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Melissa looks like a goddess in this one shoulder dress!
We wanted to share an email from a reader , Melissa, who totally rocked a one shoulder dress! Here’s what she said:
I was surfing the net & read your article on accessorizing a one shoulder dress. Here’s a photo of me taken this past October. I’m 42 years old, & this was my daughter’s homecoming dress that I had delivered to my office! This was an impromptu shot, & I was really trying the dress on for kicks. LOL! I wanted her to see that it fit me too! I was wearing pearls at work, not really thinking about it, but the dress truly looked great with and without the necklace. Enjoy! Melissa
Melissa looks Fabulous!! and she got us thinking that we wanted to remind all of you that one shoulder dresses are excellent for Christmas parties. They’re sexy without showing too much, and very elegant too. The one shoulder style looks best if you have average to wide shoulders, but stay away from them if you have small shoulders and side hips ( pear shape). The emphasis up bareness up top will only make you look more bottom heavy. Here are a few we found that would look gorgeous this Holiday season:
| Satin Seduction: A knock-out dress with glam waist bling. It’s elegant, sexy and so age appropriate. This dress works at Christmas or year round! By David Meister (Saks) |
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| Deck The Halls: Picture yourself in this rich burgundy drape, standing by a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with candles aglow? Alice and Olivia ( Saks) |
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| Flirty and Fun: Love the drama of this feather trimmed one-shoulder. You’ll turn head on New Year’s Eve in this sexy, fashion forward gown. By David Meister (Saks) |
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Dear Glam Gals,
When my daughter Lauren announced her engagement last fall I began looking for the perfect dress. I found
This Mother of the bride looks gorgeous in her maroon dress and nude heels
MANY dresses in the stores and on-line that Lauren said NO WAY to because they were “old and frumpy”. So I went on your blog and found the advice I needed after ordering your book, Tweak Your Chic~ How to Dress the Mother of the Bride or Groom.
The step by step worksheet was especially helpful in narrowing down my choices and guiding me in finding a dress that I felt both comfortable and special in!
Thank you so much for all of your help. I love your blog and enjoy feeling FABULOUS after 50!
Claire Z.
Dear Claire,
The pictures say it all, you look just stunning in your beautiful dress! You are a star pupil! Congratulations on your daughters marriage and thank you for sharing your photos with us!
Want to learn more? Check out our e-book, Tweak Your Chic~ How to Dress the mother of the bride or groom.
Ali Brown with Deborah
What do Millionaires in the making wear to networking events?
Recently I was in Arizona at the Ali Brown Millionaire protegé Club Retreat learning how to create exciting on-line products and services to offer you here at Fabulous after 40.
Deb and Kirin "Red Haute Mama"
If you haven’t heard of Ali Brown she is known on the internet as The entrepreneurial guru for women, and was recently seen on ABC’s “Secret Millionaire”. I been following this razor sharp and fun woman her since she was The Ezine Queen!
Every year Ali hosts a huge event called SHINE, which I attend with over 500 women. This November 2, 3 & 4th it’s being held in Dallas, Texas and if you don’t have ticket you should really scoop one up. It’s going to be the event of the year!
Anyway, it was very exciting to dig deep into internet marketing while in Phoenix, but even more fun to get to know all the inspiring 80 or so, entrepreneurial women who came out to the 3- day event at the gorgeous Montelucia Resort and Spa.
Renee and Molesey
These gals looked Fabulous. Most were over 40, and enjoying their second or third careers. They were ambitious successful businesswomen with a burning desire to grow their thriving online businesses and bring their unique messages to the world.
Dorothy Rettay - The Angel Lady
No question these Glam Gals understood how important personal branding is when it comes to marketing your business. After all, if you are selling a high quality product or service, you better look as good as what you are selling or your credibility goes out the window.
Can you imagine buying wealth coaching from a gal who was sloppy, frumpy and looked like she didn’t have two cents to rub together? These gals got that.
Here’s a look at their millionaire in the making style. Love that so many of these women many used strong color and prints to announce their energy and enthusiasm!
Beth- Arizona's PR Queen
Deborah, Anne and Vitalia
I have an afternoon wedding on the 25th of this month, and love the look of the Maxi dress, but have no idea what kind to choose. Also, I’m 5’3 and wonder if this style would even work for me?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Yes, A maxi dress is a wonderful choice for an afternoon wedding, but here’s the catch. You have to be careful you don’t pick a maxi that is too casual for the affair. Some of the maxis out there look like they belong lounging by the pool. You are best to choose a maxi in soft fabrics like silk, jersey or chiffon, rather than cotton or linen. Also solid colors are more formal than prints- not to say you can’t wear prints, but be mindful the pattern is not too funky or beachy.
Also, since you are only 5’3″ avoid maxis with little or no shape because they will drown you. Petite women need to choose maxis that sit closer to the body and have a defined waist. The defined waist can even be a higher one – i.e. empire waist.
