One of the most common questions we get…

Dear Glam Gals,
I am really enjoying your blog and the information that you provide. I was just wondering why you continually use young models to display the clothes and styles you suggest women wear who are 40 and over? It seems counter intuitive to suggest that we embrace our age and aging bodies, yet all the styles are shown on young models, who have no bodies and are not anywhere near the age of 40! Of course we all know that clothes look better on models without curves, but doesn’t that just make it harder to embrace our age, our style, and reality? Just wondering…:-)
Thanks. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Sincerely, Wendy B

Hi Wendy,

We get this question all the time and we are frustrated too… you see to there are just no photos of “real women” out there in current clothes that you can buy! We want to be able to show you things that you can go out and buy, but all the stores insists on using ultra young and super skinny models!

A few years back, we were excited to start working with a NYC modeling agency for women over 40, but they went out of business!

That is why we try to find women on the street photos, but it can be frustrating for our readers, since most of the time the outfits the women are wearing was purchased a last season and can’t be found now.

One note, most of the styles that we suggest can be worn on most body types, it is just that they are being modeled by young, thin women!

If anyone has suggestions or ideas we would love to hear them!

Sundresses with Tropical Punch

Here’s a question from one of our readers…

I would love to see a post about cute and age appropriate sun dresses. Usually I am not a dress person, but I would like to throw something on which is not too short , but really comfortable at these temperatures right now.

Thank you so much. Nicole

Hi Nicole,

It’s only July but sundresses are being snapped quickly. Our advice to to get out there and take advantage of those sale racks. We shopped online and found a strong tropical punch theme was everywhere, so here are a few of our favorites to make you look fabulous after 40.

Cute and Flirty:Love the modern combination of brown, red and blue which adds sophistication and maturity to this pretty summer dress. It’s nice to find a dress with a hemline with a grown-up length, and the flirty edge gives it that soft touch of summer romance.    (Nordstrom)
Tropical Temptation : Pink with Orange is a juicy combination for this cotton sundress. Look very closely at the neckline and you’ll see the tiny white tassels along the v neckline that give it it’s magic.(Nordstrom)
Tropical goes Graphic :A modern twist on the tried and true tropical print. Love the vertical off centre drawstring and cool bordered hem on this artsy summer shift. If you want to look slimmer, then this is the dress because the flower pattern running from shoulder to waist creates the optical illusion making your waist look narrower and more nipped in. (Nordstrom)
Palm Perfect: A great dress that is easy for anyone to wear, especially pear shapes. The scoop neck draws the eye upwards to highlight the face. Wear it with a cute pair of flats. Boy, that looks cool and comfy! (Nordstrom)
Looking fresh and cool! Here is a photo of one of our readers, Donna from N.J. (looking fabulous after 45) in her version of the tropical sundress, that she bought at Cache! Wow, she looks terrific! Just goes to show, that if you have great legs that you can and should show them off!

What are the rules for co-ordinating your purse and shoes?

Here’s a great style question from one of our readers:

“It now seems to be the style to not have your shoes and purse match.What and how do you determine what to match them with?The old way was to have back,brown,navy,or red if you where feeling wild and they always matched your purse..Some pointers on what is in now.”

~Barbara P.

Deciding what purse to go with your shoes can be tricky. Some women buy only one purse and wear it with everything. Others collect purses and change them around all the time. It all depends on your needs and lifestyle, but in general your purse  needs to be of  high quality and the size should fit your style and personality.

This is a photo of fellow blogger Susan Tabak who always has great fashion sense!  See how the colors all blend and her purse does not stand out, but pulls her simple outfit together!

Here are a few basic rules to remember:

Play with mixing colors, but keep one color neutral : If you have gray shoes, you can have fun with a colorful bag. This look is more for work because of the stiffer, dressier bag. The slouchy bag in front  with the gladiator sandals are better for a casual look because they are both less formal.
An outfit made up of  solid colors will get a lift from a purse with some color or texture : This simple outfit is perked up with these purple flats and a snakeskin clutch.
Don’t do a stiff purse with a casual outfit: If you like to wear casual or soft flowing clothes your handbag should match the look. This purse is too boxy and stiff for this sporty outfit.
This softer,relaxed hobo style purse is much better with this outfit~
Even a formal purse can work with casual  shoes. This formal channel style bag works with these flats, since the flats are shiny and have a dressy look to them.
Coordinate your hardware: It will be  easier to make choices and you will feel more pulled together if you keep your shoes, jewelry and handbag hardware all the same finish. (e.g. silver jewelry, silver, buckles on shoes, silver zipper on purse)

Does this outfit look good on me? (part 2)

Our reader Kathryn recently wrote us to ask what to wear to an informal class reunion to be held at the local pub, in the dead of winter (it is winter for our readers in Australia) .

