Looking Good in Later Life 19
                                                2002

How not to look like mutton dressed as lamb..

Jeanne Davis offers fashion advice to women of a certain age 

“As I get older, my shape seems to change. The styles that looked so great aren’t as flattering any more. What do I do?”

Thickening waistline, protruding tummy, flatter buttocks, flabbier upper arms - fashion designers do not address the challenges of ageing. High Street fashion is even worse - mini skirts, skimpy tops are only for the young and slim.

But don’t give up. Take a critical look in the mirror and analyse what is happening  to your body. Forget the sylph-like nymph of your twenties. You can dress with just as much flair and flattery if you adjust your fashion sense and follow a few guidelines.

It’s not about following the fashion trends. It’s about dressing to flatter you. Here are some do’s and don’ts…  

•      Don’t go near the little slip dress you see on the stick-thin mannequins in the High Street shop windows. They are not for the mature body no matter how skinny. Very few of us look good in styles that flaunt naked arms or shapes that cling to the tummy.

•      Do look for styles with sleeves. Try on jackets with set-in sleeves and a straight line from shoulder to hip bone or longer. A rounded back instantly looks straighter, heavier shoulders are slimmed down. If you must buy a T-shirt, go for the set-in sleeve and the v-neck and a cut that skims not clings. Classic tailored shirts that skim the waist look elegant and can be worn outside trousers. A shirt tucked into  trousers emphasises a protruding tummy.

•             Don’t choose trousers with side pockets that stick out. They emphasise the hips. Go for the smooth hip, fine skimming fabrics and the slimming straight leg.

•      No mini skirts. No matter how great your legs. The most flattering skirt length is just below the knee wherever you can find a narrow part. A just above the ankle length skirt may suit you as well. Try it on.

•      No calf-length skirts gathered at the waist.  Tummies look bigger.

•      Go for one colour top to bottom. This effect lengthens your shape and takes the eye away from the middle-age spread. You can spice up the one colour look with an eye-catching piece of jewellery or soft scarf, interesting  shoes or boots.

•      Don’t try to hide your thicker body in a shapeless muumuu. You’ll look even more like a balloon. And don’t slop around all day in track suits. Save them for your daily morning walk or gym.

•      Layered clothing, as long as it is thin and unbulky, helps float over that tum.

•      Long sleeves can be see-through (black is very flattering) - better than sleeveless dresses.

•      Underpinnings. A good bra is crucial as it moulds the scaffolding for what comes next. When was the last time you had a fitting? Your boobs have changed and so should the old faithful you’ve worn for years. Go for a bra that lifts but not necessarily separates. Investigate the new ‘minimiser’bras. Avoid the push-up styles that can create an overspill instead of the desired cleavage. Always buy where there is a fitter to advise you.

•      There is a huge variety of lingerie on sale nowadays. Check out the bum-shapers, high-waist knickers, underwear that smooths and doesn’t create bulges.

•      And speaking of scaffolding, do try Pilates, an exercise system that will straighten your spine, square your shoulders and lengthen your body by at least an inch. Clothes will look so much better on your now restored youthful frame.

 Instant face lifts

• Do review your make-up. Many of us are still using the same products we used ten or more years ago. The skin does change tone and colour. Get advice from an knowledgeable beautician.

• Do think about what your wear close to your face. Pearls – two or three strands, larger the better – give a glow. Velvet, too.

• Hats. We forgot about hats when the bouffant hair become the “new look.”  Try some on again. Not the oversized buckets women put on for weddings.  Think smaller and more casual, the softer cloche with a brim, the trilby. Look at yourself in a mirror with a hat and without. Notice how hats flatter the shape of your face and remove years.

It’s time to review

• Colours. With age, skin tone and hair colour change. The colours you always thought suited you best may not do the most for you anymore. It’s time to experiment When you go shopping choose something different, Hold it up against your face. See whether it “picks you up.”  You may be surprised. That deep rust or bold red that you said you “could never wear” may now light up your eyes and skin.

•       Some of us years ago had a colour analysis, spurred by the book “Colour Me Beautiful.” You may find it worthwhile to be analysed again. Shopping is much less tedious if you can let your eye skim the racks and spot the colours that you know are right for you.

•        Hair. Are you still wearing the same style that you’ve always said suits you best? It’s time to experiment with a new cut.  And review both the condition of your hair and the colour. 

Tips for free 

Trinny Woodall of the Trinny & Susannah TV fashion series offers this advice to the Laterlife woman.  “Study what Judy Dench and Maggie Smith wear. And Joanna Lumley. Their sense of style for their changing bodies is appealing and elegant.” 

The Queen got out of her fashion rut when she appeared in a well-cut trouser suit recently. She looked taller and slimmer, far younger than when encased in her matronly dresses. 

Remember. Keep experimenting with new looks and colours. Fashion is fun.

Previous editions of Looking Good in laterlife 

Edition 1 (including a visit to Estee Lauder)

Edition 2 (including a visit to Clarins)

Edition 3 (including a visit to Medestea Internazionale

Edition 4 (including a visit to Martha Hill Skincare)

Edition 5 (including a visit to Harrods)

Edition 6 (Including a visit to Belgravia Centre)

Edition 7 (Including a visit to Vichy Laboratoire)

Edition 8 (Including a visit to Avene Spa)

Edition 9 (Including fashion tips)

Edition 10 eyebrows, eyelashes, sun and skin

Edition 11 (Including a visit to Lasercare Clinics)

Edition 12 - Lasercare Clinics offer their expertise on common skin conditions

Edition 13 - Ageing skin in the new millennium

Edition 14 - A visit to Helen Sher

Edition 15 -  More from Helen Sher and Lasercare Clinics

Edition 16  A visit to Champneys London Clubs

Edition 17 - Seeking Cosmetic Surgery

Edition 18 -  Does hair dye cause cancer    

laterlife.com occasionally visits one of the great cosmetic houses, up-and-coming beauty collections or other organisations of interest to the more mature visitor.

Edition 1 Estee Lauder

Edition 2 Clarins

Edition 3 Medestea Internazionale

Edition 4 Martha Hill Skincare

Edition 5 Harrods
Edition 6 The Belgravia Centre

Edition 7 Vichy Laboratoire

Edition 8 Avene Spa  

Edition 11 Lasercare Clinics

Edition 14 - Helen Sher

Edition 16  A visit to Champneys London Clubs    

Don't forget to take a look at the rest of the features sections of laterlife.com:

laterlife interest containing a variety of articles of interest for visitors to laterlife.com written by a number of experienced and new journalists.

It includes both one off articles and also regular columns of a more specialist nature such as healthwise  and talkback

Also don't forget to take a look at our regular IT question and answer section called YoucandoIT by IT trainer and author Jackie Sherman.

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