21 Steps to a More Stylish You

Regular readers will know how much I enjoy doing style courses in the hope that one day I will become super stylish! My latest attempt has been the most intensive yet, as it contains 21 steps. At the time of writing I'm on step 15: prints and texture.

The topics covered so far include style personality, lifestyle and age, colour, levels of refinement, style goals, the golden ratio and the ideal silhouette. The on-line course is being run by Sylvia of 40+ Style along with Ruth, who is a UK based stylist. If you click on the link you will find many helpful articles as well as information about joining the Style Club.

Most of us know about colour analysis and have some idea whether we have warm or cool, soft or bright and deep or light colouring. Or do we? Having been told in the past that I was a Winter, more recently the consensus has been that I have warm colouring! I won't mention the make-up consultation that I had on a recent trip to London though, where I was told that I have cool colouring....! Putting that on one side (I'm guessing that I'm a border-line case) my lifestyle is clear, as is my age and body shape. My style personality when I did a style analysis was Natural Gamine, and my own interpretation is colourful casual chic. I think the photo below sums me up well: definitely colourful, obviously casual and hopefully chic.

My lifestyle is very casual as I'm retired, plus I spend a lot of time walking my dog Lisa, going to exercise classes and sitting at my PC writing blog posts, as well as reading other blogs. I do go to the theatre sometimes, as well as dining out with friends, so occasionally I dress up a bit more. I found the step on levels of refinement very helpful, as it described the types of clothes that fit into the five levels. Most of my wardrobe is level two (very casual or sports clothing) and level three (casual or smart casual), with a smattering of level four (very smart daywear or evening wear). 

Another helpful topic was the golden ratio, which is particularly relevant to those of us who are vertically challenged! Even when I buy petite tops, I have to take care that they don't cut me in half, giving me a 50-50 ratio, which can make me look wider and shorter. I often resort to wearing long cardigans or waistcoats (vests) to give me a more flattering silhouette.

The above photo highlights the use of a longer cardigan, plus a column of colour, to create a more flattering shape. I am also using a touch of my favourite red in the scarf plus my bag.

I am in the process of going through my spring and summer wardrobe and already it has become apparent that I have lots of colourful tops and mainly neutral trousers. Not exactly a surprise to those who know me. At the same time, I will be going back to step 13 (closet edit) and step 14 (what's missing?).  All of this has to be completed over the next few weeks, ready for a trip to Paris and London at the beginning of May, with the aim of blending in with all those super stylish Parisians and Londoners!

Use it or lose it - part 1

"Use it or lose it" is of particular significance to those of us who are over 60 - or are heading there rapidly.  I have already worked out what I will say in "Use it or lose it" parts 1 and 2, which will be about mind and body.  I am hoping that some other blogger will offer to guest blog for me and write about spirit or soul.  (Please, pretty please!) Alternatively, can anyone point me to an appropriate blog for part 3?

I think we all expect and accept that we will have a few problems with our short-term memory as we get older.  I remember sitting with a group of running friends when we were all in our forties and fifties, talking about "what's her name?".  We all knew whom we were talking about, but what was her name?   "I think it begins with M" was my contribution.  "Yes! Mary?  Marie?" was one response.  "Marianne?" " Melissa?"  We eventually agreed that it was Maureen and sighed with relief that our memories weren't too bad.

But is it inevitable?  Is there anything we can do to improve things?

6 down - 5 letters beginning with B

My mother always enjoyed doing crosswords and would sit with her "elevenses" of a cup of coffee and a biscuit every morning while trying to complete the crossword in her daily newspaper.  She could also beat everyone at Scrabble and - though sometimes we accused her of making up words - they were always in her dictionary.  Going into her eighties, Mum was still very sharp and aware  and it was only when I noticed that she was no longer doing the crossword at the age of 84 that I realised she was starting to age.  Sadly she died in her 85th year, but even at the end she didn't lose her sense of humour and love of life.

John and I didn't know much Spanish when we decided to move to a small Spanish town where hardly anybody speaks English.  We go to Spanish lessons twice a week with four British friends who are all over the age of 60.  We don't find it easy, and it is made more challenging by the fact that our Spanish teacher doesn't speak any English, but we agree that it is good to learn another language even at our advanced age.

So is it important to exercise your mind?  I think it is just as important as exercising your body and it helps to stave off boredom when you are no longer working.  Learn a new language.  Do a crossword or other puzzle. If you want to watch TV then watch quiz shows and see if you can beat them.  University Challenge anyone?

