
By Ngozi Ufere
Recently, Somalian ex supermodel, Iman, graced the cover of Scene Magazine; she looked breath taking for a 58 year old and her goddess-like body looked like she hadn’t aged a day. Like fine wine, she really does get better with age, making the younger generation look forward to a graceful entrance into “adulthood”. However, crossing over the ‘red sea’ of youthfulness isn’t an easy thing for most women, no one really wants to grow ‘old’; I think this is a universal psychological fear that grips the whole of humanity and keeps most people less excited as they approach that age. Most women experience a style relapse as they age.
Here’s the thing, you shouldn’t experience style menopause, I know the feeling of wanting to dress “your age”, but your age isn’t synonymous to boring and drab, you can (and should) be stylish and sexy at fifty and beyond. Now this does not mean you should get stuck in time and look like you just stepped out of your daughter’s closet, no one wants to have a mid-life crisis case that only a quick ‘Olivia Pope’ magic can fix. So there are important things to note.
The most important thing is to embrace this stage of your life and stay happy while at it; “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine”. Health, they say is wealth, the older you get there is a higher tendency to face unique health challenges, so it is important to eat right and exercise regularly; all ages benefit from exercises. Only a healthy person can be stylish.
Most women tend to go for unstylish, unflattering, unstructured, baggy clothing when nearing their fifties. Wrong, wrong, a thousand times wrong! Baggy clothes will weigh you down while doing absolutely nothing for your figure. Yes, your body at this stage changes and its okay not to look like a supermodel but do not compound the problem with ill-fitting clothes, get rid of them. Rather, go for fitted, form-flattering outfits that give the illusion of curves like knee length figure hugging dresses or fitted pencil skirts.
Please fall in love with colour. There’s something about colour that just brightens up anyone’s day. Black can give a slimmer sophisticated look, but believe me, it could have the opposite effect on more “matured” women; making them look a lot older (and harsher too) – keep in mind the aim is to look younger.
Get the right balance with your accessories; you shouldn’t be ‘accessory shy’ neither should you go over the top. There is nothing wrong in going for bold jewelleries, but focus on one statement piece at a time. For the love of shoes, do not give up on heels! You don’t have to wear towering ones, go for shorter heels that would give you perfect balance and leave you looking like a fashionista.
Lastly, be comfortable and confident. No one but you makes the rules,so do not be boxed in by society to look a certain way as you age; Age with style.
Image:https://myfabulousstyle.com/