New Year - New You - New Me

I know! It's way past New Year's Day and all the other bloggers out there wished you a Happy New Year at the beginning of the month, not half way through it. Did they inspire you? Were you really enthusiastic as you made your New Year's resolutions, and are you still sticking to them? I have a confession to make: I haven't even thought about New Year's resolutions and I've had fourteen days to do so, which means I'm unlikely to make any now  I hope you're not too shocked!

I'd like to be healthier, happier and more stylish in 2017, and I would like to wish the same for you. I doubt if I'll achieve that by making any traditional resolutions though. I think I'm more likely to succeed if I take small steps; poco a poco, as my Spanish friends would say. Little by little.

This approach worked quite well in 2016. Having been told I had arthritis in my jaw, I decided to follow an anti-inflammatory diet and take supplements such as Co-enzyme Q10 and Omega 3. Interestingly, I was fine until I went on holiday, didn't think so much about what I was eating and didn't take the supplements while I was away. On my return I had neck pain that I put down to arthritis. It could just be coincidence, but since resuming my regime I've had no further pain.

As an Over 60 woman, I believe it is important to keep fit as you get older. I actually met John, my second husband, through a running club in London. We don't run much now that we've retired to Spain (too hot most of the time), but we walk everywhere, partly because we don't own a car, and partly because we enjoy it and have a dog to exercise. In December I joined a local dance school, where I go three times a week for a Bailoterapia class. I suspect that I'm twice the age of some of my classmates, who are mostly young Mums enjoying the class while their children are at school. I will definitely keep on going to my dance exercise classes this year as we have so much fun as well as becoming fitter.

Being more stylish is my final aim. Note that I haven't said that I want to become more fashionable, which in some respects would be the easier option. I could just buy a few fashion magazines every month and purchase the clothes that I see inside their pages. Stylish isn't as straightforward. Take a look at Elle's Best Dressed List: apart from the fact that I didn't spot any over 60s, I could only see myself wearing a handful of the outfits shown. However what becomes clear is that each woman shown there has developed her own style, and that is the key. Not to copy what stylish women wear, although maybe you can be inspired by some of them whose style is similar to your own, but to dress to express your own individuality.

Over the last two weeks I carried out an interesting experiment. I took a photo of my outfit each day, then looked at them all to see which ones were my favourites and which ones I think flattered me the most. These were my top three (in no particular order!)

   

Apart from the fact that my outfit was very colourful in the first photo (regular readers will know how much I love colour), I can see a common theme. I'm wearing a long pendant or scarf with each outfit, which helps to draw the eyes down and give the illusion that I'm slimmer and taller than in real life! In the second two photos I'm wearing neutral outfits, but there is some contrast to lighten the look.

You of course may be thinking that you don't find these outfits particularly stylish, which obviously is your prerogative, but the secret is that I felt stylish wearing them so they made me feel good. Isn't that the most important thing? Wearing clothes that we love and that we enjoy wearing should be our main aim. If we also look stylish, that's a bonus.