ShareThisBy JUDIE SCHWARTZ and EVELINDA URMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Style Matters: Last week we wrote about the increasingly difficult dilemma women face when trying to dress their age, but still look current. With clothing styles skewing younger and younger, what's a woman of a certain age to do?
Denise Snyder, owner of the Mariel boutique in Denver, advises her customers that "the most important technique is layering your clothing. Cropped jackets and sweaters are great because they cover up spaghetti straps, arms and cleavage."
She also suggests wearing foundation garments under the newer styles. "They work great as liners, smooth everything down and really help when wearing these body-conscious styles," Snyder said.
Kathy King, owner of the Denver boutique, Barbara & Company, says: "It's tempting when you see something so cute to just buy it and not realize it's too young for you, especially some of the baby doll looks. Clothes should skim the body, not hug the body, when you are a certain age."
King recommends finishing the look with accessories. Her tip for how to wear a belt: When you are belting over the top of a pair of pants, the belt should be higher in the back and lower in the front for a more flattering look.
Judie: After speaking with the experts, Style Matters came up with these guidelines:
1. If you are frequently raiding your teenage daughter's closet, you might be dressing too young.
2. Older women should stay away from bright, garish colors and choose richer muted tones.
3. Shop with a saleswoman who looks well put together and is close to your age. She can help you achieve a total look appropriate to you.
4. Look at lines by Dana Buchman, Eileen Fisher, Ellen Tracy, Jones New York, Yansi Fugel, Zelda and Nanette Lepore, to mention a few, that are popular at better department stores and higher-end boutiques. These designers make clothing that is fashionable, but not too trendy, perfect for the older woman who wants to look current. If your budget doesn't allow for these designers, mimic the look by studying the clothes and then buy more reasonably priced versions at stores like J.C. Penney's, Sears, and Kohl's.
5. Try adding a jacket or blazer to your outfit to "age" it up.
6. Showcase the parts of your body that you think still look good. Actress Salma Hayek, 40, said in a recent interview in Harper's Magazine, "You try to hide the not-so-good and show off the good stuff." For Hayek that means displaying loads of cleavage. For many women that means legs.
7. Hair and makeup need to be stylish. Long gray hair and no makeup emphasize your age. At the same time long blond hair extensions can remind people of how you once looked. Not a great idea.
8. Use accessories to stay current. Once you've defined your look, use accessories to express your style, instead of dressing trendy head to toe. Re-think your accessories and consider adding hats, scarves and gloves along with the usual purses and shoes.
9. Keep words like "refined" in your mind. When shopping ask yourself: "Can I see a teenager wearing this outfit?" If the answer is yes, walk away, however sad or nostalgic you might feel.
10. Invest in the classics. Mix and match inexpensive, more trendy clothing with the classics.
For example, pair a gorgeous Tahari jacket with Gap jeans.
Style Matters: It's a fine line between looking like mutton dressed as lamb (Nicollette Sheridan in "Desperate Housewives" ) or looking appropriately stylish (news anchor Katie Couric.).
(Judie Schwartz and Evelinda Urman write on corporate office wear and the art of personal style. E-mail them at stylematters(at)comcast.net.)
