7 Style Secrets Women Over 50 Always Use To Look Gorgeous And Young
It’s easier than it seems.
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by The Candidly Team
We all want to look chic. That’s a given. And it’s a boring way to start an article.
BUT…
We also want to look cool. That’s a harder one to admit. Because “cool” sounds like we care too much about what people think. Sort of like saying we want to look young. Suddenly, we’re being judged for not accepting ourselves or our age.
But none of this is really what we mean. Dressing cool(er) or young(er) at this stage in life is actually about feeling MORE ourselves. And it’s why so many 50+ women have such incredible style. They know exactly how to balance cool with classic, styled with casual, youthful with sophisticated.
These women have tricks up their perfectly rolled, poplin sleeves. And the exciting part is that these tricks are not that hard to adopt. We’ve learned a lot from the style icons of our (literal) age, and today we’re diving into their secrets.
There are 8 of them. All deeply clever. All wildly doable.
1. They invest in 2-3 pairs of “give-you-your-best-butt” jeans.
Why It Works:
Nothing ages us quite like the sad, squished butt created by sagging fabric and weirdly placed pockets. Our jeans are supposed to provide lift and smoothness and give us our nicest, plumpest peachiest shape. We’ve spent most of our adult lives looking for such jeans and ended up finding them about two years ago … from one - single - brand. They’re the only “expensive” jeans we’ve ever invested in because they’re the only ones we WANT to reach for in our closets pretty much every morning. We wrote a whole article about them HERE, complete with many ALL ANGLE before and after photos, but there are two particular pairs we wear constantly.
Just Tell Me What To Buy:
* Gifted products included
2. They use the short top/ high pants trick to make their legs look longer.
Why It Works:
As we get older, we get more and more afraid of the word “cropped,” equating it to something 22-year-olds wear to Coachella. But a cropped length means something very different - something that is actually extreeeeemely flattering to ALL women. This is especially true now that most of our pants are high-waist. The reason is simple. When your pants start closer to the small of your waist and your top hits right below this same line, it makes your legs look inches longer and your waist look narrower. It’s truly the most flattering cut for women with a thicker midsection. Overall, you look longer and lither, and it’s all thanks to choosing tops that aren’t long and shapeless and bottoms that aren’t low and unflattering.
Just Tell Me What To Buy:
Every over-50 woman with incredible style knows to start with the staples like THIS* butter-soft tee that also has a drop shoulder which is great on thicker arms.
Stripes make an outfit look more luxe, hence we love THIS* French-lady cropped jacket and THIS* shockingly affordable polo sweater.
Chic women DO wear sweatshirts.They just choose tailored looking ones like THIS* that fit amazing because of that crop.
3. They have one incredible jean and leather jacket that they take turns layering over everything.
Why It Works:
We can be wearing any neutral or whatever outfit and throw on a jean or leather jacket, and poof! Instant youth. However, because both pieces are so classic and timeless it never looks like we’re trying to look younger. We just do.
Just Tell Me What To Buy:
4. They own the best black/ white tee and button-down, and they style them with e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.
Why It Works:
It sounds obvious, but it’s shocking how many outfits are made or broken by the everyday staples we choose - the black tee, the white button-down. If they don’t fit right, the entire look comes off disappointing or forgettable instead of deeply chic. In fact, the reason some women come off like they have incredible style is in fact because they’ve stocked up on reliable staples so anything they put together will be grounded in something chic that fits perfectly.
Just Tell Me What To Buy:
You don’t need to spend $90 on a tee. THIS* one is whispery soft and the perfect, flattering length.
THIS* fitted tee balances all your looser-fitting layers and bottoms and makes your chest, arms, and waist look phenomenal. We honestly never shut up about it.
A crisp, poplin button-down is the versatile, super suit of every sophisticated lady. THIS* is the only one you need.
* Gifted products included
5. They mix high and low (but always tailored) pieces.
Why It Works:
Looking smart is not about piling a bunch of expensive pieces on top of each other. Honestly, that just makes us look very 5th avenue, old money (the keyword here being old). Creating a put-together, chic, and youthful effect means mixing high with low, spendy with affordable, smart with casual, classic with cool - you get the idea. If, say for example, you splurged on a deeply original Louis Vuitton, stencil-printed pant* (second-hand of course), it helps if that pant is a relaxed, jogger shape and you pair it with a simple $20 black tank. And any old pants and jean jack from Gap can be instantly up-leveled by a wee, little Chloe bag*. A big fancy, statement sweater* can be made all the cooler by a $15 baseball cap. The point is, our beloved designer pieces that we swooned over and saved for are made to punctuate and do a lot of heavy lifting and make everything else you’re wearing look more expensive, But they never overwhelm or feel too loud, because that just makes us lose any effect of originality or youthfulness.
Just Tell Me What To Buy:
You probably already have your own investment pieces in mind, so just blend these in with smart staples from more affordable brands like:
THESE* jeans from Madewell (We own them in pretty much every color they’ve ever come in.)
THIS* adorable-fitting sweatshirt that we live in
THESE* J.Crew Factory flats that sell out all the time because they look quite high-end
But if you must know where we got any of those accent pieces from above, here they are:
* Gifted products included
7. They keep up a very strong boot game.
Why It Works:
A beautiful boot makes clothes into looks. They’re commanding and powerful, and you’re already bored by what we’re saying because you already know it. The problem is boots can be a pain in the ass. Most of them hurt, and our old and tired feet are having none of that. We can’t emphasize this enough, but our entire team at The Candidly WILL. NOT. DO. FOOT. PAIN. Nope. Not again. Never! So when we tell you that we found the most beautiful, buttery, dream boots in existence that we wear everywhere, we hope you know we don’t say it lightly.
Just Tell Me What To Buy:
THESE* are the crown jewel in the history of tall boots - buttery, stable, molded foot-bed - just unreal all-around.
We have THESE* gorgeous ankle boots in all 3 colors in, and it’s all we reach for when we need a bootie. (Note: The leather on top needs a little time to stretch, but after breaking them in, they’re bliss.)
* Gifted products included
8. They know the quiet power of the crossbody bag.
Why It Works:
A crossbody doesn’t just dangle off to the side. It is a wearable PART of your outfit. It breaks up the space and becomes an accessory akin to a belt or jewelry because it draws the eye and flatters your waistline. On top of that, it just comes off very effortlessly chic - cooler and younger than a shoulder bag. Also, it’s 72x more comfortable to toss a bag on and not have to readjust it on your shoulder all day long. And, as we said, we are all about comfort.
Just Tell Me What To Buy:
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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