JoJami here, just back from the Eat it Make it Grow food festival in Culver City, California.
It’s always a challenge to try to find something to wear on the weekends and there is no better place than Los Angeles to people watch and see what the hip cool ladies are sporting when dressing casual.
Had to share with you a few of the stand outs today as I walked around this outdoor event that brought out the local foodies as well as these fabulous after 40 gals:
Veronica was staying cool while looking hot!
Veronica (age 51) was rocking her strapless top and khaki pants! What made her stand out was the way she pulled it all together:
Here is how she did it:
She likes quality accessories and so was wearing this gorgeous necklace right from one of her favorite Beverly Hills stores, Victorian Rose.
Of course you know I was loving her fedora (see more on that here).
Her oversized straw bag was purchased at another local fair.
Her gorgeous flat sandals were from another Beverly Hills boutique called Madison.
Nancy (age 48) was out with her family and teenage daughter. I was certainly impressed that she was looking so lovely in her Trina Turk white cotton dress, Michael Kors handbag and J.Crew nude wedges.
This Michael Kors handbag gave her outfit a more casual air
Looking for a simple way to go from Frumpy to Fabulous after 40? Simply add a great necklace.
Whether it’s a subtle accent or a giant statement piece, a beautiful necklace frames your face and completes your look.
But getting just the right necklace takes some thought.
Here are 5 Do’s and Donts to help you look like a knockout in a necklace.
1. Don’t Wear a Necklace that is Too Tiny
Too plain This bold jacket and matching top is a lovely, fresh color, but overall it looks a little too plain and bare without jewelry.
Too tiny Add a traditional, delicate, tiny gold necklace, and it still doesn’t look right. The necklace is dated and looks lost on the neck.
Just Right Instead try adding a fuller necklace to fill in the open space. A fuller necklace is more modern and it is more suited to the crispness and weight of this jacket. Also, because this necklace is a mix of gold, cream and silver beads, it nicely picks up on the large cream and silver button on the jacket.
2. Don’t Wear a Necklace that Competes with your Top
Too overpowering Big round gold link necklaces may be in fashion, but that doesn’t mean they go with everything. This necklace is much too contemporary, geometric and bold for this soft, flowing Grecian top with its smooth, draped fabric.
Too distracting It might be tempting to wear this gorgeous top with a more refined classic flat gold necklace in order to match the snake pin, however if you’re honest, you’ll see that the necklace competes with the pin and takes away from the stunning sweeping neckline.
Simple and Elegant This unique top is a showpiece itself. Leave well enough alone and in this case, forget about a necklace. The best way to accessorize this top would be by wearing a striking pair of gold hoop earrings or long dangles, and a stunning wide gold cuff.
3. Do wear necklaces that match your skin tone
Warm Skin The general rule of thumb is to match your jewelry to your skin tone. Deborah (shown here) has warm skin. See how beautiful the warm reds, oranges and browns in her top complement her yellow undertones.
Wrong color for skin The silver necklace is very cold and icy on her and is a stark contrast to a very warm look.
Right color for skin A better choice is a warm gold necklace. The little charms have gold and orange in them and blend in with her look. It all flows together very naturally.
4. Do Theme your Necklace to your Outfit
Too uninspired This gorgeous tropical print is busy and so many may think to leave jewelry out of the mix, but the opposite is true. This fun dress is calling out for a fun necklace.
Too conservative See how this plain gold box chain adds nothing to the dress. It’s far too prim and proper to do this exotic theme justice.
Perfect for the theme Instead you need to enhance the tropical feel and a large chunkier necklace made of irregularly shaped beads and stones is more natural and earthy looking, so in keeping with this tropical theme.
5. Don’t Settle for Just One Necklace
Too bare Many women are confused about what kind of necklace to wear with a wrap dress and so often go bare.
Too ordinary A long single chain can look nice.
Modern and Fashionable But the layered look is really popular this season. So, instead of wearing a single chain that looks “just OK,” take it to the next level, wrap it around your neck a couple of times. Then add a second chain for a fashion forward look!
While out to lunch with our girlfriends the other day we overheard a woman say, “I’m going to a wedding, I don’t have
FAF reader Kirin Christianson from www.redhautemama.com and Deborah looking so pretty and colorful!
much money, but I want to buy something nice so I stand out. What can I do?”
If you have been invited your niece’s wedding, your high school reunion, a charity event, or some other important festivity this summer and have this same problem, then we have some suggestions for you.
One easy way to stand out and not break the bank is to wear something colorful.
Think about it. Most women wear black to formal events like these, but the reality is the little black dress is so old. We urge you to refuse to step out the door unless you are wearing something cheery! Dump the boring black, wear a bright color and we promise the compliments will roll in. The bonus is you will look 10 years younger. Why? Black drains the color from your face.
Other great tips for looking smashing on a budget…
Splurge on the shoes, not the whole outfit. You can wear a simple dress that doesn’t cost a lot with some razzle dazzle shoes that may cost a little more and everyone will be commenting on how stylish you look.
Get creative in your closet. Do you have a pretty skirt you can update the top or add a lightweight jacket or sweater? Just adding some jewelry can often change the look of an outfit totally.
Buy a gorgeous big, colorful scarf. You can take a simple dress and add a large, lively scarf to dress it up.
4. Accessorize the heck out of an outfit you already own. Start with a colorful shift dress or simple pant suit and add the following:
Big chunky necklace with silver or gold cuff.
Large dangle earrings with silver or gold cuff.
5. Sales Galore: This July 4th weekend you will see all sorts of deals. Buy now to look fab later this summer. But one word of caution… be very picky on what you do buy. Don’t just settle for a good deal. Use these questions to keep you on track:
Don’t buy anything if it is black or grey
Only buy something that you love and adore.
