As I am writing this, I am comfortably snuggled on my sofa in my relaxed vibe – sweatpants and a hoodie. Unless you’ve been living under a rock since 2020, practically everyone rediscovered the wonderful fashion trend called active casual wear. This type of casual wear includes jogging suits, warm-ups, wind suits, running shorts, tennis skirts, biking shorts, leggings, leotards. Zoom calls and Teams meetings are hiding callers from the waist down while they’re wearing their leggings or shorts. I have adopted a hip way of taking my sweats out of the drawers and making them a part of my everyday attire – whether running errands or meeting my friends for lunch. I have punched up a hoodie with a blazer and a colorful pair of converse and handbag. For the last 18 months, I retired my favorite jeans and welcomed my wide leg pull on pants with matching sweater.
Today, I am waiting out these winter months and preparing myself to get back to return-to-work mode. Which means, stepping back into the clothing that speaks success and performance. Despite how creative or trendy, beach casual has NO business in the workplace. But professional casual is an awesome way to be both polished and comfortable while staying productive.
Fashion is one of the most amazing ways to best define your style and convey your own individuality. Personally, I am a fan of the classics, but I also add street flair to my look, which includes pops of colors or unique patterns and cuts. No matter what my look for the day, its peaks comfort, ease, and confidence. I believe you can express those things in your style, as well.
There are a ton of folks out there who are advocates of the theory that you are never too young or too old to wear a style or rock a trend. While I agree fashion can be timeless, I also get that some fashion adventures deserve to remain within their era.
If you are anything like me, you may have cleaned out your closets of unwanted clothing or lost so much weight that you must replace those key wardrobe pieces. If this is the case, then I welcome you to rebuild your closet and redefine your style. I am with you! And please take heed of my personal tips of what NOT to wear, especially if you are over 50.
Tip #1: Stay away from too much makeup. I grew up in the 80’s with Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. Yes, girls just wanted to have fun back then. I rocked the colorful eyeshadows and black eyeliner, along with the mesh stockings and ruffles. To a certain extent, girls want to have fun today. One way is in their make up application. But over 50 calls for a little discretion in how much eyeshadow and lipstick is needed. For the most part, make up is meant to compliment and perhaps highlight your look but never to overpower it. On those occasions I am having a hankering for hot pink lipstick, I make sure to ease up on the eyeshadow and eyeliner. My personal rule of thumb is my lipstick color choice picks up one of the colors I wish to showcase in my look. At best my lipstick choices seal my look and punctuates the complete look I am going for.
Tip #2: Oversized clothing does not work…ever! Yes, ladies love those baggy jeans and sweaters. I do too! There are many more tangible benefits to wearing oversized clothes. For one thing, they allow for more movement and air circulation, which means that, in many situations, they’re a lot more comfortable than their closely fitted cousins. Aesthetically, they’re wonderfully unfussy. But, wearing oversized clothing every day to the workplace looks sloppy. Remember that oversized look is an expression of yourself, and it says, “I don’t care!” I believe there are some baggy items which can be tastefully tailored and make a statement. I have an oversized blazer I bought from a vintage shop that is one of my favorite go-to pieces. Since I lost weight, I hesitated to throw out my favorite items and now my wide-leg trousers, slouchy blazers, boxy tees, and blanket coats have become a part of my professional attire. I have my tailor on speed dial. Frankly, investing in cinching in the waist or restructuring your favorite jacket can be less expensive than finding another item comparable to what I had in the first place.
Tip #3: Stay away from crop tops and hot pants! Ladies over 50, please resist the urge to rock those crop tops and hot pants. Yes, even if you have the best rock-hard abs ever recorded. Personally, this is trendy look. I recall this look in the 70’s or during those Jane Fonda workout days. These items of clothing are not what I would recommend wearing to the office. Sure, I have worn cropped sweaters over a longer button-down shirt but not ever as a stand-alone item. If you want to revisit your past and go down memory lane, perhaps incorporate it in your “go meet the girls for lunch” look.
Tip #4: Avoid elastic waistbands or at least hide them. Most seen on skirts, pants and dresses, a garment with elasticized waist is easy to pull on, will stay in place all day and live with your body. Elastic waistbands also allow for small variations in fit and work great for most body types. However, use a belt or fabric to cover the stretchiness. Most importantly, the belt cinches in waist and defines the curvature of your body. Personally, I don’t like looking frumpy. Elastic waistbands are that for me. While I can breathe easier with no restraint around my center, especially after a great meal, elastic stretches outwardly. It gives out and does not take in. Another option would be to opt for tie-waist trousers. If you simply cannot avoid wearing an elastic band, you can do this by wearing a longer top or simply tuck the front of your top in and then pull out just enough to cover the band.
