Do you have a sweater dress?

When running around town, we want to make sure that we Glam Gals are super comfortable, but chic too.

Great way to put a little color in your day out!

The answer is simple. A sweater dress, leggings and a pair of boots!

Here is our recipe to pull this look together.

• Find a simple straight sweater dress.
• Add a nice wide hip belt
• Layer it with a scarf or loose long sweater (like a Cozy)
• Make sure to wear dark opaque tights or legging
• Find some nice fitting boots that are either flat or have a short heel. (Zappos.com)
• If you want a smoother look, try a full slip from Spanx

Both dresses shown are from Newport News.

For a sexier look, this flattering style would look great on most!

This boot is from Zappos.com

Click below for more styles that will fit your body type!

How to update your wardrobe 5 ways with only 1 piece!

One of our readers wrote us recently that she was really depressed that she had nothing to wear to an upcoming Sunday afternoon Christmas tea. Her budget was very limited and she didn’t want to have to buy an entire new outfit.

We suggested that she go out and find a new blouse to spice up what she already had in her closet!

She was thrilled and went out and found a gorgeous new blouse for $49.00 and when she got it home, she realized that it was going to be able to make up to 5 new outfits with it!

Here are a few suggestions that we think would be great additions to your winter wardrobe! The secret is finding a blouse with an interesting neckline that will add some flair!

This type of neckline is always flattering!

Under a suit jacket or on its own, this pretty blouse looks good on all body types! (from Nordstroms)

This animal print is soft and romantic! (from Spiegel)

This off the shoulder is hard to find, but easy to look good in!

We like this ivory blouse that is off the shoulder,  because it can be sexy with out showing cleavage! (Nordstroms)

Boots for those with foot problems

We recently posted a letter from a reader who can’t wear heels because of foot problems and wanted to know if she could wear leggings with clunky flats.

When we mentioned that instead, she should try some flat boots, she ran out and found a pair at Nordstrom’s!

Now leggings and jeans are fine, but what if she wants to wear a skirt? Since these boots are very casual they will be look best with pants…

Flat boots like these will be comfy for those with foot problems

However, here is a skirt that will work with them too.  You could also try a casual dress, like a sweater dress.

Colorful skirts make fall dressing festive

Don’t forget to make sure to find opaque hose (not sheer) or tights that match the boots. This will give the leg a longer look.

We went to Boden.com and Spiegel and found lots of great casual styles to choose from! At Boden, you can even “try” the clothes on a fantasy model and see what they would look like on a person!

Here is another combination we liked:

This skirt from Spiegel, would be a good length and weight to balance this boot.

And, for extra comfort and support, don’t forget some Dr. Scholl’s inserts!

Fall Fashion Must-Haves at Tory Burch

Here at Fabulous After 40, we’ve been reporting about upcoming Fall fashions for the last few weeks. What if you want little bit of something in every category, and don’t have the time to shop around? We’ve found one designed that has it all!

Tory Burch‘s new Fall collection includes pieces that are so trendy and age appropriate, you can’t go wrong. Here is a re-cap of our the Fall trends reviews in the last few weeks, and Tory’s take on them.

	Black leather
	Strong shoulders
	White ruffle blouse
	Sparkle and grey
	Military jackets
	Chunky knits

Great news: Tory Burch is having a huge sale! Check out the steals here!

Back from NYC Reinvention Convention, Best Dressed

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 J McLaughlin 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	Judy Goss (author of How to Break Into Modeling for Under $20) was there looking stunning in this leopard dress, reporting for Better TV.
	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!

The Military Jacket, is it for over 40 women?

Hi Ladies-

I am so glad I found your wonderful website.  I have a question that relates to what is “age-appropriate”.  I am 43 and very petite.  I am in love with a trend jacket that is big for the Fall, although I usually stay away from trends.  The jacket I am talking about is the Alice + Olivia shrunken military jacket, a picture of which is attached.

