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We Fifty-Plusers have by now got a pretty good handle on the specific clothes that add years to our appearance – though it has to be said there are still regular surprises. But what about all the other ways we can accidentally dial up the age we look without thinking?
How about all the little things, from the way we style our hair to the effort that goes into choosing a bra, which might well have as much, maybe more, of a knock-on effect?
And here’s the really important point: these are mostly solvable for little or no investment. We can hold back the years – or at least not pile them on – just by being alert to a few common pitfalls…
Royal Reception high heels
What used to be known as limo heels (if you wore heels this high you were mainly being chauffeured from A to B) are now known as RRs – Royal Reception shoes – and are the opposite of youthful.
The trick: Footwear is your fast track to looking younger, so wear the most on-the-fashion-money styles you can lay your hands on. For now that could be leopard-print flats, a polished black knee boot, shiny patent kitten heel slingbacks or a retro brown suede trainer.
The wrong cardi
Cardigans are terrific; they are neat sweaters with the potential to expose a little bit of skin if worn slightly unbuttoned with nothing, or just a vest, underneath. But the open, floppy, pull-on cardi is about as ageing as a bedjacket.
The trick: See above – button up and then undo.
Delicate earrings
Anyone over 50 will know the experience of putting on a favourite pair of earrings you haven’t worn for a while only to discover you look like an Easter Island statue head wearing two fleas.
Anything delicate disappears on Fifty-Plusers, including slender straps on shoes, teeny charms on necklaces, slivers of rings and belts, little floaty sleeves and dolly bags.
The trick: Go bolder and simpler. Try sculptural earrings – they don’t have to be big, just not fragile – and strong rings.
Beanies
Yikes! Hats are the kryptonite of Fifty-Plusers. Ninety per cent of them can make you look mad, elderly, destitute or all three. But certain hats are worse than others. The cut-off for looking good in a beanie is 55 if you’re Faye Dunaway, 40-ish for civilians.
The trick: Wear a hood with structure.
Leather biker jackets
No sooner do I rule out the biker jacket than I can picture Kristin Scott Thomas, 65, looking fabulous in a narrow-fit, hip-skimming jacket … but it’s not black. And it’s not bristling with zips!
The trick: When it comes to leather, it must be glove-soft not bulky; and it should be in a colour like damson or, if you’re Debbie Harry, strong red. Not even Blondie can get away with a black leather jacket in 2025.
Any old specs
You don’t know how ageing specs are until you see a picture of yourself lying on the sofa, chin on chest, squinting at a book. First tip: don’t put yourself in a jowl-creating situation.
The trick: Contact lenses are nothing short of miraculous these days and it’s never too late to start wearing them. Otherwise get more than one pair of specs – your chic work pair, your fancy party pair, your reading-in-bed pair…
Opaque tights
Opaque tights can make you look a bit Mother Superior past 50. You love the coverage they give, but something lighter is more youthful.
The trick: Wear John Lewis or M&S in a 10-15 denier and stick to black. Navy tights even on great legs (see Lady Starmer at the Labour Party conference) look more mumsy.
Tight fit all over
Bodycon dresses have made a bit of a comeback thanks to all the new Ozempic and Mounjaro bodies that need to be shown off, but bodycon belongs in the same camp as high-heeled pumps. That look is corporate and dated. Likewise tight jeans and trousers.
The trick: Show off your figure by keeping jeans fitted on the hips and bum (not on the thighs or calves), and avoid stretchy fabrics.
Mum haircut
This one is a killer. It’s not short, it’s not long and it’s probably a bob, but it won’t just add on years, it can make you look severe, prim and weirdly (sorry) sexless.
If it’s short, it can’t look like a two-for-one at the barber’s (take a look at Kristin Scott Thomas or Robin Wright to see what works); if it’s longer, it needs swoosh, gloss and movement.
The trick: There needs to be something a bit irregular about a Fifty-Pluser’s haircut and the neat, stiff blow dry can add on a decade and shunt your whole look into lady mayor territory. That said, blow dries are your new best friend so long as they are all about movement with a bit of a flick. If in doubt about how to spend your money, wear the old dress with good make-up and shoes – and just pay for a blow dry.
Bra droop
If I had a pound for every time I’ve seen a Fifty-Pluser made elderly by a zero support bra, I’d be loaded. There’s a posture issue here, too, but a good bra will do half the work for you.
The trick: I swear by M&S (who doesn’t?) where you can still find a lady who will guide you through the right bra ingredients and measure you if needed.
Quirky sunglasses
Frames are a critical asset in the fight against looking older and sunglasses have the same potential to shave off years or add a few.
The trick: Most sunglasses need a bit of edge: think 1970s It girl not Joan Collins. Bug eyes and variations on the aviator frame beat big moony sunnies, and avoid gimmicky colours and finishes. We’re aiming for cool glamour not laughs.
Gloomy grey
I have a slate grey sweater I love, but whenever I wear the moss green one instead, everyone asks if I have been on holiday.
The trick: Wear slate grey on the bottom and bright coral on top.
