The Look for the Over-40 Woman Doesn’t Have to Be Old Fashion

To those approaching 50, 60 and beyond, fashion consultant Michael Nicklin offers these words of advice: Do not go gently into those polyester stretch-waist pants.

Nicklin, fashion consultant for the Westminster Mall who recently presented a style seminar called “Over 40 and Fabulous,” says the chief reason many women don’t age gracefully isn’t gray hair or a widening waistline but a poor mental attitude.

“It isn’t a part of the body; it’s a state of mind,” Nicklin says. “Women over 50 tend to say ‘It doesn’t matter’ and ‘Why should I?’ It does, and they should. What it comes down to is not giving up.”

Many mature women stop trying to look good and instead settle for being comfortable, Nicklin says. The character of Sophia on “The Golden Girls” TV show is a prime example.

“They put her in pastel cardigan sweaters, stretch-waist pants and untucked polyester blouses. They treat her approach to dress like she’s an invalid,” he says. “Easy-care fabrics are important, but there’s something to be said for wearing wool.”

The opposite extreme example of poor fashion judgment is the woman in her 40s or 50s who tries to dress like her teen-age daughter. Yet Nicklin has found that, rather than dressing too young for their age, mature women tend to be too conservative.

“Women usually are overly concerned about dressing their age,” he says. “One of the difficulties of mature dressing is staying current without being trendy.”

Elda Barry, a Huntington Harbour resident and director of the Ms. Senior America pageant in California, makes it a point to stay on top of fashion trends. She subscribes to a variety of fashion magazines, and each season she adds one or two key pieces to update her wardrobe.

“Keeping up with trends doesn’t mean you have to put a lot of money into clothes. I buy some designer clothes but I also go to discount stores,” Barry says. She recently acquired a cat suit, a slinky garment that Barry can wear even in her 70s because she has maintained a trim figure.

“I look 10 to 15 years younger than I am,” says Barry, who has modeled for more than 40 years.

Women who look young for their age are typically those who have “stayed alert,” she says.

At her self-awareness classes at Leisure World in Laguna Hills, she teaches exercise, makeup, skin-care, color and “hot tips on fashion.”

“The thing that makes women look older is if they wear makeup that’s too harsh or they dress too young. That just accentuates their age.”

Women need to choose clothes appropriate for their age and figure, she says.

“The too-short minis are just not for us anymore,” Barry says. “I tried one on, and I said to myself, ‘Elda, you know you don’t look right.’ ”

Still, suitable clothes can be found at stores some older women might consider off-limits, if they know some simple facts about line and color.

To demonstrate, Nicklin pulled clothes from Casual Corner, a store geared to young career women. There, he found a full skirt in a berry and gold print, but instead of pairing it with a matching short sweater that exposed the hips he found a long cardigan to hide a fuller figure. The skirt’s forgiving lines and rich color made it a perfect choice for an older woman.

Many women wear untucked blouses to hide midriff bulge, he says, but that often has the undesirable effect of drawing attention to the middle. He recommends a longer tunic top, much like those often sported by Golden Girl Bea Arthur, to conceal the hip area.

“Tops must fall straight from the shoulder past the hip,” he says. “Fit and flare clothes are not good.”

Straight chemise dresses that are popular this season are a perfect option with sheer black hosiery, he says.

Some mature women give up on skirts and dresses because they don’t want to show their legs. Many end up wearing pants, when they could wear skirts with opaque hosiery to cover up poor skin tone, he says.

Shoulder pads also “hide a multitude of sins,” he says. They widen the shoulders so the waist appears narrower and help camouflage posture problems by squaring off rounded shoulders--a common sign of aging.

In addition, makeup and hair need to be uplifting to counter the downward lines on the face. Blush and lipstick should be applied in an upward motion, says Nicklin, while shorter hair styles are the most flattering to older women.

“Anything long will pull down the look of the face,” he says. Audrey Hepburn, the epitome of over-50 chic, pulls her hair up in a tight knot for a youthful appearance.

Comfort can often be an enemy of style, drawing women to stretch-waist pants and flat sandals.

Nicklin suggests those concerned about comfort opt for skirts and pants structured in front but with elasticized waistbands in back, which can be hidden by a long jacket or sweater.

“You have the comfort of an elasticized waistline but you’re not wearing an overall stretch waist,” he says.

Instead of wearing sandals, Nicklin recommends flat shoes such as this season’s classic suede loafers in deep jewel tones.

“It’s still an enclosed shoe but it’s comfortable. Suede expands and contracts with the feet,” he says. “I really hate to see someone opt for open strappy sandals. An enclosed shoe, particularly for fall, is important. It creates a more flattering line.”

As their skin becomes more sallow, mature women also tend to avoid bright colors and gravitate toward pastels.

“There’s nothing more beautiful than a gray-haired woman in a vivid red or any of the jewel tones.”

Nicklin tries to get women back into the vivid colors but advises they take a second look at their makeup. Often they’re using the same color foundation they used 10 or 15 years ago, and the product no longer matches their skin.

As for gray hair, those who try to cover it completely often end up making themselves look older. Jet black hair, for instance, is too harsh on mature women.

“Very few women over 60 do not have gray,” Nicklin says. “Is taking all of the gray out convincing?”

Gray hair seldom can be worn as it grows out from the scalp, he says. It usually needs to be color-treated to remove the yellowish cast.

Such steps may require effort, but they can take 10 years or more off one’s appearance, Nicklin says.

“The ‘nobody notices’ syndrome is self-perpetuating,” he says. “If you don’t pay attention (to your appearance), nobody else will.”