If the price is tempting you would you still have paid full price?
Does it fit you? What would it cost you to get it altered and is it still worth it?
The straw fedora worn by Jennifer Aniston is an updated look to replace the boring baseball cap for when you are dressing casual.
Dear Glam Gals,
Sometimes I’m having a bad hair day and just throw on a baseball cap. Do you have any suggestions for an alternative?
Thanks!
Sandy G. Austin, TX.
Hi Sandy,
What a great question, something we all struggle with, especially with summer humidity! We love the little straw Fedora as an alternative to the baseball cap for when you are dressing casual.
This straw fedora looks good on most!(Nordstrom)
Over 40 celebrities like Jennifer Aniston have been spotted wearing them bringing some class to a casual outfit!
Great with a little tank, lightweight jacket and a pair of jeans for going to the mall
Last minute invite to go out, no problem, throw it on and you will look super chic
Add a pair of Ray Ban style sunglasses to keep your face protected from the sun or for the “cool” factor
We found this fedora at Nordstrom for only $18.00!
Here is a quick video on how to wear this trend when you are over 40.
Hi, I’m 47 and I hope you can touch on one of my dilemas:
I have a coral color dress that is eyelet material with cap sleeves and a white crop jacket w/ 3/4 sleeve.
Would my cream color heels and purse match o.k.?
What other color shoe could I substitute…I don’t have white.
Would the turquoise 18″ necklace match o.k.?
Can nylons with backless sandals work o.k. to cover white legs & varicose veins? (Tanning is not an option )
Here is a photo of my outfit, The Picture is of model and I cut and pasted the jacket and necklace.
Hi!
What a pretty dress and we love the jacket that you are planning to wear with it! Our question back to you is, where are you going? The reason we ask is that we think this is a great outfit for an afternoon lunch, work or a casual wedding.
We think that since this is a white jacket that you should do a nude shoe with this outfit. If you put on the cream shoe and you like it, it might work.
Your purse should be a different color than the shoe, otherwise it will look too matchy- matchy.
Your idea to wear this turquoise is wonderful, however, you have a lot of jewelry you sent us. Pick just the necklace, or just the bracelets with the pin, but don’t wear all of them together. One more note, we can’t really tell for sure, but the necklace looks like it will be a little short and you might want to layer it with a longer gold one.
Yes, you can wear panty hose as long as the shoe has a closed or peep toe. If it is a true sandal you will need to get different shoes. (check out this post we did on how to wear pantyhose!)
Hope this helps!
Ladies, do you have any suggestions for our reader? Leave your comments below!
Dressing when it is sweltering outside in the summer can be a daunting challenge for the style conscious woman!
For a high heel, these wedges will not be too uncomfortable!
While out to lunch the other day in Phoenix, AZ where the temperature was clocking in at close to 100 degrees, Noel Yuen (age 46) came walking into the restaurant looking so pulled together we just had to stop and ask her about her outfit!
Dressing cool and chic in Phoenix, AZ
Glam Gals: So Noel, you look so pretty today, what are you up too?
Noel: I’m just going out for lunch with my family.
Glam Gals: Can you tell us a little about what brands you are wearing?
Noel: Well, my dress is from Juicy Couture and the shoes are Stuart Weitzman.
Glam Gals: The way you have combined the soft pink lace dress with the leopard wedges is a great play on sweet and wild! It really works!
Plus, just love the way you layered all those bracelets.
Layering bracelets is big these days...it's fun to try it!
Thanks for taking the time to stop and chat with us!
There are some “rules” we like to go by to help others with dressing age appropriate when you are over 40, but here is a great example of where there is a time and a place to “break” those rules!
Her dress is strapless and that can be hard to wear. Noel is on the thin side so there are no bulges showing. She looks beautiful!
Dress is on the short side. When she stood up, the dress was not too short because she had beautiful legs and showed them off with confidence!
Wearing brands marketed to the younger generation. Juicy Couture is known best for the younger set, yet, Noel looks age appropriate in it.
For those Glam Gals with fuller figures or for those who like to dress more conservatively, you can try the same idea with just a little “tweak”!
The shoes are perfect for anyone!
Pair them with a cotton lace dress that has more coverage and not quite as short.
You could wear the shoes with your favorite dark wash jeans or white pants.
Love the idea of lace and leopard, you could keep that theme in lots of different ways (e.g. lace pencil skirt, tank top and leopard shoes)
Those layered bracelets are wonderful on all shapes and sizes!
While not all women can wear an outfit like this we wanted to acknowledge what is possible and how important it is not give up on looking youthful after 40!
When a gal wears a scarf it just seems to add a little pizzazz to her outfit but many of us scratch our heads on just how to tie them.
Here is a great video to help give you some ideas on how to tie a scarf that is long and thin, like this one Deborah is wearing.
But what about those square-shaped scarves?
Here is a grey bandana to be worn with a workout top and white yoga pants.
The square scarves are trickier. Some are made of shiny silk or polyester. If you have a drawer full of those, just beware they are much dressier and really not that great for summertime. Also they tend to slip and be a nuisance to wear.
However, a simple cotton bandana can be a wonderful way to add some zip to an otherwise drab casual outfit. Just tie it in a little knot and you’re off!
Here is a simple brown tank and cotton khaki jacket. JoJami just added a cotton bandana to perk things up. Bandana cost: $1.00
Do you have a photo of yourself in a scarf that you like to wear in the summer? Please share them with us and we will post them on our Facebook Page !
? This great looking chapeau has been seen on some of society’s most stylish women.
