Fashion tips for 40+ women

 Maureen Mennor Nwaezeigwe

I mistakenly deleted the post I had written few months back with the above caption to my chagrin. What??! and to discover from Wale( my web designer) that there is no way of getting it back felt like arrrggggh!! and I really liked that article, which is why I have to try and rewrite it. Let's see if I get it all back

There are days when you don't care much if at all, about what you wear or how your hair looks; on such days you just take the first thing in your wardrobe that does not require ironing and drag your self out of the house to wherever you need to be...it happens to introverts like me a lot. But, I guess everyone has such days sometimes right? Booboos with scarf/ jeans and top are my favourites on such days, as I have discovered that you can never go wrong in those.

Barring such moods  however, you should give careful thoughts to how you "arrange" yourself. It is popularly said that you are addressed as you dress. After years of trials and errors during the teens and twenties, women in their forties and beyond are expected to have arrived in terms of style, to know how to walk the tight rope between trendy and mature. Sometimes you find yourself distracted by a lady, not because of how beautiful or graceful she looks, but by how disgustingly she is dressed. And not because you are in the mood to gossip, but because she is just right there in your face!! What some persons would describe as a distraction. Clearly many who follow trend do not have a good understanding about fashion. Let  me share some quotes from iconic fashion and style entrepreneurs and personalities:

 "Don't be into trends. Don't make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live." —Gianni Versace

"What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language." —Miuccia Prada

"Fashions fade, style is eternal." —Yves Saint Laurent

"Fashion is about dressing according to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself." —Oscar de la 

"As a woman gets older, it's more about style than fashion. A woman knowing herself more and more, and looking for new things, is getting into her own personal style, being more than just a fashion addict. I'm interested in that." —Nicolas Ghesquière

Both fashion and style are powerful, they evolve. Most women  in their forties and fifties want to look chic and sexy, and can be that without looking trashy. There are different clothes for different occasions and when abused it looks tacky to say the least. Dinner dresses are not meant for the office nor the church.

The typical Nigerian woman is expected to cover parts of her body that should be covered and not to wear revealing or overly tight outfits. The evolution and diversity of fashion today gives her varieties to ensemble with, from both local and international avenues, this makes it irresistible to stare in shock when you are confronted by the presence of a forty/fifty year old looking woman dressed as though trapped in the outfit meant for teenagers or girls in early twenties, just makes her look like a slut who does not know where to ply her trade. 

Ladies should avoid getting lost in trends and fashion. Less is not always sexy, especially when used in the wrong setting. When you make an appearance anywhere, properly clothed, you exude confidence and modesty, not attention seeking and definitely not marketing!! Its about having the attitude and the right carriage. When at work dress as official as possible, even on casual days still look well packaged. when going on a date, don't  reveal too much, unless you are with your lover or husband( and he likes it). When going to church dress respectfully as if you want your dress to also sing halleluiah!...that's my mindset when I dress for church, I sometimes tell my outfit "you gat to join in praising God as we get there". Believe me when I say I've got style and I dress well, my King sees to it and I honour Him in them. No dulling!!!