Our Most Talked About Fashion After 40 Posts of 2010

Thanks to YOU…2010 has been our biggest year ever with over 55,000 unique visitors a month!

We’ve appreciate that you’ve spread the word about FAF to grow our amazing community. It’s been so much fun chatting with all of you and seeing everyone become such good friends.

Just in case you missed any posts, here are this year’s most hotly debated ones! Keep the comments coming…we love to hear from you at Fabulous after 40!

Back in first place again this year… we followed our friend Jill Knapp on her journey of weight loss. She hit her one year mark and has still been able to keep the weight off and even made an appearance on to the Dr. Oz show	Jill before and after her 100 pound weight loss!
2. This year Gray hair became a surprise fashion trend! This opened the door to discuss the “to go or not to go gray” topic, here at FAF! Read more…	Helen Mirren looking radiant in her gray hair!
3. Over the knee and Thigh high boots, are they age appropriate?Many of you said that you had the hankering to find your inner biker chic and this article sure got the sparks flying!!
Clogs. Another fashion comeback this year and this time they came with heels! The Glam Gals weighed in on this controversial topic with lots more comments from you!!!
“Dainty and feminine” or “young and tacky” were a few of  the comments we heard when we dared to chat about ankle bracelets!
Can I wear Leggings after 40? Find out how our readers weighed in.

Fashion question: When do jeans stop being age appropriate?

Is there a time in life when jeans are no longer appropriate to wear?
I am 60 and am a size 14 pear shape with a very casual life style.

~Sharon B.

Hi Sharon,
Great question! We think you can wear jeans forever, however you really need to keep them updated.
When you are a pear, that means making sure you get the style that fits!
You probably will need to still take them to the tailor to get them to fit.

Here are some ways to update your jeans:

• Wear a cropped jacket with a casual t-shirt
• jeans with rips and faded washes are “iffy” for women over 40. Jane Fonda’s shredded jeans ( see photo below) make her look desperate to be young at 72.

• Darker wash jeans are classy and updated!
• Wearing jeans with traditional clogs is comfortable, but tend to age women over 40 unless you wear the new high heel version of a clog. (*if you disagree with this comment, go to our past post about clogs)
• For fall, boots are the way to go with jeans. Flat ones for casual, heels for a dressier look.
• For those that are pear shaped, you can tuck in and wear a belt…so those with other body types, try them with a longer top and belt at the hip or for go the belt all together!

After 40, we find we are all wearing jeans more than ever. Make sure yours fit well and you are wearing the right shoes with them.

Cheers,
JoJami and Deborah

Clogs that pass the fashion test this Spring!

OK OK…you ladies are sure passionate about your clogs!

We recently wrote a post to discuss whether clogs were in fashion and you left us lots and lots of comments.

Many of you wrote that you loved the comfort of a clog, while others thought they were “hideous”!

Well, after causing so much fuss, I (JoJami) thought I would take a look around and find out if there were  any clogs that I might actually wear.  I happen to be out in Aspen right now and it is amazing how different women dress when the weather is really messy most of the winter. I definitely  have been seeing more boots, but I’m sure as the snow melts many of these women are going to be sporting clogs since this is such a casual environment.

Here is an interesting article on how to wear clogs that show a few of the new “fashion” clogs. As you can see, even these skinny young girls do not look all that great in them, so can you imagine us over 40 gals!

However,  if you  still want to try to wear the clog as a fashion trend this Spring, then here are some of my picks! (Deborah says she has yet to find any clog she finds attractive! )

These clogs are from Zappos.

Are Clogs Fabulous after 40?

Hi Glam Gals,

Are clogs a fashion do or don’t for women 40 +?  Thanks …..Nicole

Hi Nicole,

Deborah and I had an interesting chat about clogs today. I (JoJami) was commenting on how many women in the states (especially back east) seem to really like to wear clogs. Deborah, who is from Toronto was shocked! “Nobody ever wears them here!”

So then, of course, came the big question…. Are clogs fabulous after 40?

We know this is going to be a controversial topic, but we are standing by our opinion…

NO! Clogs are not fabulous, unless you wear them for teaching, nursing, gardening, or inside as slippers. You might get away with them when you’re off to Yoga, but even then it’s “iffy”. (PLEASE NOTE: THOSE WITH FOOT PROBLEMS ARE AN EXCEPTION!)

Why? It was hard for us to pin  down exactly what we don’t like about them. … they are comfortable, easy to slide on and off, but yet neither one of us would be caught dead in them.

Looks like clogs will be coming into fashion this Spring, and we  want to warn you that they have the potential to make those who are over 40 look frumpy.

So, in case you have a pair or two, we would like to share with you the Glam Gals top 5 reasons why you should put away your clogs:

• If you are wearing clogs, then you will need the appropriate outfit.  That means you are wearing bootcut jeans or pants and are very casual. Never wear them with a skirt or dress!
• If you hate to part with them, have a good look in the mirror when you put them on with an outfit. Does it make you feel updated?
• They might be comfortable and easy to wear, but there are other options out there that will make you look much younger!
• The clunkier and chunkier the clog, the more matronly the look
• Clogs with the wrong outfit, can tend to make you look older than you are!

Now we can’t  give clogs a bad rap and not show you some examples what to replace them with. Here’s a fresh take on the clog:

Suede Boot: This boot is the perfect alternative to a clog. It is much more stylish because it is finer and more streamlined, yet still gives you a little height like a clog. The suede makes it super comfortable and warm and goes with jeans and casual pants.	www.shoe-store.net (style:blondecorina)
The Bootie: These high style booties are all the rage, you will be totally updated in them! Great with a straight legged pant or jean and can even be worn with dresses and opaque hose.	These boots are from Nordstrom
Side Zip casual boot with low heel: You can wear these like you would a clog. They are casual but still comfy. With the side zipper they are still easy to get on and off.	Found at Nordstrom
Pull on low boot: This pull on boot can be casual or great for work. The leather makes it a little dressier, but the elastic makes it easy to get out the door in a flash.	These bots are at Zappos
To see one other boot we blogged about way back when check out this clog blog post

Clogging Along

According to The It List some of the ugliest shoes out there are Uggs and Crocks, but we have  one more to add. Clogs!!

Comfort vs. Glam? We know that comfort is right up there on the list of what women want, but really, any shoe that rhymes with slog, fog, hog, says it all. Clogs may be cute and funky in your twenties, but after a certain age, they send your glam rating plumeting.

For example, can you believe these? They are called the cloggle boot!

For a $168.00  you, too, can look like your wearing army tanks on your feet.

Of course, there are those out there that will disagree with us but in general we think clogs make a GOF (gal over 40) look like a big old horse.

They’re just not classy. Clunk, Clunk Clunk!

So what do you if you disagree with us, you adore clogs and want to wear them with jeans to be comfortable and casual?

We have a few suggestions:

A) feminine platform version of a clog- At least this is a bit finer than most!

Stuart Weitzman (Datalink)  $198.00

B) a nice wedge boot- We prefer somethng like this.

Stuart Weitzman (cuffy boot) $355.00