I made the transition yesterday to crocs for the summer, I will eventually get out the croc flip flops. I have difficult feet, v wide with high insteps and ugly as they are, they are comfy for me. How i wish I had small dainty feet like my mother's instead of ones very similar to my father's albeit smaller, she had some lovely shoes but were far too small for me. I do have some comfy smarter looking ones for occasions that call for them but prefer to keep them going for as long as possible so keep them for those occasions. Am aware that wearing Nanny shoes does make you look older but I need to be as comfy as possible. Have never gone in for trainers but if I could find a comfy pair would be happy to go for them, but don't want thick ones, I much prefer thin leather that moulds to the feet or ones held on by straps that don't constrict where I need space. I went to buy a lovely pair of Ugg boots on marketplace in the winter, tried them on and couldn't get my foot into the first one I tried on, not age though just a big foot. And uggs in winter - they are so very cosy. As is the black thick furry fleece jackeet with wonderful pockets, even though it probably made me look like a bear, Didn't often use the hood but what a useful jacket, for more formal occasions I do have a couple of nice woollen coats. Oh dear, didn't know they were aging oh well never mind
One thing I do have control over is hair colour, and now my natural greying hairs outnumber the brown, have decided to go lighter and hope eventually to go lighter and lighter to end up either blonde or silver-grey, I don't think I will go white which is a shame, I'd embrace white. I used to brighten up my hair with henna, but fear that might be a bit too orangey nowadays. Over lockdown, I experimented with warm blondes which I thought looked nice, next time I'll go a bit more silvery blonde, and the hairdresser can cut off some of the darker stuff, so will still be a bit ombre. Going dark or burgundy/purply red to me draws attention to your age to me but hey better red than dead.
A lot of older ladies do wear beige and taupe, but I don't think either particularly suits me, I do have some taupe undies though, if I did have to go for brown I think a warmer coffee or mocha would look better. Yes, beige does make you disappear into the background but that's ok if that is what someone wants, not everyone wants to be noticed, and if that's what you want and have not been forced into it that's great
I've known a fair few older ladies whose sense of style has inspired me, although it helps them that they have had slimmer figures than mine. And they have gone for patterns and colours and tailored jackets, scarves and jewellery, not to excess though.
Mystified about Radley bags being ageing though, my 30 something daughter has one which looks very nice on occasions when she uses a bag. And in the past has asked to borrow a small Radley wrist bag of mine which has the doggies on, we both like doggies lol.
Agree Michael Portillo usually looks stylish, my old doctor dressed like that and it gave the right balance of smartness and informality, but I bet he doesn't wear nice clothes like that when weeding the garden or other such clothes-harming occupations. Even my Dad who always dressed very smartly even when he was dressed casually used to don a working in the garden pair of trousers and jumper which he rescued from the bin on more than one occasion until my mum just accepted it. No one ever saw him after all, he would never go out dressed like that.
Thin Indian fabric dresses and skirts were popular when I was younger, and if you could still get them nowadays I think I'd wear them once again, well some styles, so comfy in the summer, maybe their place has been taken by linen dresses, am still happy to wear tiered skirts still, feeling they draw less attention to my tummy area than some that are full from the waist
I try and avoid leopard print, as it makes me look like an elderly Bet Lynch, but happy to have a flash of it on a lining, just as long as it is subtle [subtle leopard print? Is there such a thing?]
