10 Ways To Dress 10 Years Younger
Photos galore.
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by The Candidly Team
There’s a strong desire to equivocate here - to explain that we’re not trying to deny our age or cling to youth or feed into the incredibly stupid way our world can treat getting older.
However…
we still don’t want to dress older.
And we think that’s okay.
We feel our best when we dress in ways that still have a little oomph. Ways that feel casually cool and effortlessly chic. Basically ways that feel like us.
But there are certain style traps we can fall into that do just the opposite. They make us look older, and what’s worse is they’re pretty easy to avoid. As long as we know we’re falling into them.
And so, in the spirit, we’ve compiled 10 style tips/ rules/ hacks - whatever you want to call them - that shave off a quick 10 years. They will also just generally make you look your personal best. So it’s a win win. And it’s pretty easy to follow to boot.
1. Go back to baggy jeans.
WHY: A high-waisted, wide-leg or barrel jean makes waists look smaller and smooths over curves without us looking frumpy, which can sometimes happen with a straight or tapered leg (hence the term “mom” jean). We’ve compiled a couple of our favorites.
The Adi Regenerative Cotton Mid-Rise Flare Jeans by Pilcro
We’re so obsessed with the fit of these jeans, we’ve bought them in every shade they’ve released.
They’re the closest we’ve come to the sisterhood of the traveling pants in that they look incredible on every shape.
Price: $148
Madewell The Darted Barrel-Leg Jean
The soft pink with a white tee or tank is so bright and youthful but still classic. And even if you’re a blue jean gal (and these definitely do come in all shades of blue), these jeans will fit you in a very easy and flattering way. With a ribbed tank and a belt, it’s a zero-effort chic, street-style look.
* Gifted product
Sadly, this exact style is sold out, but there’s a pair we love even more in a similar soft pink that happens to also be unbelievably flattering, which you can find HERE.
Price: $148
* Gifted product
2. Buy shorter tees and tuckable tops.
WHY: If you take nothing else from this, please just take that the fear around the word cropped is entirely unnecessary. At this point, cropped just means “not as long.” And long, loose tops can be very aging. Simply by taking off an inch or two, youe get better proportions, your waist looks narrower, and your legs look longer.
Madewell The Boxy Crop Tee in Allday Jersey
The length is perfection, and then there’s that sleeve. Covers the thickest part of the arm. There’s a reason this tee has been a top-seller of late.
Price: $48
AYR The Deep End
This is the denim version, which is 90s coolness personified, but every color in this button-down, including classic white, is the best one of its kind. Tucked into jeans, skirt, or high-waisted pants, it’s just a mindless hack for looking put together.
Price: $185
Nuuds Soft Cotton
Everyday T-Shirt Bodysuit
We had to mention this tee/bodysuit thing, which singlehandedly solves the problem of trying to achieve the perfect tuck. Young in appearance but caters to us olds in functionality.
Price: $58
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3. Wear seamless underthings with lots of lift and zero wires.
WHY: Panty lines and bad, bulgy bras age us. However, we will not do pain in the name of getting impeccable boob shape anymore. Instead, we went on a years-long quest to find unbelievably comfy, breathable bras that give us unbelievable round, bouncy (but stays put) shape.
Neiwai Barely Zero Anchored Cup Strap Bra And Mid Waist Brief
It feels like nothing, and the support is unreal. Words cannot do justive to the comfort of this bra.
Price: $39 for the bra, $19 for the brief
The EBY Relief Bra and Brief
The smoothness without painful wires is something to be celebrated. And the panties are utterly seamless.
Price: $69 for the bra, $17 for the brief
* Gifted product
4. Invest in gorgeous shoes that don't kill your feet.
WHY: Ugly orthopedic shoes make us look like our own great-grandmothers. That said, we will never ever ever again be okay with foot pain. There are actually stunning shoes being made that don’t skimp on the orthopedic part. And when we find them, we’re willing to spend a little more because we know they’re the only shoes we’ll want to wear.
Beek Pelican Leather Platform Sandal
These are the epitome of quiet luxury in terms of looks but keep in mind they have a secret “memory foam molded footbed” that makes us want to live in them. It’s an investment up front but our cost per wear is down to 38 cents at this point.