The grey and black layered and belted look, shows that she is up on her fashion trends, however we felt that we could dress her cute figure to flatter it a bit more. So we sent her some homework and asked her to send us what she came up with.

Here are the other options she sent us, for round 2:

	Even though it is an informal event, we think this outfit is way too casual if Kathryn wants to dress to impress! The layers hide all her curves, and the checker shirt and clunky shoes make her look very masculine. The long, light colored top is the wrong proportion on the body, and makes her legs look very short in comparison. This is definitely not a look we’d recommend.
	This look is much nicer! It looks classy and crisp, and the shapes flatter her figure.  The only point we’d make is that it’s just too conservative!  From the first outfit to this one, we’ve lost all Kathryn’s style sensibility.  Where’s the funky trendiness we saw in the first outfit?
	Finally, we think this outfit is a slam dunk!  The black belt pulls in the narrowest part of Kathryn’s body, and the fact that it’s all one color makes her look longer and leaner.  We have the boots again, however she had another pair in her closet that fit nicer and hug her leg, which adds a little sexiness to the outfit.  She added back in some of her personal style with the necklace and bracelets.  We believe this is the best outfit yet! Our only suggestion would be to add a little color into the ensemble.  Perhaps wear a bright colored blouse instead of the white to give your face some color.  Maybe try wearing a colorful scarf or holding a colored bag.  Adding a pop of color will give her outfit some visual interest, and help her stand out!
	Kathryn also sent us a picture of her coat.  Isn’t it adorable?  We love the winter white wool trench with the cinched waist and decorative vintage pin.  The A-line is a perfect cut for her too.  That just goes to show that even in sub zero weather, you can still look hot!

Style Q &A: Do panty hose make you look old?

Hi there G.G.’s!

I’d love to know what you think about the whole tights/pantyhose/knee high dilemma. When is a woman too old to wear tights, as in black, opaque tights or colored opaque tights?  If she is too old for tights, do you recommend pantyhose? To me these just look dated and frumpy.  What’s the solution?  And what are your thoughts about knee highs with pants?  If a woman feels that she needs them is it best to go with more of a “trouser sock” in black or a color, or to wear nude knee highs (which, again, I think look quite dated)

Thanks.
Michele Little

Hi Michele,

That is certainly one of those “grey” areas that does not really get much press!  Since we are coming into summer, this is even more relevant,so here’s our response:

1. What is your take on pantyhose? Are pantyhose aging? Yes, we sure do think that!  However,  if you have to wear pantyhose, try to wear nude that matches the color of your skin as best as possible. Donna Karan makes a few good sheer nude shades. If you are in between shades, choose the darker, but really nude should look “nude”.  A great alternative is a nude colored fishnet. These look terrific. Wolford makes a great one. One final point, never wear pantyhose with a peep toe shoe or mule!
2. When is a women too old to wear tights? Never. We love tights and wear black or brown tights all fall and winter but come Spring/Summer we switch to no hose or nude hose. However, we think leggings are fine and can be worn at any age.
3. What are your thoughts about knee highs with pants? No, yuck. Don’t do it. That’ s our first reaction. I (JoJami) do not even own a pair of knee highs. However, we hate to say the word “never”…so here’s what we suggest… really it all depends on the shoes and pants and how dressy you are going.

If you are wearing:

• jeans and flats. No socks or hose
• jeans and heels or sandals. No sock or hose
• jeans and a loafer.  Thin dress socks are good but in a dark color. (no white ones)  Barefoot O.K. Do not wear knee highs.
• Khakis. (same rules as for jeans…however do not wear heels or dress shoes with khakis) Never hose with khakis.
• Dress Pants. If wearing closed toed pumps or flats you can wear knee highs or hose or go barefoot. If wearing “peep toed” heels or flats NO HOSE. If wearing any type of sandal or mule, NO HOSE.

Hope this clears things up!