Over 50 Style: Helen Mirren

   In my last post, I expressed dismay that out of Harper Bazaar's 100 Women of Style list, only 9 of the women noted were over 50! Surely there are more stylish women over 50?! I immediately thought of several whose absence from the list was surely a glaring oversight on someone's part. Heads should roll!
   The first woman of style missing from the list: Helen Mirren.
   Why she should be on the list: She has style in every inch of her body. Her style speaks through clothing choices, her posture and attitude, her hairstyles and makeup choices. There were a few under-thirties on that list who could learn a lot about style from Helen Mirren!

 Above and below, I love her choice of formal wear.  The dresses are always beautiful on her and they are truly what I call "starlike", that is, they are beautifully cut and adorned with lovely embellishments.  When she goes to awards shows, she is just flat out glamorous and sexy while still being classic. I would love to own the black dress below.

 Love the earrings with this outfit. 

 Below, I love that Helen Mirren shops at CVS!  I also like this "everyday" look she's wearing for running errands.  That top is divine!

 Below, another look at that gorgeous dress. 

 Love the hair! And Helen Mirren is so good about choosing colors that look fantastic on her. Knowing what works on you is such a huge part of having style!

 Below, this bright blue is beautiful and looks great with the color of Helen's hair.  I love the whimsical lizard pin that she is wearing. 

 Below, another of the wonderfully embellished dresses that Mirren favors.  The earrings are perfect.

 Above, striking a pose in red. Look at the wonderful decorative belt she is wearing.
 Below, two wonderful head shots with two different attitudes. Both are stunning!

   So, who over 50 would you add to Harper's Bazaar's list of stylish women? Do you agree with me about Helen Mirren?

Harper's Bazaar and 100 Stylish Women: Where Are the Over 50's?

 The list is out: Harper's Bazaar has chosen 100 women who supposedly are some of the most stylish in the world.  Am I to be blamed for being disappointed that only 9 out of 100 are women who are over 50?  And of those who were chosen and are over 50, I'm a bit puzzled by the choice.   But let's look at those 9:

   1. Carine Roitfield: (above) She's 59 years old and looks pretty good, but then she's French! She's also the former editor of Paris Vogue.  If she were a close friend, I would tell her to do something with her hair.

 2. Carolina Herrera: The jet-setting lady who lunches turned designer is a favorite of mine because of her taste in clothing, perfume, and home furnishings. Yes, I can see why she was chosen.  She is the ultimate in ladylike fashion and good taste.

 3. Cindy Sherman:  The famous photographer/artist is a chameleon when it comes to fashion and in this photo looks rather tame compared to some of her other incarnations.

 4. Ines de la Fressange: Once again, she's French, so what can I say? Actually, she's the best of French style and always looks chic.  Being rail thin doesn't hurt her chicness, but she definitely has style in anybody's book!

 5. Linda Fargo: She is senior vice president of the fashion office and store presentation at Bergdorf Goodman. She's responsible for spotting trends and is quite trendy herself. She always looks good!

 6. Lynn Wyatt:  This lady who lunches has been around forever.  I like her. I enjoy reading about her at times, but I don't see her as particularly stylish since she has more money than I could spend in a million lifetimes and so much cosmetic surgery that it's hard for me to consider her stylish. Style indicates a certain individuality that comes from having imperfections and quirks, and Lynn just doesn't seem to have any - or if she does, she gets rid of them quickly. Although her clothes are pretty, I never remember seeing an image of her in anything that made me really sit up and take notice (and I've been following her since the 1980's at least).

 7.  Queen Elizabeth:  Now I like that Queen Elizabeth is on the stylish list because she does have style. If you don't believe it, then go to Nieman's or Saks' websites and see if you can't choose an outfit for her. I'll bet you can! Her style, by the way, is perfect for who and what she is.  It's called appropriate.

 8. Tilda Swinton: I love her as an actress.  She does have style, not necessarily style I would want to emulate, but style that does inspire!

9.  Sheikha Mozha: She's probably not as familiar as the other names on the page, but yes, she certainly has style.  She is the widow of the Emir of Qatar, a graduate of the University of Qatar and extremely active in furthering education and development in Qatar.  She's known for her love of haute couture and for adjusting it to meet the modesty requirements of her home state.