Release your inner child

As adults - particularly when we are women of a certain age - we are supposed to be the mature and sensible ones.  We are expected to behave in a certain way, which for those of us with children means not embarrassing them.  My daughter Kate gave me a mug with the words "If you're not embarrassing your children, you're not enjoying yourself".  I don't know whether that was meant to inspire me to enjoy myself more, but that's the way I have taken it.

I should add one proviso: if you still have children at school, please avoid showing them up in front of their peers.  However my children are now adults and don't seem to mind if I behave in what might be considered an inappropriate way, such as embarrassing dancing.  I could win gold medals for dancing in an embarrassing way, but I love letting my hair down (not literally, as it's short) and showing off my moves on the dance floor.

I also adore going on a swing - and children have been known to wait patiently to take their turn while the sixty-year old woman tries to see how high she can swing.  I don't know what they think, and I don't care.  I am letting my inner child have a good time.

Adults playground in Haydon Bridge

A couple of years ago we went back to the UK for my nephew's wedding and stayed in Haydon Bridge for the weekend.  We could have stayed at Langley Castle Hotel where the wedding was being held, however the B & B in Haydon Bridge where we had the whole place to ourselves was more fun and a lot cheaper!  One of the highlights of the weekend was going out for a walk and discovering the playground in the photo - eventually my daughters had to drag me away!

What do you enjoy doing that could be considered child-like?  Do you ever release your inner child and have fun doing so?  It's a great way to relieve any stress and in my case it scores high on the feel-good factor.

I've got nothing to wear!

I've got nothing to wear!  Any male readers who stray into this blog by mistake will no doubt raise their eyebrows at this statement, especially if they have a wife, daughter, mother or lover (hopefully not all four!) with a wardrobe bulging full of clothes.  So what triggers this cry of woe?  What are the reasons why so many of us feel that we have nothing to wear?


1.  I've got nothing to wear that fits me. 

Unless you wake up in the morning to find that you've grown several dress sizes overnight or (even less likely) that you have miraculously shed your excess weight while sleeping, this is highly unlikely to be true.  Of course you may be a hoarder like me and have lots of clothes in your wardrobe that used to fit you ten years ago but are way too small now.  If so, it's time to be ruthless: give any that are still in  good condition to the charity shop and throw away the rest.  If you can squeeze into some clothes but they are bursting at the seams, either start exercising and eating sensibly until they fit you or follow the previous advice.  If you have lost weight, then see if you can alter the clothes to fit you properly or if, like me, you're no seamstress get a professional to do it for you.


2.  None of my clothes are suitable for my current lifestyle.  

This may be true if you have a wardrobe full of clothes that were suitable when you worked in an office and you have now retired.  My life is a lot less formal now that my only job is sitting in front of a PC at home, so I have gradually replaced my suits with more casual outfits.  I have kept a couple of suits though that can be worn as separates with my casual clothes, so use your imagination before discarding everything as unsuitable.

3.  The colours don't suit me.

I can't wear this old thing again!

Well this could be true, especially if you are prone to making impulse purchases in the sales!  Also, as we grow older, colours that we used to be able to wear easily can sometimes start looking a bit too bright, or maybe a bit too dull, for our colouring.  You may be able to disguise this by wearing a scarf in more flattering colours near your face, or by putting a cardigan in a colour that suits you over the offending garment.  Also, beware of colour analysis.  I had my colours "done" twice: the first time was when a work colleague recommended someone, and the consultant told me I was a Winter; the second time was when I was made redundant from a different job and I had a free colour analysis, and this consultant told me that I was an Autumn.  Hmm.  Luckily I didn't buy lots of new clothes based on my colour swatches, as I realised that some of the colours did nothing for me, otherwise most of my wardrobe would have been suffering from this symptom!  There are of course professionals out there who do give good advice, but don't take it all as gospel.

4.  I'm bored with my clothes.

This could very well be the real reason behind your complaint.  It's too easy to thrown on the same clothes every week and wear them in exactly the same way.  Why not lay out your usual outfits on your bed (if the bed is big enough!) and see if you can change them around a bit, or get a few different items out of your wardrobe to wear with them?  If you usually get dressed in a hurry, it's all too easy to put on the red top that you always wear with that particular black skirt or pair of trousers.  Find a different coloured top and you won't feel bored any more, as you will now have a brand new outfit.

Any other reasons why you have nothing to wear?  Please share them with us.