How to Dress When You're Balancing Age and Budget and Want to Be Chic

How to dress may seem challenging when you're living on a fixed income, clothes often seem designed for bodies years younger than yours, and some days you're not sure if it matters. The good news is that there are few rules besides pleasing yourself.

Fall Fashion Clothing: Cover Me in Velvet, Baby; Wrap Me in the Deepest Ruffles

Knowing your fashion archetype, flattering colors and classic styles, auditing your wardrobe and shopping carefully are steps toward creating your perfect chic look.

You'll find tips for each of these steps, along with information about seasonal style trends, fabric information, and suggestions for the latest clothing on this site -- and more.

Holiday Gifting

The most organized among us shop all year long. Gifts are stored on the top shelf of a closet or some other safe dry hideaway forthe special day.

Increasingly, some of us may prefer to give a gift to charity or social activist group in someone's name.

As I've gotten older, purging what I own seems more important than acquisition. With no children to treasure what I leave behind, I don't wish cleaning up after me on anyone.

Gifts of car wash booklets, movie theater tickets, and restaurant gift cards are other ways to brighten someone's day without creating clutter.

We Can Dress with Style At Every Age

Dressing stylishing no matter what our age is easier than ever to do beautifully, fashionably, and with a dash of fun. If you haven't overhauled your wardrobe in a while, this is the place to start the journey of creating a clothing palette that expresses who you are today.

Women's clothing styles are more diverse and accepting of individual preferences than ever. No longer does a narrow group of top designers dictate how to dress.

Look past the young models' svelte bodies; you will find an increasing selection of fashions fit for the Older Goddess.

The lament, "There aren't any nice clothes for older women," is as out-of-date as the phone booth.

What's Your Fashion Archetype?

Knowing your personal style can help you to create a pulled-together wardrobe. Take the fashion archetype quiz to find out your personal style.

Fashion After 50 will show you how to pull together a look that's flattering, fits your lifestyle and budget. You belong here if:

• You don't have the time or the desire to shop endlessly for clothes for older women. I've selected every retailer on this site for the range of sizes offered, comfort and style.



• You're not sure how to dress so fashions advertised on thin, beautiful bodies and young faces will look good on you. Fashion After 50 includes suggestions about styles that will flatter certain body types and wardrobe suggestions.



• You never see fashion advice for women that adapts contemporary styles to your needs. You're in the right place now.

Ageless fashion advice for women starts when we recognize our inner goddess -- the timeless spirit that illuminates each of us.

Here is an introduction to five principles for expressing your beautiful inner light.

Fashion After 50 celebrates how we make clothes look good on you because your wisdom, laughter, and creativity show you how to dress your fashion archetypes. No younger woman can bring that full-bodied, rich reservoir of inner savvy to life like you can. It's time to feel good about the skin you're in.

Fashion Over 50 weaves together a tapestry of archetypal imagination, contemporary fashion and frugal creativity to show how to dress your age and celebrate the best that is in you with artful clothes for older women.

Fashion -- Function -- Fun

Style remains the eclectic grabbag it has been for some time. That makes it easy to maximize your wardrobe and spend fashion dollars on real value.

A recession is a great time to go shopping in your closet and sharpen your basic wardrobe planning skills.

If you're not sure how to put a look together, you'll find some sample wardrobes. One shows how to dress professionally for one week for less than $200.

When money is short, now is the time to invest in wardrobe items with maximum versatility.

A white blouse is a wardrobe must and may worn with just about everything. It's one clothing purchase every woman needs, even when times gets hard and budget shrink.

A jacket is another wardrobe work horse. Whether you want an elegant jacket for lunch out or work, or a one-of-a-kind bohemian shawl jacket, there is something that will fit your style, your figure, and your wallet.

Find out what's new in the trends area, do some wardrobe planning, go shopping, pick up some gifts, spend a few moments on self-care, and explore our resources and link partners.

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