We asked Annabel over at Annabel & Grace to share with us her tips on ‘fashion for the over 50’s. Rather than give us advice on how to cover up our declining assets, Annabel is encouraging us to embrace our age – be brave, be bold, be beautiful!
When we began our Annabel & Grace blog, 11 years ago, we were 50 somethings, with lots of stereotypical worries and concerns about turning 60.
Now firmly in our seventh decade and loving it, we are big supporters of recent evidence that old age brings happiness, intellect and even better sex.
We take positivity seriously – goodness knows we all need some after the year we’ve all had. Our blog has since grown into an online magazine where we share all that we have learned about getting older and how to improve our lives with as many over 50’s as possible.
What to wear has been an age-old question and as we get older, fashion can become even more of a conundrum. We want to look nice but often our changing shape and lifestyle can make us question our choices. When Age Space asked us to write something about fashion for the over 50’s we leapt at the opportunity as we want women to embrace their age and not hide from it.
Let’s start with our go to retailers.
Great Brands for Over 50's Fashion
We love the accessibility of high street fashion from stores like Marks & Spencer, Oliver Bonas and The White Company where you can pick up some affordable classic pieces.
For quality pieces try online retailers such as Boden, Woolovers and Me+Em.
We love discovering new micro-brands too, like the glorious Meg & Bee’s handbag collection and ethical retailers with an eye on sustainability like Everlane. We’ve all got to do our bit to help!
Fashion is very personal and when you get to our age, you know what suits you and you are not dictated to by the current trends. However, we can also get stuck in a fashion rut and sometime we need a little inspiration. When we are scrolling through social media, we often find pictures of women that inspire us to give our own style wardrobe a bit of a shake-up. If you’re on Instagram, give these women a follow for some daily fashion inspiration.
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Some of Our favourite Examples of Over 50's Fashion
Instagram is one of the best places to pick up some fashion inspiration from some inspirational women! Read some of our top style tips for the over 50’s.
Add Some Sparkle with Accessories & Make-Up
Photographer Susie Lang’s Instagram page showcases real women aged 60-95 that show inner beauty, ageing, wrinkles and life experience.
This particular lady (artfulcitystyle) has matched her earrings to her lipstick and her multi-coloured jacket. By drawing one’s eye to the earrings and lips, she immediately exudes vitality and fun. She is both bold and beautiful.
Who Said Jumpsuits or Leopard Print are Only for the Young?
Scandinavian Instagrammer, Elisabet shows that style is not reserved just for the young. Elisabet has got style in bucketloads. She has a fabulous figure and enhances it showing she has good legs and still has a waist. For more stylish fashion tips from someone full of life and fun follow Elisabet on Instagram.
Be Empowered by Style
Here’s another beautiful woman empowering women to age with intention + style. Her Instagram page, A Year in Style is all about fashion, interiors, lifestyle and beauty.
An outfit does not need to be matchy-matchy to make it look good.
I love this picture because this lady looks effortlessly stylish. She has combined casual, frayed jeans and flatform brogues with a dressier blouse and coat. Note there is a cacophony of colours going on here, but it all comes together beautifully. This is one of the most difficult styles to achieve, and it takes confidence to carry it off. I would never have thought of wearing a pink blouse under the gold coat, but the blouse is similar to wearing a statement necklace, it adds a pop of colour.
Double Denim Rocks!
Denim is always in fashion, but too much can be overkill, or so the fashion pundits tell us. However, this lady has nailed the look. There is a difference between the denim colour of her jeans to the rest of the outfit. However, it’s the pink wash hair that has given this outfit the real final endorsement!
Willemijn has an Instagram page called and.bloom and her statement on growing older reads: “I have no problem with growing older, I love my life. I also don’t feel my age, and honestly, I think it is a mindset; if you feel positive about ageing, you age in a positive way. Besides that, there are so many great and beautiful things to live for.”
Hoorah – we endorse that statement!
Summer Style
We love a simple floral dress and the above look is so easy to achieve. A full-length maxi dress with ankle boots and a cropped jacket.
Instagrammer, Sophie Van de Vyver, dresses in a very feminine way and there are many pictures of her styling florals in various ways. She knows the colours that she looks good in which is important as understanding your colour range is a big step to getting your fashion look right. If you’re lacking fashion confidence, we’d highly recommend getting your colours done with a stylist, a quick search online will reveal some experts in your area. What suited us in our 40’s might not work as well in our 50’s, so it’s worth the investment.
You don’t be a slave to fashion. Even if fashion pundits are pushing bright colours and you know that you only suit pastels, steer away from the neon’s.
I like the way Sophie has styled this outfit for the picture; it shows how we can take a colour that we would not suit in a whole outfit but use it as a highlight, which Sophie has done with her khaki jacket.
These are all women over 50, and I think most are over 60 who have made me think outside my rather conservative style box.
And remember to count your lucky stars - growing old is great, when you consider the alternative. For more fashion inspiration for women over 50 go to the Annabel and Grace online magazine.
Annabel is a co-founder of Annabel and Grace, an online upbeat, positive and pro-age magazine.
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