The easy tweaks to look more stylish this summer – in your 50s, 60s and 70s
You could just dig out the clothes you’ve been wearing every spring for you don’t know how long. But what was very you just a few years ago might be holding you back now. Bodies change – even if you’re the same weight as you were in your 20s, your shoulders might be pitched differently, your measurements slightly different. And what about your tastes? It’s easy to sink into the background and make do, but where’s the joy in that? Master a few styling tricks. Resolve to try something new every year – if in doubt you could rent something that’s outside your normal comfort zone and see how it works. By Rotation, Hurr, and My Wardrobe HQ are good places to start.
Invest in one or two current pieces to bring everything – including you – into high definition this summer. Oh, and don’t scrimp on underwear. A great bra might cost as much or more than a shirt. You’ll wear it under everything and it will make you look ten years lighter and more elegant. Worth every penny.
Colour is your friend
If your go-to is head-to-toe beige or black, try breaking them up with white. It can be the leap from nondescript to sharp and graphic.
Shots of bona fide colour can also wipe away external signs of tiredness. We often talk about finding shades that suit you on fashion desk because the right ones are transformational – much more important than what’s supposedly in or out. That said, it can be helpful when an overlooked colour gets fashion’s approval because it becomes more widely available. There’s far more spring-onion green, lavender and light blue around than usual at the moment. If you’re wary, start with a scarf, toe polish or clothing that stays away from your face.
Satin boyfriend trousers, £295, Serena Bute
Show some skin
Cap sleeves might be unflattering, along with any other length that cuts you at your least favourite point. That doesn’t mean you can’t show any skin, even if you’re self conscious about your arms. Fluttery, soft fabrics that drape over the arms are much more friendly than stiff fabrics that turn sleeves into cylinders. Broderie anglaise is lovely too – it allows air to circulate even when sleeves are long. Crochet and cotton lace reveal skin discreetly too. Cheesecloth, muslin and linens are other winners. Roll long sleeves neatly to the most flattering point on your arm, and if you like, add some glamour by loading on metal or enamel bangles to cover any pigmentation.
V-necks are a more summery alternative to round. They elongate necks, work well with fuller busts and smaller ones and look better under jackets. Covering too much skin when the weather’s warm looks sad. Focus on the favourite bits of your body. If you have good ankles, make sure they’re not covered – it’s worth having hems taken up, even if only by an inch. Layer scoop-neck vest tops under unbuttoned shirts instead of T-shirts, for extra little glimpses of skin and a breezy but crisp impact.
Crocheted shirt, £120, & Other Stories
Texture talks
Mixing texture adds dimension and depth to an outfit and can be much more interesting than a vapid or overpowering print. Silk with linen, metallics or cotton with tweed, a fuzzy or cable knit with a slinky satin-effect maxi skirt, denim with velvet… They’re all bang on for 2024, and it’s a safe bet they’ll work next year and well beyond. Something to bear in mind when you’re raking your wardrobe for new combinations.
Cotton cable-knit jumper, £189, Ralph Lauren; satin slip skirt, £349, Ralph Lauren
Walk away from the shapeless dress
Dresses are beloved because at their non-shapeless best, they offer a simple, streamlined solution. Experiment with more tailored shapes like this one from Me+Em. If you like something floatier and looser, you can still look elegant. Choose V-necks to elongate, a silhouette that flares gently from a neat shoulder line so there’s still a sense of shape.
Tailored flare midi dress, £325, Me+Em; V-neck maxi dress, £110, Cos
Normandie jersey dress, £495, Jane; V-neck linen dress, £575, Bamford
Embrace Separates
If you get quickly bored, separates are more versatile than one piece and allow you to customise a silhouette that most enhances your individual body. Adopt a subtly matchy-matchy approach to pull it all together. If your top has several colours, coordinate the bottom half with one of them, rather than introducing yet another shade. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the dominant one. Sometimes picking out a trim or a detail colour to coordinate with can be highly effective.
Take care over proportions and shape. If you want to tuck your top in, ensure it’s not too long or bulky. Me&Em and With Nothing Underneath both offer cropped shirts, ideal with this year’s high-waisted trousers. Keep some balance. A tight top plus tight bottoms or oversized bottoms with an oversized top look dull and unflattering.