You can also use the code CANDIDLY10 to get 10% off
Price: $280
Frankie4 Upton Tan
We tried these on and almost tripped over our feet rushing to write about it, except we’d never trip in these shoes as they’re the comfiest walking shoe with actual arch support and zero chafe. They’re so sleek and strappy, we pack them in lieu of heels on vacation.
Price: $105
Ancient Greek Sandals Kansiz
We die for the minimalism, and we never get more questions about our shoes than when we wear these. They make outfits look 5X cooler. And yet, no one believes us when we tell them they are more cushioned and soft and supportive than any flip flop or sandal we’ve tried.
Price: $220
5. FOLLOW THIS “BLACK AND WHITE” RULE
WHY: Black and white is a very classic and chic combination, but there’s one way of wearing this color combo that ensures you always look chic and never like a waiter, and that is to always wear the black on the top and the white on the bottom. It works every time - like magic!
Michael Stars Taylor Wide-Leg Pant
These are the cotton pants of our hot-weather dreams. They come in every color you could want, but white with a black, skinny-strapped, dipped-neck tank makes it the chicest, most French summer uniform.
Price: $158
Michael Stars Sloan V-Neck Tank
And behold, le tank!
6. Mix high and low.
WHY: Mixing splurges with more affordable pieces isn’t just a wise economic decision, it also makes outfits look interesting and never too pinned up and stuffy or too bargain bin.
Quince 100% Leather Cropped Zip-Front Jacket
A leather jacket is one of those singular pieces that can elevate an entire outfit. We love this sleek one from Quince that’s real leather but actually quite a bargain itself in terms of price.
Price: $225
Favorite Daughter The Jordan Belt
This belt has changed us. We add it to the most boring jeans and tees, and poof, we’re styled!
Price: $108
7. Mix a casj element in with a formal look.
WHY: Adding a white tee to a leather or jean jacket over a dress, keeps things edgy and gives everything a very natural cool factor.
Agolde Palmer Denim Trucker Jacket
This is the exact jean jacket we’ve been looking for since we first saw Cindy Mancini wear hers into Tucson High in Can’t Buy Me Love. The arms are spacious and the crop is ultra flattering.
Price: $298
Z Supply Modern Slub Tee
Ditto this white tee. The whispery softness and not-too-long fit means we always looked skimmed and Kate Mossy.
Price: $39
* Gifted product
8. Choose wide leg or flared over tapered cropped pants.
WHY: Anything resembling capri pants makes us look 102. That’s all.
The Colette Magic Fabric Crop Wide-Leg Pants by Maeve
We’re almost at a loss for words when describing these pants, mostly because we’ve written about them 247 times. They flatter like no pants before them with this smoothing, “magic” fabric that makes butts look hoisted and tums look flattened. And they do all this without feeling restrictive. The shape is also ultra cute and swoopy and French.
Price: $120
Quince Bella Stretch Kick Flare Jeans
Quince denim is very soft and supremely flattering and never more than $50. The dream! This pair has the slightest flare which is great for balancing out our hips and thighs and giving us a longer line.
Price: $50
* Gifted product
9. Wear more fitted dresses with ruching.
WHY: We love the idea of a slinky, elegant dress, but we often end up with our arms glued across our bellies or hiding under a tent-like pashmina, because it just feels too exposing. Ruching is the answer, my friends. It’s so forgiving, and conceals all lumps in bumps in a very graceful way.
The Gabbie Strapless Ruched Tube Dress by Celandine
This dress looks incredible on belly pooches. And it comes in every color you could desire.
Price: $98
Madewell Ruched Flutter-Sleeve Midi Dress
Our Editor-in-Chief tried this on in Madewell recently and immediately ID’d it as a real winner. The ruching on the middle gives you an instant hourglass. We’re wearing ours out to dinner on repeat this summer.
Price: $168
* Gifted product
10. Choose playful, yet classic accessories.
WHY: A loud accessory can be fun, but it can also be a wee bit aging. There’s a fun balance to finding pieces that make your look unique, modern, and elevated but still understated. Here’s what’s topping our personal leaderboard.
Jenny Bird Dane Anklet
So dainty, and yet, so alluring.
Price: $118
Quince Halston Polarized Stainless Steel Aviator Sunglasses
Is there a cooler sunglass shape than an aviator? We think not.
Price: $50
J.Crew Packable straw hat
We’re not sure why this hat makes us look a decade younger. We don’t ask questions. We just pack it on every vacation.
Price: $48.50
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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