HOW TO DRESS FOR YOUR AGE
I have read many magazine articles giving advice on how to dress in each decade of your adult life. These articles may tell you to dress in a more classic and sober style as you age, or show you how to create the illusion of a waist in your middle years. If you do not suit a classic style, or have a figure type with a less defined waist, such advice will be no help whatsoever.
It is my firm belief that what will suit you depends on the clothing style you will have throughout your life. You may need to tone things down a little as you get older to avoid looking like ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ and skirt and sleeve lengths or necklines may need to be adjusted, but what you wear should always reflect your personality. What suits you may be completely different from what will suit someone else of the same age.
The four basic clothing styles are:-
Classic
This is a neat, symmetrical, fairly severe style. Hair can be scraped back from the face completely, with no strands free to soften the look. If this style is for you, you will look sophisticated; if not, it will look and feel boring.
Natural
If you feel your most sexy in a pair of jeans with frayed edges, Birkenstocks and a T-shirt, with little or no make-up and casual hair, then this is a strong element in your clothing type. Naturals suit natural fabrics and are uncomfortable in clothes they have to think about too much.
Girly
Girly types suit pretty, delicate clothing and accessories. Hair and make-up should be soft and feminine. Small frills, floral prints, broderie anglaise and sparkles will appeal. This is a pretty, rather than a sassy look and large prints or jewellery will be overpowering.
Dramatic
There are many different ways to be dramatic; you may have an arty, severe or very dressy look. All women with this clothing type suit asymmetry and individual, unusual clothes and accessories. It is a bold look and hair should have a definite style.
It is empowering to know your clothing style. Often we look at another woman and wonder why we don’t look good in the type of outfit that looks amazing on her. Realizing that she has a totally different clothing style and would not suit the outfits in which you look your best is a great confidence booster.
Most women can wear a combination of two or three clothing styles and most of your outfits will reflect this. For example, you may wear a very classic dress with girly or dramatic shoes or jewellery. What is important is to know how strong each element is for you: should the style be worn as an accent only, or can you go the whole hog and wear it from head to toe if you wish? You also need to know which styles you should avoid completely in order to look your best. One you have worked these things out, shopping will be much easier and you will feel more able to use your look to express your personality.
With this advice in mind, do be aware that our bodies change as we age and you may need to cover up a little more. Even if your legs have always been your best feature, there will come a time when skirts should not be worn above the knee; if you wear belts to emphasize your slim waist, remember that it is likely to thicken gradually and you will need to adjust your style accordingly.
It is a good idea to reassess your look every five years, to ensure that your face and clothes are in harmony. If you look in a mirror and find that your head looks older than your body, changes will need to be made. When you are sixteen you can get away with a lot: styles and shapes that are not your best can still look quite good. The older you get, the more true to yourself your style needs to be to ensure that you will always look your best.
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