Here is this weeks Blogging Boomer host, Barbara Weibel on a recent trip!
Do you like to travel or looking forward to doing more of it one of these days?
If you are a Boomer and want to read tips from your fellow peers on diverse topics especially for those of us who are over 50, head on over to this weeks Blogging Boomers Carnival!
This weeks Carnival is being hosted by our adventurous travel friend, Barbera Weibel at Hole in the Donut, who has all the scoop on this and other Boomer topics!
One of the biggest challenges in looking good in your clothes is getting our weight under control!
I (JoJami) got a call yesterday from a long time friend. We were catching up and she mentioned to me that she “had” to go shopping, since she had recently lost 4o pounds! She said,” You would be so proud of me, I went shopping yesterday and had so much fun because I felt like I could try on things that had some style to them for the first time in years!”
Yes! We agree that when you are fit you will have more self confidence and energy!
We shared with you a while back a few of our readers that have taken looking healthy and having more energy seriously!
One of our readers, Laura Eskstein, just wrote to us and said, “Hi, just wanted to let you know what I have been up too recently. I am having a great time in my 40′s. I have entered a few body competitions and won 1st place in my age division (0ver 40) went to Miami yesterday to film a video for youtube with Jennifer Nicole Lee (ab Circle) and she is using me in her new exercise infomercial!! Very exciting. You never know what will happen in your 40′!!!!”
Laura you are rockin!! Talk about looking Fabulous After 40, thanks for sharing with us!!!
While Laura might seem like an extreme case and she has obviously put a lot of work into getting into shape, she is sure a great example of what you can do if you put your mind to it! There are many ways to get healthy, you just need to find one that fits your style!
Laura Eskstein, Before
After (Laura E. 1 year later)
We are not saying that you have to be stick skinny, but if your looking to tone up and get healthy dieting is not the only answer.
We always get a kick out of hearing from you and finding out what you do to stay Fabulous after 40…. Karel wrote us with this story.
Hi Glam Gals,
Looking for energetic women over 40 who are still active? I have been ice-skating with my pal, Valerie for over 30 years and we continue to teach! I will be 48 this year! With the Olympics around the corner, we encourage adults to get on the ice! We look forward to hearing from your readers!
Karel Zubris
Diamond City Figure Skating Club, Wilkes-Barre, PA
P.S.
Right now, I am oldest coach in the group. (48) Here are some photos of me teaching.
This FAF reader still ice skates and help with the Special Olympics!
I even had the honor of presenting an honor to 2002 Olympic Figure Skating Champion Tara Lapinski for her charitable works when she first performed in Wilkes-Barre back in April 2002.
We recently posted a photo of Meryl Streep looking Age-mazing™ in her recent film, It’s Complicated.
It led to this email…
Hi Ladies:
My husband and I recently went to see the movie It’s Complicated. Loved everything about it. Loved Meryl’s fashion style. But really noted her Jewelry . Would you ladies have any idea who makes it? Would love something similar.
Susan F.
For all you true blue fashionista’s out there…we had to share this wonderful video by one of our favorite bloggers, Susan Tabak. This Age-mazing™ woman certainly lives life in the fashion fast lane…always off to Paris fashion shows, hobnobbing with the designers and shopping in NYC.
Here is her latest adventure:
The Dior, Spring 2010 Haute Couture fashion show… pure fantasy, but fun to see!
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.
We recently asked you all to share your stories and inspirations with us, we love hearing from our readers and wanted to share with you some of the gals that have sent in photos looking fabulous after 40!
You ladies all ROCK!!!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Laura from Florida:
This Mother of three changed her diet and now does weight training.
Hi:
My name is Laura and I am a 43 year old mother of 3 beautiful children. Hitting 40 was a turning point for me. My body started changing. I had fat in places I never had it before. My skin started to change and my energy level was very low. I was not feeling too good about myself. I was addicted to sugar and even thought I may be hypoglycemic.
It was time for a change. I went back to school and am now a Nationally Certified Personal Trainer. I just competed in an NPC Figure Competition and came in third place in the open age division. I will be doing more competitions this year and plan on winning first place!!!
I recently spent the day with Jennifer Nicole Lee from the AB Circle! What a great experience. I always learn something new to share every time I meet someone new. I enjoy sharing my love for health, exercise and nutrition with others. My goal is to help other women and moms be the best they can be!!
Laura Eckstein
Florida
Pam:
A U.S. army soldier for 20 years. You look fabulous!!!
Hi,
I started perusing your site when it was mentioned by a couple of members on a forum I belong to. I saw the piece on regular Glam ladies over 40 and I figured …why not? I thought I would submit a few photos of myself as a Glam Gal over 40 who looks and feel Age Amazing. I’m a mother of 3 lovely kids, whose a US Army Soldier (20 years and counting) and I love fashion. I love dressing up I hope you think I’m age amazing as well.
Description of clothing: Blue jewel top and boots are by Calvin Klein, black jeans are by the Gap. Jewelry is by Silpada.
Grey cashmere ruffle sweater by Gap (2 years ago).
