Are you sick of winter? We are, and there’s hardly been any snow yet!
It’s that time of year when JoJami and I look out our windows into the cold gray landscape and think, “We’ve got to get out of these heavy, dull winter clothes, or we’re going to suffocate.”
So, what does one wear to feel happy and alive, when it’s still freezing out there, and wearing bare sleeves and bare legs would look absolutely ridiculous?
Color… for one… something lightweight, but not silly thin.. and sleeves, preferably…. if you can find them!!! ( near impossible these days)
Enter Spring’s new bright, bold and graphic jersey shift dresses. Wow, did we get excited when we saw these online! They’re bursting with color, are in fun happy prints, and they have sleeves..yes!
Never mind that they’re showing them worn with bare legs and sandals. Just throw on a pair of dark tights and cute flats and you’ll be good to go.
And they’re so comfy…… the perfect thing to wear when you’re still working on shedding those few extra pounds left over from Christmas, so you can be ready for bathing suit season. Here are a few of our favorite picks from Nordstroms:
| Paisley gone crazy:
A modern update on an old fashioned pattern makes traditional look hip. Brown with white is an ideal color combo to transition into Spring. (Nordstroms) |
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| Edgy:
Black and electric blue give this one cool sharpness. You don’t need jewelry. This dress does all the talking.(Nordstroms) |
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| Caribbean:
Can’t you just feel that tropical breeze? This one reminds us of an island getaway at March break! (Nordstroms) |
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| Arsty:
Looks like someone took the kid’s Spiro Giro to it. The rounded neckline is flattering to all. Graphic and gorgeous! (Nordstroms)
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| 60’s vibe:
Never say never! It’s short, but if you have long shapely legs this Tory Burch dress worn with thick, dark tights and flats or cute boots, will make you look chic.(Nordstroms) |
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On the Border:
Beautiful Bordering at the V neckline, sleeves and hem give this an extra punch. For those who don’t like boatnecks, the V is a great option. It makes any neck look longer and your body look leaner!(Nordstroms) |
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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.
Great news: Tory Burch is having a huge sale! Check out the steals here!
Tory Burch is one of my (Deborah) favorite designers. I love her classic casual styles and the bold, happy colors she uses in her designs. One of her signature pieces is the tunic. This spring her tunics come in some of the most gorgeous big, bold patterns.
Tory’s tunics have a late 60’s/early 70’s ethnic vibe. Remember when Hippies wore tunics? Nowadays you see them on models and celebs, and they look great, but we’ve found that in reality they don’t always translate.
For example, I have an hourglass shape and I was really excited to try one on, but when I did, it looked horrible like a pillowcase. It did nothing for my figure…just made me look wide all over, even when I wore skinny pants, which is the suggested way to wear a tunic these days.
A tunic doesn’t do anything for gals who are pear shaped either(pear shaped is when your hips are much wider than your shoulders). But, it can work well for an H-shape (shoulder and hips equally wide with wider waist) or even better an inverted triangle shape (wide at the shoulders an narrow at the hips).
I also think to wear a tunic well you have to feel good in it. Tunics have a boho feel to them, so if that’s your personality great. If it’s not, you’re going to feel frumpy, no matter how pretty the top is, and that was true for me. But it’s always good to try on different looks, just to be sure.
JoJami and I got chatting about what clothes work for us and what we buy.
Here are some of our recent purchases.
Deborah: Mainly…. Elie Tahari, Pink Tartan, Diane Von Furstenberg, Tory Burch,Theory….also David Meister, Trina Turk, Teenflo, Akris Punto, Michael Kors (my splurge)
Where Debs shops-90% department stores- Saks, Neimans, Holt Renfrew, Bloomingdales, Macys, 10% Boutiques for accessories.
JoJami: Mainly…DKNY,Yoana Baraschi, Diane Von Furstenberg, Etc., IIsli, Rozae Nichols, …also Tibi, Velvet, Occasional finds at Loemans.
Where JoJami shops-99% Boutiques, 1% department stores
So you see the Glam Gals shopping habits are quite different. I (Deb) like that boutiques offer one of a kind things. However, whenever I shop in a boutique, I fall in love with something… they don’t have it in my size and then they try to convince me to buy the size or color they have because this brand fits small or this color is hot right now or some other excuse. I don’t like that pressure. At least at the big stores, if I want another size or color or I want to return something, there is no problem.
I asked JoJami if she has experienced this and she says that this can be a problem unless you frequent these boutiques.
If you develop a relationship with a boutique owner she will be on the lookout when your size comes in and actually shop with you in mind when she is ordering for the new season. Find a boutique you like and it’s like having your own personal image consultant and you’ll always look very original.
Recently, we wrote a blog post called What NOT to Wear After 40…and put up a photo of these shoes.
We were surprised to get several emails from gals who loved these wild shoes and had no problem wearing them regardless of age. This got us thinking…. where does one draw the line when trying to decide what is fun to wear and what is foolish to wear after 40?
Our take on these shoes is that while they are fun and new, they are definitely loud and may look foolish, not fun, on most women over 40. Although the style is fashion forward and the high heel does have a hidden platform, which makes it doable, the kicker for us is the hot purple color combined with shiny patent leather, which makes it too trendy for most. The wide strap also adds a baby doll feel.
