Ladies Fashion Now

Hello, and welcome. I am super excited to do this one for you because I am truly of the belief that this will be a game-changer in terms of how you look. And people will be looking at you, scratching their heads, wondering what on earth have you done? But let's talk about some of the basics. I think that a lot of us tend to get very simple as we mature and we seem to limit ourselves in terms of what we think is appropriate, what we think is flattering, and will suit us. And I'm here to say that some of the things that you think may be working for you could, in fact, be working against you, so I'm going to launch right into it. And we're going to start with something that I think everybody universally feels comfortable in and that is all black.

Now, black is tricky. Yeah, it's slenderizing. It's easy. You don't have to figure a lot out but here's the problem. It can be really harsh against skin tone that gets lighter and more ashy as we age and it can accentuate the hollows under the neck and the eyes, so ditch the all black from head to toe and break it up a little bit in some skin-softening neutrals like beiges, tans, or grays.

So I take the all black look and I'm replacing the jacket with a tan double-breasted houndstooth blazer and I'm matching it with something a little softer and flirty. It's still black but it's not up against my face. It's a black skirt that's got some youthful detail to it. And, by the way, skirt lengths vary, just like jeans do these days, so find skirts that suit you but make sure it has a youthful flair to it.

Now, I'm putting a little white tank top underneath the jacket to kind of brighten up the neck and the face area and then strappy cage sandals in neutral. And that elongates the leg, and it will balance out the color tone from the top. There's nothing wrong with the black pantsuit that you're seeing here but it's something that I, personally, would save for important interviews where I want to convey a sense of severity and professionalism. This look also would be great for a job interview and you could even break it up with a jewel tone collared shirt just to add a little bit of color around your face while still maintaining that take me seriously air about you.

But I want to get you away from doing all black from head to toe. And I think popping in a little bit of a neutral, especially around the face, will make all the difference in terms of how your skin tone reads it. And as you saw in that jacket, it had black in it but there's also enough tan in it to balance it out and soften it, so hopefully, that gives you some options in terms of how you look at all black, especially against your skin tone.

The next area where I think a lot of people are uncertain and tend to make more mistakes and that is patterns. I'm not saying shy away from patterns and that you have to be in solids for the rest of your life. It's not true. But choose your patterns wisely. Hard geometric lines can look really strict and aging as well as the darker colors, so in this case, you might want to opt for lighter, brighter shades with softer and more curved patterns..

Pleats can add weight right around the midsection, and the shorter arm mid sleeve can add some weight, especially with elbows exposed if you don't feel your arms are very toned. The other dress, in comparison, has a nice V-neck, elongating look with long sleeves that are flowy and have a little bit of flare to them that lengthen the arms, creates length in the body. The wrap style, I believe, is universally flattering, especially cinched in at the waist. And then this dress has a flare that goes out over the hip and through the leg, creates nice movement and flow which is very youthful. The colors, to me, are divine. They brighten up the skin and the color scheme offers better choices in terms of makeup colors as well, and that can take age off.

Flattering shoes need to be a little bit softer. Jewelry, in this case, very simple. You don't want to compete with your pattern so, again, a light gold necklace might be all that you need and that's it. But the difference between these two patterns, I think, are striking and really drive home the point that you've got to be careful with your pattern choices. I've heard people say that you shouldn't opt for large pattern sizes but that's not really true. It's the right pattern size. If you go big, make sure, again, like they're soft, and round, and the color choices are more youthful and flattering.

The next thing is update your denim game, all right? The skinny jeans look with that thick wedge is so yesterday and it's going have you screaming, "I'm ready for carpool and a glass of Rosé." A thick shoe draws attention to the calf and it makes your bottom half look heavier so let's update this denim look with a more modern and universally flattering look. And you've got so many options here. That's the beauty of jeans this season. Right now, the ankle crop is all in and I love the fact that you can go either fitted or loose, mid-rise or high-rise in the waist. So pick what suits your body style best.

I personally love high-rise jeans because they really elongate the leg and they prevent muffin top. Your jeans can be frayed on the bottom or they can be cuffed, just please not too many rips or tears. You look like you're competing with your 20-year-old daughter. Just keep it modern and classy. You can wear it with a light and flowing top that doesn't hide the waist area. It will give you a really nice, youthful edge to it, so will a little moto jacket on top if it gets cool at night. The ankle crop also gives you killer footwear options. Here, shoe choices are really endless. This style, in my opinion, looks great with a bootie, especially one that has a pattern or some neat detail with it.