Ever since Martha Stewart made it OK to brand herself with K-Mart, many Style Gurus have jumped on board trying to become the next “it” designer for large discount retailers. Isaac Mizrahi has gone from elite fashion designer to the king of sensible style for the masses, all because of his multimillion dollar success at Target. Patrick Robinson and Proenza Schouler also now design for the retail giant. Even Stella McCartney and Carl Lagerfeld have their own special lines for the clothing chain H&M .
That’s great news for savvy shoppers who want high style at an affordable price! By mixing a few of these frugal fashion finds with some luxury basics you can get an upscale look for less!
The trick is knowing when to splurge and when to skimp. This definitely is an art. Here are 7 tips to help you do it well:
1. Splurge on a Suit
The basis for any work wardrobe is a suit. Reserve the largest part of your budget for this. The better quality the suit, the better it will make you look and the longer it will last. Choose a suit in a timeless, year round fabric like wool or wool blend. Pay a lot of attention to cut and fit in order to look polished and powerful.
2. Skimp on Accessories
One sure way to waste money is to buy expensive accessories to complete a look of the moment. You know, you buy the $300 safari sundress and then they up sell you $300 safari necklace, $300 safari belt and $ 300 scarf to match. And next season that style is out. Accessories are very important to finish a look, but you really need to be careful. It’s o.k. to pay a little more for a belt for jeans you wear all the time, but don’t throw your money out the window for an expensive belt that has a short style life.
3. Splurge on the Important Basics
Skimp on cute, colorful t-shirts, and trendy casual fun tops and sweaters from designer budget lines at places like H&M but ……… Splurge on a great classic shirt, a beautiful cashmere sweater and one great white stretch T, even it means paying a higher price. The latter are investment pieces. You know the rule, figure out how much something costs and divide it by the number of times you will wear it to get the cost per wear. This should determine how much you are willing to pay.
4. Skimp on Casual Shoes
Unless they are shoes for work (which need to be the best quality you can find) shoes do not need to be expensive. Be on the lookout for seasonal sales at stores like Sacs, Neiman’s and Nordstrom for deals on high end designer shoes like Gucci that you don’t want top pay top dollar for. Visit the outlet stores and pop into discount stores like Marshalls like TJ Max for bargains on top name brands. Go often to get the best offerings instead of waiting until you really need a pair of shoes and are forced to pay full price somewhere else. Try not to be shoe snob. Let’s face it if you are just running around on the weekends, you don’t need to be wearing a pair of expensive shoes. Target has some fabulous shoes at great prices that will work great for this sort of thing. Save your money for shoes when it is going to matter.
5. Skimp on Jeans
Many women buy pricey jeans because they want to be wearing the label of the moment. Wrong! What’s more important is to find a pair of jeans that fit you perfectly, regardless of price. Get over the label thing and keep shopping until you find the perfect pair. Remember no one will be looking at your label if they’re looking at your fabulous figure in these perfectly fitting jeans.
6. Splurge on a Purse
Like it or not purses has become a statement of who you are and what you stand for. A good quality bag says volumes… Keep your eyes peeled for sales and remember if you are going to spend a few hundred dollars on a quality purse choose one that is classic. Black, taupe, and cream are better choices than trendy colors like mustard or orange. Look for timeless simple details that will stand the test of time and give you your money’s worth. Better one good bag than several cheap ones.
7. Skimp on Lingerie.
In general, no need to spend full price, unless you are hard to fit. Better to spend less and buy more often to keep your lingerie looking and feeling fresh. Beautiful, good quality Camisoles, bras and panties are everywhere at great prices. It’s always nice however to have one decadently luxurious bra and panty tucked away for special days.
Ever gone shopping, tried something on and wondered, “Does this look awful, or is it just me?” How do you really know if a new trend looks bad on you or whether you’re just stuck in a serious style rut?
Welcome to the Tipping Point- that place of limbo where you must decide to either give a new style a try, or just plain give it up!
Here’s are a few helpful Do’s and Don’ts to help get you off this fashion fence.
1. DON’T blindly listen to sales people
We’ve all fallen into the trap of relying on a salesperson to talk us into buying something, that deep down, we’re not crazy about. While there are some good salespeople out there, most are on commission. Although they mean well, they subconsciously do want you to buy, so always keep this in mind.
Better to listen to your gut about an outfit or develop a long term relationship with a particular salesperson that you like and trust and who won’t steer you wrong.
Also, be sure to take a good look at how the sales person has put herself together. If she’s not looking so chic, how can you expect her to help you look chic?
2. DO take it home to test drive
The wonderful thing about shopping these days is that most stores have excellent return policies. If you’re not sure how you feel about something, take it home and try it out. It can look very different at home the next morning when you are more rested or you are in a different light. Maybe you’ll even notice how well it works with something else in your closet or be inspired to keep it because of all the compliments you get from family members when you slip it on. Or, perhaps, you’ll realize that your instincts were right after all, and promptly return it.
