As we age our style, body, and face shape change so it’s important to pivot your fashion choices so you make the most of your best assets. Wearing dated trends or looks that aren’t age-appropriate can make you look less attractive and older. Ahead are some ways you’re dressing over 50 that could be dating your look and aging your appearance.
1. Not Wearing a Belt
Proper fit and striking the right balance of proportions is rule number one in fashion. If you wear something oversized, like a slouchy shirt, keep your bottom streamlined and vice versa. As you age, it’s also important to create a streamlined silhouette and the best way to do this is to wear a belt to pull your outfit together and look more stylish and polished.
2. Overloading Your Outfit
Overloading your outfit with too many accessories or wearing busy prints, bold colors or too much texture can create a cluttered and dated look. Too much bling or ostentatious jewelry can also dominate your outfit, drawing attention away from intended focal points and overwhelm your outfit and appearance.
3. Trying to Be Too Trendy
It’s important to keep across the latest trends but embracing every single one without assessing if it’s age-appropriate or suits your personal style can make you look like a fashion victim. Past a certain age, it’s best to leave sky-high heels, sparkling metallic outfits, and anything too tight or short to the younger gals.
4. Wearing Baggy Denim Styles
A great pair of jeans is the ultimate staple that belongs in every wardrobe. Past a certain age, however, it’s best to go for a more classic style like mid-wash and mid-rise as anything too baggy, skinny, high-waisted, or distressed can make you look like you’re trying way too hard.
5. Steer Clear or Short Mini Skirts
Even if you have killer legs, mini dresses and skirts, especially the casual denim mini skirt can look a little young and unflattering. Midi-length skirts are a chicer more flattering option and it’s best to trade denim skirts for denim shorts that fall just above the knee.
6. Outdated Prints are Aging
Tread lightly when it comes to busy prints, especially bold geometrics, animal prints, and swirling psychedelic patterns as they can overwhelm your look. Depending on the pattern and color they may also clash with your hair and skin tone can drag down your face.
7. Under and Overdressing
Having great personal style also means understanding dress codes, even unspoken ones. As you age it’s important to keep your look classic and always err on the side of classic, polished and put together. It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed and you’ll never go wrong in chic trousers, a timeless button-down, and a blazer.
8. Beware Leopard Print Dresses
Leopard print can be tacky and gaudy on anyone but when you are older it can look even worse. It’s best to steer clear of leopard or animal print fashion and dip into the trend instead with shoes; a classic loafer, ballet flat, or sandal is your best bet.
9. Don’t Attempt Tricky Tops
It’s best to steer clear of tricky trends altogether over 50 but definitely be wary of difficult tops and silhouettes. Edgy, overly trendy styles like peplum tops, batwing sleeves, dramatic puffy sleeves, off-the-shoulder, and asymmetrical tops are best avoided.
10. Forget Bold Color Clashes
Wearing bold bright shades can look a little young when you’re older, especially if you clash colors and if they are tight-fitted. Stick to classic neutral shades and add a pop color through a well-placed scarf or a cute shoe or bag.
11. Retire Ugly Chunky Sneakers
The chunky ugly sneaker trend has had its day as far as fashion trends go. It’s also called ugly for a reason and regardless of age, this shoe style isn’t stylish and will overpower your outfit and throw your proportions out of balance.
12. Frumpy Shapeless Dress Styles
They might be comfortable and practical but shapeless dresses or anything oversized will make you look larger and like you lack personal style. Go for a dress style that is more fitted, in a more flattering mid-length shape and if it is billowy or kaftan-like, belt it to streamline your shape.
13. Rocking Head to Toe Black
All-black outfits are a fashionista uniform and although black can be sexy and slimming when you’re older it can look harsh and severe. Break up head-to-toe black with a pop of color and ideally keep black for the bottom half as it can wash out your face and highlight fine lines and wrinkles.
14. Give Oversized Boxy Blazers a Miss
Boxy oversized blazers are dated and unflattering on the body especially if they have 80s shoulder pads. Go for a more fitted, structured jacket that sits just at the hips in a classic shade of black or navy.
15. Avoid Large Outdated Bags
Accessories can make or break a look so investing in a classic statement bag is a great way to always pull your look together. Sophisticated shapes include satchels, saddles and lady bags and they are best in timeless black or tan. Anything sparkling, embroidered, oversized, or unstructured looks sloppy and dated.
16. Your Hair and Makeup Can Also Age You
Your hair and makeup should always be considered an extension of your outfit so if your hair style is out of date or you wear aging makeup it can ruin your entire look. Short severe crops, hair that’s too long and has no shape, heavy bangs and hair shades that are too dark or too light for your skin will always scream bad hair day when you’re older. As for makeup avoid heavy cakey foundations as they settle into fine lines and wrinkles, dark dramatic brows and dull aging matte lipstick colors.