Young and trendy clothes may look great on the killer body of a 40-plus woman. After all, Goldie Hawn shines in her trendy outfits even though they look like she raided daughter Kate Hudson’s closet. But should she?
Definitely not, says celebrity wardrobe stylist Ricci DeMartino, whose clients include Eva Longoria Parker, Patricia Heaton and Lisa Kudrow.
“Living in L.A. like I do, you can go to Malibu and see this look any day of the week!” DeMartino says. “But trying too hard only calls attention to yourself – it’s overcompensating. You don’t need to dress like a teenager to look young.”
Most of us don’t push the clothes age barrier nearly as far, but even a tasteful fashionista may not always know how to dress appropriately as she moves past 35, 40 and beyond. How do you know when it’s time to lose which look? Here’s our style experts’ top 10 styles you’re too old to wear:
1. Message T-Shirts
Retail Retirement Age: 30
Why: You’ve seen them on celebrities: “Jesus Is My Homeboy,” “Your Boyfriend Thinks I’m Hot.” The freedom to express yourself via your wardrobe is part of the teen and 20-something years… but beyond that? Letting people know you’re on “Team Kate” vs. “Team Jon” at 35 just seems, well, desperate.
“The message tee boom was fueled by Young Hollywood,” DeMartino says. “But it’s mostly a way for people to express frustration.” And that doesn’t exactly come off as mature.
Stunning Substitute: “Replace the message tee with a great-quality cotton tee you can dress up or down from a line like James Perse in the hot colors of raspberry or grape,” he says.
2. Too-Trendy Denim
Retail Retirement Age: 35
Why: If it’s super-low-rise, torn, distressed, embellished with rhinestones or embroidery on the pockets or – shudder to think – characters like Mickey Mouse are patched on, go outside your house and light a bonfire now. You’re just too old to wear it.
“Because you’re not in your element with these too-young items, you only end up looking out of place,” DeMartino says.
Stunning Substitute: Charla Krupp, TV style expert and author of the book How Not to Look Old, suggests swapping too-trendy jeans for boot-cut versions that don’t ride too low on your hips. Because of its slight flare at the leg, the boot cut minimizes hips. Plus, while skinny jeans come and go, this cut is a classic.
When it comes to color, choose more conservative dark denim or black jeans. Want a funkier look? Go for trouser jeans with an exaggerated flare at the hem – a look that can take you from the PTA meeting to a party when paired with the right top.
3. Costume Shoes
Retail Retirement Age: Mid-40s
Why: We’ve all done it: Buy a pair of entirely impractical, overly-theatrical shoes that weren’t suited for everyday life. Maybe they were clear plastic “stripper” heels straight out of Frederick’s of Hollywood. Or perhaps they were stilettos with a six-inch heel you could only walk a block in.
Whatever the case, 40-something fashionistas will look fresher without the too-trendy cork wedges, thigh-high boots or up-to-the-knee Gladiator sandals seen on envelope-pushing A-list youngsters such as Mary-Kate Olsen and Rachel Bilson.
“Anything too high or too crazy should be avoided,” DeMartino says.
Stunning Substitute: Toning down what’s on your tootsies doesn’t mean you’re giving up glam, says Krupp, herself a major shoe fiend who adores heels. But finding the right shoes involves more than image: Feet lose their fatty cushion as we age, necessitating comfier pairs.
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