You might recognize Las Vegas-based Dorrie Jacobson (80) from her recent feature on The Huffington Post. She has also received plenty of well-deserved praise for her inspiring blog. Dorrie created Senior Style Bible to showcase mature beauty and inspire a more youthful approach to life. Her style is polished, unique and on trend. She is a jeans gal at heart who likes to sport graphic black and white looks as much as she loves to play with colour. Our 5″3″ blogger has an amazing footwear collection and practically lives in sky-high heels. Dorrie also amps up her style factor with an array of fun sunnies and unique statement jewellery pieces. Her sassy short ‘do completes the stylish picture.

“I think my style is sophisticated, but also a bit edgy. It has definitely become trendier over the last five years. I think I take more risks now than I did before. I love skinny jeans and have given myself permission to shop in stores like H&M, Topshop and Forever 21, which all design for a much younger consumer. Once I decided to ignore the styles that magazines were touting as ‘age appropriate’ for women of a certain age, my style immediately became a lot more modern. It seems the older I get, the younger I dress. I now have more fun with fashion.”

A Summer-y all-white outfit becomes extra fresh thanks to the addition of a pair of neon yellow sandals. Dorrie is sporting an oversized knit pullover with dramatic high-low hemline. The asymmetrical hemline provides structure to the oversized silhouette. Pairing the sweater with sleek straight-legged jeans further streamlines the look. The slub knit and scrunched jeans add textural interest, while the column of white creates a long lean line. Dorrie is all about spicing up her outfits with statement accessories and footwear. The bold, ’80s-influenced block-heeled sandals do exactly that. Chunky chandelier earrings, and white and gold framed sunnies complement the look to perfection.

Dorrie’s bright striped batwing-sleeved blouse is the star of the show. The breezy woven fabric collapses back onto the body, which reins in the volume of the wide sleeves with dropped shoulder seams. The open neckline and sheer material add subtle allure. The dark blue jeans pick up the darkest blue in the blouse. The relaxed skinny jean silhouette works well with the volume up top. And just look at Dorrie’s white wedge slides: the colour blocked sides echo her striped top. Such a clever and playful detail! Large silver hoop earrings and a sleek choker necklace with simple lines are the accessories of choice. Coral nail polish and lippie finish off this elegant casual look.

“I love dramatic clothes and tend to go for great big batwing sleeves, capes, and wide-legged pants. Even though I’m quite petite, I gravitate towards styles that are designed for much taller women. I think I’ve been able to carry off those looks by simply ‘thinking tall’ and wearing them with confidence. In my opinion, you can wear anything as long as you wear it with attitude. I’m also a big fan of statement pieces, so I try to incorporate an interesting element into every outfit; that could be a unique piece of jewelry, a hat, or an unusual shoe. I do follow the trends, but I’m not really into the ‘must-have’ pieces of the moment. I prefer to find designs that I know flatter me and make me feel pretty.”

Our blogger is no wallflower, and this vibrant colour combo fits her fun-loving personality to a T. She’s tucked a voluminous popover blouse into tomato red straight-legged jeans. The flowy, silky fabric, wide collar and batwing sleeves add dandy flair, while the white makes the outfit look extra crisp. The wide cuff on the jeans showcases Dorrie’s fab suede sandal booties. I also love how the belt and floral clutch don’t match, but each pick up different colours in her outfit. Eye-catching and modern. Thin gold hoop earrings, a single ring and oversized cobalt sunnies are all that’s needed to finish off the outfit.

An arty and elegant cape look with a clean graphic vibe. Opting for a solid colour and fine-gauge knit does wonders to streamline an unstructured cape on a shorter lass. Keeping the shoulder fairly fitted works well on a narrower shoulder line. The distinct asymmetrical hemline paired with sleek bottoms also helps to keep the volume in check. The combination of tall cream boots that fit nicely on the calf with a form-fitting stretchy midi pencil skirt looks sassy and feminine. A boxy crossbody bag in the same shade of cream adds an extra touch of lightness. Dark brown sunnies echo the colour of Dorrie’s spunky short ‘do.

Now here’s a different take on the maritime look. Stripes are always fun, but it’s the white harem pants that add bucketloads of pizzazz. They’re unusual in that they are more fitted up top and become more voluminous from the thigh down. Daring and cheeky. Tying the blouse at the waist has a camouflaging effect. Wearing a white cami under the see-through top prevents the grinning effect. Pairing the ankle-length trousers with white, high-vamped wedges lengthens the leg line. Neon orange nail polish amps up the fun factor. A big cocktail ring, double hoop earrings and oversized retro sunnies complement the stylish picture.

