How to dress well Adapt your wardrobe

You need not lose your sense of style as you get older.

Practising style doesn’t equal buying loads of new stuff. Endless consumerism doesn’t make anyone happy (or stylish).

Previous seasons clothes and items you love are perfect for practising with. Let us discuss dressing the best we can whatever our budgets may be.

Shop for your lifestyle, which may well have changed over the last few years. If you are going through a transition period this may mean taking one step at a time to get yourself ready for a stylish year.

Try mixing up the pieces you already own and working out which accessories complement your favourite outfits. Think about what colours coordinate well together. Bearing in mind that the current trend is to be braver and to combine colours that you might not have tried previously.

Understanding the colours that go together and suit your complexion and the silhouettes that work for your body shape are paramount. Fit and comfort are also extremely important

Taking inspiration from the first collage I intend to wear both my leather biker jacket and my green parka over my M&S blue print dress ((How I wore it last Autumn). If I want to add a touch of bright colour I will add my Hope wool jacket.

New season print dresses:

These three coats/jackets will definitely be transitioning with me into Spring 2018. My pale pink Mango coat will look good with a pair of white trousers and a simple tee shirt. I can see my leather coat over a simple sweater in this seasons “lilac”. I might try the red print jacket with a pair of light denim jeans.

You need not lose your sense of style as you get older. You don’t need a different look or outfit every day just ring the changes with accessories and shoes.

Current season leather biker jackets:

Current season parkas:

Are there any unusual combinations you have tried recently?

Chicatanyage

I write a fashion and beauty blog for women over 50 with the aim of inspiring mature women to continue to enjoy and have fun with their fashion choices. I have spent most of my working life in some way connected to fashion. I started my career in Fashion PR and then trained as an Image Consultant when my children were young. I subsequently worked in the corporate world running seminars, doing private coaching and speaking at conferences. I started my blog in 2009 as I wanted to share my years of experience working in the world of fashion. I truly believe we can continue to have confidence in the way we present ourselves. Our style may evolve with time and changing lifestyles, yet with a little knowledge and inspiration, we can all continue to have fun with fashion. As women of a certain age we are a growing demographic let us prove that we can also be a chic one.

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View Comments

Brigitte Aubrey says:

2nd March 2018 at 14:39

Dear Josephine,
I am afraid you are giving me too many good ideas! I'm constantly looking at and buying new things I like on you. However, I have and always had items I have been wearing for many years like some good quality jackets, dresses or shoes with high-er heels which I can only wear out of the car into the restaurant. That way they'll last me forever.
Keep it up! I love it.
Mary says:

2nd March 2018 at 15:32

Josephine, do you think there is a "cut-off" point when one should not wear a leather jacket because of age......mine!
- Chicatanyage says:
  
  2nd March 2018 at 16:58
  
  In answer to your question "no I don't think so" however you need to wear a leather jacket with confidence and attitude. I can think of quite a few older women who still wear leather jackets well such as AgnesB and Jane Birken to name a couple.
  - MaureenC says:
    
    3rd March 2018 at 08:35
    
    I’ve seen lots of women across Europe from Scandanavia to the Mediterranean wearing leather jackets with style at all ages. Josephine you’re right it is absolutely about confidence and attitude so Mary borrow a friend’s jacket go to a social event and see how you feel. If you love it as much as I do then get one (or like me wait for the sales!) if you don’t love how you feel then it’s not for you, but that should always be the case.
- Catherine Drake says:
  
  4th March 2018 at 19:49
  
  Mary I’m 60 and have several leather jackets, different colours from blush pink to black! I love them so figure why should age stop me from wearing them?
- Kathleen Ludgate says:
  
  4th March 2018 at 22:51
  
  I am 70 and wear my leather jackets all the time...with jeans, slacks, skirts and occr with a dress.
Chicatanyage says:

3rd March 2018 at 10:27

HI Maureen
I got my leather jacket in the sales. It is one item of clothing that I think needs to be good quality. The leater needs to be soft. The really cheap versions I don't think would look great on us mature women. I saved up for ages to buy mine,
- Mary says:
  
  4th March 2018 at 12:54
  
  Thank you Josephine and Maureen. You are right: confidence and attitude needed. Actually they will take you anywhere!
  I have a lovely soft leather jacket languishing in the wardrobe, and gazelle skins from my late sister's vintage Balmain suede coat which I was thinking of having made into a garment for me. Even the latter would be no good without my changing my attitude towards leather! Would make a nice handbag though!!