Dressing your age is an old idea. Do this rather

I don’t accept as true with inside the concept of “dressing your age.” It rankles once I see posts with headlines like, “10 Things You Should Never Wear After 50,” largely due to the fact the recommendation seems so arbitrary.

What clothes appearance and feel first-rate on you has more to do together with your frame, lifestyle, possibilities, and confidence than the 12 months you have been born—an critical truth I’ve found out in more than 25 years as the style director of major magazines which includes InStyle and Glamour.

That said, my fashion has certainly evolved through the years, as my frame and way of life have modified.

Here are a few secrets I’ve picked up from my years in the style global that has helped me with my style evolution and might help you too.
Secret No. 1: Repeat this mantra: “great over quantity.”

When I started my profession as an assistant at Vogue within the ‘80s, the sheer bounty of insider perks (ordering garments wholesale! Invites to fashion designer sample sales!) went to my head. I bought into every fashion and regularly observed myself ingesting Ramen noodles for dinner as a result.

In retrospect, I realize that when I changed into in my 20s, I ought to put on nearly some thing—and given that I didn’t realize who I changed into but, I wasn’t sure what I desired my garments to mention about me. I turned into attempting on identities.

My closet was a mess.

By the time you are 50 or older, you in all likelihood have a closet bursting with clothes from the various identities which have described you through the years too. Some objects you wear continuously, a few nonetheless have the tags connected, a few in shape, a few don’t, a few you’ve forgotten you even owned.

Standing in the front of that chaos can be overwhelming.

Having fewer selections, however, ones you without doubt love, can make your everyday lifestyles feel lighter and happier.
Secret No. 2: Focus on what you want your clothes to communicate.

Weed out anything that doesn’t talk for your present-day lifestyle.

If you are hired, perhaps you have been promoted in current years and want to deliver greater authority. Or perhaps you have retired and not need so many paintings-appropriate gadgets.
Maybe you discover yourself courting again after the stop of a relationship and need to feature a few more playful portions that specific a feel of the journey. Or maybe you have moved and want to reevaluate the way you get dressed in light of your new environs.

Whatever your occasions, be ruthless in narrowing your alternatives to gadgets that genuinely in shape your life-style now.
Secret No. 3: Dress for the body you’ve got—and be grateful. It’s your handiest one.

By the time, I was in my 30s and became the style director at Glamour; I had discerned which shapes flattered my lengthy-waisted, no longer-so-long-legged, flat-chested determine. I constantly put the focus on my slim higher body and tried to elongate my decrease half of.
It facilitates to take a long, honest take a look at yourself in the front of a complete-length reflect. Squint and spot in which you are long vs. Short, wide vs. Slender.

Then placed the garb spotlight to your preferred component.

If, for instance, you have huge hips and slender shoulders, choose dark-colored pants and light tops to visually stability your proportions.

You also can use texture and sample strategically. Keep fabrics and strong and matte on the part of your frame you need to reduce and use vivid materials (inclusive of satin), textural info (say, pleats or ruching), or bold prints to your slimmest region.
Curvy all over? The biggest mistake is to try to cover everything up.

Show a few pores and skin someplace—perhaps at your neckline or hemline.

Life is simply too quick to maintain looking ahead to the body of your goals. Make the most of what you have.
Secret No. 4: Choose some impartial colors as your foundation.

I learned this trick in my 40s after I became the style director at InStyle and had to p.C. For weeks-lengthy commercial enterprise trips to the style shows in Europe. I wished clothes for all forms of events, and the entirety had to in shape into pieces of luggage.

The answer, I determined, changed into to stick to a neutral palette.

Here’s why: Everyone will recall in case you put on a red blazer two times in one week however a black or ivory one, no longer so much.

Also, neutrals blend without problems with every different.