What to Wear at 50+ five key tips

Knowing what to wear is a frequent dilemma for women fifty plus (for women of all ages, in fact!). Maybe  the clothes that suited you a few years ago, no longer look right. Maybe the high street shop where you used to find clothing has closed down. Maybe your lifestyle has changed, you have new interests and social get togethers and need outfits for different occassions.

Fashion is all about change, with new styles reaching stores every few months (sometimes even weeks).  Yet the colours and styles that are 'on trend' may not suit you, or feel right for you. On the other hand, you don't want to be stuck in a rut and just wearing the same stuff that you have worn for years because it feels 'safe' and comfortable. Furthermore, you hair colour, skin tone and body shape may have changed over the years which can be a prompt to experiment with new styles and colours. 

This blog post features key aspects of what to wear, along with some tips. I'm not a fashion expert of professional stylist therefore these tips are things I experimented with (sometimes over several years). Perhaps they will be helpful to you too, or you could adapt them so they match your needs and tastes.  

1. Make Small Changes

A total overhaul of your wardrobe or revamping your look is probably going to be too much. Indeed, you could end up feeling overwhelmed. Taking smaller steps to changing what you wear will be more effective. Youl could begin with something that is easy to change and doesn't involve spending vast amounts of money. A good place to start would be accessories, such as buying a new scarf, brooch or hat. These items can really update plain or classic pieces such as a white shirt or navy blazer. You could experiment with different coloured scarves and see what works well with your hair colour and skin tone. 

A brooch or hat can also add interest to a plain jumper or jacket. A brooch can also be pinned to a hat for extra interest!

colourful scarves can add a touch of vibrancy to your outfit.

a striking brooch can add interest to a plain outfit

2. Where to buy new clothes

With the rise of online shopping many familiar high street clothing stores have disappeared (such as Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Principles). The high street and large shopping centres often have well-known clothes stores such as Marks and Spencers, Primark and New Look. Whilst Marks and Spencer's does have a wide range of clothing, Primark and New Look focus on fashion for younger women. There is not a dedicated high street store for mature ladies  (if there is such a shop in your area please get in touch and pass on the information). 

Marks and Spencer's is still a good option for buying new clothes as they have a comprehensive clothing range, so there will be clothing to suit most ages and styles.

Online shopping offers a wide choice and there are some online clothing stores aimed at women fifty and above, click links below for some examples... 

J D Williams

Lily Ella collection

Some of you may remember Damart, the clothing company that was famous for thermal vests? Well, Damart has had a style overhall and is now promoting fashionable clothing for mature ladies click link to Damart.

My first forays into online shopping were overwhelming because there was just too much choice...so see next item for some tips on searching for clothing online.

3. Choice - be specific

At first, I was reluctant to try online shopping because when shopping on the high street you can see and feel the fabric of the clothing you would like to buy. During the UK lockdowns when non-essential shops were closed, shopping online became necessary. 

Shopping online has many advantages such as items are delivered to your door and you can try them on at home and post them back if they are unsuitable. Yet when I first began shopping online I became overwhelmed by the amount of choice available. For example, imagine you want a white t-shirt (a staple, classic item), you could buy ribbed, skinny, straight, classic cut t-shirts, v neck, cowl neck, polo, long-sleeve, short-sleeve, three quarter sleeves or a t-shirt made from sustainable cotton.  I'm sure you know this already, or have discovered this through trial and error - it is helpful to be specific when searching for items to cut out lots of scrolling through pages of options. For instance, searching for navy cotton petite trousers narrows the search.  Searching according to your budget is also another way to limit the results you see on screen.

4. What to wear and when to wear it

Deciding what to wear depends on many factors, the weather, seasons and occassion. In the UK the weather is so changeable that wearing layers of clothing is often the best option. The day might start of bright and sunny, the afternoon becomes cooler and then heavy rain in the evening - so you need to be prepared by either taking items of clothing off, or putting on more clothes. 

At the time of writing this blog post, it is almost the end of August. In the UK, this is an in-between time when it is often still warm enough to wear summer clothing but increasingly the days are becoming cooler. High street stores are now starting to showcase their Autumn collection  so the next few weeks will be a good time to start investing in a winter coat and boots. 

Knowing what to wear depends on where you are going: shopping, lunch with a friend, the theatre, a party, exercising - so outfits are needed for each of these occassions. Often this is where I slip up, after wearing faded jeans and muddy trainers around the local park, I will be too lazy to change and venture into the city centre where my outfit looks scruffy. (note to self, need to try harder and make an effort!!!)

5. Confidence

You can feel dissatisfied with your appearance or unsure what suits you  becauseof a lack of confidence. Perhaps you are overlooking the years of experience you can draw upon. You are probably well aware of the clothing that doesn't suit you (this maybe a particular colour, fabric, pattern or cut), so you can eliminate them from your online shopping searches straight away. For instance, I love pink but cannot wear this colour well, due to my colouring. Though I can add pink to my outfits through accessories such as a bag, or earrings. 

To build your confidence start with making the small changes mentioned earlier. Making these small changes and feeling confident about them will help you build up to other changes as well. 

Experiment - buy something you wouldn't normally wear from an online store, try it on at home and if you don't like it you can return it. 

Enjoy your experiments in trying new styles and colours.