Donna from New Jersey:
Sleek and sexy. What a figure!
Interesting to note: All these gals have long hair and look great which disproves the silly theory that you can’t wear long hair after 40.
We asked you to send in your thoughts and ideas about what you are doing and thinking and what kind of new products you are developing…
Here is the first in a series of posts we will do to feature, YOU… are Fabulous After 40 ladies!!
We think Lauren Traub Teton who is the founder of www.Twifties.com was the perfect gal to start things off . Lauren came up with the name “Twifties” to describe people in their 40′s, 50′s, and 60′s (and plus!) who are fit, fun, feeling good, and enjoying life.
Meryl Streep is looking Fab, in her new movie, It's Complicated photo credit: Universal Pictures
With the new hit movie It’s Complicated out, we were recently called upon by Rita Truschel of The News Journal, to get our input on the subject of dressing women over 40.
The author states, ” For women of a certain age, chic and fashionable hits a fresh line between matronly and too youthful.”
Deborah and JoJami were asked what they thought of Meryl Streep’s style of dressing in the movie.
We loved it! They gave her an upscale bohemian style. She wore lots of scarves and flowing, fabric in lovely muted colors that really flattered her.
Her hair was on the long side, and we liked it on her that way. Her make up was clean and fresh looking too!
This weeks Blogging Boomer Carnival #140 is full of adventure, and it is being hosted by one of our wonderful Blogging friends at VaBoomer!
P.S.
We would are curious to hear your story! Just email us with a photo and description and we will put your name in our montly drawing for a chance to win this months prize! (info@fabulousafter40.com)
I (JoJami) am off again traveling and this time, the weather is cold and dreary. Last time I was at the airport, I found a stylish gal, that ended up being from my home town in Wilmington, Delaware of all things! We have since had lunch together and I have been to see her daughter perform the lead in a local production of Carmen!
Since that was such a great experience, I wasn’t shy about stopping this gorgeous women and her husband. The only thing was that she could not speak a word of English!!! However, with a little bit of sign language and giving her my business card, I convinced her to let me snap away! The bonus this time, was as the end of our mini “photo shoot,” she was all smiles and grabbed me and gave me a nice, European double kiss on both cheeks! How sweet was that!!!
Here is our latest “on the street” inspiration from Northern Spain, looking Age-mazing™!
Check out how she got this look:
Let the focal point be the coat (investment piece)
Kept it simple, monochromatic, all one color for the top and pant
scarf (of course!)
Boots are nice fitting, hug her legs and come up right to the knee
Purse over-sized and updated with handles and hardware instead of a shoulder strap.
This chic European is from Spain and is looking stylish and comfortable.
This bag had the right rugged but elegant feel to pull this outfit together!
These boots were made of the coolest animal skin print! They were sort of a green color!
This over 40 model says, " I'm just running around doing errands today"..."Looking fab", we say!
We recently found a wonderful site called Atlantis Home that we wanted to share with all you more daring fashionistas out there.
The author (shown here) is over 40 and just so happens to be a former model. However, even if you are not tall and rail thin, you can still take some fun tips on how to dress a little more funky but still age appropriate!
What makes her looks so great?
The jacket is updated with 3/4 sleeves and chunky buttons and is a good length on her.
The gold necklace is bold like the jacket and softens the black top
Love the neckline of that mini dress
These jeans are slim all the way down, but not too tight, they give the legs an extra long lean look.
Even though she is tall she is still rocking platform boots. Believe it or not, these types of heels can be really comfortable.
She looks sexy with out having to wear tight clothes
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!
Nothing is more energizing than running off to NYC to attend the More Magazine Reinvention Convention.
We Glam Gals had a great time connecting with old and new Age-mazing™ women who as usual thrill us with their sense of style and joy!
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 JMcLaughlin 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
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!
What if we told you, Stop worrying about the way you look…that after 40, you should just relax and stop caring?
That’s what they’re saying at this week’s Blogging Boomers, on The Joy of Aging. We’re horrified by the tips they are giving out, especially this one, below:
1. No one cares how I look, so I don’t need to primp or go clothing shopping.
We could NOT disagree more!!! Not “caring” is not an excuse to walk out the door looking sloppy.
As many of you know, The Glam Gals’ favorite saying is, “Life is too short to be frumpy”…
To start a discussion about this, and read other posts on a variety of Boomer topics, visit the Blogging Boomers Carnival. This week’s host is The Boomer Chronicles.
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?
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?
Congratulations to our fabulous reader Libby, who won May’s Beau Bain Bath Bomb give-away! She was so excited to tell us about how much she’s been enjoying her prize, especially considering her thrilling week. We want to congratulate her on winning and on her upcoming appearance in Prevention Magazine! Check out what Libby wrote to us…
…This has been a great week for me–I was selected for an “Over 50 Hair Makeover” story for Prevention Magazine (we did the shoot yesterday–it will be in the October issue and online then, too). So, after a wonderful day at the salon w/stylists, makeup artists, etc., I came home and tossed a lavender bomb into the tub and just relaxed! My skin DID feel great afterwords, too. I have been sharing the wealth with my two co-workers and I gave two to my wonderful housekeeper. I think you will pick up a few new fans! Where can we find the Beau Bain products? Are they online or in stores ?
