Feeling Overwhelmed? Get back to the Basics.
Recently, I got the chance to have dinner with a dear friend, who I have known for twenty years through life's ups and downs. We love to talk about nutrition, exercise, weight and clothes, and this night was no different. However, when the conversation of clothes emerged, we did not have any tips to share! We laughed at this before pausing….were we becoming.. gasp… "dumpy?"
The inevitable return of fall makes most of us think more about cooking nightly dinners, eating better, exercising more, and establishing a healthy routine that sticks. But in reality, what worked six months ago may not work now, and what worked well ten years ago really won't work either. Aging requires us to make adjustments in our eating and exercise habits and honoring where we are, not where we should be or where we were.
So, shouldn't this be the same for how we approach our style?
I began to give our dinner conversation some thought and realized that during the past five years, I have found several occasions where I have zero ideas about what to wear or what looks good on me. I facetime my sisters for advice, but, sadly, things have gone from fair to not so fair during COVID. We all agree that retail therapy seems indulgent and self-oriented. We have relied on the "oldie but goodies," and I know to look past my daughter’s cringe at what I am wearing.
So, this fall when we are rethinking our nutrition, why not also rethink what you are wearing? (personally, only my dog will be disappointed when I switch up my dog walking clothes for my booties) I am not a stylist, (ah-hem my daughter will gladly tell me that), but here some ideas I gathered together to get us going:
Know your wardrobe. It will help create a plan for what you may need, and you will feel lighter by getting rid of the "old." Go through accessories, hang necklaces, and weed through it, so you can see what you need.
Go back to your basics, but don't be basic. If dark jeans and tops were your go-to, wear them but update by getting the right fit. (and note: not all jeans fit the same way, so you have to try them on.) My favorite is AG, but Shopbop carries several brands to explore.
Buy a good black blazer, with a single breast button. Get it tailored, fix the sleeves, and you will immediately feel more put together. Add a pop of color underneath the blazer to change up the look.
Embrace the shapewear. The secret is out; most women do, so go ahead and embrace the brace. Clothes will fall better, and you will feel more put together.
Joggers and leggings are not pants! They are adequate for the dog walking or on a weekend afternoon in winter, but it's a slippery slope when we chose them day in and day out.
I am sure there are plenty of other rules to follow, and I, too, am guilty of not following some of the above. Its time to look at how we dress in our 50s and acknowledge that there needs to be a shift, just like how we approach our understanding of nutrition and exercise with our next stage. With age comes some wisdom, and I think we all know that the daisy dukes could use a walk out the door!
If you are interested in feeling your best during this next stage in your life, contact me here and I would love to get you started.
