Finding your Fashion Identity at 60

It’s a bold new world out here.

Embracing the third-third of life means welcoming an exciting set of changes and challenges. It may mean choosing to work less and travel more.

It might bring about the end of caregiving roles and the pursuit of creative endeavors. It could mean saying goodbye to snowy winters in favor of surfside bliss.

Or it could mean finally having time to get after that bucket list or take up a new hobby that has adult children scratching their heads in amazement.

I mean, who would have predicted that Mom would step up to champion building a community garden in her neighborhood?

And for all this newness, this excitement, this possibility, it’s likely that the clothing in your closet simply doesn’t fit the midlife now evolving.

Even if you are a woman who has invested in timeless basics that can be mixed, matched, and remade with tremendous flexibility your current wardrobe may still feel too much like your past and not enough like the woman emerging.

Embarking on a closet refresh can be an excellent step toward a new chapter. I know it was for me. When I left my full-time job for an at-home gig, I gave up (happily) much of the workwear that dominated my closet space.

As I Googled and Binged in search of internet inspiration, I found dozens of sites that offered endless options for transitioning away from my well-curated office attire to more personality-driven items that energized me for my new role as an entrepreneur.

Yet, layered in with all those style guides tempting me try on a new thing, I also found plenty of “certain age” influencers rehashing some pretty tired advice that seemed stuck in a different century.

I even stumbled on a video by a style-guru who stated emphatically that pearls are the jewelry of choice for women of our age and that flower-print pants are absolutely off-limits for anyone over 40.

Excuse me ma’am, but I have a pair of dove gray pants covered with beautiful cream and yellow orchids that I wear with a simple t-shirt, stiletto heels, and fabulous duster coat. I get compliments on this outfit every time I wear it.

So, as we look forward to creating style at 60, let’s start with a list of outdated rules that you should completely ignore.

• Women of a certain age shouldn’t wear long hair.

• Dresses must be worn with pantyhose.

• Cover your arms/no sleeveless tops

• Older women shouldn’t wear vintage/bright colors/cropped pants/florals/leggings.

• Stick with the classics

Now, please allow me to introduce my own set of fashion rules for women over 60. Don’t worry, there are only two of them.

• Wear things that make you happy.

• Sloppy is not happy.

We know that clothing absolutely influences the way we feel about ourselves, which in turn,

influences how we feel about everything and everyone around us.

Cognitive psychologists at Northwestern University studied the psychological and performance-effects of wearing specific types of clothing and found that perception, influence, and behavior were all impacted by a person’s type of dress. The researchers coined the term “enclothed cognition,” which encompasses the psychological impact clothing has both on the wearer and the observer.

So, what does the concept of enclothed cognition mean in the third-third of our lives? It means

that we get to stack the deck in our favor and wear clothes that bring us joy, make us feel

energetic and authentic, and beautifully display our unique personality.

In other words, if you want to head to lunch in a caftan of kaleidoscope colors, then do it. If cozy and tonal athleisure is more your style, buy the best and most beautiful that you can afford and wear it with a pair of sparkly hoop earrings.

Again, the point is for you to love your look. It makes you feel excited to embrace life and give the world a peek at your personality.

Enclothed cognition tells us that clothes can also have a negative impact on mood and behavior. Clothes that are ill fitting, stained, ripped, or just plain worn out will make you feel the same—low energy and a little wrecked.

And outfits that remind you of a horrible boss or bad relationship have no place in a wardrobe that is all about fresh starts and thrilling possibilities.

At this point in life we’ve done the work, put in the hours, and paid the bills, so we have happily earned the opportunity to dress to please ourselves, wholly, authentically, and joyfully.

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HELL YEAH!

Check out some ideas for exploration and expansion. I do not endorse these businesses and organizations, nor do I receive compensation from them.

If you are struggling to find your sense of style in this new chapter of life, consider signing up for one of the many clothing subscription services. The sign-up process will invite you to fill out a style quiz that will help you zero in looks you’d like to try. For most services you only pay for what you keep, plus a small styling fee.

Subscription services like Stitch Fix are a great way to try on different looks without making a

major closet investment. And there are specialty subscription options like AdoreMe, which offers lux lingerie options to try out.

There are also clothing rental platforms like Armoire that will let you wear and return, a great

option for trying out something fancy or truly out of your comfort zone. There are even specialty rental services like Gwynnie Bee that cater to plus sizes.

And don’t forget to check out the styling services at your favorite stores like Nordstrom, Macy’s or Chicos. which offer both in-person and online style sessions, so you don’t even need to be near one of these retailers partner with a personal shopper.

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LET’S TALK ABOUT IT:

It used to be that we could turn to a stack of women’s magazines to sort through clothing trends and store advertisements to help us find fashion inspiration. Where do you go now to find the looks you like?

How has your style evolved in your 60s?

What’s a trend that you are embracing now that you thought would never work for you?