Memphis, Realtor, C. Lauren Jones compares her drugstore lip gloss to her expensive mall purchase!

So, while sitting in Memphis last week, I had the delightful opportunity to meet the lovely, dynamic, and proud to be called a fashionista,  C. Lauren Jones!

While waiting to board, it was hard for me to miss C. Lauren, in her bright pink shirt, dramatically waiving around 2 lip glosses, while enthusiastically explaining to her travel partner  why the $8.00 Neutrogena version was actually better than the $25.50  Christian Dior one, although it did have gorgeous packaging, that she just had to splurge on!

She certainly had my attention with all this lip smacking talk of gloss…so I caught her eye and she waived me into the conversation… “Do you ever find this is true?” she asked, her lips all a shimmer in the Neutrogena brand.

I certainly was ready to hear more, so ran right over and started interviewing her!

JJ: You look great in your bright pink top…where is it from?

These black Donald J. Pliner shoes looked comfortable and stylish

C.L.J : Can you believe it is from Kohls? It is so comfortable!

JJ: Your shoes look super comfy and stylish too…

C.J.L: These are Donald Pliner!

JJ: Oh I have a similar pair for travel too… LOVE  his shoes… pricey but worth every penny!

C.J.L: Do you want to see what else I’m really into…just got this new Trish Mc Evoy make-up kit. It holds everything I need in this new custom bag.

JJ: OOH…this is so neat. I haven’t seen one like this before! Oh no…they are calling our flight, gotta run, but thanks for all the tips!

Yes, thanks C. Lauren… you are an inspiration to all the real women out there that have a passion for fashion, makeup and life! You were well groomed from head to toe and looked fabulous, comfortable and pulled together while traveling! Keep up that gorgeous, sparkling smile of yours, in either lip gloss you’re a winner!

One of her favorte new things... custom Trish Mc Evoy make up and case

Upclose look at her Trish McEvoy make up kit!

Here were here choices:

• A light yellow linen suit
• Blue sleeveless cotton pique dress (lined) with self belt. (bought on sale!)

This dress has a "self" belt

I asked her bring over the 2 options. The yellow suit was just too boxy looking and looked a little too casual for an evening wedding. The blue dress was really pretty, but there were 2 issues.

1. The thin belt that came with the dress was not flattering
2. She would need to buy a sweater to wear with it.

The first advice I gave her was to try the dress on with NO belt. How many of us feel that, just because a dress comes with a belt, we HAVE to wear it!  As we age, our middle thickens and tiny pieces of fabric around our waist does not look so great on many of our middle age bodies! So, we got rid of the belt and the dress looked a million times better on her.

Next, she felt she needed a top or sweater to wear over the dress to hide her arms. I took one look at her arms and said, be proud of your arms! They look fine! Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves!!!

However, she did want to get a sweater, since the evenings are starting to get cool in our area back east. The neckline on this dress is wider than normal, so not every sweater will work.

Here were her marching orders:

• Find a sweater that is not too long, best if it is shorter.
• Make sure to take the dress with you when you shop, so you can try it with the sweater.
• Make sure the sweater is a thin fabric and does not compete with the neckline
• Find a pair of nude shoes to go with the dress.
• Do not try to wear a necklace with this type of dress. Instead, just wear earnings and a cuff style bracelet.

It ended up that Aunt Mary, went out to find a sweater and and ended up with a new suit, instead for the wedding.  Bottom line is, when buying a dress on sale, make sure you LOVE it!

If it comes with a self belt, throw it away and use a leather one or not one at all!

For more great tips on how to dress for a wedding, check out our e-book, Tweak Your Chic, Dressing the Mother of the Bride!

You can download this e-book now and get instant access to all your questions!

Dress with no belt...looks much better!

Stripes are a hot trend this summer and can still be age appropriate! photo credit:The Satorialist

With an upcoming trip to Paris on the books, I (JoJami) am beyond excited to be able to report to you all, first hand, how women over 40 are dressing in one of my favorite places on earth! (Check back in May for pictures and updates!)

From what we’ve been reading in all the fashion magazines, it looks like the classic blue and white stiped t-shirt is going to be a hot trend this summer! So I’m planning on making sure to pack one in my suitcase!

One of my guilty pleasures is reading a blog called Habitually Chic, that is written by an interior designer who loves to travel.  Here she has put together some great pictures that might help inspire you to re-invent this classic look into your wardrobe!

I LOVE the way the woman on the left  has layered her stripes with a mustard jacket and baby blue scarf. (Don’t miss the wonderful orange watch she has thrown on for another pop of color and the hip aviator sunglasses!) I’m imagining that this woman has on nice flats or loafers with her kakis and she’s totally comfortable and feeling FAB! However, beware of this high waisted tucked in look for those who have wide hips. See how the jacket is hitting her right at her waist. You could do the same look, but keep the top untucked and then make sure the sweater is longer.

