How to maximise your wardrobe

I recently showed you how I wore my new grey checked trousers as part of a trouser suit. If you missed it you can check it out here. I had a couple of comments on the length of these modern style trousers. In some ways I understand what you mean. Personally, I think that they are fine for the summer. They have a 2cm hem so I will probably lengthen them come the Autumn so that I can wear them with my ankle boots.

I am a great believer in maximising my wardrobe. I like to mix things up and wear individual pieces in different ways. So I decided to team the trousers from my suit with a plain white tee and a long line sleeveless gilet for a more casual look. I like the way the scarf blends with the colour scheme and at the same time adds a contrasting print. My M&S silver pumps (US link) adds a touch of bling.

I am a great fan of longline cardigans and sleeveless gilets. In my opinion, they are a great way to cover our bums and hips and create a continuous vertical line thus adding an illusion of height. If you are petite I would recommend choosing a shorter option. They lift an outfit from casual to smart casual and can be worn for work or play depending on how you accessorize them.

OTHER OPTIONS FOR SLEEVELESS GILETS/JACKETS:

SCARVES:

The photographs were taken in Barnes village by Laura Hines, follow her Instagram.

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

Mary says:

29th May 2018 at 15:10

I like that outfit, Josephine. You look great. Must confess I always wear a longline cardi over trousers and a white T shirt. I have to make sure of the length of the cardi as I am only 5 foot 1. It's there to hide my tummy : a problem you don't have!
Chicatanyage says:

29th May 2018 at 17:03

Hi Mary
I do have a bit of a tummy I can't wear anything too clingy round the middle these days.
Lynne Savage says:

29th May 2018 at 18:04

Lovely outfit and looks really comfy.
edebock says:

30th May 2018 at 01:41

I admit that I didn't care too much for those pants as part of the trouser suit, but this combination looks great! And I learned a new word... gilet! I had never heard it before, but as a lover of words I'm always delighted by a new one.
Sara says:

30th May 2018 at 15:14

I recently found a great website for scarves/pashminas: the pretty pash company. Think it is accessed via the Etsy website? I bought a beautiful bright yellow scarf/pashmina in cashmere at an extremely reasonable price; delivery was very quick, packaging lovely and quality superb especially as it was a perfect match to my yellow Cos sweater.I love it! Think it’s quite a small company but such good service and lovely items deserve publicity and anything that has good scarves is essential as I couldn’t agree more about their absolute necessity.
Chicatanyage says:

30th May 2018 at 18:24

Hi Sara

Thanks for letting me know. I could not find them on Etsy but I did find their site. They look nice and are very reasonably priced.

best wishes

Josephine