Who would you add to the list of Most Stylish Women Over 50?  I'll be adding to this list in the next few days - the women over 50 who should have made the list, but didn't!

Mid-Summer: Best Buys Right Now!

   This is a great time to stock up on summer clothing.  Of course, the August sales may bring somewhat cheaper prices, but I've found that right after the 4th of July, prices are low and the selection is still good. This means that you can find pieces that actually fit you well instead of 
settling for a size too big simply because it's 70% off (really, a no-no).

   My first and favorite buy is this pima cotton tee from Charter Club at Macy's.

  Why I like it: If you are over 50, it covers the worst part of the arm while                                  remaining cool; it's also fitted without being too tight. 
                       Runs a bit large, I took an XS instead of a SM.

   Price: 19.99  although a few colors are on sale for 14.99! 

   Below, Tahari pants in white.  Can be found at Marshall's and T.J. Maxx depending on your store. 

    Why I like it:  Not too sheer and unlined so they are cool, but not                                            transparent.

    Price:  19.99 

                                                       

     If you don't know about Dooney and Bourke's Specials each month, you're missing out! This month two of the specials are the Florentine satchel that you see above, and the Croco Fino satchel below.  If you go to the site, you will find more.
     The satchel above is regularly  priced at $318.00 and now is on sale for $238.50, a substantial savings!  It is only available in salmon (shown above) and ivy.

      The Croco Fino satchel is a classic.  It is available in 7 colors!  Shown in red below. It's regularly priced at $348.00 and is currently on sale for $261.00.

       Why I love them:  Dooneys are well-made bags that will last. 
                                  The satchels are classic looks made of good leather
                                  that will look good for a long time.

   Below, a Michael Kors assymetrical bathing suit on sale at Macy's (along with many other suits as well).

       Why I like it:  The assymetry gives this classic suit a bit of an edge. 
                             With its cut it will look good on anyone!

        Price:  67.20  (originally 112.00)

Happy Shopping!
  Please note that I am not an affiliate of nor do I have any financial connection to the products listed.

To Wear or Not To Wear: The Bikini If You're Over 50

   It's an ongoing debate: should women over 50 wear bikinis or two piece bathing suits. 
   First, I do truly believe that people should wear whatever they want to wear. 
   That said, this is a fashion and beauty blog, and I am concerned with not just appropriate attire, but also what looks good on women over 50 especially.  Since the point is to look good, that is the position I'm coming from.
  Pictures always help, so first, above, Courtenay co in an elegant black bikini.  At exactly age 50, she can still look good in a bikini, and certainly she should wear one if that is what she is most comfortable in.  Imagine how elegant she would look in a one piece though! Why?
    Well, one thing that you will notice is that very often older women will have a certain je ne sais quoi at the top of the hipbone. It's a slight heaviness, or fat, that can look like a wrinkle.  Courtenay has it, most of us over 50 have it.  The key to an older woman looking good in a bikini is the amount of aging shown by the middle part of the body.
  Below, Sharon Stone still has a great body. No one would argue that. In fact, even though she is several years older than Courtenay, I would say Sharon looks much better in her bikini than Courtenay does in hers! 

    Below, of course Helen Mirren looks good in her bikini. Again, I'd say she'd look much more elegant in a one piece simply because if she were 25 with the same body, I would recommend a one piece.  It's about looking good, and she could look better.

    In my book, for the best look, Anjelica Huston should definitely not be wearing a bikini. 
   Does it have to do with age? No, it has to do with the way that her body is shaped. Her legs look okay and so do her shoulders; cover up the part that doesn't look so good - her middle, and she would look much better at the beach.

   Below, Janice Dickinson is nice and thin, no question.  But she does not look good in a bikini! 
   Her skin on the middle part of her body is loose, not toned, and the hip line is very pronounced. Notice the "lines" or shadows you can see starting with her rib cage and going down (no, those are not her ribs).  Although she is skinny, it looks as though I could pull skin from her body in my hand. A one piece would cover that middle part that really shows her age!

