While it is Fashion Week in NYC this week and all the fashionistas are previewing what’s hot for spring 2014, I’m here to provide you with an update on what boomer girls should be wearing this fall.
Ooh, ooh, ooh – Autumn is my favorite time of the year for new beginnings and new clothes. It’s the season when the big September issues arrive in my mailbox and I do my heavy lifting. Let’s count the pages along with some commentary:
I love September fall fashion magazines.
Vogue – 902 pages of Fabulous Fall Fashion (Dear Anna Wintour – your mag is not my favorite this year. The feature stories were good and cover model Jennifer Lawrence is truly a “Girl on Fire,” but I wasn’t in love with any of the ads or the clothes.)
InStyle – 716 pages! Fall Fashion Issue! (Always good for trends.)
T – The New York Times Style August 25, 2013 Issue – 252 pages (Best-ever! Loved all the ads, the stories, the clothes. Editor-in-Chief Deborah Needleman and team out did themselves this season.)
MORE – 160 pages (Just renewed my subscription but not sure why. This mag doesn’t know who its target is – 30, 40, 50, 60 year olds. There is a big difference among women these ages. If they are targeting 50+ women, the editors need to enlarge the typeface and make the images larger so I can see the clothes without using a magnifying glass.)
Nordstrom Catalogs – 118 pages in the Finally Fall Catalog along with many more pages in the Fall Anniversary Sale Catalog. (Always a great read with fashions and accessories that I don’t need but definitely want. I did spend my favorite day in July at the Anniversary Sale with my daughter A and I will share what I bought. Read on. Read on.)
I like Zella activewear from Nordstrom for my yoga attire.
Yoga Journal Fall Fashion Guide – 21 pages full of stylish yoga wear. (Since I now often work and workout in my yoga clothes most days of the week and weekend, I love everything in this mag. As Karen Stewart, Steward+ Brown cofounder and designer says, “There can be a crossover between your everyday wardrobe and your active wear. It’s a layering thing. The way you put items together is what changes the outfit.”)
Now that I’ve combed through 2000+ pages, I’m here to share ideas for your fall wardrobe. However, no matter what the trends, always make sure you look and feel good in whatever clothes you are wearing.
If you cannot decide on an outfit, get a second opinion. Ask your mom (if you are lucky to have your mom with you during your life after 50), ask your best friend (multiple friends are good too), ask your daughter (if you are lucky to have a fashionista daughter) — or ask the sales lady or salesman to provide an opinion.
Drum roll please, bring on the trends:
I bought a leather moto jacket for my fall wardrobe.
– Lavish yourself in leather, especially a moto. Leather jackets, coats, skirts, tees and tops. There is leather trim on dresses and pants – real or faux and in every color of the rainbow. (I bought a distressed beige leather moto jacket at the Anniversary Sale. The minute I tried it on I knew it was going home with me. It’s a perfect addition for my more casual wardrobe. Oui, oui, oui.)
– Be elegant and wear tapered trousers. According to InStyle editors, easy elegance “can work on women of all ages and never goes out of style.” Less is more with simple lines, solid colors and classic fabrics. (Since I kept my Anniversary Sale purchases to a minimum – now that I no longer have a full-time corporate executive job – I bought a pair of basic black tapered pants and a basic black a-line skirt. I can accessorize with statement jewelry.)
– Try tartans. (I don’t really like tartan plaids for boomer girls. These styles seem more juvenile to me. Although I do like other plaids, especially the plaid in my Burberry cashmere cape that I purchased a few years ago. BTW, the InStyle editors say that “every few years capes swoop back into style and this year the trend is capes.” What foresight I had to buy this cape two years ago at the Anniversary Sale. What a bargain it was and it will be trendy for many more years to come. I must remember to add this to my Will for long-term planning.)
Camilla Olson's custom designed silk scarves make an elegant accessory for fall styles.
– Adorn yourself with embroidery, brocade, jewels and velvet. (I prefer a little bit of each, not overdone. My 5+ year old Nicole Miller brocade skirt will fit in with this trend. Glad I didn’t give this skirt away for consignment or put it in the GoodWill pile.)
– Add a belle curve, synched waist, fur feathers or fringe, as the InStyle editors recommend. (I like to use wide belts around my waist for a belle curve effect. No furs, feathers or fringe for me. No. No. No. Not at 50+. Not on my pear shaped body.)
– Sway with a loose sweater over your skirt or pants. (I did try on many oversized sweaters during the Anniversary Sale, but nothing looked good on my 5’2″ petite frame.)
– Primp with popular animal prints or houndstooth. (Seems like leopard and zebra animal prints are in fashion every Fall. Same for houndstooth checks. My friend L was wearing a very pretty animal print blouse to Rosh Hashanah services last week. I like to accessorize with animal prints. How about you?)
I chose Primrose Pink for my Foxcroft no-iron button down shirt.
– Be dramatic with coats in bold colors like cobalt blue or powerful purple and wear sexy little black or romantic dresses. (I’m becoming more bold during my life after 50. That’s why I like these trends. Never a person to wear pink, now I rock the color in all its rosy hues. I bought pink Nike sneakers and told the designers at the Foxcroft Anniversary Party in NYC to send me a Primrose Pink no-iron button down shirt as a complimentary gift . Thank you Foxcroft – no white shirt for me this year.
Speaking of bold colors– take a look at the Vince Camuto handbag below and you’ll see why I had to buy this purple suede and leather beauty during the Anniversary Sale. I must remind myself of this bag the next time my therapist asks me to reply to the question: “What would you tell yourself looking back 20 years from now?” I would reply: “I’m so glad I bought that purple bag in Fall 2013. It made me so happy.”
This VInce Camuto purple leather and suede handbag won my heart.
There is so much more fall fashion news to share. To close, I will leave you with some lovely words excerpted from T mag Deborah Needleman’s editor letter. As Deb says, “There are, as always, many trends to choose from this fall…but only you can decide what, if any of it, speaks to you. It is what we each bring to these items – a longing to appear a certain way, an association with a style, a feeling about a particular designer, a memory from childhood, and then all the times you’ll have in that outfit – that brings clothes to life and makes them meaningful.”
What will you be wearing this fall? What trend speaks to you?
Judi
P.S. Congrats to Peggy L, the winner of the Spa Sonic Skin Care System. Thanks to all readers who participated and left a comment or message. More raffles will be coming up this fall, so stay tuned.
P.S. Watch for more coverage of fall fashions as I’m going to attend the Cocktails and Couture blogger event in NYC this week. I hope to stop by Lincoln Center too and check out all the fashionistas milling around for Fashion Week. Ooh, ooh, ooh – I’m so excited and don’t know what to wear since the weather is still so warm on the east coast.
I’m excited to have an excuse to wear a cobalt blue coat or carry a purple handbag. Colors make me happy, especially in cooler weather.
Anne, you will look great in deep colors with your dark hair and fair skin tone. I bet you are a “Winter” for your colors. Have you ever had your colors done?