Secrets of Stylish Aging: Transcend Fashion and Embrace Signature Style 

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The secret of stylish aging: embrace your own style. As women navigate different stages of life, growing in self-knowledge should mean getting dressed becomes easier. Your wardrobe should increasingly reflect your Signature Style. If you are ready to start on your Signature Style journey, visit my Your Journey page to see how we can work together.

You can get started on your journey by taking my Style Personality Quiz. 

Iris Apfel: the Epitome of Stylish Aging

Today I have tips on growing in style as we age, inspired by the life of Iris Apfel, whose style transcended fashion.

On request of a podcast listener, and in consideration of the world losing the fabulous Iris Apfel recently, today I’m talking about aging without losing YOUR style. In my philosophy, this shouldn’t really be a thing because signature style is based on self-knowledge and the self-discovery journey is the journey of a lifetime. In other words, as you age, you should expect to grow increasingly stylish and in this article I give you some practical how-tos!

Secrets of Stylish Aging

Here are some principles for those of us who want to grow increasingly stylish as we age:

  1. Discover your Style DNA and use it to steer your style. The elements of Style DNA:
    1. D: your visual design. This includes your best proportions, silhouettes, colors, textures, and more. Alot of this remains constant through life, but some things will change. More on that in a bit.
    2. N: your lifestyle needs. What activities are you getting dressed for?
    3. A: your essential aesthetic. This is the sense of beauty that connects to the essence of who you are. It is right and good for you to both like different things now because you are growing AND also have elements that remain constant throughout your life.
  2. Keep an eye on things that change as you age:
    1. Use of color.
      1. Don’t wear only neutrals or you may find yourself feeling invisible (although, believe me, I understand there are days when you want to be invisible!). Instead, find and embrace the colors that complement your skin tone; this can change as you age. You don’t have to go granny pink. There are sophisticated color palettes, including rich jewel tones, muted neutrals, and timeless classics like navy and burgundy that work if pastels aren’t your jam.
      2. Has it been a good, long time since you’ve had your colors done? Were there only four options for a color palette when you had your colors done? If so, things have changed alot since then and you should consider revisiting
    2. Contrast. If you change your hair color, either going softer as many women do when they find their coloring softening, or allowing it to go natural, or whatever you do, you need to reevaluate the level of contrast you use in your outfits. For example, a person with very dark skin whose hair was once also dark but now it is white has suddenly gone from low contrast to high and can match that level of contrast in her outfits.
    3. Silhouette. Your vertical proportions are unlikely to change as you age, so if you liked knee-length dresses when you were thirty that will probably remain consistent. Overall silhouette does sometimes change but this is also not very common. If you find the clothes you own not fitting you anymore, let’s take a fresh look at your silhouette and find the best style lines for your current body.
  3. Prioritize Comfort. I believe everyone has a right to feel comfortable in their clothes! Here are some considerations to keep in mind:
    1. Choosing fabrics: choose natural fibers for breathability and stretch fabrics for movement
    2. Fit: Proper fit will ensure your outfits look polished, which is always stylish. and never wear your clothing too big. If you have to, invest in professional tailoring to make sure  your clothing fits and you look put-together.
    3. Styles: Don’t be afraid of elastic waist pants, they are no longer considered granny.
    4. Footwear: Use level of refinement to match your footwear to your outfit, regardless of heel height. What I mean by level of refinement is like a scale from rustic to refined. With a ball gown, wear bejeweled satin ballet slippers, for example. And/or, if your footwear choices are limited due to foot issues, just embrace it and find a way to make it part of your signature style. You can borrow a page from our VP’s look and wear Chucks with everything.

There really is no reason you can’t expect to look amazing as you age. You are becoming increasingly who you are and it’s the work of a lifetime.

What I Want for You Even More Than Stylish Aging

What I want most for you is for you to be confident in who you are and to share your gifts with the world. We need you! As you think about growing older – it beats the alternative! – what would you like your style to be like? Maybe grab a cuppa and just think for a moment.