Over 50 Arms: The Lace Solution

The weather during my recent Paris-Amsterdam vacation was fabulous--blue skies and in the low 80s--every day. There was no need for a light jacket or even a sweater. One day, I noticed an over 50 woman in a neutral-colored shell top and skirt. She wore an open lace blouse over the shell. I thought: "What a great idea for warm weather!"

I know from talking to my over 50 girlfriends and reading the recent responses to my Giveaway Question: "Are You Alarmed About Your Arms?" that many woman over 50 aren't really comfortable in sleeveless tops. But who wants to wear a sweater or blazer in warm weather? A light, lace blouse seems like a great solution. It's feminine and offers arm coverage without weight or bulk. I was dying to try it myself. Click "read more" to continue...

Fashion Over 50: Romney Style

Where do your wardrobe ideas come from? Clearly, most fashion magazines aren’t geared to the over 50 fashion-minded, though they try with their “Fashion at Any Age” issues once a year. If you live in or near a densely populated area—say New York City—you can get lots of ideas just looking around you. I'm often inspired by street fashion. But I also get plenty of fashion ideas from the over 50 women I see on television or in photos in the newspaper and non-fashion magazines.

Lately, the media has seized upon what Ann Romney, 63, is wearing on the campaign trail. Unlike Michelle Obama, who uses a style consultant, Ann Romney reportedly dresses herself. I can’t say I love everything I've seen Ann wear. (That $1000 bird T-shirt was not my taste.) But I do love the fact that many of her outfits are unstuffy, yet age-appropriate. She looks great when she mixes simple color-coordinated prints or wears a bright-colored wrap dress. But see for yourself at the Ann Romney fashion slideshow on the New York Times website. I'm looking forward to checking out her fashion choices between now and November. For more slide shows of Ann's fashion, click "Read More"

Swimsuit sale: 50% off

It's Father's Day Weekend 2012 and BeallsFlorida.com, an online department store, is giving 50% off on women's swimsuits. I know--go figure. Anyway. I'm loving the mixed print in the Longitude Brown Medallion One Piece Swimsuit (was $78, now $39) above. If you're in the market for a new swimsuit, you might want to check out the Beall's sale. There are classic cut suits as well as skirt suits, sarong suits and mix-and-match tankinis and bottoms. For some of my favorite picks for women over 50, check out Swimsuits Over 50: Where to Shop. That post also has a list of other swimsuit sites. Or click on the swimsuit photo above to go directly to the Beall's website.

And...if you'd like a chance to win a $25 Amazon.com e-gift certificate, go to Flattering50 Giveaway: What's Your Swimsuit Strategy? and share your thoughts.

Yikes! Jones Stripes Are 60 Off!

I used to be afraid of horizontal stripes. Home economics teachers, fashion magazines and other presumed authorities told me horizontal stripes made a person look bigger. But, over the years, I’ve often been asked if I’ve lost weight when I wear a horizontal striped jersey, especially one with wide stripes. My theory is that the wide stripes define a waistline, kind of like a belt, and can flatter a woman’s figure. I mention this because Jones New York has a lot of striped tops, horizontal and vertical, on sale this weekend, through June 17. Take, for instance, the Jones New York Striped Cardigan (was $159, now $63) above. This sweater is only available in petite sizes, but there are other tops in a range of sizes. In fact, JNY's online site has a ton of tops, sweaters, jackets, and slacks in stripes as well as solids of every color marked down 60%. Click “read more” for a few more flattering striped tops for women over 50 that link directly to the sale.

50% off Jones New York Sports

Now that you've pulled out your summer clothes, have you found a T-shirt or two that has lost its shape? Do you have a pair of capris or shorts that has faded? If you have separates that are looking a little worse for constant wear during Summer 2011, you might want to take a peek at the 50% off sale at Beall's online store. For instance, there's 50%  on the Jones New York Sport Solid Capris (was $59, now $29.50) above. In fact, Beall's is giving 50% on the store's entire Jones New York Sport line. Click "read more" for some other separates on sale.

Paris Over 50: Where to Shop

I hope I don’t drive people crazy with all my Paris-related posts, but I had a wonderful trip and I just can't shut up about it. Take, for instance, the shopping. I expected my senses to go crazy in Paris, taking in the sights, sounds and tastes of the city. But my fashion sense also worked overtime, observing the endless parade of women of every age wearing beautiful, stylish clothing. Needless to say, I had to do a little shopping. One of my favorite shopping destinations was the 4th arrondissement of Paris (photo above). Click “read more” for details…

Flattering50 Giveaway: What’s Your Swimsuit Strategy?

It’s June. For many over 50 women, that means it’s time to suit up for the beach or pool. While most of the over 50 women I know love to shop, they dread the new swimsuit shopping trip. What could be worse than standing in front of a mirror under the florescent lights in a bit of spandex with your over 50 lumps and bumps on display and trying to imagine yourself wearing the skimpy garment in public? Well, there aren’t too many alternatives, if you want to do beach or pool time, right? So…for my current Flattering50 Giveaway, I’d like to know: “What’s Your Swimsuit Strategy?” Share your ideas in the Comment Box on this post for a chance to win one of three $25 Amazon.com Gift Certificate! Click “read more” for Giveaway details…

Parisian Style: Grey Hair Everywhere

During my recent trip to Paris, I was struck by the number of women over 50 with grey hair. It was, perhaps, my most surprising Paris style observation. If asked to give a number, I would say 20% of the over 50 Frenchwomen I saw had natural, dye-free hair. Now, you might think: Well, with the volume of people in a city, it would stand to reason that there would be lots of women with grey hair…as well as lots of women with dyed hair. But I’m in New York City at least a half-dozen times a month and I don’t see many grey-haired women—not anywhere near 20%. The thing that surprised me most about this grey hair trend was it looked good on most of the Frenchwomen. Why? I think these women had two things going for them: 1) great haircuts that flattered their faces and 2) a stylish outfit. Perhaps, their makeup helped as well. Click “read more” to see a few examples.

Parisian Style: Fashion Imitating Architecture

One thing I realized as my husband and I were planning our recent trip to Paris is that a lot of people have been to “the city of lights.” I assume, therefore, that a lot of Flattering50 readers have been there, too. For that reason, I would love to share a little theory I formulated about French style while I was on vacation. I'd like to know if readers who’ve been to Paris think it makes any sense. Maybe my theory is ridiculous, maybe it’s too obvious, maybe it’s unoriginal—I really don’t know. My theory is this: Parisian fashion imitates Parisian architecture. Click ‘read on,’ if you’d like to see a few examples of this.

Style Over 50: Dress Like a Parisian

Are you looking for an effortless way to look stylish and sophisticated? One of the simplest solutions may be to dress like an over 50 Parisians. That’s right—I’m talking about that French styling we’ve all been told is so elusive. Well, I just got back for 11 days in Paris and Amsterdam and I didn't find it elusive or difficult to define at all.

In a nutshell, French style seems to be about two things:

• Simplicity

• Quality 

I tried to take a few photos to illustrate French style, but wasn't too successful. By the time I got my digital camera turned on and the lens extended, the woman was out of sight. Also, the Paris buildings often made the pictures too dark. It gave me a whole new appreciation for NY Times' photographer Bill Cunningham. Hopefully, you'll get the idea from my less-than-perfect photo. Click “Read On” for details.