San Francisco-based Beth Djalali (56) shares daily outfit inspiration on her blog, Style at a Certain Age. Her style is ladylike, Modern Classic and preppy. Beth’s makeup and silver hair are an integral part of the polished picture she portrays. Our blogger enjoys experimenting with trends and sporting different silhouettes, wears neutrals and bright colours with equal panache, and has an amazing jewellery collection.
“I always describe my style as American Classic with a modern twist, which is true casualness at its heart. And while I keep the look fresh from year-to-year, the overall look hasn’t changed much since I was a teen. I’ve always favored ballet flats, pencil skirts, cashmere sweaters, dark rinse jeans, or a two-button blazer. There’s nothing too fancy hanging in my closet, as I love clean lines that are oftentimes borrowed from menswear. I’m never happier than when I don a pair of blue jeans and top it off with a sweater. And, I have to say I’m a sucker for pearls, charm bracelets, and a simple classic watch. I’ve always been a prepster at heart so as I age it’s more about fine tuning that look, and keeping it fresh. One of my favorite pieces that I don’t think I could live without is my black faux leather moto jacket, which is on trend, but a classic at the same time. It appears regularly on my blog. I adore dresses, but I typically reserve them for special occasions, or a hot summer day.”
“Fridays with Oscar”, in which Beth posts pics featuring her sweet 9-month-old German shepherd, are my favourite part of her blog. Here she dresses up a simple white tee and jeans with a blazer and scarf. The white tipping on the topper echoes the T-shirt colour and picks up the white in the patterned scarf. The mustard yellow paired with the orange is a soft yet impactful colour combo that works well with the light wash jeans. Rolling the straight legged jeans showcases the animal print loafers, which complement the bronze metallic belt. Beth uses subtle pattern mixing — patterned scarf, footwear, and the striped lining on the blazer sleeves — to create visual interest. The mint earrings and raspberry red lip are unexpected finishing touches with this warm colour palette. Here’s to dog walking in style!
It’s all about the footwear and jewellery in this casual chic look. Beth has amassed quite the collection of unique pieces to play around with each day. Pairing a black shift dress that works well with flat sandals is a breezy solution for warm weather. Keeping the frock above the knee lengthens the leg line when wearing flats with dresses. The long necklaces also create vertical integrity. The gold studs on the sandals add soft edge, a fun juxtaposition with Beth’s wavy, sideswept fringe and polished style persona. Bright red toes and nails are Summer-y fun. The gold bracelets and watch, the jewelled clasp on the white wicker clutch, and the statement chandelier earrings all work together.
When asked about the latest additions to her fab jewellery collection, Beth said:
“My last two pieces of jewelry added to my collection are both from a darling jewelry line: Chloe and Isabel. One is a trio of brushed matte gold bangles that go with everything and I love to pair with my favorite pearl bracelet. The other piece of jewelry is a pair of chandelier earrings, which are very much on trend, and I can pair with jeans as well as wear for a fun evening outfit.”
An elegant Modern Classic look built around a fab pair of tomato red trousers. Beth has paired the eye-catching trousers with an oversized dolman sleeve top. The taupe and cream look great with our blogger’s silver ‘do. And how fun that the red stripe in the top matches the colour of the pants perfectly. The short sleeves, deep V-neck, vertical stripes, and the tapered pant hems streamline the volume up top. Beth happily mixes metals by sporting silver high-heeled sandals, a gold clutch, and silver, gold and pearl jewellery. Oversized sunnies and orange-red lippie finish off the look.
A neutral colour palette looks modern and elegant for Summer. The outfit becomes extra appealing thanks to the colours and different fabrics subtly playing off of each other. The coarser linen looks more refined paired with the sateen-finish shorts. The soft leathers amp up the chic factor. Tucking the blouse into above-the-knee-length Bermuda shorts creates a long lean line. Sporting mid-heel cage sandals in tan that are low-contrast against Beth’s skin further emphasizes that effect. The tan with gold belt bookends the sandals. The pliable light brown tote works great with the black and beige outfit. The collarless top is the perfect backdrop for Beth’s statement pendant. Dangly earrings, big sunnies, and bright lipstick and nails add playful polish.
Beth is firmly on Team White Bottoms. Here, she’s tucked a tee into rolled white chinos which elongates the leg line. The striped cardigan, and blue and white colour combo give this look a fun nautical vibe. The gold slides, belt and jewellery add warmth, and a touch of luxury. The fab asymmetrical hem cardigan creates a visually interesting and flattering effect with its diagonal lines. But it’s the combination with the bold geometrical necklace and bracelet that really makes the look for me. The clean, square shapes enhance the power of the stripe and contrast brilliantly with the round pearl earrings. Also note how the self-pattern on the bag echoes the square-shaped jewellery. My favourite look!
Black and blue from head to toe. Isn’t this a marvelous colour combination with Beth’s silver hair. Our blogger has created a column of colour by tucking an ink blue sweater into blue boyfriend jeans. Pairing the looser fit rolled jeans with black suede booties that are fitted on the ankle, streamlines this casual look. At the same time, the feminine, pointy toe footwear elongates the leg line. Beth then threw on her beloved black faux leather moto jacket, a forever fashionable piece that adds ladylike edge. The nonchalantly draped striped scarf cleverly picks up all the colour nuances in the outfit. A tasseled bag, simple silver hoop earrings and bright pink lipstick complement the look.
Let us know in the comments what you think of Beth’s wonderful Modern Classic outfits and on point jewellery game. You can browse the rest of her outfits over at Style at a Certain Age, and find out what inspires her on Pinterest.
