blouses may need to lengthen a little and cover the hip. Or depending on your body shape & height, they tuck into trousers/skirts to add balance and not swamp you.

Skirt/dress hemlines may also need to lengthen/shorten a little to accomodate. Maybe that long maxi skirt or dress that once felt amazing is a little too long and a midi length is better suited or the retro mini skirt you loved wearing with knee high boots may need to go, or perhaps wearing opaque leggings under it does the trick. It's all about adapting and finding the right balance - and your tailor or stylist can become your best ally.

6) Experiment a little: As you age, you become more confident in who you are as you've spent enough years with yourself to know what ticks you off and what doesn't. With this, it's also the perfect opportunity to let go of old self beliefs and have fun with your style - to stand out in all the right ways and be visible. Not only experiment with different colours, styles, accessories, also look into different fashion brands you haven't tried before.

If you are unsure what evolving as you age would look like for you, then your best investment would be to enlist a stylist you trust who will set you on the right path. The right stylist will help draw out your personal authentic style and encourage you to be you. They want you to shine and feel confident.

About Me:?I'm a personal stylist based in Sydney, travel worldwide for my clients and if in person is not possible, I conduct virtual style consultations.?I help women and men to fearlessly?express their 'visual' voice?through their style. I have an innate intuition that allows me to see what you don't about yourself. You will see when we work together, it's more about discovering or re-discovering YOU. If you want to harness your creative flair and to stand out from the rest in your own unique way, let's chat about making some 'silent' noise with your style.?

You can read more about me?here?and follow me on?IG?@stylebygessica?where you will be inspired by my style curations to commence shifting your style boundaries and shake things up.?

Stay Stylish, and if you're not, I can help you Be!

Gessica