Tip #5: Avoid 100% polyester. Even though it can be produced with a blend of natural components, like cotton, to prevent wrinkles and tears, its effect on our health can still be harmful. While wearing polyester, it becomes hard for your skin to breathe. So, it’s better to avoid polyester in your clothes and additionally in your linens. Ladies, if you haven’t noticed already, our skin is becoming more delicate and sensitive to environment changes. To me the sun seems hotter and the cold air seems drier. We are relying more on sun protections and body lotions to maintain softness. However, instead ot clings to materials that don’t allow the skin to breathe. In fact, as your body sweats and merges with those lotion scents, the end result may not be at all attractive. Something I learned just recently, Polyester is a plastic-like material made from coal, oil, and water. It’s made in a lab and is used to create many things such as home furnishing, seatbelts, tents, and the cover stock for diapers. Because it’s mass-produced it has become a cheap material to buy. This explains EVERYTHING!
Tip #6: The wrong size undergarments is not a good look. I thank my mother and grandmother for this one tip. No matter how much you spend on your clothes, the poorly fitted bra and panty will break the entire look. Wearing the wrong size bra is not only uncomfortable, but it can also cause a range of health problems. Research has shown that a lack of breast support often leads to breast pain, which is reported by 50% of women. An ill-fitting bra that doesn’t give the right support can also lead to breast skin damage – usually seen as stretch marks, caused by stretching the skin beyond its recovery point. Ill-fitting bras have also been associated with neck, back and shoulder pain, bad posture, and rubbing and chafing leading to skin abrasions. Despite this fairly long list of health implications, millions of women continue to wear ill-fitting bras. Personally, my favorite time of year is during the lingerie sales at Neiman’s or Nordstrom’s. There, I get a professional sizing and select a few styles that best suits my needs. I am a brand supporter of quality. The same manufacturer of sports bras may not be the ones I shop when getting a cute dressy version. When I select an everyday bra or a t-shirt version, the key words are fit and coverage. Sexy is another word I look for too, but nothing says sexy than a bra that is not sagging or leaving marks on my shoulders and rib cage. A side tip: sometimes once you have gotten your true bra and panty sizes, you can go online and seek out the manufacturers. Often, they showcase sales saving you $40-$80 less than buying from the stores themselves. Ladies, stand with me and celebrate your bodies by getting the best fitting items to help enhance your growing and changing bodies.
Tip #7: Uncomfortable shoes are really a pain in the…EVERYWHERE! I ADORE SHOES. Shoes are art. The perfect shoe is comfortable no matter how high the heal and the shape of your legs are significantly shapelier with a great pump. I have a love affair with my shoe closet. Each pair, every color and type tell a story and fits my every mood. My shoes range from the oxford to platform sandals to high heel pump. Each shoe accommodates my every outfit and style. But in my lifetime, I admit I have worn my share of uncomfortable shoes for the sake of beauty. This type of pain, I would not wish on anyone. The blisters and the toe pain were unbearable. On a couple of occasions, I did not walk for hours afterwards. If your shoes are too narrow or short, the extra pressure placed on your toe can lead to the edge of a toenail growing into your skin. Ingrown toenails can cause the skin around your nail to become red or infected. Ingrown toenails are most common on the big toe but can also occur on other toes. Just as your body changes so do your feet. No matter how old you are and how much you can afford, the best tip you can invest in yourself is a properly shaped shoe that fits your walking style and your daily needs.
Ladies (and men), take a moment to assess your closet and style for the year. This is your time to shine and make a statement of who you are at this point in your life. Tweek here, adjust there and you’ll have an original style that is all your own. Whether you are returning to work following the pandemic or maternity leave or starting your own business, it is in your best interest to define your armor for the workplace. What you wear contributes to the culture of your workplace environment. Conversely, one of the most defining aspects of a workplace’s culture is the style of dress. While casual dress has become far more sophisticated and more workplace worthy, it does not have to be sloppy or lacking in style and suitability. According to studies, 61% of employees are more productive when the dress code is relaxed, and 80% of people who work in an environment with a dress code responded that they don’t find them useful. Those are staggering statistics. Breaking that down, there are a few reasons people have started to favor a more casual dress code. One of the reasons is the financial burden that comes from a suit-and-tie environment — you’re expected to invest in nice suits, shoes, ties, and dresses. Not everyone can afford to spend thousands of dollars on their workplace attire.
Another big reason is comfort and confidence. When people are able to wear the clothes that they’re comfortable and confident in, morale is higher, and people are more productive overall. Most people aren’t going to be comfortable in fancy suits or dresses and heels. Additionally, a less strict dress code allows people to express themselves, which can help elevate creative thinking. When people are more creative and comfortable, they’re happier, and their work is going to be of higher quality. Office dynamics are also better between happy people (obviously), which will lead to an increase in workplace collaboration and volume of work being completed.
So, my fellow laborers and entrepreneurs, embrace a more relaxed attire at work as it is becoming more and more popular. This isn’t to say that you should be showing up to work in a pajama top and leggings every day (unless you work at a fitness studio or somewhere where that is required), but overall, we’re moving towards a more casual dress code. Define your fashion chicness and consider these amazing tips I’ve provided. You will thank me later.
…now what, Linda
now what, Linda? 