Fashion in your fifties: How to stay stylish

As you make your way past your forties and into your fifties, you may feel the need to do a wardrobe overhaul. Clothing that would have looked great in your thirties no longer holds the same magical qualities. Many women fear that becoming fifty means getting rid of fashion and fun for some elastic pants and bulky sweaters.Don't surrender your fashion sense yet. You can still look great and age appropriate with these tips.

Use Caution with Trends and Fads:

The super trendy clothes are often best saved for "twenty somethings" who are still experimenting with their style. Women in their fifties, who aren't quite ready to surrender their fashion sense yet (And you shouldn't be!), often make the mistake of assuming dressing young will keep you looking young. In actuality,shopping in the juniors department well into your fifties can work against your age.

■ Don't shopping in the ultra trendy juniors section. Clothes in the juniors section are made for girls with a completely different body type. Even if you're in tiptop shape, your body isn't the same as it was when you were twenty.

■ Just because you should stay away from some trends doesn't mean you can't cash in on what's hot this season. Most women's clothing stores or department will have asection dedicated to age appropriate trends. If you see a style in the juniors that you really like, then see if there is something similar in the section just for you.

■Accessories are a great way to stay fashionable without looking like your trying too hard. For example, belts and tights are big this year. You can still take advantage of these trends in moderation.

Buy Clothes that Fit:

Many women in their fifties make the mistake of trying to cover up their body. Your body is a testament to the path you've traveled for forty or fifty years, the last thing you want to do is wear over sized and frumpy clothes.

■ Stay away from over sized clothing. Over sized clothing meant to cover child bearing tummies or a few wrinkles in the neck area often draw attention to the wrongplaces, make you appear less confident in your body, and ultimately work against you.

■ Be proud of who you are and by clothing that fits. While I'm not suggesting you shop in the petite section if you're an average sized woman, I am suggesting you buy clothing that hugs you wear it should and leaves a little room where you need it.

Accessorize with Awareness:

Accessories offer a great way to add a little trend to your wardrobe without looking like your trying to look like you shop in the juniors department. They also have the ability to draw attention from areas that you find less than desirable.

■ Take advantage of accessories that lend them self to trends without being to "trendy.Accessorizing is a great way to stay moderately trendy without looking like your trying to be twenty again. For example, belts are really big this season and are a great way to experiment with what's popular but keep it age appropriate.

■ The key to accessorizing is finding a happy medium. Look in the mirror and study your outfit. If you are wearing a plain v-neck top that leaves your neck looking abit bare, wear a necklace. If the neckline of your shirt is a bit complicated or decked out with sequence and other embellishments, you may want to choose anice bracelet and a pair of earrings instead. Likewise, if you're wearing anextremely detailed necklace, you may want to stay away from long and danglingearrings.

■ Use accessories such as long necklaces that fall just about your chest to draw attention away from any wrinkles or excess skin in your neck.

Be Skin Savvy:

Unfortunately, the amount of skin that is acceptable to show decreases as your age increases. In your forties and fifties, it's no longer appropriate to wear shirt that show extreme amounts of cleavage or miniskirts that leave little to be imagined. Even if you have the perfect body, there is just a societal agreement that seems to say that the more mature you are the more sophisticated your expected to be.

■ When choosing skirts, it's a good idea to stay with length that fall no shorter than an inch or two above the knee. When choosing skirts that have slits up the sides, find something that doesn't go more than two or three inches up your thigh.

■ Practice common sense when choosing shirts. You don't need to replenish your closet with turtle necks but you should stay away from shirts that leave little to the imagination. When buying shirts, you may want to consider matching low plunging v-neck shirts with fun and flirty camisoles. This pairing keeps you fashionable yet sophisticated. A good way to decide if a shirt's neckline is to revealing is to look down. If you can see down your shirt easily chances are a taller college will be able to do say just as easily.

About the Author:

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