Most of us gag at the thought that we’d wear the stereotype MoB dress.  And NONE of us like to think that we really do need to think about dressing ‘age appropriately!  UGG. So, what to do? We go out shopping to look for something that is “different”.

These days, we can wear anything we like, which is far more interesting, but harder to ‘be sure it’s just the right thing’.  Only the lucky (or very hard working at it) few stay the same shape they have always been; some get skinnier.  A lot get stouter or at any rate bulge in different places. It’s just hard to really look at yourself… sometimes we develop ‘tunnel vision’ and ignore those places we don’t want to see or we don’t dare get a hand mirror and turn around to see how we REALLY look from behind!  How often do you see a woman looking far bigger than she needs to because she has obviously thought, ” I can still squeeze into this size 14 dress (stretchy material)” even though she’d look much nicer and more trim  in a well-cut size 16?   

Even the gorgeous Mariah Carey just doesn’t pull it off with these mighty tighties!

When my daughter was about 6, she used to look at her grandmother’s upper arms (Louise was in her sleeveless nightgown), pat her arm and say “Maw, Maw, you have such nice fluffy skin!”    Well, as we age, even those of us with really good upper arms show tell-tale signs.  Arms that look good from looking straight on in the mirror and even from the side  often look totally different from the backside.  Use that hand mirror and check out your back in everything you wear.  Walk away from your full length mirror looking at yourself with the hand mirror as you walk.  Like what you see?

So that brings us to: what are we supposed to wear to this and that?  We have to abandon fixed ideas of what we used to look like and could wear – we  really can’t (or shouldn’t) go for that anymore.  There are so many fun and elegant styles that ‘fit us better’ now.  And that said –  take the time to rethink your clothing style. Do you ever watch the ‘Friday make-over on the Today show with Hoda and Kathy Lee?    How often have you seen them put an older woman in a long black skirt or slacks (travelers type) and a great looking jacket?  And they just look terrific and feel that way too!
We do have to be careful, though – we don’t want to look absurd and that we are trying too hard!

NO ‘cougar-wanna-be’ at my daughter’s (son’s) wedding festivities!

Hmmm, Madonna just stands there making our point!

Our basic dilemma is that without young good looks to help us, restrained clothes can just look boring while high drama can really be risky!

Black! If you can’t think about wearing it to the wedding, then you could certainly wear it to the rehearsal dinner or an engagement party.    But a dress similar to this would hide a multitude of  “older skin problems” and still look young AND wonderful.   It really is smashing!         

Talk to your daughter about what she has in mind for you. Perhaps set a date to do lunch and go shopping. She can help direct you to a color that she would prefer and even a style which she thinks would compliment you and her dress as well.

White, ivory, and off-white are typically not acceptable.

However, champagne, a richer, more colorful hue is possibly one of the most popular  shades. Not only is it subtle, but it blends well with whatever shade of white the bride wears. Champagne is also a good color because it can look good by itself or with embellishments. Note that champagne is basically the same as sand, taupe, and nude.

OK – next week – Something different!  I’ll have get my brain away from TAXES!

Claudia Van Veen – MoB