The women on the right are doing the easy, edgier version of stripes… they threw on their skinny black jeans, boots or heels and headed out the door!!!

If you want to try this look, but don’t want to spend a fortune, head on over to Target or J. Crew and try one on. Both stores have a few styles at great prices.

While we were there, we decided to pop over to The Inn at Perry Cabin and check out their new Spa facilities, called the Linden Spa.

While it was obvious that they were still getting the pool all spuced up for summer, their “Botanicl Art of Wellness” center was crisp, clean and ready for business!

It was so pretty and smelled oh, so good, that we were tempted to ditch our shopping trip and book an appointment on the spot!

Head to toe Talbots and looking polished and professional!

While checking out the facility, I spotted a woman looking so proffesional and polished that I had to stop her and ask her about her outfit. It turns out she is the Inn’s, Event Planner.

“You won’t believe it, but I’m head to toe, Talbots!” Even my purse and shoes are from there!”

I was certainly impressed that her look was so stylish and effortless from all one store! Moreover, the Inn should be happy to have such a well dressed, Event planner, that looks the part and would make anyone at ease with her polished appearance!

Talbots has been trying to update their image and reach out to a younger crowd and from the looks of things, they are doing a great job of it!

In SoHo you will find more boutique type shopping mixed in with some amazing bargainsThere’s also many a cute tiny restaurants every few blocks that are perfect to pop into for a quick bite or drink~

Recently I (JoJami) got a tip that I should visit the new Crosby Street Hotel for tea in The Crosby Bar. So, after the uptown museum, I headed downtown to enjoy a wonderful treat for the eyes and tummy!

This low key boutique hotel (there is no name out front…just the bellman and a flag) is done up in what I would describe as funky-contemporary-cozy.

Here are a few photos of the decor.

Here you can come in, relax (the staff was super friendly)…and no need to feel like you have to hold out your pinky finger while sipping your tea!

The Crosby Bar

Yes, this was as yummy as it looks!

JoJami says," Loved the entire experience, would definitely come back again!"

I just LOVE your website! I was wondering if you can give some ideas for wardrobe for an upcoming trip to NYC. I will be traveling with my husband, mother and teenage daughters next Memorial Day weekend. We will be visiting museums, a broadway show, and  LOT of walking around and window shopping…Please could you give me some advice? Thanks a lot!

~C. Capetta

Having just been to NYC recently, we can say that the first and foremost important item is your shoes!  You will need to find a great pair of flats or cute tennis shoes and work your outfits around them.

We saw LOTS of leggings or tight fitting pants with nice flats, long tops and lots of scarves and a big, oversized purse. Black is the locals favorite color.

We recently featured some great new shoes that are both stylish and comfortable. Also, you can go to our archives for more ideas.

Here is a typical outfit (from DKNY and Nordstom):

• Shoe alternative would be a colorful flat or very casual thin soled black tennis shoe with this.
• If your feet are not comfortable, you will be miserable!
• Make sure to wear shoes that are tried and true.  Never pack brand new shoes that you have never worn… make sure to break them in before you go.
• Try adding a Cozy (long flowing sweater) to take it from day into evening.

This outfit from DKNY is a perfect NYC casual outfit!

Sweater from Nordstom

Catherine Zeta-Jones always tries to look her best!

Here is an inspiring headline we saw recently:

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones doesn’t dress down – even when she does the food shopping.

Catherine Zeta-Jones commented: I owe it to my fans to wear my best when I go to the supermarket.

The Glam Gals have chatted endlessly about what to wear to the grocery store and we feel the same way as Catherine does; there is no reason not to try to look your best when you go out.

That being said, you can still look great and be comfortable, but it takes some strategy.

First you need to have your “going to the grocery store” outfit all ready.

This outfit should consist of:

• cute but comfortable shoes or flat boots
• stretch pants or stretch dress
• coordinating stretch top
• if your having a bad hair day, then you will need a cute cap

The fun part is gathering all the pieces, and then finding a special hook or spot where the entire outfit is always ready to go.

Most women don’t need more than 1 going to the grocery store outfit per season, since you rarely run into the same person when you’re out.

However, If you shop a lot ,you may want to have a 2 or 3 slightly different versions of your shopping outfit. So instead of creating one going shopping outfit you would create a going shopping module.   Modules are a way of dressing that save you tons of time and money while giving you more versatility. To find out more about how to create your own wardrobe modules you can read our ebook Chic on the Cheap- How to create a wardrobe on a budget.

