I am no spring chicken. I am not yet ready to move into elasticated waist slacks (though should I live long enough it may well come and I do not knock them) but there are certain styles that would shriek “mutton” and “lamb” if I were to step out in them
But that does not mean I have to slip into cashmere twinset and pearls (on the other hand I LOVE cashmere and pearls I just need to rock them with something a little edgier like a leather jacket to avoid looking like my grandmother).
Consequently I signed up to 40plusstyle and the new year challenge. Each day you are given an assignment and are encouraged to develop a pinterest and polyvore board of your fashion choices and inspiration. Having just done a full wardrobe inventory and started recording what I was wearing each day I thought this might be a good way to help me use everything in my wardrobe and accept those things that just don’t cut the mustard.
Today was footwear day. Make a list of all your shoes/boots (done that). Take one outfit and change it completely by just changing the footwear, now that was fun. Then I spent some time going through my favourite shoe shops and pinning the shoes and boots I liked. I then compared them to what I actually own.
BIG mismatch. Okay, not disasterous, but there are far too many mummsy shoes in there and surprise surprise, I don’t wear them. I have five pairs of black suede court shoes from low to eiffel tower size heels. FIVE? I love biker boots but don’t own any. I hardly ever wear brown shoes and have 7 pairs.
As part of the learning process I am not going to purge any until I get back from Australia. That gives me three months to give some of those shoes a chance. It is easy to just put on the black loafers I took off last night and just about go with everything. Then, it’s cut the mustard time.
one pair of shoes at a time 
While on a shopping expedition with the 20 year old and teenage offspring last week I attempted to view some biker boots. I was told by offspring that I was much too old to wear such things and dragged away.
I donated 70 per cent of my shoes/boots to a shoe bank last month. Previously I put them in a box and made an undertaking to myself that any shoes/boots I hadn’t pulled out in 12 months I would evict from the house. I did the same with day dresses and suits. Their time is up next month! However, there are a few beautiful desinger suits still hanging in the wardrobe. I will never wear them again (the skirts are Ally McBeal short) but I can’t bear to part with them. I keep telling myself that my daughter will wear them one day. Who am I kidding?
I did much the same. I gave my suits to a charity which passes them on to women who are going to their first job interviews etc. I had the most beautiful electric pink Austin Reed wool suit from my banking days that had travelled the country with me. Was I ever going to wear it again? No. Could somebody else love it? Yes. It was actually quite a relief to let them all go.
I’d love to know if the person who acquired your electric pink Austin Reed suit got the job…
The shoe thing is interesting for me as I’m a passionate devotee of quirky well-made shoes but on thinking about this (having read your post) I realise over the past few years I’ve slipped into ‘boring shoe’ mode – which suggests a quiet crisis of confidence, perhaps. So I’m going to do the shoe thing – compare what I have with what I’d prefer – and see how bad things have become.
PS Go and buy the boots.
I second buying the boots (not my style but just being supportive, here!) 🙂
I was amused to walk into a shop yesterday and see the palette you showed the other day in neon green and grey LOL
My problem is less what is age-appropriate, though I know I can’t wear the cute little dresses, but being short, stocky and overweight . My friend who is several years older but slim and petite can easily wear hipster jeans, Docs, “pretty” things etc. without looking at all ridiculous but in my size?!!! Oh no! I lead a very casual life on the whole but my husband is pleased if I dress “nicely” so I am always on the look out for “my” style or a uniform rather than (on me) frumpy classics or jeans and T-shirt (which look scruffy if you’re not at least tallish and slimish, no matter how well ironed etc. you may be!). At present I’m wearing some simple, comfy dresses with tights and boots, so that seems to work for everything! But summer?! Ugh.
As for footwear, my collection has been severely culled to the basics I wear most though I still have a number of “pretty” shoes, especially for summer – my answer to style LOL. But no high heels as far as I can help it… ;o
I’m 5’6″ but slim I am not. I’m not wildly obese but if I wore hipster jeans I would frighten small children and pets! I do wear a lot of jersey and I layer too, which seems to work. I have good legs from the knees down and personally I think I pretty good ankles so I wear skirts more than trousers, or leggings and long jumpers and cardigans I’ve noticed that most of my skirts are straight yet I look better and feel better in full skirts. Something to work on there. In the summer I mainly wear simple t-shirt and tunic dresses.
Sandie, for some reason WP won’t let me reply to your comment. I am EXACTLY the same with the shoes. I have already got my clothes out for tomorrow and will be wearing a really lovely pair of green shoes from Think! that are quirky, comfortable and fun ….. and haven’t seen the light of day for over a year 😮
Being unable to wear heels, I have become a “flash slut” where boots are concerned. I refuse to dress my age and only adopted my punk/goth persona in my early fifties. I have, however, recently rationalised and only order the kind I wear most (comfortable) but I hold on like grim death to my hand-embroidered, jewel-studded Russian boots because…I may only wear them three times I year but I rock them.
I did goth first time around, much to the amusement of my daughters. I LOVE the sound of your Russian boots. Picture on FB please 🙂
LOL – my middle daughter amused me by being a Goth with long flowing blonde hair when she was about 15… 🙂 Probably a reaction against the rock music I am reknowned for playing loudly! We’re obviously all women who aren’t prepared to sit back and not be noticed (maybe why we maintain blogs?!!)!
I remember my mother begging me to wear heels. I pointed out that I had wanted to wear heels for years but she had made me wear “sensible” shoes. Now I was wearing sensible shoes (well Docs) she wanted me to wear heels.