My only concern is the age-appropriate perception of this jacket due to the adornment?  My idea would be to wear it with some nice fitting jeans, a simple white top underneath and simple sleek black or metallic heels.  No excessive accessories.  I have tried the jacket on and it fits beautifully.

Your thoughts on the age-appropriateness of this ensemble is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Gail

Hi Gail,

We have been seeing this look around and we agree it is so FUN!… but here it the thing… this is definitely a trend and what we call a “statement piece”.  That means that you really will not wear it all the time and if you do, people will definitely remember that specific jacket.

Also, we know that this piece is rather expensive and is in the price range that we would call an “investment piece”. We suggest that you keep looking and find one that is similar with the military look, but perhaps not so dramatic as this one.

Moreover, if you buy it,  because it is so trendy you might get tired of it soon and wish you had put your money in a high quality coat that is still fun, but one that you feel good in and can enjoy for a long time. An example of this would be this one we’re showing by Tory Burch.

To answer your question if it is age appropriate, we say that yes, someone over 40 can pull this off, but it is almost “costume-like”… so you would really have to be in a funky, fun job or live in a very cosmopolitan city or environment to wear it enough to get your moneys worth.

BTW… we think it would great left open with a red plaid flannel shirt under it with blue jeans.

Let us know if this is helpful, comment below!

Cheers!

The Glam Gals

Not wearing dresses because of chaffing is a problem?

It is easy to feel frumpy after 40, especially when life in general is all about dressing casually.  I (JoJami) was out on a group hike over the weekend, and was chatting with a fellow hiker about her frustrations with her everyday dressing techniques.

Dresses are a great summer option to shorts or capris

Hiker Sue: I am petite and my middle has spread, even though I exercise and eat moderately. I am not interested in looking fashionable, I just want to dress age appropriately.

JJ: I understand how you feel, we hear the same story from our FAF readers all the time who write us and complain that they can’t find anything at the store anymore.

Hiker Sue: What I do now is wear the same “uniform” that works for me. I love khaki pants and simple t-shirts. I also find that I don’t wear heels much anymore, because I like to be comfortable when I walk around town.

JJ: Well, have your tried putting little dresses into your casual wardrobe? They are so wonderful, you feel more feminine and you can wear flats or heels with them.

Hiker Sue: You know, a lot of women have given up wearing dresses because of chaffing! Their thighs rub together and it makes wearing dresses really uncomfortable!

JJ: Actually, I have not really thought about that!!! Thanks for bringing it up!!

Oh my, chaffing thighs under dresses is a terrible problem.  But ladies, there is a solution!
If you find wearing dresses uncomfortable, we highly recommend that you wear some shapewear under your dress. The little “bike short” style is just perfect to go under any sundress and will totally eliminate the chaffing problem. We found a ton of these over at Bare Necessities in a variety of styles and sizes.  Make sure you grab the thigh slimmers that have a flat band around the leg opening so they don’t roll up, and long enough for comfort (probably right above the knee).  Not only will they stop your thighs from rubbing together, they will smooth out your legs and midsection too!

So we hope you will go out and try on a new dress and add it to your casual wardrobe. Find some cute flats and also some matching heels and see how you feel!

Then send it in and let us share it !!!

Do comfortable shoes have to be ugly?

comfortable?.. perhaps, but ugly!

Here is another letter from one of our readers:

Dear Glam Gals,

Laura

Hi Laura,

We do agree that it can be a challenge to find shoes that are both comfortable and have some style.

If you are trying to update your shoe wardrobe for fall, we have found that there are reliable brands out there like Naturalizers that have styles that can be both comfortable and stylish.

For a casual flat, try crocodile loafer under a pair of wide legged trousers:

Here is a two tone pump that would spice up your boring suit for work

Check out our contest this month for your chance to win a free pair Naturalizer shoes!! Like these cute boots!!

You could be the lucky winner of the boots!