    Below, Christie Brinkley is gorgeous and still has a gorgeous body.  Her body looks toned, filled out, but still not overweight. She fills out her skin.

 Below, I'm a big fan of Julianne Moore. Her middle part isn't bad, but she would still look so much better in a skimpy one-piece suit.

   So, should older women wear bikinis? If you are over 50 and you want to look the best you can, you probably shouldn't wear a bikini!
   However, I was on the beach once in Brazil in my one piece American bathing suit when I saw a woman about my age or older in a Brazilian bathing suit.  She was a bit larger than me, certainly had one of those beautiful Brazilian bums, and the marks of time showed on her as she stood there with her husband and two grown and beautiful daughters.  She had stretch marks and aging skin, but stood there as comfortable in her own skin as she could be, in fact, she was much less self-conscious than either of her two beautiful daughters.
   My own son, in his early thirties at the time remarked that he thought that the freedom that she had to wear that bathing suit at her age without anyone thinking twice about it or being judgmental was wonderful.  And I know exactly what he meant!
  Me, at 63, I'm sticking strictly to a one-piece although I may wear a bikini when I'm in my best friends pool (as I did in my own pool)  and it's just the two of us. The feeling of freedom is just too tempting!


  Note: some of the photos here came from http://www.faboverfifty.com/wstyleblog.php/?p=13099.

Best Dressed? Sorry Elle, Not If You're Over 50!

I adore fashion magazines. Always have, probably always will, although I no longer pore over them endlessly the way that I did in the 1970's when I had no money at all to buy clothes or accessories or even the way I thumbed through them over and over in the 1980's when I lived in a too-small town for the clothes I really would have liked to wear.

But now that I am, ahem, over 50, (really I'm over 60), I am constantly amazed at what is considered to be "well-dressed."

I really got tickled when I was looking at my Elle magazine and saw this best dressed list that follows. 

Needless to say, I vehemently disagree, but especially if you are over 50, you need to avoid these looks like the plague.

As usual, I will tell you exactly what is wrong with each one!

Above, okay, Dakota Fanning is cute and this is a really young look.  I don't find it becoming to her though for several reasons. 

1.  Look at where the skirt stops at a most unbecoming place on her legs causing them to look stumpy instead of curvy. 
2. Then the dress looks particularly shapeless; even though it seems to have a drawstring, it hangs completely straight.  
3. This color does nothing for her either. The shoes are okay, but I don't find them flattering either. 

If you are over 50, this look is the kiss of death.  Why?  

• Are your arms completely muscular and toned?  With this sleeveless dress they will need to be.  
• If you are over 50, this length will look "old-lady" on you unless it happens to be your "g-spot" length (what I call the skirt length that hits at the most flattering place on your legs).

Only if you are a bit curvy and you pull that drawstring to show off your waist will this look the least bit okay on you. 

Gwen Stefani made Elle's best dressed also.  You won't if you are over 50 (personally I don't see how Gwen made it either).

1. If you are over 50 avoid wearing a jacket that:

• has too many zippers
• has too many additional details such as the large flaps near the hem
• is super bright neon orange

You may be able to get away with one of these, but all 3, forget it!

1. The boyfriend jeans with their loose fit will look like "mom" jeans, dowdy and unbecoming because they will likely add an extra 5 to 10 pounds to your lower half.
2. Don't wear t-shirts with lettering unless you are playing a team sport or coaching one.

 Above, there is so much wrong with this I hardly know where to begin. 

1. Remember Ralph on Green Acres? Then you are too old to ever wear over-alls unless you are repairing something.
2. Stripes are good; spaghetti straps and cut-out sleeveless tops are not.
3. Leather baseball cap? Just say no.
4. They may look cute on Miley, but if you're over 50, be careful about wearing gold shoes with casual wear.

Alessandro Ambrossio got it right.   Everything works here.  
If you're over 50? 
   Easy.  
Let the hem down, and unless you are extremely graceful and have never taken a fall in your life, get shorter heels. Otherwise, perfection. 
   Oh, but avoid the long single braid.

It's Summer! Do's and Don't's If You Are Over 50!