Here’s a few maxis we found that illustrate these points and reveal some other Do’s and Dont’s …
DO wear Dresses with a bit of Bling
This beaded jersey dress has a bit of sparkle up top which makes it appropriate for a fancy occasion like wedding. Some skin is revealed up top, but not too much. Still, for the church part of the ceremony we’d recommend a pashmina wrap for your shoulders to be respectful. (Nordstrom) |
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DON’T wear Plunging Necklines
All eyes should be on the bride, so don’t try to upstage her by wearing a dress as low cut and revealing as this sexy, red halter,no matter what your age or how good it looks on you. (Nordstrom)
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DO wear Feminine dresses that move
We talked about soft flowing fabrics. This pretty Shelly Laundry empire maxi dress is chiffon will make you look like you are floating on air. The vibrant painterly print pattern is so in vogue at the moment. $385 (Nordstrom) |
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DON’T wear Animal Prints
This leopard Rachel Zoe maxi is great for a Saturday evening out with friends, but too edgy for a family event like a wedding ceremony. (Nordstrom) |
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DO wear Florals
Florals are always appropriate for a wedding and this Donna Morgan Chiffon maxi is pretty and appropriate. This is a big busted gal, but her dress covers her well while still revealing her figure.$142 (Nordstrom) |
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DO wear Caftans
This Rachel Pally caftan with butterfly sleeves is elegant, appropriate and perfect if you have a few pounds to cover up. Solid purple is elegant, a busy patterned can also work, (Remember Hillary Clinton) or sometimes it can be too much. Keep in mind that smaller women need smaller patterns and full figured women need bigger patterns to balance them out. $131 (Nordstrom)
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DON’T wear Casual Maxis!
Don’t wear maxis that are so casual, there is nothing you can do to dress them up. Some Maxis like this sporty striped Donna Karan maxi were meant for the beach! $59( Nordstrom) |
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DO wear Black and White
White by itself is a no-no for weddings, black can work for a formal or evening wedding. For a summer afternoon wedding we prefer the combination of black and white in a graphic print to look modern and chic.( Saks) |
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DO choose a dress that sits close to the body if you are Petite
We talked about this earlier and here’s a good example. If you are tiny a big flowing maxi can overwhelm. This dress has a defined waist and sits close to the body so it won’t overwhelm you. The ethnic print gives it a more casual vibe, and would work best at a more relaxed wedding.(Nordstrom) |
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DON’T wear flats unless…
A flat sandal, preferably metallic, is fine for a backyard or outdoor wedding , but for an indoor wedding we’d suggest that you wear some pretty heels or wedges to kick the look up a notch. photo look too Don’t forget a pretty necklace or earrings to also raise the elegance level. (Nordstrom) |
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DO embrace Color
Don’t be afraid of color no matter what your size. The right colors will make you look wow! This Donna Morgan chiffon maxi with empire waist looks fab! Notice the sexy heels too. Dress is $142 (Nordstrom) |
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Having always thought of Princess Diana as a role model for taste and style, every once in a while we can’t help but stop and wonder, what would she be wearing these days?
Here is a “fantasy” collage in memory of Diana’s 50th Birthday! She will stay a Glam Gal in our minds forever!
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?
For more tips like these check out our e-book, Chic on the Cheap!
Send us your favorite tip for getting to the ball in style, comment below:
Now that you have your closet all tidy with a few empty hangers just begging to be filled again…
Our next idea is a novel one. Get ready, you’re going to have to be really open-minded for this!
This dress is classic and worth the splurge!
Here’s the scoop:
Recently we were working with a client who had made the decision to dress better. You see, she had recently changed jobs and lost 30 pounds. She felt like a new woman…and looked great. Since all of her clothes did not fit anymore, it was time to change things up. But how?
Here’s what we suggested: establish a budget and then pick only 1 or 2 gorgeous pieces that you love and adore. That sounds simple but it really isn’t. You see, most of us would NEVER think of spending a lot of money on, say, one dress or one pair of shoes. We would rather buy multiple items on sale and feel good about getting a deal. The problem is when we just keep filling up our closet with things that are not of the highest quality, they tend to look cheap.
It may sound crazy but sometimes Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and the rest of those really expensive stores have super-duper sales. They mark down items that you would never in a million years think of buying full price, or even looking at. We’re talking about things like a Prada purse, Chanel top or a pair of Tori Burch shoes that can go on sale, big time!!!
Here’s what happened:
Our client had been to a conference where she had seen one of the speakers wearing a simple dress with a shiny buckle that said Prada. She thought the woman looked very classy and went home to see if she could find the dress. It was expensive – $825! Moreover, it was a style of dress that she never pictured herself in before.
This is the self belt to the dress
However, a year went by and she happened to be back at Neiman Marcus and saw the exact dress on the sale rack. She went in and tried it on. It fit perfectly and she felt wonderful in it because the fabric was gorgeous and it was so well made.
Done. She was going to go for it!
It was still a lot more money than she would have ever spent on a single dress, but she thought of all the ways she could wear it and all the events she could wear it to. Still feeling guilty, she bought it anyway.
Here is a similar version of the dress in black from Neiman Marcus
This is totally normal by the way. If you are not used to buying top quality clothes [paying big bucks for an item can be a hard pill to swallow. You will have buyer’s remorse for a while, so just expect it. You should remember, though, that if you have picked something classic and simple, a piece that you feel like a million bucks in and know that you can wear it a lot, you will be glad that in the end you went for it.
Our client has worn her dress a few times already and has no regrets. She feels it was totally worth the splurge!
Of course you can apply this same ideas to a designer item at a consignment shop or an outift on e-bay at a fraction of the original cost, but it will take some extra time and effort.
This is just one style shopping tactic of many. Have you ever done this? How did you feel? Were you glad you did?
Comment below:
Deborah and loyal reader Becky Rupiper-Greene
It’s always s thrill to meet you – our loyal readers.
F40 fan Carol Davidson looking chic!
I (Deborah) had that pleasure a couple of weeks ago while I was in Orlando attending the Annual Conference for the Association of Image Consultants International.
Look who I ran into having fun and looking Fabulous!
Deb with Image Consultant Dawn Stanyon
Ladies, thanks for your readership. Let us know what we can do to make Fabulous after 40 your #1 fashion resource.
