Women over 45: Clothes that Fit & Flatter
A new guide in the October 2010 issue of ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, gives you the skinny on picking out wardrobe staples. ShopSmart’s “How to Buy Clothes That Fit & Flatter” feature includes top-of-mind pointers to help you make the right decision in the dressing room, tips on how to tell if something needs customized tailoring, warning signs that an outfit is a strict no-no, handy formulas for sizing common accessories, and a guide to finding flattering duds online, no matter what size you are. Below is a sampling of some of ShopSmart’s advice.
Tops
Shoulder Seam. The seam where a fitted sleeve attaches to a shirt or blouse should make a vertical line from the top of your shoulder to your armpit. This keeps the look feminine and youthful, not slouchy!
Sleeves. Long-sleeved blouses should stop at the bend of your wrist. Three-quarter-length sleeves are universally flattering in knit tops; they cover larger upper arms and accentuate slim wrists.
Bust. The fullest part of your bust should be midway between your shoulders and elbows; get fit for a new bra if yours is anywhere below that. And if a blouse gapes open, skip it: it’s too small. Women over 45, you know this is a real problem for us as gravity takes over!
Length. If you plan to wear a shirt untucked, look for a hem that hits above the widest part of your hips or goes a bit longer to lengthen your silhouette. A hem that ends at the hips makes you look boxy.
Dresses and Skirts
Hems. These should stop where the leg naturally narrows, such as just above the knee or at the ankle. If they stop at wider points, you’ll look wider. Also, Women over 45–a too short skirt just looks ridiculous, no matter how great your legs are!
Bias cut. Dresses cut on the bias skim your body without clinging, and have a fluidity that garments cut with the grain of the fabric don’t have. To find on-the-bias cuts, look for woven dresses that stretch when pulled vertically or horizontally. Also look for fully-lined items, which smooth bumps and hide imperfections.
Pants
Waistband. Bend from side to side; where you “fold” is your natural waist. Waistbands shouldn’t go above this spot (or you’re into dreaded “Mom jeans” territory). Midrise pants are flattering on most women.
Rise. Crotch placement should match your own (that’s the rise); it shouldn’t sag or ride up. Look for pants and jeans that fit just a tad tighter in the store than you want them to. They’ll usually stretch with wear. Women over 45–they are many super looking age appropriate pants. No need to wear your ugly “Mom” jeans or “80’s” pants any longer. PLEASE GO SHOPPING!
Length. Slim, narrow-legged pants should end at the top of your shoes. Wide-legged pants should end about half an inch above your shoe heel in back.
Belts
Width. The shorter you are, the thinner your belt should be; wider styles might cut you in half visually. A
good guide: unless you’re 5 feet 9 inches or taller, stick to belts no wider than 2.5 inches.
Over or under? Skip wearing a belt over your clothes if you have a tummy; you’ll just draw attention to the area. Accentuate your assets: if you’re belting a slim-fitting top, put the belt at your natural waist, which is your smallest point.
Shoes
Size. You should have room to wiggle your toes, and shoes shouldn’t slip off your heel when you walk. Your heel shouldn’t hang off the back of sandals or slingbacks. If you’re between sizes, go up a size and buy heel liners to get a perfect fit. Women over 45–This is a really ugly look. Don’t do it!
ShopSmart is now available 10 times a year. Subscribe at www.ShopSmartmag.org
Blog Note: Blogger did not receive compensation or product for this post.
Oh man, those pants are just way too tight! Wonder how she got into them?
Yikes!
Photos look like someone’s in denial of a bit of weight gain. I’ve found that wearing clothes which actually fit can give the appearance of being slimmer.
So true. The photos made me cringe!!
I hope they’re reading this. You know who you are!