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!

Agreed, it's also the "I'm so eccentric"
If you have to say it, you're trying too hard.

Some carry it off well, but it's always effortless.
Same as how some can make a pair of jeans with white t-shirt look smart.

Well, the wardrobe clear out continues. I'm giving two huge bin bags to the charity shop so far with more to come. I really want to be fairly minimalist with a capsule wardrobe as I think it will make my life easier and this thread is giving me the motivation to do so.

But the most amazing thing just happened. I nipped to the shops to buy something for dinner and popped into my favourite charity shop while I was out. I kept thinking "I probably shouldn't be in here, I'm in danger of backsliding..." but then guess what I found! A Yacco Maricard asymmetric blouse! I couldn't believe it. I'd seen the brand mentioned on S&B and kind of recognised it otherwise I'd have passed it by. It was £8.99! I searched the board and sure enough it's approved. I'm taking it as a life lesson - that really good things will come into your life if you just make room for them (I keep trying to tell my sister this about her no good boyfriend but that's for another thread on another day...).

Anyway...any opinions on these, please? The first photo is the Yacco Maricard shirt over a F&F dress I also found at the chazza. Sorry, my going out bra is in the wash but I did get my gold sandals down from the loft that I bought for an event last year. And does anyone have any advice for us poor unfortunate souls who really don't look good with black next to our faces but find that very limiting? I've tried a little scarf and some red beads but neither looked right.

Thank you all once again. I'm immensely grateful.

The white trousers outfit looks fresh.
The other two are wearing you.
I think both jeans are too big and the shirts are drowning you.

You have a great figure, show it off.
What about side zip trousers with a wide leg?
Fitted and loose at the same time.

The Silver fox women is very much my style which I love as it has morphored from my 40's post small children.

Shirt dresses are fabulous.
Structured yet flowing.
Dressed up or down.
Day to night depending on shoes, accessories, bag and makeup.

You are doing great OP

I think you've been amazing at sorting through all these differing opinions, but I'm going to jump in and say I do not like those jeans on you. At all. You do have a lovely figure, but I think you need jeans with a softer fall if you're going wide and long. Ones where the width starts at the hips - those jeans look like the legs are bunching up stiffly on the outsides of your thighs. I think a shape like this would be much better

https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-gb/shop/product/ganni/clothing/straight-leg/high-rise-tapered-organic-jeans/46376663162839111

These are sorted by jeans, wide leg and flared - I'd go through this and try to identify what shape you like best

https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-gb/shop/clothing/jeans/flared

Adding to this, it can also be useful to look at how they've styled them - the length, the shoes, etc.

From your new outfits:

I like the blouse, the striped dress and the gold sandals individually, but not together

Light blue dress is a no from me

Green check dress ... hmmm, not sure - think that needs a bit of accessorising to see if it works?

Not sure what other outfit is, but t-shirt needs to be tucked in and I still think you'd be better with lower necklines.

Your asymmetric shirt will definitely need a more fitted bottom half - I'd think maybe some ankle grazer jeans/trousers and some sort of flat sandal (would be Birkenstocks for me) with that would look great.

Again, flat sandals with the striped dress - would look good with a shirt knotted over it.

Love the f he first outfit ( striped skirt and blue shirt) and sandals are great, I would roll up the sleeves of the shirt to elbow level to make it more summery and wear some simple stack bracelets, I would possibly oven another button at the neck.

Don’t like either of the 2 dresses, they look a bit frumpy and the black sandals are not good, the bag might be fine

Last outfit ( black trousers and striped top) is lovely as well and very youthful

Love seeing the updates!

@Nifty50something - have you tried pressing 'see all' on your messages and working from the top down? What a difference!

The only one I like is the green dress- the shape but not terribly keen on the colour. The shirt over the dress, definitely no together, might be ok on their own. The black and white outfit is ok, but bland.. Don't like the black sandals

The dresses are winners for me, you look lovely.

Personally I think waterfall cardigans are very dated at the moment, even if I love them.

The green dress has a distinctly Amish vibe to it, which I’d imagine isn’t what you’re going for.

I really like the outfits you tried on at Uniqlo. You definitely rock those linen shirts.

I would like to politely recommend a new phone case, preferably one without that weird portfolio thing on it, and some shoe shopping. Both of them are pretty dated. 😅

I definitely think shoe shopping needs to be the next focus. Couple of different pairs of casual sandals that will go with lots of different things.

How about wearing black but with some bright red lipstick to perk it up a bit? Find the right shade (possibly whole other thread!) and you'll look amazing.

Also just buy a regular t shirt woman!! Stop with the high necks and tight elbow length sleeves! I mean obvs if you like them please ignore me, and take this as gentle teasing rather than bullying you into something you're not comfortable with 🙂

I would roll up the sleeves of the shirt to elbow level to make it more summery and wear some simple stack bracelets, I would possibly oven another button at the neck.

If you're not comfortable going low on the buttons of the shirt (and other shirts) then chuck a white vest top underneath - will still give the break up of colour.

Well done on finding that Yacco Maricard shirt @Nifty50something. It’s probably my posts you’ve seen on MN raving about them as I’m a huge fan, particularly of those asymmetric shirts (which retail at £200+).

It doesn’t work over the dress but would look fabulous with the cream Uniqlo trousers you modelled yesterday.

I don't think the new green trousers need shortening by the way, the length is good as is, especially once you put shoes on.

The gold sandals don't go with the stripy dress/shirt outfit, but the black sandals you're wearing with the blue dress would go with stripy dress! And I agree that the new asymmetrical shirt would look good with the cream trousers from uniqlo. The green gingham dress does nothing for you. You've got a great figure - maybe you're used to dressing a bigger size? Have you lost weight recently? I love your attitude OP and especially how well you're taking the feedback on this thread!

the blue shirt in the first pic needs to go! But you could replace it with a loose casual denim shirt that you wear open over the dress which looks nice. Love those sandals!

I know you said your going out bra is in the wash but one of the best things I did was get myself fitted for a bra in a boutique store with good reviews (not M&S!). I look a million times better with a tshirt on. I’m a 30D, not the 38B i believed I was.

Ooh sneaky that M and S auto linked in my post- I wonder how much MN were paid for that

@Bobnobob , Jon Lweis does it too.

I have indeed lost weight recently. A lot of my old clothes were too big which wasnt helping matters. I love the idea of a denim shirt worn open over the stripey dress and also the idea of tying a shirt around my neck to break up the black.

And flat-ish metallic sandals are next on my shopping list. Shoes are very difficult as I have a condition (forefoot equinus) which means my feet have limited mobility. I definitely cannot wear ballet flats for example or really flat shoes. Most of my day-to-day shoes including the sandals everyone hates are from fitflops. I'm quite sad the sandals are bad - they're new fisherman's sandals and cost £130!!!! Oh well, live and learn. I can always get various pairs of adidas and live in those I suppose, but I'll try to find good sandals.

I'll get a new phone case (it's awful, isn't it, I was wondering when someone was going to pick me up on it!) and will put bra shopping on the list also. Thank you all so much once again .

I did notice the phone case early on but decided not to say anything about it as I thought you probably had enough to deal with getting the wardrobe together…but yes .it’s pretty bad😁

Plenty of nice sandals on FF, and by flat I never mean flat-flat either - just not 'heeled'.