I believe in age-appropriate dressing. After a certain age, some styles and looks just don’t work, irrespective of body type. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always go down well. Women often feel unfairly judged and even insulted by the suggestion that they are too old to wear certain things.

For me, adapting your style to your age is no different to dressing for your body type, or your fashion persona, or your lifestyle. Like it or not, things do change as we get older. But perhaps my immersion in fashion and style has desensitized me personally to the factors that make this such a touchy subject for many women.

So recently I have been thinking about why the topic is so sensitive. Here are a few ideas:

• People don’t like to be labeled: Judging people as groups instead of individuals poses problems. People prefer to be judged by their own unique set of attributes as opposed to being lumped into the same box as everyone else. For example, saying that “women over 40 should not wear miniskirts” is far too general. How short is the skirt? What about hose? Are you 41 or 85? And how great are your legs?
• The discrepancy between body and mind: The physical signs of aging start to kick in during our late thirties and early forties. Yet it’s precisely at this age where our intellect and experience really come into their own. Generally, we are happier in our own skin when we become middle aged. We’re more accepting of ourselves, and more crisp in our thoughts and goals. So just as we are becoming more confident, our bodies start to let us down.
• A sense of loss: We can’t get back the years that have passed and realizing that they’re gone is a little sad. In some instances, we’re trying to hold on to our youth by wearing what ladies much younger than us wear.

A further complication is that people have very different points of view on the definition of age appropriate. For me it certainly doesn’t mean that women need to become more conservative and less adventurous as they get older. I love, love, love to encourage women in their 40’s and older to dress youthfully, adopt suitable fashion trends and stay looking hip and cool until they’re 100.

No need to look frumpy at 40 and beyond. In fact, it’s probably the time to look your very best, along with the acceptance that you probably shouldn’t wear things as low, tight and short as you used too.

Why do you think the question of age-appropriate dressing evokes such emotive responses in women?

Batwing sleeves are an interesting, breezy look, and they are comfortable to wear. Perhaps surprisingly, they will work for many body types. Whether you are well endowed or small chested, broad shouldered or narrow shouldered, short-waisted or long-waisted, apple shaped or pear shaped, the batwing can be flattering.

So they get a big fat 80’s yay from me, but with two aesthetic conditions attached:

1. The fabric must be drapey so that the volume collapses softly along the contour of the body.
2. The bottom half of the top and the hems of the sleeves need to taper back into a sleek silhouette.

Without these specific style details you might look like you’re actually going to take off and fly. Not so fab.

Batwing styling works well  in soft modal and rayon knit fabrications, fine gauge knitwear, and woven silky blouses. It’s also rather sweet in a banded tunic style, dress or jacket. It looks wonderful both on its own, and when belted at the natural waist.

The only real drawback is that you can’t layer anything tailored over the top. The sleeves scrunch up under the arm and the bulk is uncomfortable.

So what do you say? Yay or nay.

Here’s the last tunic shirt outfit for the week. Today I’m doing the semi formal dress code (here are my casual, smart casual and creative business casual interpretations). I’d wear this type of outfit to a fancy restaurant, a show, a cocktail party, a dressy work event or day wedding.

This is a very plain, white tunic shirt so I really had to dress it up to make it look more formal. I belted the look for this dress code because tailoring puts a dressier spin on things.

True to my own style I piled on the pearls and used an off-white, studded, waist-cinching belt and oversized, floral, pearl cocktail ring. I rolled down the sleeves, buttoned them up, and turned back the cuff once to get the effect of a French cuff.

A sleek pencil skirt works well with a long belted top. The proportions of this outfit would have been more flattering with a slightly shorter skirt, but just over the knee skirts are trending so I’m back to giving that look a whirl. The addition of three inch heels helps to balance out the proportions though, so I’m happy with the result. Clutch and fun textured hose finish off the look.

Substitution of my items to work with your own style is the name of the game. Black cigarette pants with a dressy black belt and monochromatic accessories translates just as well, for example. But It’s important to go heavy and statement on the accessories in order to differentiate this look from a business casual outfit. By the same token, I could have substituted the skirt and hose for a pair of dark wash jeans for a great smart casual outfit. Fashion is so much fun.

So which was your favourite of the four tunic shirt outfits this week?

It’s AMAZING how front knot detailing on dresses and tops flatters most body types, especially curvy hourglass, apple and pear shaped lasses. Pop this detailing into a substantial fabric that drapes and the flattering effects are even more effective.

Here’s why it works:

• V-necklines are elongating for short and regular length necks and work wonders for petites and well endowed ladies.
• The volume that’s created  by the ruching below the knot camouflages the extra bits on the mid riff and hips by allowing the fabric to float away from the body. This is especially effective in patterned fabrications and combats muffin top perfectly.
• The vertical integrity of the ruching is slimming.
• The placement of the knot right under the bust line accentuates the smallest part of the torso.
• Shoulder ruching does an incredibly good job of defining the shoulder line, thereby strengthening the line of narrow shoulders and softening a strong shoulder line.
• It captures the best qualities of an empire cut. Empire cuts are seldom cut long enough to accommodate a larger bosom, but this style gives the bust a roomy, yet sleek fit.

I’ve found that front knot detailing is best in synthetic fibers, or a synthetic-natural fiber blend. Synthetic fibers usually drape better and are more crinkle resistant, and both properties are important for this style. So look for polyester, nylon and rayon blends in weighty knitted fabrics for the best results. Woven shirts with front knot detailing works well too, but they won’t be as comfortable or as drapey as a knitted version.