Defining your style as a woman over 60

Style is About More Than What You Wear – Defining Your Style

(Last Updated On: November 8, 2021)

I’m not a fashion follower. You won’t see the latest clothing styles in my closet. Spending hours shopping for the perfect outfit would be a painful experience for me (get in, make the purchase, get out, is how I roll).

But, as a woman over 60, I have a clear sense of style about me. Style is about more than what you wear. Defining your style is about your mojo, your ju-ju, your aura…call it what you will…it’s what makes you…you!

Style is about how you carry yourself and the confidence you have. It’s about being okay with life and the choices you’ve made. By the time you’ve lived a half century or more (good grief…that sounds ancient!) life has thrown some curves, there have been high points and low points, family issues and other life-shaping events.

I remember being so concerned about my looks when I was young. It meant everything to fit in with the crowd. My hair was very naturally curly in a generation where straight hair was the required look. We actually ironed our hair to make it straight…gross!

My body shape was curvy in the hips and my friends always looked thinner and better than me. I wished that I could have that straight, small hipped look that other girls had. I wanted to look like anyone other than ME.

That was back in the 60’s. Thank goodness I realized as I grew older and more mature, that my curly hair was unique and my shape was normal, even kind of sexy. My husband loved the curve to my hips and shapely rear 🙂

As I’ve lived through my 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, I’ve learned to embrace my shape, size and other God-given traits that are all a part of who I am. Yes, I have to work at it every day when I look in the mirror, but a gentle reminder that this is me, I’m okay, and in fact, I’m beautiful just the way I am, is the way I start each day.

Defining Your Style: Why is it about more than what you wear?

defining your style as a woman over 60

For me, my defining my overall style as a mature woman includes some ‘trademarks’ that are always with me:

1 | My Scent…

I’ve worn the same perfume, Interlude by Frances Denney, for about 40 years. Nothing else, just Interlude bath and body perfume. I don’t wear too much, just put it on once in the morning and it’s done for the day. (I have difficulty with people whose scent I can smell 10 feet before and after them…way too much for me.)

I’ll be making a huge decision in about 3 months, though, when I run out of my supply of Interlude. I’ve just learned that Frances Denney is no more, so I have to say goodbye to my good friend Interlude unless I want to pay about $300 for an ounce of it on eBay. Not. No, I’ll be searching for a scent that has similar spicey, floral and citrus blend…oh well, that’ll be a topic for another post.

2 | My Hairstyle…

Naturally curly all my life, I’ve had women stop me and tell me how much they love my curls and would give anything to have hair like mine. There was a time I would have gladly given it to them!

But now I appreciate the curls, even though as I’ve gotten older the natural curl has changed and doesn’t look as nice as it did a few years ago. Oh well…add that to the list of changes that occur with the aging process!

I’ve gone back and forth between curly and straight hairstyles for the last 30 years. But no matter the curl level, my hair always ends up in one particular style. It’s my signature hairstyle. Parted on the side, about neck length, with the back a bit shorter than the sides. It’s simple, but it’s a look I always return to.

My natural hair color is a medium to dark brown with red highlights, and as I’ve gotten older the gray has joined the party. I made the decision to go totally natural with the hair color, after years of using an auburn shade of box color.

It was such a huge change, but I love it and will never go back to coloring my hair. Read more about how I went gray in a day

More recently I decided to changed that hairstyle that I’d worn for so many years. It’s grown out some since the photo on the right, but I think it was a good change for me, and it still an expression of my personal style.

Candi Randolph, Midlife Blogger and Course Creator
defining you style

3 | My Makeup…

Not too much. When it comes to defining your style, how you care for your face and choose to show it to the world is an integral part of the overall.

My makeup routine takes about 2 minutes every day. That’s about it. I always wear a foundation with a strong SPF protection, some type of concealer for the under-eye bags, cheek color, eyebrow enhancement (yes, they diminish with age, too), and a bit of mascara. That’s my look.

I don’t think a mature woman with a bunch of dark eyeliner and eye makeup looks better. It’s harsh and can make a woman appear older. That’s just my opinion, but it seems like a softer, natural look is more complimentary to a mature woman’s skin and appearance.

Skin care makes such a difference, too, particularly as we age. I put time into my skin care routine every day.

4 | My Clothes…

…if you take a peek into my closet you won’t be overwhelmed with all the clothing pieces, accessories, and shoes. While it’s not quite as minimal as the image at the top of the page, it’s pretty simple overall.

I’m a jeans or slacks kind of girl, with a comfortable top, tucked in or on the outside. Although I do subscribe to the current style of slimmer style, leg hugging jeans, I would never go out in public in yoga pants or other skin-tight looks, particularly as a woman in her 60’s. Not cool…for me anyway. There are some things better kept loosely covered.

As I’ve moved into my mid 60’s, the tunic-style tops have worked their way into my wardrobe. It’s part of the acceptance of my changing body shape, and their forgiving length and cut is a good thing for me at this time in my life. I still tuck in the tops sometimes, but have moved to more of the simple, longer style tops, particularly in the comfortable and flattering micro modal fabric. (It’s magic!)

