Too black, too young and too terrible

[jubileebell]

I fear I may be in a (casual) style rut.
Work - dresses and jackets
Outside of work - stuck, stuck, stuck.

When I was young, I wore a lot of:

Short (a few inches above knee) black flippy skirts
Black fitted top
Boots (or ballet flats)
Fitted short jacket - e.g. biker, denim, little blazer thingie
Dark painted nails
Fierce eyebrows
Spare silver jewellery
On size 8, 5ft 1ish figure. This seemed to work

Now I am over 40, same size, same height, remarkably, and I fear I am dressing for someone much younger.
Also black definitely suits me (I'm a cool Winter, if you believe in that sort of thing) but I'm not sure how to wear it anymore - usually I wear a coloured scarf and fitted short cardie in similar colour - but it all looks a bit too easy.

I do NOT suit skinny jeans
I LOVE dresses and am trying to expand them

Any tips? Ideas? I see lots of threads on here for revamping/slimming/up-grooming/pimping your wardrobe, and excellent advice, but they all seem to revolve around skinny jeans. I would describe my look as 'sexed up librarian'.

If anyone on here knows me in real life, I will be instantly recognisable, and hi.

Watching with interest. I'm with you on cardi/scarf but haven't found great skirts as o am not an 8!

Get onto Pinterest, lots of boards I blatantly copy. I do the pencil skirt - baujken with H and M cardis, buy at least 2 in each colour each season. Looks quite pulled together with red lippy and eye liner, all I can manage. Hair up or down it works and off you go. Never wear boots but heels or ballet flats work

Glad to find another who shares my pain, Polkadot.
Pissssssssssssssssssed, intrigued, can you link to any on Pinterest?
You're meaning this kind of skirt www.baukjen.com/uk/baukjen-sale/skirts-sale/the-high-waisted-pencil-skirt.htm

I'm a 40 something winter too. I'm finding navy and grey are becoming more flattering than black for during the day. I still tend towards black for evening.

...and burgandy. Lots of burgandy.

Does burgundy work with navy ?

Yes Jubilee, order three of those if you can, sucks you in nicely and gives a great shape. Brilliant quality too I've got tshirts from them that are older than my Yr2 child

I don't necessarily mean wearing burgandy with navy, I mean replacing some back with burgandy but, yes burgandy works with navy.

Ah good, I've spotted a lovely J crew dress I'd like but I'm trying to swap all my black for navy, shoes etc so wondered if it worked well. I'm a soft Autumn but refuse to wear 50 shades of shit which seems to be my "colours"