Just be sure to keep the tags attached and keep all receipts and you should have no problem. Trust us…doing this a dozen times, you’ll become more confident in your fashion choices and have to use this tactic only the odd time.
3. DON’T say no to the first garment you try on
When a new style arrives in the store it can be so foreign that even though it looks fabulous on you, it feels strange. We recently had one client who we suggested try the new walking short and she was very dubious. The first pair she tried on looked great, but was still unsure, so she tried on several more pairs in different fabrics and cuts until she got comfortable with the look. In the end she bought the first pair she tried on and 2 others. She was thrilled with the elegant look of walking shorts. So lesson here, try on many of the same style to get comfy and pick ones that suits you best.
4. DO check out what other women are pulling off
If you’ve tried on a certain new style and you are not sure if it is age appropriate, take a day and people watch what other fashionable gals are doing with the look. If you think chunky platform shoes will look too young, see if other stylish 40-somethings have them and what they are wearing with them to make them look so great. It’s all about the total look, so check out the small details. What style of clothes is she wearing with the shoes, how has she done her hair,what other accessories is she wearing? Also, notice the quality of the shoes she has on. All these details can shape how this trend will look on you.
5. DO be prepared to make mistakes
When you’ve fallen off the style track (or you feel you’ve never been on it), it’s going to take a while to get back on board. Be prepared to get it wrong sometimes and forgive yourself. So,you thought it looked great. You gave it a chance, and a month later hated it. This will happen. Don’t beat yourself up. Developing your own personal style is a process.
6. DON’T buy clothes you are not in love with
In the end, the best way to determine whether a new style is right for you is to be in love with it. A client of ours tried on a pair of gorgeous lower rise jeans in a stunning green shade that made her eyes pop. The color and style were perfect, but she just didn’t feel good in them not matter how many times she tried them on. So we suggested she pass. The reason: If you don’t feel confident in what you are wearing you will never look fabulous. Never! That’s the bottom line and the perfect way to politely tell to a pushy salesperson to get her off your back.
Just came across this scary picture of Liz Taylor, and it reminded us of a really important beauty rule you must follow if you want to be a Boomer Babe.
For heavens sakes, GO EASY ON THE MAKE-UP.
As our hair lightens and begins to go grey, (or in Liz’s case, goes blonde!) our eyebrows also lighten, our skin pales and we start to look washed out.
Many of us try to compensate by piling on the make up. We think that bright lipstick, lots of blush, tons of eye shadow, and dark eyeliner will restore our youth. Here’s proof that bright make-up after 40 will make you look like a clown or female impersonator!
So here’s what you do:
1. Avoid Heavy Foundation
Since your skin dries and dulls as it ages, it’s best to switch to a dewier look. Trade in your heavy matte foundation, which gives you that mask look, for a tinted moisturizer (We love the one by Laura Mercier).
If you want more coverage try, mixing your foundation with some moisturizer to thin it out, or mix your foundation with a tinted moisturizer. You may also want to check out ‘light reflecting foundations’ especially created for mature skin because they reflect light off those little wrinkles.
2. Put away the Powder
Too much powder can make you dry and cakey. If you must use powder because you have oily skin, use loose powder in the T-zone, only.
3. Switch Your Blush
Powder Blush is heavy looking on mature lined skin. Instead try a cream blush. It’s more natural looking and will make you look vibrant.
4. Examine your Eye Shadows
Be careful with shimmering shadows. Too much sparkle accentuates creepy eyelids. Also avoid too much bright color on your eyes. Neutral colored eye shadows- beiges, browns, creams, gays, taupes, will show off your eyes instead of your eyelids.
5. Don’t let Eyeliner Overpower
Don’t use black…too harsh. Instead, try dark brown and then blend well with a brown powder. Best way to apply it is as close to the eyelash as possible, dotting between lashes and then smoothing out the line, or even better just under your upper lashes. Your eyes will appear much bigger.
6. Baby your Brows
Your eyebrows create a beautiful frame to showcase your eyes so don’t neglect them as you age. Be sure to keep them in good shape so they don’t get scraggly. After 40 Many women tend to let the brow go pale and darken the lips at this stage, when in fact you should darken the brows so they frame your eyes (but don’t get as carried away as Liz), and lighten up the lips.
7. Lighten Your Lips
Soften lips with pinks, corals, light browns, nothing too dark or too bright or there will be too much contrast between your lips, skin and hair. Too much contrast makes you look hard.
8. Use a Light Hand with Lip Liner
Good idea to use a liner to prevent lip bleed, but keep it soft in color and application. You should not be able to tell you have it on.
9. Banish Pasty Face
The older we get the paler we get and that old lady look starts to kick in. To avoid this try using a very light bronzer to finish off your look and give your skin a youthful sun kissed glow. To apply: Hold your bronzing brush at your temple and round it down in a sweeping motion to your cheekbone (creating a backwards c motion). From your cheekbone, round it down in a sweeping motion to just below the jaw line (creating another backwards c). Repeat on the other side.
Got a few make-up tips of your own to share? We’d love to hear from you!
Have a great week!!
