My clothes are aging me - please help?

[Nifty50something]

The other day someone mistook me for being over 60 when I'm actually in my early 50s. I asked a good friend about it and she said it's because my clothes are aging me. I've never followed fashion and tend to just wear what's comfortable, shop second hand or from m&s, etc. But I'd like to try to update my look.

I've been wearing:

1. Cropped jeans with zips to make them tapered
2. Black cigarette trousers tapered at the ankle
3. Midi dresses with nice patterns (not flower patterns but more aztec or palm print).

Are any of the above items still ok or are they all frumpy? Any links to things you've bought and love? What are the trends now (I think barrel leg trousers, denim jackets or cropped trench jackets, pink...also waistcoats without a top underneath which I wouldnt wear but could wear one over a top if that would work)?

Nothing wrong with looking 60 but I'm just not there yet and would prefer to look my age!

But can’t you see that by insisting that no-show socks look better you’re just slavishly following the fashion of 10 years ago? If you’re going to be so influenced by the trends that you can’t even imagine having socks showing above your trainers then you must see how some of us prefer to at least be influenced by current trends…
People who have always worn ankle socks are at least consistent but the no-show sock evangelists have been so sucked in by a previous trend that they can’t see it anymore!

Not at all! It was just a report on my rambling musing that I had with my daughter.

I'm not one of those posters who comes onto S&B threads to say 'you're shallow/how dare you spend x amount on something whilst there's starving orphans' that often pop up when all the poor OP's asked is which dress to buy.

Christ, I spent this morning trying to carefully handwash a stain from my 1980s Burberry mac and I own more clothes than is healthy 😂

I've always been interested in design and how fashion has been influenced by politics, innovations, culture and economics so was wondering how an imaginary sensible female Lord of the Flies situation would go as an anthropology experiment.

Do you never try anything on that you like on the hanger or website and just think "nope"? Certain colours on certain skin tones can be very draining. My mum is in her 80s and looks absolutely lovely in certain deepish/mulberry type shades of pink, so this makes her feel good when she wears them and she naturally gravitates towards these colours. She looks drained, pale and exhausted in pale grey and when she tries on clothes in this colour next to her face (tops/coats etc) she just doesn't feel that she looks nice so she avoids them. But a darker more charcoal grey looks great on her. I don't see that this is limiting herself, it's about what makes her feel good when she puts it on and looks in a mirror. And it's not excluding any colours, but knowing which shades of those colours make her feel best when she wears them.

I would love to suit royal blue but I just really don't. It sucks the colour out of me so badly that my face almost disappears. Therefore I don't feel good wearing that colour and tend to avoid it.

I'd imagine you probably have a good natural eye for what suits you and what doesn't and you subconsciously choose colours that work well for you, even if it's not deliberate. So you don't see the need to be more deliberate in your colour choices. But not everyone can do that so easily, and from feedback I have read in various facebook groups, those people find that having a colour analysis leads to a massive improvement in how good they feel about themselves.

I'm 52 ,I follow fashion on ticktoc
I currently love the stripy trousers in bright colours,and I've bought some ,but they get sent back .
I know as much as I love them I'm to old at 52 ,all the younger girls are wearing them and I'm not wanting to stand out either ..and as much as I adore following fashion,I also need to feel comfortable and confident.
So I'm still in skinny jeans , because I just look fatter in a wide leg jean
I wear checked shirts and acid wash t-shirt with my skinnies ..
I do have a flare at the bottom pair of jeans but with a skinny leg
Having currently lost 6 stone ,I'm having to buy clothes each season at the moment,and currently trying to find a suitable couple of dresses .
I' think I will veer towards a SJP type of dressing as I get thinner ,I love how she looks and my hair is exactly like hers ,I nearly had it all cut off ,so glad I didn't

@Veganpug ,too old? Too old!? SJP is 60 and she isn't too old.
Get some stripy trousers and wear them with aplomb.

I can't,I've tried ,I look shit in them
I'm still fat ..more weight to loose before I can follow SJP .
Sometimes I think fashion is only aimed at the young and thin .
I love following it and I love watching what people wear ,but it always looks shit on me .
SJP has confidence to wear whatever she wants ,I think that's because she's thin

Do you never try anything on that you like on the hanger or website and just think "nope"?

