What little updates are you adopting to stay current?

[Maising]

I'm trying to make a few changes to keep looking current; I thought it might be helpful for others to add theirs too. I have found it's very easy to suddenly take a look around and find that things have moved on without me noticing 😁, especially as I'm working with ever increasing younger colleagues.

Disclaimer- these are just observations, I am not saying they are all correct or that anyone has to do them.

• wide leg trousers instead of slim/skinny for work
• flat shoes for work
• sports socks instead of trainer socks
• less eyeshadow

When I say binned, I mean I put in the clothes bank thingy at the dump.

I’m embarrassed to say I put 16 pairs of skinnies in there! They’ve gone from being something I wore daily to looking unbelievably dated, almost overnight.

I was going to ask the exact same thing! I wear skinnies as 10 months of the year I need to wear walking boots to take the dog out lol. I’d love to wear wide leg pants but they’d be soaked! I do wear dresses a lot but only if I can wear dog walking trainers or boots with it lol

I will not ever ever wear the socks pulled up to your calves. bloody detest and it looks terrible. love an ankle look especially in summer with a bit of fake tan
like most I have embraced the wide leg look but won't bin my skinnies they are needed fir certain outfits as well as practical for walking dogs and when I have to help out in the stables.
alos getting used to the oversize look but have to be carefull not too oversized as makes me look like dress up

@MaryFuckingFerguson 16 pairs?!!!!

I don't wear wide-legged trousers or jeans on rainy days, I have a pair of quite straight legged, mid-blue, petite ones and they come just above your trainers, so no flappy wet ankles.

@HelloMyNameIsElderSmurf where is your poplin ballerina skirt from please?

I do need to update my leggings.

I can’t do the sports socks because, ham legs, but also I get far too HOT. I even prefer my thinner trainer socks to the thicker ones for heat reasons.

That’s exactly my worry. I worry I’ll look like one of princess Di’s mates from 1983.

I’m not doing Alice bands, I wore one throughout primary school and there it will stay.

I hate Alice bands. Don't care if you're 12 or 62. They look twee.

I like a wide trouser and a flare, if i want a 30s or 70s feel, but black skinny jeans tap into my punk feel, so I will wear them again and again. Mind you, I've always had a look, rather being in fashion.

I think the gym sock trend will look very 'of it's time'. Maybe the equivalent of shoulder pads in the 80's?

I really like some of the baggier styles of trousers though- have seen some women walking around looking fantastic in them. Have been trying to find the right for me, but not been successful yet.

side partings are definitely back in. They might might not have filtered through in all areas but in high fashion terms they are back. Basically to be on trend at the moment you just have to dress like you’ve just stepped out of the late 90s.

Not a problem for me. I wear very thin ones you can barely see that are similar colour to my hair. It just does a perfect job of pulling my hair back abit and making it look nicer without me having to faff around with styling products.

TBH though after spending my 20s, 30s and 40s living in leggings and baggy t shirts because I was hugely obese and miserable I refuse to now limit my options to 'age appropriate' and 'suitable' clothing.
I lost too many years thinking that everything looked crap on me so now I plan to experiment and play around with my style.

IMO some of the most stylish and iconic older women are the ones who dont follow fashion slavishly but have their own unique style.

I think that’s what everyone on the thread has been saying @henlake7 , how to stay relevant and stylish and up to date without following fashion that’s largely designed for much younger women. That’s the whole point of the thread surely

Maybe it’s because they show off the ankles? 🤷‍♀️😁

I think shoulder pads are coming back in, noticed them on a couple of items recently. That’s my prediction for A/W 24/25.

What Im not seeing though is how any of the things mentioned are for younger women!

There are a couple of shops near me that I never go in because Im obviously not the demographic (its all body con, cropped tops, booty shorts and a size 10 is an XL).
However calling socks or hair partings ageing or 'try hard' just strikes me as very, very silly.

I am doing my best and now wear white trainers as often as I can. I’m dabbling with wide legged trousers and they’re ok if I wear a fairly fitted top. I can’t remember the last time I wore heels and now carry a backpack instead of a handbag.

But I may be getting it totally wrong!

The sock thing is doing my head in. I’ve got Gazelles and they don’t look great with a trainer sock, but I’m not sure I can carry off the sports sock. I’ve got short legs and they’ll cut me off.

Instead, I’m mostly wearing them with long wide leg trainers so I can just wear normal socks.

I’ve binned all my skinnies in favour of wide legs.

I do hope you don't mean that, it's incredibly wasteful.

Calm down. They went in the clothing charity bin at the dump.

visible socks over leggings was the dominant look in the 90s so I don't think it's 'try hard' for someone over 50 to be wearing them in 2024. It's just socks!

Ham legs has made me laugh, it’s the perfect description of mine 🫣😂

Well then I guess this thread’s not for you @henlake7 🤷‍♀️ shame as I think it’s been full of advice for and from Women who are past the age that those shops are aimed at but who are not quite ready to go gently into the long good night style wise.

I just can’t do wide legged trousers. And I don’t think they look good on at least 50% of people who wear them. Too much material! So many women seem to be drowning in trouser .

I’m sticking with tailored, tapered 7/8th trousers for work. it’s a hill I am prepared to die on.

at the silly sock thing.

Am I describing this properly? Parallel trousers - same width all the way down, wide-ish?
I don't want acres of fabric, but I need wide.