Thursday 1 January 2015

New Year. New You.

It's a New Year, so all over the world people are making their New Year's resolutions, most of which will have been broken before the end of the month or even before the end of the week. Have you made any resolutions? If so, what are they?

Of course many of us over 60s have become a bit cynical about this and don't have any confidence in our ability to change things. It often helps to have a friend or partner share your determination to become more active or to eat healthier meals: I lost weight one year by going to Weight watchers with a work colleague and running a couple of times at lunchtime with her. Another year I decided to stop adding sugar to my coffee, which proved difficult at first, however now I can't drink coffee with even a grain of sugar in it, proving that we can change if we have the will.

In 2015 I will continue with my monthly hikes and Tai Chi classes, plus I plan to enrol in a dance class. I also intend to continue looking for healthy (but tasty, not boring) recipes, to eat more fresh fruit and drink more water. (Pause while I go to pour myself a glass of water!)

Finally, in 2015 I hope to build up a wardrobe of flattering, versatile clothes and become more stylish. I started the process in 2014 by having a style consultation through House of Colour in London. With the guidance of my consultant Fiona, I established that I am a Natural Gamine and discovered that most of my favourite outfits fitted this definition. You can read more about my session here.

Towards the end of last year I decided to join a facebook group called Evolve Your Style, with different challenges to help us develop our personal style. I discovered this challenge on Imogen Lamport's amazing blog, which has provided me with lots of inspiration. I found the Evolve Your Style challenge so helpful that I then enrolled on Imogen's 7 Steps to Style course, which I can highly recommend if you feel that you are in a bit of a style rut. Many of us give up on fashion once we're in our fifties or sixties, which is a great shame.  We don't have to settle for shapeless clothes and dull colours just because we're over 60 and are afraid of looking like mutton dressed as lamb. What we should aim for is to become  a more stylish version of ourselves in 2015. I'm going to try my best and hopefully you will join me.

Here are some of my outfits from the beginning of last year.

                     

I do like stripes, in case you hadn't noticed, and I do like bright colours - but are these my best colours? Do these outfits make me look taller and slimmer or do the stripes have the opposite effect?

The following outfits are more recent purchases - or present in the case of the patterned cardigan - so are they more flattering?

                                

Points to note from the last three outfits:

  1. I have created a column of colour in the outfit on the left, with a brown necklace, brown top and jeggings, plus brown shoes. Note also that my hair is brown! Does this make me look taller and slimmer?
  2. In the middle photo there is contrast between the colours of the top and the jeggings. however I am wearing a scarf which includes the teal and brown and also gives a vertical line to help me look taller, so I feel that the outfit works. I'm clutching my Enigmatic swatch by the way.
  3. In the last photo there is some grey in the cardigan, but probably not enough to tie in with my grey trousers. I don't think I look as slim as in the previous two photos. However I do love this cardigan so I was happy to wear it with this outfit.  Maybe I'll try a grey top with it though next time.
I'm still working on the 7 Steps to Style so I'll be posting more outfits for your comments over the next few months and I'll pass on some of the lessons I've learnt. Remember these are all points that are relevant to me as an over 60, petite, H shape, whose style recipe is "Casual Chic with a dash of Colour and Drama". If you're interested in defining your own style, which may be totally different to mine, you can find more information on the links above. The prices are going to rise on the 4 January so now's the time to sign up.  Sadly I don't get any commission for recommending these programmes, but I do get the satisfaction of knowing you'll find them very helpful if you want to be more stylish in 2015!

7 comments:

  1. Great Blog article Sue. I love the before and after photos which really show how your Casual Chic style has been enhanced by Imogen Lamport's 7-Steps To Style program. The differences may be subtle but they have a HUGE impact. Things like going for the slimmer trousers/jeans with similar coloured shoes, wearing a darker column of colour, and adding fabulous accessories. The pop of colour or drama, that is part of your style recipe, works so well against the more muted and deeper colours. In the first two of the more recent photos you look fabulous, slimmer, more stylish and glowing with health. It shows indeed that it is never too late to learn about body shape, style, colours and contrast levels to enhance your own style.

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  2. Happy New Year Sue!

    I do like the newer outfits best. I agree the scarf creates that column of color for you. You've inspired me and, in spite of looking like a wreck from the flu, I've just signed up for Imogen's 7-step course.

    Robin

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  3. I also like your new outfits much better. You have previously mentioned you were a 'winter' but from the new pictures, it's very obvious to me you are a warm fall!

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  4. Sue, you look great in all the photos (before and after). Stripes are great - my sister likes stripes. I think the 'after' photos are certainly softer. I'm a flower person myself. As for the 'mutton dressed up as lamb' I had this said about me when I was 27 years old! I think that from then on (now 56) I have rebelled against that saying and dress in what I want. I am naturally modest and I like wearing bright colors so I am not outrageous in how I dress. I still dress appropriately for the occasion. A few years ago I saw a woman (65ish) at 50th birthday party that I thought was dressing a bit young and then I realized - she can wear what she likes! Great reading of your journey (especially with Imogen). Carol S

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  5. I'm late to this as I've just discovered you but I love the green striped scooped neck top in the "before pics". Your style evolution is great, however, and I love the outfits in the bottom but, I would have suggested wearing a lovely red top under that beautiful grey flowered cardigan with the grey trousers! Lovely blog

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  6. Sue, I do love the new after photos on bottom line, especially the central photo as the top really gives you a waist and the colour flatters enormously; you obviously do need those smokey colours. I don't think the stripes flatter you, as they tend to emphasis the horizontal lines of the body and indicate the waist doesn't go in much. Yes, I love stripes too, but its far more important to look and see what they are doing to us!

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