Polish up
Sorry to say this but… what used to look cutely dishevelled (at least some of the time) now looks ‘moth‑eaten old lady who got dressed in the dark’.
By 50 we’re saying no to rips in jeans (frayed bottoms are fine as long as the rest of you is neat); no to beaten-up shoes and dirty trainers (smart trainers inject modern dash); no to creased and baggy (unless they’re sharp, baggy trousers) and no to just-out-of-bed hair (even if that was a thing in our Blondie worshipping days).
50+ Rule: Make your athleisurewear smart and slick.
Ditch pastels or pretty
If there’s one message for dressing over 50 it’s Go Bolder And Brighter, for two reasons. One, pale colours look washed-out and dowdy on older complexions – a young person’s tea rose is a fiftysomethings red-sock-left-in-a-white-wash.
Two, we all need more definition in our 50s: floppy boho tiers suit no one and a well-tailored jacket makes you look and feel pulled together. Sharpen up to stay relevant.
50+ rule: If you’re wearing a print make it graphic.
Don’t stay in your lane
Step out of your comfort zone. We spend years working out what we suit (excellent work!), but post-50 we need to keep checking in and adding in something new – whether it’s a trouser shape, colour, or sleeve or shoe style.
Relevant is a word that’s bandied about a lot in fashion, and it’s one that counts. You may look nice in your velvet trouser suit, but if you don’t look relevant for now you look left behind.
50+ rule: One new thing (a wide-leg pair of jeans) will keep your look relevant.
Banish black
Black is the number one enemy of 50+ women, unless worn sparingly, or awards-night-style, with done hair and light-reflecting jewellery. Forget black office tailoring, T-shirts, trousers, even black cashmere.
That said, tights should always be black, boots are generally best black, and there’s always room for a little black lace trimmed layering top – just peeking out under a jacket.
50+ rule: If it’s got to be black, make it sexy.
Check your shoes
The Duchess of Sussex always looks way older than her dress years, in my view, because she puts everything with a high-heeled pump. The plain, high court shoe that we wore in the 1980s is an instant ager.
So is a low block heel. Past 50 you need your footwear to be on the money, surprising, cool and easy to walk in. Footwear sets the tone, and the tone needs to be: ‘Oh, She Looks Interesting.’
50+ Rule: Have fun with bright trainers, a leopard print ballet pump, or a crackle silver kitten heel slingback.
Avoid plain classic
Your twentysomething daughter can wear a grey sweater, navy trousers, loafers and a ponytail and look wonderful, but plain classic clothes on the over-50s can look sensible rather than stylish and need a splash of something extra.
It could be a diamante and pearl brooch; a zinger silk scarf knotted at the throat, or a couple of chunky chain necklaces; a leopard belt or even tortoiseshell specs.
50+ Rule: Accessories need to work harder. Swap generic ‘so what’ sunglasses for a bold pair that make you feel like you’re stepping off a boat in Venice, with George Clooney.
Bin the old bra
Check your bra. Too small? Too dark under a pale top? Not supportive enough? Any one of the above will add six years. Make it eight for too tight. In the right bra you are shoulders back, neat in your clothes and comfortable.
The wrong knickers are the gateway to looking like you have a soggy pancake bum, when you don’t.
What are you doing wearing too-small old bikini briefs? You need Flexifit, seamless, covers-your-assets-like-clingfilm knickers. You’ll feel more confident, too.
50+ Rule: Go for a bra fitting. I guarantee you’re not the size you think you are.
Don’t cover up
A baggy sweater, jeans and biker boots may have worked once, but 50+ it pays to sexy up 25 per cent.
Show your arms off if they’re up to it. Wear a velvet suit buttoned up with nothing underneath. Wear an artfully ruched dress that shows off your silhouette without revealing too much.
50+ Rule: Swap long sleeves for bracelets and long tops for ones cropped on the hip.
