Five fashion mistakes to avoid for over 50s
With the fashion industry primarily targeting younger women, finding clothes that make older women feel confident and stylish can be quite difficult.
To help you look your best and embrace your personal style despite the challenges, we spoke to New York fashion designer Lindsay Nicholas, the President and Creative Director for her premium womenswear label, Lindsay Nicholas New York.
“Over 50s have largely been ignored by the fashion houses, yet these are the people with the largest disposable income and the greatest sense of self,” Lindsay explains.
“Women 50-plus want to be elegant and sexy, but not in an overt way.”
Lindsay Nicholas travelled the world and spent more than two decades working in marketing before starting a fashion line of her own. Image: @lindsaynicholasnewyork
After travelling extensively and working in marketing for more than 20 years, Lindsay began her womenswear label and has now opened a flagship location in Melbourne, Australia.
She describes her style as “minimalist, but with an edge” and wants clothes that make her “look elegant and intelligent, and never boring”.
Lindsay shared some mistakes to avoid while establishing your look, as well as some common misconceptions she’d like to see debunked.
1. Being afraid to break your fashion “rules”
With youth and thinness dominating the fashion industry and the beauty standards we often evaluate ourselves by, it’s no surprise that many of us are overly hard on ourselves and have “rules” we follow when choosing what clothes to wear.
“In-store, I sometimes hear ‘I don’t like my arms’, ‘I can’t wear a crew neck because I have a large bust’, or ‘I need something to cover my bum’,” Lindsay says.
As scary or uncomfortable as it may feel, challenging these thoughts and trying something new can lead to some amazing results.
“We never want people to feel uncomfortable, but we love it when we can get people to try something that they thought was off limits to them and they get genuinely excited,” Lindsay says.
2. Feeling pushed to dress more conservatively
Lindsay says that feeling the need to adopt a more conservative style as you get older is a common misconception she’d like to see debunked and definitely doesn’t agree with.
“I think [being over 50 is] a time to express your confidence from a life filled with experiences and get a bit edgier in your style,” she says.
“You know yourself now and it’s time to really enjoy getting dressed and express yourself. You shouldn’t care what other people think as you’re really dressing for you now. It’s a quiet confidence that I find so beautiful in women.”
3. Not knowing what statement you’re communicating
Studies have found that the clothes we wear help others understand and perceive us and who we are, and that when there’s a disconnect between what we’re saying and how we look, we can be judged less positively.
Lindsay says it’s important to know what you’re trying to tell the world about who you are and evaluate whether your current fashion choices reflect that.
“I think most of us know who we are by the time we’re in our 50s, but always growing and changing. It’s a good time to re-evaluate if you’re really loving your style and if it represents who you are now,” she says.
If you do find your style needs a shake-up, Lindsay suggests creating a mood or vision board for yourself.
“I actually make a mood board every few years (cutting images out of magazines or finding women whose style I admire) and put it on the wall in my office,” she admits. “I use it as a filter when I am buying clothes (or in my case, making) to see that I am building a cohesive wardrobe that reflects the style that I adore.
“Also, don’t confuse beautiful for uncomfortable, as that is not always the case. And wear your beautiful pieces everyday… don’t save them for a special occasion.”
4. Wearing clothes that don’t make you feel confident
As well as being an outlet for self-expression, the clothes we choose to wear can influence how we go about our day-to-day life.
Though we’re often required to wear clothes that are appropriate for particular situations, such as going to work, attending formal events, or even going out to the beach, that doesn’t mean we can’t still feel confident in the pieces we choose to wear.
“If you don’t get dressed in the morning and feel confident and vibrant, you may want to try working with a personal stylist,” Lindsay suggests.
“Many boutiques offer this service (for free) and we’re no exception. Find a store that might push you a little out of your comfort zone, but not push you over the edge.”
Lindsay says doing this can have dramatic results and can be just as enjoyable an experience for the stylist.
“I can tell when I put together something my client loves the second they walk out of the fitting room. They carry themselves differently,” she says.
“As a designer and boutique owner, and as a former image consultant, it is one of the best parts of my job.”
5. Falling for the narrative surrounding older women’s fashion
This one’s a doozy, but an important one that ties all the other mistakes together.
“After I turned 50, so many of the marketing materials I received showed the most dowdy and conservative styling,” Lindsay says.
“You even see it on the morning talk shows when they have a story on retirement or ageing, the images behind them are often insulting to those of us over 50.
“I don’t see myself in them.”
Lindsay Nicholas challenges the norms of fashion available to older women, and her line of womenswear echoes that. Images: Supplied
With the industry still combating ageism, it is still mostly up to the individual to challenge the stereotypes around the styles older women should be seen in by not falling into line.
“Who decided that we’re all wearing cotton t-shirts with linen pull-on pants?” Lindsay says.
“Older women’s fashion could be a leopard shirt dress with a pair of leather knee boots, a blazer with a pair of jeans, or a pair of silk palazzo pants with a slinky shell.”
Image: @alindsaynicholas (Instagram)