Lose the Little Girl Style
It’s embarrassing…. mature women who are so addicted to”cute” that they don clothes and accessories that make them look like middle aged moms playing little girl dress-up.
Now most of us love “cute” to some degree, but you really have to be careful after 40 that you don’t go overboard with what you consider cute, or that too much “cute” begins to define your look. Clothes and accessories that are too junior will not make you look younger; they will make you look older than you, are and rather silly.
Here are a few examples of ” CUTESY” things that, believe it or not, we’ve seen over 40 women wearing. Stay away from these!
| Not “Charming” over 40:
Yes they are Marc Jacobs, but don’t let designer labels make you think that anything goes. On a grown up-gal these “cute” women’s sandals will make you look like you are wearing your grandaughter’s party princess shoes. |
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| Furrrget these!
These kind of remind us of those feather earrings we all wore in the 70′s. Feathers, fur..they’re all frankly fads, and too tacky for a grown up gal. |
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| Ugg..
There’s Ugg boots and now Ugg purses. This mini alpine girl tote is cute….if you are an eleven year old. |
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| Bows, ruffles, flounce, cutesy sleeeves:
This dress has them all. Stay away from clothes that are too frilly or fussy, sweet and sappy. Check your mirror. You’re a mature woman! |
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| Time to get rid of:
Watches like this…… in a cotton candy color or with a glittery baby doll heart. They belong in teen territory! |
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| Cute and Cozy
on this sweet young thing,(who could wear a prison uniform and look good), but on a grown up gal these pancake flannel p.j.s will most likely make you look fat and frumpy. You deserve something with a little more sex appeal than bacon and eggs-right? |
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Pajamas, workout wear, are okay to be cutsie for a woman of any age. But I agree with everything else. I love butterflies and I found some earrings which I assumed I would wear, but they just felt too cute. Gave them to my 15 year old niece and she loves them. Still, that said a tiny bit of cute in an accessory isn’t so bad. I have a lovely coral ring shaped like a red rose that I love to wear. As long as the rest of me isn’t cutsie from head to toe, I see nothing wrong with it.
Nah … cutesy pajamas are for the kid in all of us. We still get to have fun! Just don’t wear them outside the house.
bubble dress are very nice girl dresses and i always ask my girlfriend to wear one ~-`
Great article!!!! Everyone that knows me that this is my biggest pet peeve…people who dress to young. At 41 their are certain stores and styles that I’ve had to let go.
Hi SW
Thanks for commenting. We are working on more articles like these and it is helpful when we hear comments like yours to egg us on!!! So keep your comments coming too!!
Thanks SW, we are taking you up your suggestion! Let us know what topics you want more of!
I would LOVE to see more articles/examples like this. If you ‘feel’ 20 years younger than you are, it can be easy to forget which outfits make you look pulled together and fashionable, and which ones make you just look silly. Great tips, keep ‘em coming!
Agreed. I was done with cutsie in 83 when I was 17! And flouncy bows, etc. don’t look good on anyone over 12 in my honest opinion.
Hi Margaret,
Absolutely you can pull that off!! As long as the ornament is in keeping with the formality of your outfit. If you are going casual you will want a simple ornament if you are dressy you can add some sparkle. However, keeping it simple is aways the best choice to go with!
I agree wholeheartedly & personally decided a few years ago that if my initial reaction to clothing or accessories is “that’s cute,” I won’t (usually) even try it on. I look forward to the good-looking flannel pjs post – I prefer men’s style pjs (women’s version, not actual men’s) but find it difficult to find colors other than pastel colors, infantile prints, etc. I prefer the satin versions with a brushed interior finish – easy to sleep in & cozy; in the summer I go with short sleeves & have found a few “sleep cool” brands marketed toward the older woman.
I am a black woman, and struggle with very fine wavy curly hair management. I wear headbands, but they are narrow and “marbled” for my salt and pepper hair. I get my hair done twice a month, but hair accessories are required to keep me from having bad hair days. Can’t I pull off a single, small ornament strategically placed in my updo?
I am a black woman, and struggle with very fine wavy curly hair management. I wear headbands, but they are narrow and “maarbled” for my salt and pepper hair. I get my hair done twice a month, but hair accessories are required to keep me from having bad hair days. Can’t I pull off a single, small ornament strategically placed in my updo?
Betsey Johnson wear her stuff =)…it’s all cute
Anne, it would have to be a MUCH sleeker design for me to wear the orange creation. If it had a straighter skirt & lost that hideous belt it might be ok. Flannel pj’s are ok by me. Bow headbands or any headband at all is pretty much a fail for me too.
Hi Anne,
Yes it certainly would help by adding the ‘tweaks’ you suggest, and if you are on the thin side it would be fine. The one thing is that short sleeves like the one on this dress can be hard to pull off after 40. Instead of making you look young, they can age you and they bring attention to the worst part of the arm. Sleeves on clothes are very tricky and you should make sure to be aware of how they make you look. We find sleeveless or 3/4 sleeves are the only way to go these days, unless the sleeves are a little wider and not too tight. Again, if you have thin arms you are lucky and can get away with more styles.
LOL..Well Andrea, I (JoJami) must confess that I do own a few pair of flannel ones too, however I only wear them on super cold nights!! There are some fun patterned ones out there by Bed Head, so next fall we will show those!
Love your tips. Tho’ I must confess that I disagree with you on the flannel pjs. Maybe it’s being Canadian and living through sub-zero winters, but when there’s three feet of snow outside, I’m in flannel baby. After 18 years of marriage, if my hubby can’t deal with that, he can sleep in a snowbank. lol. In fact, he has his own flannels.
And I agree with Robin. I see tons of teens wearing pj bottoms as pants. I shudder at the thought!
Would the orange dress work if you removed the belt and added a sleeker design, unbuttoned the top three buttons, and wore some strappy heels?
You are so right. Women over 40 look ridiculous in cutesty things.
Bravo.
Mary
Hi Robin,
I like flannel in the winter to feel toasty at night. I wear feminine silk p.j.’s with flannel linings, but they are hard to find. Bacon and egg jammies wouldn’t be my cup of tea, but I do admit I have worn some pretty wild ones in the past. One Christmas my kids gave me a pair of bright yellow flannel p.j.’s with huge penguins all over them. I wore them all winter. Some things you do for love!
Deborah
Glam Gal
Hi ladies,
I have to agree with your commentaries for each item. However, I do wear flannel pajamas in the harsh, cold winters where we live BUT the fabric and styles are sophisticated in solid colors or very subtle prints.
Never-Ever-Wear PJ bottoms outside the confines of one’s own home!
Hi Dannelle,
The worst is the bow headband!! YIKES..
I agree with all of the above, Sadly I have see some very cutsie hair accessories , the scrunchie and rhinestone bobby pins