But all that being said, if you have a big dramatic or creative streak in you, you might be able to pull off these shoes, if you wore them with a simple outfit like a sleek black top and pair of black wide legged pants. Make these shoes your statement piece and don’t junk up your look by adding all kinds of other trendy bits like, i.e. an animal print belt with these shoes would send your image into a fashion tailspin.
We mentioned you really have to have a certain drama to your coloring as well to pull this look off. For example, if you have a fair skin tone and very dark hair and eyes, or dark skin, and a dramatic aura, this might work. If you are blonde and light skinned, these shoes won’t fly because the contrast is so great, they’ll make you look cheap.
For those a little less bold, you may want to try shoe in black patent leather, instead of purple, or you might also want to look for a less bright shade of purple shoe in suede or leather. Choose one without the ankle strap if you want to look as tall as you can.
Curious about where we draw the line between fun and foolish when it comes to 6 other new fall looks. Read On……
1. Extra Wide Legged Pants
Fun or Foolish? |
 Our Pick |
You could mop the floor in the pants on the left. We don’t want to take the fun out of fashion but these pants are on the extreme side.
Our Pick
These high-waisted Diane von Furstenberg pants are a better choice because they have a more gentle flare which is very flattering on most body types and balances out any over 40 body which is usually starting to widen through the middle. The hot pink window pane pattern adds a touch of femininity to the men’s wear feel.
2. Bright Bold Prints
Layering and bold prints are in, but the combination of the two on the left looks busy and tacky. This look is too playful for a 40+ look unless you are Carrie Bradshaw, (but isn’t she starting to look a little silly in some of her zany looks anyhow?)
Fun or Foolish? |
 Our Pick |
Can you believe this is the same dress? What an improvement! Leave a busy patterned dress alone by dumping the vest and belt. Much more beautiful and age flattering!
 Our Pick Too! |
Here’s another bright, bold Diane Von Furstenberg dress. It’s called “The Clooney”. Again, if you are going for patterns stick to classic style that is simple and let the pattern shine. This knock-out number has a geometric pattern with an art deco feel, which is a hot trend this fall. |
3. Short Sleeved Suits
 Fun or Foolish? |
 Our Pick |
JoJami saw this Nanette Lepore suit (on the left) at a local boutique, but didn’t have time to try it on and was thinking of going back to do so. But when she saw it here she realized it has a lot of problems. It has too much going on. This jacket is trying too hard to be different and the lace top is an added extra that’s just not needed. On an over 40 gal it would look plain granny like.
Our Pick
We prefer this Isabel and Nina double breasted wide shawl collar suit. It’s got a real Jackie-O quality to it – sophisticated and clean – and the neckline is so elegant.
4. Wild Animal Prints
 Fun or Foolish? |
 Our Pick |
Animal prints are fun but don’t have to roar so loud that you look like you are wearing a costume. The zebra inspired skirt on the left is cutesy if you are twenty but, cutesy is not the way you want to look.
Our Pick
We vote for the look on the right. Simply add a touch of animal print to an accessory like a handbag or belt and you look so much more sophisticated. It’s the difference between fashion Victim and fashion Victory!
5. Fashionably Full Skirts
Fun or Foolish?
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 Our Pick |
The combination of this ruffled blouse with puff sleeves and very full pleated skirt makes this young model look a little older than she is, and that’s fine because she is so young to begin with. But put a prissy school teacher look like this on a gal 40+ who has extra curves at her middle, not so perfectly taught arms, and a mature face and she’ll look like an old biddy.
Our Pick
If you like a fuller skirt, try one that is a little more refined. This Ralph Lauren box pleated wool herringbone skirt is easy and comfortable to wear and always looks classy. Top it off with something more relaxed like a black turtleneck and great suede jacket in a gorgeous shade of majestic purple. This shot of color will give your face life.
6. Chunky Platform Shoes
 Fun or Foolish? |
 Our Pick |
Clunky and funky, these top heavy shoes (on the left) with their baby doll strap would look better on your teenage daughter.
Elegant, classic with a modern twist these Tory Burch Pumps look great and the stacked heel makes them a lot more comfortable for tootsies too. Love the gold hardware!
Fall’s new boots have arrived, and they are marching across town into your favourtie stores and hopefully into your closets.
But the big question we’re getting is What do you wear with them to look stylish and hip?
Let’s start with what Deborah calls “Power Booties”, shorter style overgrown pumps. These have a collar added on.
These are a lot of fun, and can really make you look like a style diva, when worn with a fresh pair of opaque tights and a more tailored look. Power booties add va voom to conservative outfits, like this. Of course you can always wear them with pants too, but then no one will see them, so whats the use of that? So, we suggest you take a very simple dress like this knit from Anne Klein (available at Nordstroms), add tights and booties and viola!, it’s a hipper new way to dress things up.
Next, on our list of new favourites is the flat riding boot.
We love this look, because most importantly it is comfortable. There’s many variations to choose from ranging from outdoor rugged to city sleek. Riding boots look best worn tucked into straight legged jeans, with a full skirt, or sweater dress.
There’s a cute pair that can double as a rainboot, at Tory Burch.
Finally,the stretch boot, back again this year, is our all time favorite investment. Nothing feels sexier too because these babies which literally fit like a glove.
The stretch boot looks best with sleek sophitcated styles, in ther words, fine knits and clean lines vrs. bulky sweaters, and heavy, busy fabrics. Here’s one with a wedge, which is super comfy, but not quite as sexy as ones with a heel.