Yes but it's the shape , feel, movement and hang of the garment which be transformed, for better or worse, when on- not it's magical properties of making me look , or not look like, a corpse

@Veganpug , I think if you think it looks shit on you, then it's not for you.
SJP has a very lean body and is quite slight,so not many would compare favourably. I love her curly hair, so am quite envious.

Agree on shades but also on me its about the “depth” of colour. I’m not sure what the term is but in paint terms it would be the intensity of the pigmentation which can make the same colour hideous, washed out or great on me.

Sounds like we have the same problem with wide leg trousers and I’d add barrel leg jeans (horribly bandy legged on me), crop trousers and strong vertical stripes - my legs are too long as it is, I don’t need to make it worse!

That's kind of what I came on here to say to op
When I read she was throwing her clothes out
Sometimes things don't look right on us ,just because something is in fashion doesn't mean it will suit everyone,it's a delicate mix of what suits us and what's in fashion..I'm well aware skinnies are out ,but wide leg jeans makes me look frumpy ..

I get it. I remember years ago DP asking me why I never wore a pretty top in a nice colour, and I said 'it looks wrong on me'. When I tried it on he said, 'you're right'. It was OK for lockdown zoom meetings then went to charity.

The wide jeans look awful IMO.

I agree, op shouldn't rush to throw out clothes or pants that fit well. When buying wide leg pants, op should be careful that they aren't too droppy and baggy in the bag as that isn't exactly youthful either.

Sorry, droppy in the back! Can't type today.

This thread has motivated me to wear my khaki ‘big cardigan’ and cropped jeans today mainly because I’ve never liked anyone telling me what I can or can’t do (or wear or can’t wear in this case) 😂

So if anyone is in Bethnal Green and sees a tall blonde woman wearing these, it’s me 😛 I’m probably best avoided as it seems I have an attitude problem. 😉

https://www.mumshandmade.com/products/bubble-sleeve-cardigan?variant=47002565214543

https://www.rewclothing.co.uk/collections/clothing/products/balloon-indi-denim-jeans

And yes, I’m wearing (Community Clothing) ankle socks with my Walsh trainers.

Note: no consideration of anyone else’s opinion, male or otherwise, is given during the wearing of this outfit. I’m 55. I dress for me.

You're in Bethnal Green, therefore you are by default cool.

@CrackingOn50 I went out in my outfit.
OH said it was giving assistant purser on a 70’s cruise ship vibe as I had added a scarf.
Anyway, nobody pointed at me or laughed at me.
I also have an ancient Burberry Mac (mine has a button missing) and feel in you have found my tribe.

Well I was in Shoreditch today saw every manner of jeans and trousers. Plenty of cropped ( ankle length) although granted no “ clam diggers” if that’s what posters mean by cropped. Also cardigans are not out of fashion although I appreciate it may vary by region.

@HundredMilesAnHour love your look! Can I ask where you got your top? Love the color/pattern. It's hard to find non florals these days.

Fifty and Fab??!

I found the above link and tbh, I'm 54 and wouldn't wear pretty much anything of what she's wearing. It's boring. I thought This site had far better suggestions, albeit is unfortunately named.

Also, I use Joe Browns occasionally to pick up some more unusual items, and browse ebay vintage.

Not the colour?

For me, it's colour first.
I think that's very important.

If the colour isn't right, the shape, drape etc are meaningless.

You know that some of these 'guides' are often written by 20-ish year old journos straight out of uni! And the links are sometimes there are paid for/ click bait adverts. GRANSNET is part of Mumsnet, for older women.

fifty and fab is just a blogger. She's entitled to her opinions and clothes she's showing but really, she's just another 50-something woman who wants to promote herself and earn some £££, hoping to become an 'influencer'.

Thanks @Bigcat25 😍

It’s from a Greek independent that knit to order called Mumshandmade but I got mine from Vinted. They’re super soft and warm. I have one of their jumpers too. This is today’s cardigan:

https://www.mumshandmade.com/products/bubble-sleeve-cardigan

The jeans are also preloved (bought privately in a Facebook group). I think I’ve lived in East London too long as almost everything I wear is preloved or old…. a bit like me! 😂😜

Thanks for getting back to me!

Western cowboy boots are in this year. Can be worn with dresses too. Lots about online. Also pearls are back in fashion.

@Spooky2000 , the Fifty and Fab woman looks great and the clothes look just right for her lifestyle. If only I could dress like that, but I'd feel a complete fraud, and I'd stick out like a sore thumb.