Not your ordinary biker chic!

So what do you do when you are turning 50, your husband has just passed away and you want to do something daring and different? If you’re  Janis Irwin,  you go out and learn to ride a motorcycle and then ride it across the country and back…all by yourself!

Recently at a local wine tasting event in  West Chester, PA, I (JoJami) spotted this Age-mazing™ women. I was drawn to her beautiful coat and entire ensemble of a turquoise necklace, snazzy boots, cool helmet and sunglasses! Of course I had to go up to her and chat her up!

She was beaming when she shared with me her inspirational story of how she packed up only the essentials (including a nice dress and a pair of heels) and went on a cross country adventure, solo on her motorcycle. 

She calls herself, a “Barbie Biker” because she has her own feminine style of biker dressing.  “Many women  think  you have to dress like a tough girl in head to to  black, Harley Davidson attire,” says Janice. ” I found the more I got into the sport, the more I realized that it’s only the beginers that dress that way. I love to be able to get off my bike and feel like I’m still me and not this alter ego.”

Well Janis, we agree that you look gorgeous and classy in your outfit!

As for her day job, Janis runs her own interior design firm.

Do you have a job with a fun hobby? We want to hear from you!

Here are a few of the women who stood out in over 500 attendees!

	Mika Brzezinski from MSNBC’s Morning Joe was the emcee. Looking fine in her outfit from J McLaughlin she stood out as a shining example of how mixing color can be so effective.
Judy Goss, reporter for Better TV, looking hot in this leopard print dress	Judy Goss (author of How to Break Into Modeling for Under $20) was there looking stunning in this leopard dress, reporting for Better TV.
	Kim rocked this simple yellow dress with the perfect accessories. Her layered strand of pearls, gray pumps, black cardigan were all pulled together with her gorgeous new Channel glasses and red lipstick!
Author Sherrie Mathieson with her newest book, Steal this Style	Here we are with our buddy Sherrie Mathieson who was promoting her newest book, Steal This Style. She had on a gorgeous cashmere sweater coat that she belted and pared with leggings,a scarf and flat boots. (and yes, that is a Hermes bag she is carrying…YUMMY!)
	These types of wraps were all the rage. Looking comfy but certainly stylish was this lovely lady from NY. We also featured this necklace in a post few months back. For buying info  click here.
	Lauren-Crowell-Nugent from Talbots was sporting a blue cape fastened with a feather pin. Wow! Did she look gorgeous! Her pants also from Talbots were there signature brand and they fit her great!
Deborah, More editor-in chief Lesley Jane Seymour, JoJami	Here we are with Lesley Jane Seymour, Editor of More Magazine. Deb has on her Tibi dress and I have on my Tibi skirt! Lesley shared that she has not been inspired to shop this year and have found most of the clothes in the stores these days “dreary”. Instead she has bought a few new accessories like the pretty bronze, chunky necklace that she has on to update her current wardrobe.

This years event was packed and we sure enjoyed all the speakers! Congrates to More’s staff to pulling of another wonderful day of   reinvention, inspiration!

Paul Podlucky- the voice of sanity

We just stood up and shouted “YES! to a new beauty guru we’ve discovered and LOVE because he is the voice of sanity in an insane fashion world!

Wowowow has an inspiring interview with Paul Podlucky who says, “I think magazines show us too many skinny girls with long one-length hair wearing $25,000 worth of clothes, and I’m sick of it. None of us looks like that. And that’s not who we are. So who keeps telling us that’s what we are supposed to look and be like? That is impossible.”

Paul is all for starting a magazine for real women with real figures wearing beautiful affordable clothes.

We couldn’t agree more. We’ve been shouting this same message ever since we started our blog. Let’s be real. We’d love nothing more than to show you pics of 40+ women looking fashionable in clothes you can actually buy, but since we are a homespun blog, we don’t have the money to go out and create photo shoots like this.

Instead we are stuck using pictures of skinny young girls in clothes we’re suggesting would look good on a 40+ woman. You have to be able to visualize. That’s for sure. When will retailers and magazines wake up?

Here's a real woman looking Fabulous after 40!

To balance this out we have started taking some photos of  Age-mazing© women on the street, and now we need your help.

Ladies, if you are over 40 & stylish, or you see a woman over 40 out there looking really fashionable, please, snap her picture and send it to us. We’d love to post these photos to inspire you!

< Here’s one we just took. This gal is the manager of car dealership who just lost 60 pounds and ran her first marathon. She got her dress at TJ Max, then switched out the  belt with one she found on sale.

She’s paired her dress with a great pair of cork wedges from Nine West. Doesn’t she look great? 

We love cork wedges..they are comfortable