1. DON'T wear panthose. Now I love pantyhose and hate the bare leg look when it's the least bit cold. But in the summer, pantyhose don't just look hot, they look sweltering!

2. Do: Use a spray tan just on your legs, a light-colored spray tan if you don't use it on your arms or the rest of your body. Otherwise, use leg make-up. I know, sounds awful, but it looks great, actually much nicer than most spray tans! Sally Hansen makes a great one that you can get at the drugstore.

3. DON'T have arm swing. If you like your arms, you can show them off.  But be realistic; are they really toned and smooth? Did you look at your arms from behind, too?

4. DON"T go as short as you can!  Save the mini-skirts for winter when you can wear opaque tights with them.  With bare legs, the mini on someone over 50 just looks wrong... sometimes almost naked, even if your legs are beautiful.

So many things wrong here! 

5. DON'T pile on the bronzer. Be judicious and use a lighter color bronze than you may think you should use.  You don't want to look like a terracotta pot.  What you want is a glow.

Everyone has seen her, but are you sporting the same look with makeup?

6. DON'T go more than one shade darker with your summer foundation. Again, you want a bit of color, but you don't want to sweat brown or have streaks on your face.  Add most of your color with powder.

7. DO: Change your colors.  Try pinks and corals and lighten up on the red.  This not only goes for your lipstick and blush, but also for finger and toe-nails.  Pinks are especially flattering to older skin.  Dark red polish will age your hands and feet.

8. DO: Wear a sunscreen.  All the time, and all over, not just on your face.

9. DO wear underwear the same color as your skin, especially if you are wearing a lot of white.  People who have to look at you from behind will thank you.  By the way, this tip is good for any age, not just those over 50.

10. DON'T wear short-shorts.  Do I even have to mention this? Good.

What To Buy Now for Summer

Straw hats add protection while being relatively cool.

 Before it gets any sunnier or any hotter, there are four items you need to make sure that you have ready to go for summer - especially if you are over 40.  These are not just fashion accessories; they will make your life simpler, make you look better, and protect you from the harsh elements of summer.
A HAT:  I know. You hate hats. But a hat will not only protect your hair from sun damage as well as your tender scalp, it will also shade your face and reduce the sun exposure your facial skin receives.  Although many people wear sunscreen, some still get a rash from being directly exposed to very hot, very bright sunshine (alas, I am one of them!). 
Canvas hats are great: they can be rolled up and stuffed in a suitcase, but they can also get a bit hot.  Your best bet for running around town is a closely woven straw hat.

SUNGLASSES: Your eyes need to be protected just as much as your skin does.  Too much sun exposure can lead to cataracts.  Be sure to buy sunglasses that fit you without sliding off when you sweat and those that flatter your face shape.  Below, Coach, Fendi, and Prada sunglasses are great, but if you are like me and constantly misplacing them, the cheap ones are okay. Just make sure that they meet the following standards:

• UV 400 protection. (These block light rays with wavelengths up to 400 nanometers, which means that your eyes are shielded from even the tiniest UV rays.)  (fr
• Lenses block 99% or 100% of UVB and UVA rays
• Lenses meet ANSI Z80.3 blocking requirements. (This refers to standards set by the American National tandards Institute.)
• om WEBMD)

A GOOD BEACH TOTE:  Forego the cheap bags that barely outlast the summer unless you know that it's going straight into the drink the first time you get into a boat, kayak, or canoe.  A good bag can be used when running errands around town and still look chic. You can still be colorful; just avoid kitschy (always avoid kitschy!). 

The bags below range from $9.99 to over $370.

Coach Tote Bag with Colorful Stripes

Large Striped Beach Tote from WalMart

Longchamps Travel and Tote Bag in Colorful Stripes

A TUNIC COVER-UP: Don't go inside the snack bar in your bathing suit.  Get a tunic that can double as a run about town top over pants or shorts and a cover-up over a bathing suit.  The tunics below are modest, cover up drooping upper arms and your lower bottom when worn over a suit, and look airy and summery over a pair of leggings or shorts. These three tunics are from Soft Surroundings, but they can be found at most department stores, and specialty stores such as Anthropologie. (I love Anthropologie's Striped Swing Tunic, not pictured here).