Make the best of your body by choosing garments that flatter your form.
Typecasting yourself according to age is a practice that we can consign to the nearest charity clothing bin. Exercise, careful eating, and appearance medicine make it possible for a 50 year-old to have a body that’s significantly better than many women in their mid-20s. The rules have changed; insteadof working with societal expectations, it’s time to work with physical realities.
Stacey Beatson, co-founder of Biba, a total makeover business, says that you need to consider three things when choosing clothes: colour, design and appropriateness. Age is not relevant.
“Colour is the first thing that people notice,” Stacey says, “after that it’s your figure – the design of your clothes should highlight your positive features and minimise perceived imperfections. Finally,have you achieved the right look for the occasion, or for your lifestyle?”
Another rule that has been sidelined is the one that says you shouldn’t wear a new trend if you’ve encountered it previously – a decade or three ago. “I think this guideline was possibly made by people whose body shape won’t allow them to revisit a trend,” says Stacey.
“oany of my clients that are in their 40s, 50s and 60s can wear skinny jeans better than a 20 year-old, but they wear them differently – not with a singlet and stilettos.”
**Getting a fix on your style personality
**Feeling comfortable in your own skin is crucial to looking good. “Women who are content have an incredible beauty about them,” says Stacey. “They’re not striving to be something they’re not and they’re not constantly comparing themselves to others.”
Contentment comes when you understand and adhere to your personal style, which has developed over time to be harmonious with both your personality and body type.
Generally, a very feminine body with generous bust and hips will be more at home in garments that have curved design lines and silhouette. However women with straighter, more boyish figures will gravitate towards more angular design lines, tailored or minimalist styles.
For those who are having difficulty understanding their body type, pinning down their personal style, or shaking off ageist habits, a course of selfdiscovery lessons with a professional stylist will be money well spent. Keep in mind the wise words of French designer oadeleine Vionnet: “The dress must not hang on the body but follow its lines. It must accompany its wearer and when a woman smiles, the dress must smile with her.”
**What’s your body shape?
**Click on the links below to get tips and tricks on how to dress for your body shape.
Make the best of what you’ve got
Hair and make-up are incredibly important style components. Keep them up-to-date and you can wear current fashion with more success.
Do whatever you can to maintain good posture. Nothing looks worse, or is more ageing, than poor posture – shoulders slumped forward, stomach poking out and bust nearly touching your waistband.
Never underestimate the effect of a good bra to get your bustline into the right place. This creates valuable length in the torso area. your bustline should be halfway between your shoulder and your elbow.
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