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:
Do you have a pair of these type of cage shoes? Let us know how you are wearing them!
The other night when I (JoJami) was getting ready to go out to dinner my husband looked at me and said,
“I love that outfit!” (Yes, he is such sweetie!)
LOL…the funny thing was that I was wearing a dress that I have had in my closet for 3 years and have worn tons of times yet he had never made the comment that he “loved” it before.
What made it look different?
- updated shoes
- borrowed scarf (my mother’s)
Sometimes many of us feel that we have to keep buying new things to update an outfit, however the good news is that sometimes it is just the small things, or what we like to call “tweaks”, that can make all the difference.
Since I am out in Los Angeles right now, I thought I would dare to try out my new “cage” shoes that I bought at the beginning of spring.
At first, to be safe, I only wore them with straight legged jeans, but after seeing so many women in the L.A. area wearing them with a dress, I thought this would be fun to try!
What do you think? It is a very different “look” for me but I am getting more used to it now that I see the photo! Previously I wore this dress with black strappy sandals or in the fall black tights and boots. These cage shoes are an updated accessory that breathes new life into this dress!
In addition, adding a pop of color to the outfit with the scarf was a festive way to change it up and make the dress seem totally different!
This e-book will save you oodles of money and keep you from picking the wrong things.
We love to hear from you! Comment below if you have bought something new and different and are having fun wearing it.
(If you send us a photo, please give us your permission to share it on Fabulous After 40 or Facebook, otherwise we will keep it confidential! info@fabulousafter40.com)
Like this article and want more tips? Are you trying to save money and stretch your wardrobe? Our e-book, Tweak Your Chic~ Tips and Tricks to Building a Wow Wardrobe on a Budget is one that you might really enjoy!
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It is hard not to stare, when you are in a room of ladies who are in mostly black conservative suits, and an attractive woman in a bold, striped pantsuit, red shoes and a hat walks your way!
This woman was having lots of fun turning heads!
So, when we stopped her for a chat we were excited to discover that Debra Rapoport is not only a visual artist but also a contributing writer for Advanced Style! Advance Style is a site we have featured in the past that celebrates creative dressing no matter what your age…and what a wonderful surprise to run into one of their writers! (You should check out the outrageous photos they posted for Halloween!)
Ms. Rapoport says she shops exclusively at resale stores including the Salvation Army and rarely spends more than a few dollars for anything she wears. This jacket is vintage Karl Lagerfeld , (she even showed me the tag) that she snagged for under $5.00. Her tip of the day was that she often replaces the buttons to make things more interesting!
Love her contemporary, bold jewelry!
While her outfit was wild for our tastes, we loved her bold and modern jewelry.
Whether you approve of this dramatic look or not, we applaud her for her festive personal style on a budget!
Need more tips on how to dress on a budget! Then you will want to check out our fun e-book, Chic on the Cheap: How to Update Your Wardrobe on a Budget!
Get the "skinny" on how to dress on a budget!
You asked what is my single most important question about looking & feeling fabulous after 40. Well, it’s shopping for stylish clothes that are not expensive. I’m not an enthusiastic shopper. And I’m a stay-at-home mom and wife to a pastor. So–I like to wear conservative, inexpensive AND stylish clothes. Quite a challenge! I often put on my clothes and realize they look old, or make ME look old! I’m petite, too, so it’s even harder to find great clothes at a great price.
So–that’s my challenge and question. How can I find great clothes without spending much money or time?
Thanks for what you do.
Yours,
Ann
Hi Ann,
This runway look was re-created with some good finds!
We feel strongly that women have years of being “brainwashed” to think that to save money, you need to buy inexpensive clothes, when in reality what we need to do is train ourselves to shop a lot smarter and with a strategy in mind.
Here is how:
- Know what colors look best on you and stick with a narrow palate that will all mix and match
- Don’t buy in quantity buy classic quality (this will work well for you, since you want to look more conservitive)
- Try shopping at consignment stores for brand names that are higher quality
- Don’t be afraid to have things tailored. Fit is so important to looking great!
- Be super picky before purchasing an item. If you are always buying things that you just “sort of like” and don’t LOVE, you will never feel satisfied or fabulous in your clothes.
These are just a few tips we have for you, however because that is such a challenge for so many women we wrote a great e-book on the topic of looking great for less, called Chic on the Cheap! It has more tips and tricks like these with pictures to show you how to save lots of money and you can even down load it right now!
Get the "skinny" on how to dress on a budget!
What is your burning fashion question? We asked and you told us…
How can I look updated and chic and NOT spend a lot of money.
Deborah and I didn’t know if it could REALLY be done… so we went out and put it to the test.
Here am I (JoJami) with one of my lovely clients Linda S. Linda is over 40, a wife, mother of 4 kids, and a nurse. She told me she loves to see her teenage daughters looking hip and felt like those days were over for her. She rarely takes the time to shop for herself and when she does she never knew what to buy that was age appropriate.
So we let her read our popular e-book… Chic on the Cheap~How to Update Your Wardrobe on a Budget and then sent her out shopping!
Client Linda and JoJami looking to dress chic on the cheap!
Linda realized that her first problem was that all these years she never really had the tools or plan she needed.
“One of the best part about the book was the chapter on Finding your Style Personality says Linda. “That helped me keep my focus and opened my mind to try new things!”
Linda also confessed…
“I had a great leather skirt that I bought on sale last fall and never wore it because I didn’t have the right shoes.
After reading the book, I learned so much!! You, Glam Gals put in so many strategies that I could start using right away, and I had no idea of how many costly mistakes I have been making all these years!”
"Get Chic on the Cheap, it change my wardrobe, Yippee!"
Are you ready for Fall? Do you have a plan on what pieces to add or how to update your wardrobe?
Here is how you can start building your new dream wardrobe and save hundreds (for some thousands) of dollars, not making the same old mistakes!
Don’t wait,Click HERE now!
Never before did I think I could enjoy shopping or afford a great wardrobe, I feel so empowered now!~LBS
