I just read the excellent article recommended by @Alsohuman
Managed to copy it...
- Be open-minded
It’s easy to dismiss something you haven’t worn before as not for you. It may not be, but then again… Refreshing your look is precisely that: adding in elements that are new to you. As long as something works with your body shape, frame size and colouring, there aren’t any no-go’s. My advice is to revisit your opinions. It often takes me time to embrace a new trend. I sit with it a while, by which I mean as long as a year, even two. If it’s still around and it’s still catching my eye, I give it a go, having had a proper scope out in a full-length mirror first, of course. (If you don’t own one already, this is the most important fashion purchase you will ever make.)
- Embrace athleisure
For example, I have never met a woman who wouldn’t look great in a pair of smart track pants and a tailored jacket. I have met plenty who think they wouldn’t, but they are wrong.
- Go for bright lips and strong shades
If you do one thing (or two), it should be this. Find your look-lifting go-to’s, the elements that transform what you see in the mirror and what everyone else sees when they look at you. It might be a great pair of sunglasses. It might be a great necklace or pair of earrings. (No need to spend much money. H&M is a good source for both.) It might be a bright lipstick – I like MAC’s Amplified range (£17.50; maccosmetics.co.uk). What’s key is to avoid being too sensible. Because sensible is boring. And you are not.
- Getting noticed is good
Often, when you make a change to your appearance or the way you dress, it gets commented upon by people who know you. This is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a good thing. You are being seen. Embrace it.
- Loosen up your hair
“Helmet hair” that doesn’t move is hair that hasn’t moved with the times. It’s one of the single most dating things one can do. Instead, think loose layers and, if you are a fan of the hairdryer, not so much blowout as blown in the wind.
- Ditch the handbag
There is nothing more ageing than carrying a bag in your hand these days. Hands-free is the only way. Go for a cross-body bag. Try J&M Davidson’s Pebble (£650; jandmdavidson.com). I have had mine for years. Or you might be ready for a belt bag or even – sacré bleu! – a phone bag. (Bandolier’s are the choice of the more mature members of the fashion pack.)
- Dial down a smart work uniform
You need to ensure your smart doesn’t appear uptight, so avoid fabrics and cuts that stifle. Look for edge, in the form of colour and pattern, unusual fabrics or athleisure detailing (zips ’n’ stuff). And try not to look too try-hard.
- Go OTT on jewellery
It might be lots and lots that’s small and layered, in the form of a so-called “neckmess” (necklaces) or “curated ear” (multi-piercings). Or it might be less that’s more (think big and bold). Either way, this is what jewellery means for front-rowers in their forties, fifties and beyond. It works.
Anna Murphy