Isabella cotton sateen skirt, £85, Boden
Stripe a Pose
Stripes are particularly fashionable this year, but they never go out of style. Mix, match, clash – or just use in small doses. They’re sleek and playful at the same time and depending on spacing, background colour, verticality and horizontality, can be used to creative optical illusion: diagonals that invert to the waist can make it look slimmer, dark vertical stripes on the sides of trousers make legs look narrower, a dark horizontal stripe against a lighter background can chisel hips or thighs, depending on its placement. A plain T-shirt under a stripy shirt with toning trousers is a fun smart casual option this summer – Muji has made it easy. Keep jackets or coats plain – you’ll get more wear out of them, and stripe away underneath, remembering to co-ordinate colours : green and white stripes with green trousers, a black and white stripy cardigan under or over a favourite black or white sleeveless dress to give it a new spin.
The bolder and brighter the stripe, the more you have to think about what to team it with, whereas pinstripes are generally subtler.
Blake cotton shirt, £145, and Bondi midi dress, £195, both Rixo
Striped linen blazer, £59, and trousers, £39.50, both Marks & Spencer
Brora cotton cardigan, £145, John Lewis
Dig out a silk scarf
They’re suddenly current again. Tie it loosely rather than as a choker, and leave the knot level with your clavicle to create the illusion of a longer neck a la Spain’s Queen Letizia. Thread one through your belt loops like Victoria Beckham or wrap one round the handle of a bag as an easy way to add some colour and print to your look.
Silk scarf, £90, Aspinal of London
Invest in quality tailoring
This is a good time to buy a blazer/Chanel-esque jacket as there are plenty around at all prices. Go for quality – these are the anchors of modern, classic style. Good tailoring can make you look as though you have better posture. Thinkshape is a helpful “body mapping” app masterminded by personal stylist Anna Berkeley that helps you understand your shape and build so you can confidently put together flattering outfits.
Boucle jacket, £139, Hush
Shop Brick and Mortar
Wherever possible, shop IRL rather than online. You’re less likely to make a mistake when you’ve had to make more of an effort and you can build helpful relationships with the staff who will alert you when things that you’ll like come in. Cavells is a family business in Rutland that offers a personalised service and a tight edit of everything its customers might want for any event, from weddings to fly fishing. It also has a website so if you’re not local, you can shop knowing you’re supporting an independent boutique.
If you’re in London, try Maksu, a new-to-the-UK Turkish brand that despite its upmarket Bruton Street boutique, offers a blend of Zimmermann-meets-Isabel-Marant-meets-Chloe for much, much less. Think embroidered linen and cotton shirts and dresses.
Rose & Rose sundress, £210, Cavells; Basket bag, £110, Craie Studio
Sunnies Maketh the Outfit
Classic, heart shaped, heavy framed or rimless, the right pair adds personality and playfulness to your outfit as well as shielding your eyes and the skin around them from ageing rays. Check out Bird Eyewear for biodegradable bamboo frames and Le Spex and Good Lookers for stylish design at reasonable prices.
Sunglasses, £24.99, Good Lookers
That one pair of sandals
I’m not suggesting you spend more than you can afford, but I am saying that allocating more of your clothing budget towards a well-designed, striking pair of platforms than you might originally have planned, can pay dividends, breathing new life into old favourite outfits. Look for cushioned soles, bold buckles and contrast stitching or trims. Fisherman sandals are great in towns as they keep feet cool while protecting toes from the worst depredations of grime and debris. And it’s fine to wear them with socks.
Raffia sandals, £300, Loeffler Randal; Fisherman sandals, £275, Russell & Bromley
Raising the bra
It might seem extravagant, but regularly investing in new bras (that doesn’t mean every three years) from somewhere that really knows how to fit will take years off everything you wear. A good bra should be supportive, comfortable but also provide appropriate lift – you don’t want your boobs up by your shoulders any more than you need them flapping round your waist. Two perfect bras are far better than half a dozen semi-useless ones. Take your old bras to the fitting, not just to compare and contrast but because some lingerie stores will ensure they’re properly recycled.
Cressida bra, £58, Dora Larsen
