How to Dress to Impress

So Lifestylers (and those of you who know me as I really am) this one is going to have you laughing in the aisles because over on Facebook, one of the titles that I’ve been asked to blog about is: How to Dress to Impress.

I must be giving the wrong impression 😉 because actually I can probably count the times I’ve dressed to impress on one hand. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy a bit of dressing up every now and then, but that’s a bit different, isn’t it?

And when I do get my smarts on, I sometimes feel all trussed up, you know … like a chicken. And I waddle. I forget to stand tall and pretend a string is attached to my head pulling me skywards but tend rather to pitch over at the hips in a very unflattering way.

Indeed the lovely silver shoes * you see me in above didn’t make it long into the blogging day at the event I was attending in Queensland, and were replaced with a somewhat more bruised pair of nudes, err with very comfy insoles.

So looking a tad self conscious (and yes, breathing in hard) you can see that I was probably dressing to impress on this green-me occasion.

And this little lime and white flowery number which does look like something straight of the set of Mad Men, don’t you think,  comes from a store called Roman (in England) and I didn’t choose it.

No, my 85 year old mother picked it out for me, straight off the rail and said: “Here Jo, this will suit you!”

“You’re joking!” I think my reply was as I looked at the bling around the neckline and the no-sleeves-to-hide-my-bat-wings top. “When am I going to wear something like that?” I’m at the computer hidden away like a troll for most of my daylight hours, and when I do emerge it’s normally to drink wine with my husband on the verandah with only the parrots peeping.

Anyway, she was right. And I do love it. I just need to find more of the right occasions to wear it – and as much as I know you should wear your best clothes all the time, I will not be seen shopping at Coles in this one.

So what to team it with? Well, those little silver wedges * from the Airflex Range at Betts went so well with it. I just wished I’d worn them in a bit before the conference so that I felt more comfortable strutting around in them. They’re actually designed to be comfortable with little zips that run up the back and heels which really are quite walkable. I love them to bits and I  feel that they will probably become my Christmas party shoes.

But on that day in Queensland there was going to be quite some waddling required to and from the event, and I intended to drink a Margarita or two afterwards and couldn’t afford to embarass myself by falling over from a dizzy height.

As embellishments I found some silver hoops at Lovisa (cost next to nothing) for my ears, and had a well worn ivory coloured shrug (not pictured) which I ended up wearing over my shoulders in the air conditioning.

And that was it, really.

Until the evening when the theme was all things nautical.

I had previously trotted off to Target where I found an inexpensive stripey vest and the blouse (which has anchors all over it) and my daughter lent me the nautical hat that she’d picked up backpacking somewhere in Europe. The white jeans and white shoes are as they say in the fashion mags: the models own, meaning from the depths of her old, deep dark wardrobe.

And I thought that I would be the only one in a hat like that, until I met the very lovely Andrea from Fox in Flats who was sporting one almost in exactly the same design. She said she’d found hers in her children’s dressing up box and she wore it at a much more rakish angle which rather took the sparkle off my old thing plonked upon my head in no particular fashion. But anyway. What a fun night we had at The Helm bar in Surfers Paradise.

Day two of the conference dawned and my wonderful roomie, travel blogger, Amanda Kendle from Not A Ballerina  became fashion photographer for a wee while (THANK YOU!) and took this incredible, styled, perfectly lit photo (below) in amongst the pillars of the Aztec inspired Mantra Sun City.

One step sidewards and it could all have been over for me though.

I’m wearing super easy to wear W Lane garments (* jacket, skirt and beads) – which I tell you all about in more depth, in this post – How to Dress for a Conference.

I have to say that the jade jacket is going to become a staple item to wear with my jeans this spring as well.

And the cute, easy to wear black shoes * are again from the Airflex Range at Betts – I think they’re ideal for women of a certain age wanting to look stylish but remain comfortable.

And finally the last evening dawned, and I spent it eating a passable Chinese meal engaged by the company of my gorgeous blogging friend Linda Fairbairn who lives on a tiny island off the coast in Queensland. Linda writes a beautiful travel blog called Journey Jottings – do go check out her travel journals and beautiful hand crafted maps – she’s really talented.

So there you have it. How to dress well after 50 … the Lifestyle Fifty way.

And my top tips for dressing to impress after 50?

Go for a pop of colour – somehow, somewhere – perhaps a gorgeous scarf like Linda’s or a colourful jacket like mine above.

Wear clothes that fit well and show off your good points (blow the bits you don’t like – cover them up)

Choose shoes that match the outfits in colour and style – bling with bling, black if there’s black in your outfit. And remember nude goes with practically everything.

Don’t forget to accessorise.

Try to be comfortable. If you really do have to suck your tummy in so tight you wish you had a 19th Century corset on, then you’re probably not going to impress anyone because you’ll be so self centred about your wobbly bits that you won’t be able to chat.

Disclaimer: Items marked with a * were gifted for editorial consideration.

What tips could you add about dressing well for an occasion?

Until next time,

Hugs in Bunches