The shoes are most often an open sandal or flip flop. I live in SW Florida where it’s warm and sunny most of the time, and the dress is almost always casual.

As an aside, the way you style your home also speaks to others about your personal taste and choices. There is almost always a correlation between the two! Read more about creating a home interior to love

5 | My Confidence…

…I believe that most of all, having the confidence of knowing who you are, inside and out, believing in yourself and being comfortable with where you’re at in life is the most significant aspect of your unique style.

Whatever you choose to wear…wear it with confidence.

The hairstyle you choose...wear it proudly.

The face and body God has given you…be grateful for it.

Defining your style as a woman in midlife? You’ve come this far, learned so much, experienced life with its ups and downs, and through it all, you have become the person you are today. It’s true…style is about so much more than what you wear!

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26 thoughts on “Style is About More Than What You Wear – Defining Your Style”

  1. Interesting post. You make some great points. If you find something you like then stick with it. Shame about your perfume. HOpe you find something suitable soon. Some of the Jo Malone scents might be worth a sniff!

  2. The best part about my age is having the confidence to be me, and being content with the way I am and who I am. Good luck choosing a new fragrance Candi!

  3. Your post brought back memories for me of always feeling I did t look right when I was younger. Too tall, too heavy. Wrong hairstyle. I just never feel like I fitted in. Now I’m older I don’t have any of that angst. I am who I am. Great post #MLSTL

  4. Very true! Whatever we wear or do with our hair we should always wear it with confidence. Sometimes it’s easier said than done though and as we get older our confidence can wax and wane. Visiting from #mlstl

  5. I think that Midlife brings with it a huge dose of self acceptance – we’re not competing any more. I know that I’m happy with who I am – I know what hair style works for me – I throw a bit of random pink or purple in underneath with a couple of foils to brighten myself up – it makes me smile. I know what clothes suit me, I know when to wear makeup and when to not bother. I love the freedom of this age and stage and don’t miss all the self-confidence issues of my younger days (although I do miss my pre-baby tummy!)

    Thanks for linking up with us at #MLSTL and I’ve shared this on my SM xx

  6. I so enjoyed your post and agree with your thoughts. I remember the days of ironing hair, mine was straight but not straight enough. And I remember curling long hair on frozen oj cans as big rollers. Crazy times our teens.I wish my closet looked as good as the picture above, mine is a mess.

  7. I love this Candi and couldn’t agree more. I just wish I had not been so critical of myself in younger years or worried so much about what others thought. I suppose life experience brings wisdom and I’m happy with the person I am now at 60. We are so much more than the outer she’ll. do love your hair btw and always wanted curls! So lovely to connect with you and thanks for linking up at #MLSTL. Hope you join us next week. I have a guest series this year called Over 50 & Thriving and would love to have you write a guest post for me. If you are interested please send me a quick email so I can send you more details. sue@sizzlingtowardssixty.com.au

    1. Thanks so much for your comments, Sue. I would love to write a guest post for you and will follow up with you via email.

  8. Hi Candi,
    I so appreciate you talking about style as being the core of who we are, rather than the external trappings. It’s a refreshing change.
    As for the hairstyle thing, I fired my hairdresser (gently) a couple of months ago, determined to let my hair grow from its short cut to at least medium length so that a new hairdresser could look at me with new eyes and maybe come up with a new style.
    It has grown – to the point where I am subconsciously ‘cutting’ it with my fingers as scissors. That’s always a sign that a professional cut is in my future. And probably that I will be returning to my forever style. As you suggest, maybe that’s just the way it’s supposed to be.

  9. I am not sure what I will do if they stop making my favorite scent! I have been wearing Eternity by Calvin Klein since 1986. I am always amazed when other woman wear different scents. I tried to wear a different perfume one time, and my grown daughters were very against it. They claimed they wouldn’t be able t o find me in the store if I wasn’t wearing my usual perfume. LOL
    I enjoyed your post.

    1. I know what you mean; my ‘scent’ has been so much a part of me that many people identify it with me. But, time’s a changing so they’ll have to get used to my new scent!

  10. Candi I love every word that you have written. Personal style is such a powerful form of self expression, it tells the world who you are, and what’s the point of pretending to be someone else. I hadn’t thought about perfume as a form of personal style but of course it is. I must have a multiple personality disorder because I change mine up according to mood and occasion 😉 Seriously though I love a spritz of perfume as I walk out the door, it tells me I am worth it and it causes its own little ripple in the outside world. Sharing on Pinterest and subscribing to your blog.

    1. Thanks so much for your kind words, Jan. And, I think it’s really great that you spritz according to mood and where you’re going…that’s a fun way to express yourself!

  11. Hi Candi…Good post on style. I’ve always thought it is what you think, how you behave, and that your dress is simply a reflection of the qualities that are you. And I appreciate your distress at losing your longtime perfume. I have worn Chloe by Lagerfeld since 1982 (even around the house and on my nightgown) and would be devastated if it disappeared. Hope you find another one that you like as much.

    1. Hi Laine, thanks for your comments. I love the way you put it: “your dress is simply a reflection of the qualities that you are” I’m still using my last bottle of Interlude…I put it away for awhile and bring it out again. I just don’t want to lost that scent! Oh well…

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