Let’s be honest—who says you have to? Our favorite style expert
tells you what’s really important: feeling amazing in whatever you wear.
On these pages, he shows you how.
Clinton Kelly’s Guide to
DRESSING YOUR AGE
Style / LOVE YOUR AGE
I
ndulge me for a minute and
picture this: We’re at the airport,
and you recognize me from my
decade of hosting What Not to
Wear. Our flight is delayed, and
we look at each other w ith annoyance and
resignation. Because you seem like a lovely
person, I ask if you want to grab a coffee.
You do! Yay! We sit down, and I ask you
about your style.
And you say, “At my age, I don’t care.”
My head explodes. Girl, we need to talk.
Maybe by “I don’t care” you mean
“I don’t care what people think of my
clothes because I deliberately chose them
and they serve my purposes and make
me happy.” If so, I am thrilled for you.
That’s exactly what clothes should be:
Truth be
told, I don’t
care too
much about
‘fashion.’
I do, however,
care about
style.
season!” doesn’t mean you have to give
a horse’s patootie about booty shorts.
You might harbor a little resentment
toward the fashion industry because you
think it’s forgotten you. Don’t. You have
more power than you think. The fashion
industry courts younger women because
they’re more impressionable (so they
buy more stuff, even if they look silly
wearing it). You, however, have a better
idea of who you are as a human being,
so you’re not wasting your money on
ill-f itting, disposable clothes. You have
control over your cash.
OK, let’s move on to the last possible
scenario, which, quite frankly, makes me a
little sad. Maybe by “I don’t care” you mean
“I’ve given up.” Giving up is frequently
part of a much larger self-esteem issue.
Certainly there are women who have given
up caring about external appearances and
are happier. But if there’s even a teeny-tiny
voice in your head that w ishes you could
feel more beautiful, I encourage you to
listen to it and act upon that.
You don’t need a head-to-toe makeover.
I’ve done hundreds; they’re exhausting.
Just get a blouse in your favorite color. Or
a pair of sparkly earrings. Or red shoes.
Whatever you think might make you two
percent happier with your appearance this
week. Then, do the same thing next week.
A new haircut, a different shade of lipstick.
Donate an old hoodie. Those two percents
eventually add up. You deserve to look in
the mirror and say, “I like that woman.
She’s adorable.” Sure, you might never
make it to 100 percent, but imagine being
50 percent happier about your appearance
in about six months. It’s possible. I know it.
I also know we should get back to our
gate. The flight’s boarding, and we all have
a lot of baggage to deal with. (Do we ever.)
38 MAY 2019