There came a time in my life when I simply was not stylish.  Not exactly frumpy, but not exactly stylish either.  I had been in the fashion business for many years, advising others on their special wedding attire, but here I was at 68 and my personal style had dropped into the gutter.  Almost.  Having just lost my husband, I felt like my life was spinning out of control.  Realizing that I needed to take control over something, and knowing that shopping always gave me pleasure, I decided to revamp my wardrobe.

 

This is what I did to revamp my wardrobe:

 

• The biggest help was Pinterest.  I started filling my “Fashion Board” with everything that caught my eye.  Boy, that was a lot of pins!!  But it helped me figure out what was “in” and discover which things I liked.  I found that I was drawn to simple, solid color clothes with slim lines.  And… 
• I signed up for Stitch Fix which really helped!  My Stitch Fix stylist sent me things I never would have picked out for myself!  And they looked good!  My best buy on Stitch Fix was a pair of Mavi high-rise skinny jeans in dark wash.  Here they are:                                                           

and on me…

---

 

I learned what my style was BEFORE I went shopping by

searching Pinterest and reading fashion blogs.

 

Now that I had a handle on the jeans, I could buy them anywhere I wanted as long as I remembered the lessons I had learned:

• A high waist makes for an ultra-flattering, slimming fit on women of all ages and sizes.  Just make sure they fit correctly.  They are jeans, not tights.  The high waist tends to hold in the tummy and, most importantly, avoid the “muffin top” look we all do our best to avoid, where our waist spills over the waistband of our jeans. Horrors!
• What color jeans to buy?  My personal preference is dark wash blue as I feel it lengthens the leg and is slimming.  Black is slimming as well and white is surprisingly flattering.  I don’t like the lighter blues, which to me are less flattering and more casual.  I also do not wear distressed jeans and I leave them to the younger gals.  

You can’t wear jeans all the time, of course.  I have purchased dress pants following the same rules I follow for purchasing jeans; fitted, high waist, and slim leg.  I love the “curvy fit” pants I found at Ann Taylor; a little extra room in the hip, and tapered or skinny in the leg.  Perfect!  I have these in black and in white.

                                    You can buy similar pants in many shops now.

 

What to wear on top?

So many options for tops!  I bought tee shirts!  I had never felt comfortable in them before, but I discovered V neck tee shirts which are so much more flattering and comfortable! Long sleeve blouses, camis in all colors and turtleneck sweaters all found their way into my closet.  I can wear them all under my great blazers, which I now have in black and white.  An important thing to mention is that I wear all my tops untucked, not even a half-tuck.  The tucked-in look is very unflattering on me!

For color, I love neutrals; white, black, navy and gray.  For a burst of color, a great option is a brightly colored camisole. And maybe a scarf.  My go-to outfit for a night out is my skinny jeans, a cami, and a blazer.  Maybe pearls, I always feel elegant in pearls.

One more thing…

When you put something on that looks unflattering, for heaven’s sake, do not put it back into the closet!  Have a “donate box” ready at all times.  Also, the great thing about being this age is that no one can tell us what to wear.  We’re euphemistically called “interesting.” We can really get away with anything.  While my style is decidedly understated, yours may be wild and free!  Go ahead and find your style!