Fashion After 40

With so many designers and trends targeting thehave all seenbetter days, it's time to cover them up
svelte bodyof the twenty-something, is it possible toa bit instead ofsharing the wear-and-tear with the
look fashionableas the years pass and your bodyworld. Now I'm nottalking about draping yourself in a
begins to tell the tale?tent for the rest ofyour life. Far from it. I'm talking
Absolutely!about wearing shortsleeves instead of going
In fact, with a little ingenuity and sleigh-of-hand,sleeveless, Capris instead ofshorts, and modest
it'seasy to be fashionable and stylish regardless ofnecklines instead of plunging necklines.
how manycandles are on your birthday cake.Now I know that covering up the parts that used to
Now let's be frank: unless you work out religiously,turnheads and draw envy can be tough to take for
youprobably don't have the same body at 40, 50, orsome women.
60 that youdid at 25. Time, gravity, and pregnancy allWhich is precisely why beautiful jewelry and fine
take their tollon the female body, as doesfabricsare the revenge tools of choice for many
menopause. And when you mix amature body withwell-dressedmature women.
fashions obviously made for a youngerperson, it canSo your bustline isn't as perky as your
lead to self-doubt, frustration, andconfusion.twenty-somethingdaughter or granddaughter. So
But it doesn't have to be that way. Getting olderwhat? Add a beautifulnecklace and draw envious
alsomeans getting wiser, and like a fine bottle ofglances from women of all ages.
wine, you'reimproving with age. So you don't haveDon't have the same backside you did as a teen?
the same body asthose twenty-somethings you seeEncase itin a fine fabric and see how many men go
in magazines or on TV. Sowhat? Would you REALLYout of the way tohold the door open for you. People
trade everything you've learnedsince your twentieswill look where youfocus their attention, so use that
for the body you had back then?knowledge to redirecttheir interest to the parts you
Probably no sooner than you'd like to re-livewant them to see.
puberty,thank you very much.Or, as actress Cybil Shepard once said, "I like to
So how can you be fashionable without wearing allflauntwhat I have left."
thosebody-conscious clothes so en vogue theseDon't flip through fashion magazines and bemoan the
days? Byremembering the "3 C's" when you dress:factthat you don't look like the models. Instead, look
clean, classic, andcoverage.at thevarious fashion elements to determine what will
CLEANand won'twork for you. Are printed scarves all the
Clean lines create a clean silhouette which makes therage this year?
bodyappear more youthful by skimming the troubleGrab a few and be trendy. Are mini skirts the style
spots insteadof calling attention to them. Complicatedofchoice? Pass and bank your money.
cuts, seams, anddetails usually call for a killer body toSee how easy this is?
pull off, so ifyou haven't got it, steer clear of those"A woman has the age she deserves," Coco Chanel
styles.once said.
CLASSICYou don't have to go under cover and dress "like a
Classic styles are called classic because they remainlittleold lady" just because that's what your mother
instyle year after year. Why? Because they lookorgrandmother did. You're your own person.
good on somany bodies! Sheathes, A-line skirts, flatIf you remember to dress in clean lines and classic
front pants -all tend to flatter a variety of shapes.stylesand cover appropriately, you can still be
What's more,because they remain in style year afterfashionable - ANDdraw long, lingering glances from
year, classics areeasier on the budget than trends.handsome men -- whateveryour age. And if THAT
COVERAGEdoesn't make you feel like ablushing girl again, then
Covering appropriately is the key to aging gracefully.honey, nothing I can say will!
Ifyour upper arms, thighs, and décolletage