10 Sure Signs You are Looking Frumpy after 40

It’s a New Year, and many of you are giving some serious thought to a ‘new you style-wise. Maybe you’ve already resolved to make 2018 ‘the year’ you finally tweak your chic and take positive steps to look age-amazing.

Knowing where to start is half the battle – particularly when you look in the mirror and feel like a frump because you know that you’ve let yourself go. If you’re trying to pinpoint exactly what it is that’s making you look so old, then read on to learn The 10 Sure Signs You’re Looking Frumpy after 40.

1. You Look Like You are Wearing a Tent

Whether you’ve gained weight this past year or you’ve always been a bigger woman,  trying to hide under oversized clothes in not doing you any favors. In fact, baggy clothes that hide your body make you look bigger, older, and matronly.

Instead, show off the parts of your body you still like, for example, your bust or your slender arms, and choose clothes that skim, not cover up, the parts you don’t, for example, your hips. Don’t use oversized clothes as a gigantic blanket to hide behind. Switch to more fitted – not tight – the clothing if you want to look fresh and ‘with it’.

2. Yellow Teeth

Aided and abetted by coffee, tea, and red wine (sigh), our teeth are yellow as we age. This is a big turnoff and a telltale sign of age despite how great you may look otherwise. Flash a set of shiny white teeth and knock ten years off. These days it’s easy with at-home whiteners or dentist laser treatments that restore sex appeal.

3. Dated Glasses

Still, wearing those hokey glasses, you bought ten years ago? Time to tweak your chic with some updated glasses. Glasses are a wardrobe staple. You wear them every day, and they are one of the first things people notice about you, so it is worth investing in a great pair. Heck, you may even want at least two pairs – one that is dressy and one that is casual and fun and switch them around to look modern and fashionable.

Eyewear is similar to fashion in that things come and go out of style. Do your research first, but some general eyewear trends for 2018 include:

• Thin metal frames
• Gold accents
• Soft colors. Think blush, pastels of all sorts, and beige neutrals
• Tortoise with a twist

Be sure to take a stylish friend along with you when you make your choice. It’s easy to get stuck in an eyeglass rut and end up buying much the same thing you had before.

4. Dull, Uneven Skin Tone

As we age our skin starts to fade and years of sun damage from too much tanning begin to show up on our faces as dark brown spots. Depending on your skin, specific issues, and budget, you can even out your skin and restore its natural glow with cosmetic peels, laser resurfacing treatments, alpha hydroxy acid, and vitamin C. (If you can, make an appointment with a dermatologist to discuss what’s best for you.) A bonus- fine lines and wrinkles also seem to disappear as the new layer of skin are revealed.

5. Scary Lips

Halloween is over! Ditch the dark lips which are too strong a contrast to aging skin and hair and try wearing soft natural shades in pinks and peaches. And as for heavily lined lips that make you look clownish when were those EVER in? When you walk into a room, you want people to think how beautiful your face looks, not how scary your lips look.

6. Juvenile Styles

Some styles, whether you want to hear this or not, look juvenile on women past a certain age. Pinafores, overalls, and anything too fluffy or frilly or with too many bows make grown-up women look like wish they were still little girls.  Avoid juvenile styles like this and steer towards more clean, classic styles that look chic and polished.

7. Old Lady Handbag and Shoes

You’ll look like an “old bag” if you carry an old handbag. Dated purses and shoes are a sure giveaway you’ve fallen into an old lady’s fashion rut. Study the magazines, see what younger gals are carrying and wearing on their feet and copy them. This is one area where you can be a little more trendy and fun.

A sure-fire, never miss style recipe is: Classic Styles + Funky Accessories = Modern and Youthful

8. Too Much Denim

Old rockers may never die, but sometimes it’s good to give them a rest! Sometimes, as it has recently, the style pendulum swings to head-to-toe denim but tread carefully; after 40 it can look tacky unless you’re skilled at putting together just the right pieces. I recommend playing it safe and sticking to a well-fitting pair of stylish jeans. I also recommend you experiment with different rises to find the one that works best for you. Super low-rise jeans account for a muffin top and look trashy. “Mommy jeans” with wide legs that are cut too high can emphasize a bulging tummy or hips. Dark, mid-rise jeans are always elegant and so much classier if you are 40+.

9. Saggy Bust

If your breasts are heading south, it’s time to perk them up with a good supporting bra. The older we get, the more this is needed to help hold everything up that’s fallen out of place.

And while you’re in the process of updating your foundation pieces, throw out your boring white underwear. Go out on a limb and get some lingerie that is colorful and fun. Age is a state of mind, and if we’re feeling sexy underneath, we’re going project vibrant, youthful energy to the world.

10. Helmet-Head Hair

The most glaring sign you are stuck in the past is hair that resembles a hair-sprayed bubble. Remember the helmet head hairdo John Travolta sported in the movie Hairspray? Don’t be caught looking like that! Keep your hair, loose, soft, and shiny, and style it in a modern way. Update your style every six months and make sure your color is multidimensional, not flat and phony.

Got any other good tips for dumping the frump? Pass them on by commenting below!