"You are dressed like a 50 year old" (I'm a young 37)

[MorelloKisses]

A little bit of guidance needed I think. Thank you in advance.

I am a young looking 37, 5ft 6, slim, I've just had another little push with clothes and beauty routine, got a pretty great haircut and colour (dark brown, graduated bob). I work in a very corporate environment and like to wear really classic things to work.

Today I had the plum coloured Hobbs Coleta dress on, with some black LK benet Stila shoes and some grey opaque tights. Just one necklace to accessorise and this is probably where it went wrong, I had this looped round 3 times, so not worn long.

In my head I was channeling my inner Diane Lockhart (who admittedly is 50 plus), but this comment this morning had really thrown me off, and I just felt a bit shit.

Can you point me to some accessories that will look impeccable, not granny?

I think your outfit sounds fine, especially in a corporate workplace. Perhaps the classic outfit and classic accessories is what she picked up on? If I wear a classic type outfit (classic dress, cashmere sweater etc), I tend to wear slightly edgier accessories - so maybe hoop earrings, and no necklace. Or a leather jacket, or funky boots (whatever the hell they are? I cringe at myself in that phrase!) or something, to break it up a bit. But that said, if you liked it, wear it however the hell you like! I also appreciate A very corporate environment wouldn't necessarily accept a leather jacket

Ive changed my mind. It was the grey tights AND the necklace.

One of my partners friends came round to ours for NYE and she had on similar necklace and plain black loose dress. Shes 28. She looked 35/36 :s

Pearls are hard to wear except at weddings (with white) and funerals (with black).

Grey tights shouldn't be worn by anyone who isn't wearing them with Start Rite shoes.

Your colleague is ill-mannered but you're probably lacking the confidence and finesse to make the most of yourself and that's what she's picked up on. The corporate office is a psychological battleground and dressing well is very effective armour.

A bit rude - but that dress is a bit er, Kate Middleton - i.e. very safe and a bit too old.

Grey tights? They sound horrid.

I'm 35 and wouldn't wear that outfit. The dress is a bit dull but understand that might be required for your work. I definitely wouldn't wear that necklace at all. Plain white pearls would be better as more classic. Pink pearls are just wrong imo.

If I had to wear that style dress I'd wear statement jewellery of some sort and more interesting shoes. I like the shoes but think the whole outfit is a bit bland so would change them.

Yes Arrietty is right, it's too Kate Middleton. She dresses much older than she is.

I am in my 50s and would wear the dress and grey tights but not the necklace - I think it looks cheap.I don't see a difference dress size wise between my colleagues in their 50s and those 10 years younger.

I am so puzzled by grey tights! Why would you wear them and not nude or black?

I'm puzzled at the hatred for grey opaques? Are people really hating grey opaques, not grey sheers?

I don't think black opaques go with everything, for example I have a mid blue dress that I wear with navy shoes and grey opaques. Black would be too strong wouldn't it? & in winter, surely you need opaques, I really don't want to wear nude (therefore low denier) tights at this time of year.

I quite like slate grey tights, not dove grey though.

I much prefer dark grey opaques, just a couple of shades off black. I wear a lot of burgundy, dark green and grey and I don't think black tights work.

And nude tights can piss right off. It's January.

I like navy matte opaques (Falke) and silver flats (Zara).

I would love to be able to dress like Diane Lockhart! (I'm 32)
My 5 year old did tell me that I'm his favorite old lady at bedtime though ha!

I wore pearls in my 30s but wouldn't dream of it now I'm in my 50s