Well, Libby, they are available at exclusive salons and spas, but you can also find them right here, on beaubain.com!
A self-proclaimed beauty hound, Libby has this tip: She’s found the best skin care results come from Oil of Olay face cream available at Drugstore.com
Still, Libby is interested to know what everyone else thinks. Are there some big ticket creams are really as good as they claim to be? Have you ever used an expensive skin care line, but found a cheaper brand that worked better? We’d love to know ourselves!
Thanks for your kind email, Libby – and at 63, you truly are Age-mazing!
If you’re over 40, chances are you’ve bought at least one item of clothing from designer Sigrid Olsen.
Last night, I (JoJami) had a chance to met up with Sigrid, who was one of the speakers at the Smart Talk Series in Wilmington, DE.
Olsen (age 55) said she started out in her career as an artist and morphed onto the fashion scene 25 years ago, heading up her name brand clothing empire. She designed for “real” women, using bright colors and simple classic designs that became her trademark.
However, a few years ago that all changed. With the economy sinking, Sigrid left her business to start fresh. “My company had become so large that I did not get to do what I loved to do, which is creative based.
“I ended up just being the head of my company and doing meetings all day. I had lost touch with my roots and doing my passion which is art…. I am much happier now.”
ISLA beach house
So what does that “now” look like?
Olsen, who lives in Gloucester, MA, now runs a retail boutique, called ISLA Beach house, just a few steps down the road from her home, where she sells her sunny, beach-inspired art, pottery and other unique finds.
“I like to find new artists and help promote them”, she said with a twinkle in her eye. She is obviously passionate about her new venture!
Not to be one to sit still, Sigrid, found Yoga soon after her “retirement” and now runs her Yoga/Art fusion retreats all over the world.
A self professed “doer” Sigrid Olsen is living her passion and thanks to her creativity we can now bring a piece of her colorful world into ours!
Deborah (circa 2004) in her favorite Sigrid Olsen outfit
A cute story… Deborah tells me that back in around 2003 after having two babies two years apart, she was feeling rather frumpy. She went to Florida and discovered Sigrid Olsen in Burdines and bought a ton of her bright fun clothes.
Deb was so thrilled she even emailed Sigrid to tell her how happy her clothes made her feel, and what a perfect fit they were. Here’s Deb a couple of years later in those same Sigrid Olsen clothes that she wore and wore.
Doesn’t the robin’s egg blue and peach go beautifully with her Spring complexion?
We are not surprised that there is a site that is keeping track of what Michelle Obama is wearing. Check this out, Michelle Obama’s Look Book for an up-to-date photo gallery of what she is wearing.
You can learn so much from just studying this site, from what styles flatter her figure to what colors look best on her. Also, what styles are good for work as well as age-appropriate. Apply these tips to your own wardrobe and see how they work for you!
Here are some of our picks and why…
In Paris: We have been saying how white is the hot color for summer and here is Mrs. O in Paris looking very fresh and pretty!
Photo by Yves Forestier/Getty Images
Updated suit dressing : This suit is so updated, with the 3/4 sleeves and thin belt. Her black and white flower pins are so fresh and fun!
Next up: Putting color into your look can bring some much needed life to your wardrobe. Also, the large pearls are a classy way to dress up any outfit! The simplicity and fit of this dress with the just right “v” neck makes it an easy style to try. This time she has paired it with a wide belt, also in fashion today!
Finally, this pink gown was worn early in the campain, but has been one of our all time favorite formals that she has worn. We just think it is so feminine, simple and elegant. This spring, florals are still a popular choice and this large print is bold yet the monotone color combination keeps it subtle.
Need some inspiration? There’s a great article at The Huffington Post with pictures of 6 of the world’s most beautiful women. Take a look and see if you would agree with their choices and let us know.
We’d like to add Diane Lane. She’s such a natural and always looks so happy and peaceful.
Diane Lane - a natural beauty
Diahann Carroll is another favorite. She’s classy and glamorous. Loved her in the TV show “Julia” in the 60′s and on “Dynasty” in the 80′s.
Dreaming big is something one of our newest readers, Jill Knapp from Idaho sure did.
Jill before and after 100 pound loss
Here is her letter to us: Hello Glam Gals My name is Jill Knapp. I found you on Facebook and had a long visit at your web site. I love it!! My Birthday is on my 15th and I will be 42. I recently celebrated hitting 100 pounds of weight-loss. I am still in shock. I would love to share my story about how I lost the weight, if you are interested.
Thanks,
Jill
Well, as we all know losing weight is never easy, but for Jill the hard work has really paid off and she is living her dream.
To get the full story you can go to her blog called, Get Up and Get Moving and read her inspirational account of what motivated her to just do it!
So, Happy Birthday Jill, and thanks for writing to us! We’re are all celebrating with you!!!