This knee-length colour blocked coat is one of Dorrie’s wardrobe staples. When you see it up close, it seems to have a woven texture reminiscent of wicker baskets. The big collar and black tipping make it a real statement piece. Here, she’s wearing it over a column of black consisting of a simple tank top tucked into skinny jeans. The gold belt breaks up the expanse of black, and works beautifully with the tan coat. High-heeled black ankle boots with gold zippers add a touch of hard edge. Tucking the jeans into the boots creates a long lean line. The oversized clutch echoes the colour blocked coat and adds more textural interest. An arty gold ring, dangly earrings, and another pair of fun sunnies from Dorrie’s vast collection pull everything together.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of Dorrie’s brilliant outfits and inspiring outlook on life. Let us know in the comments, and have fun browsing the rest of her outfits over at Senior Style Bible. You can also follow her on Pinterest for more visual inspiration.

These outfits are comprised almost entirely of golden oldies, which feels good after sporting lots of new items this Spring and Summer. Apart from our rainy weekend, we continue to have record-breaking extraordinary Summer weather which means that I can wear sheer and flimsy separates with open-heeled shoes and no topper. Glorious! 

Creating outfits with a soft, pretty, refined and ladylike integrity is one of my style goals, which makes Retro Futurism the style persona I aspire to on this leg of my journey. This means wearing updated Retro pieces with a big dose of Modern. In both of these outfits the tops are Retro and their support acts are Modern. I love the delicate fabrication of the tops and their intricate design details. They make the outfits feel more refined and soft, which is just what I’m after. 

I seldom pair two black separates to create an outfit because I find the combination too severe for my style. And it just doesn’t make me happy. But in this instance, there are several factors that soften the pairing. My skin peeking through the black lace breaks up the expanse of black. Green specs, gold clutch and pony footwear break up the black a little further, and the cropped length of the pants and the short sleeves of the top showcase less black and more skin. 

• 1 Apple Green Specs
• 2 Boxy Cropped Lace Blouse
• 3 Silk Harem Pants
• 4 Ankle Strap Okala Pump
• 5 Erin Foldover Clutch
• 6 'The Slim' Bracelet Watch, 36mm — $250.00

Custom Find

by Angie

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Custom Find

by Angie

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Custom Find

by Angie

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Zappos

Fossil Erin Foldover Clutch

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5

17

Nordstrom

MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'The Slim' Bracelet Watch, 36mm

$250.00 $149.97

Sale

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6

9

Custom Find

by Angie

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4

Go to Outfit Collection Page

My silk harem pants are six years old, and my cropped lace blouse is three years old. Both pieces are still going strong and have a high longevity factor. The blouse is too retro to date, while the pants are too avant-garde to be affected by trends. The pieces work well together because the pants look best with a cropped top that showcases its high waist and very poufy and pleated silhouette. I wore the outfit with sheer black hose, gold ankle strap pumps, and radio clutch to a cocktail party last year. This year I updated the dressy combination with animal print ankle strap pumps and a gold clutch. No need for jewellery other than my watch and wedding ring. It’s the most comfortable cocktail outfit of all time. 

The A.L.C Clay print silk top is a recent NAS purchase, which I adored from the moment I saw it because of its glam retro appeal. I bought it to wear with my black fit-and-flared Valentino skirt and these harem pants. Although both bottoms look best with shorter tops, the welt of this blouse makes it sit higher on the hip which creates interesting proportions that are just flattering enough. It also gives the roomy front pleated drape of the pants some structure. 

• 1 Apple Green Specs
• 2 'Clay' Print Silk Top — $325.00
• 3 Silk Harem Pants
• 4 Ankle Strap Okala Pump
• 5 Erin Foldover Clutch
• 6 'The Slim' Bracelet Watch, 36mm — $250.00

Custom Find

by Angie

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Nordstrom

A.L.C. 'Clay' Print Silk Top

$325.00 $129.97

Sale

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2

8

Custom Find

by Angie

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Zappos

Fossil Erin Foldover Clutch

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5

17

Nordstrom

MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'The Slim' Bracelet Watch, 36mm

$250.00 $149.97

Sale

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Top Pick

6

9

Custom Find

by Angie

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4

Go to Outfit Collection Page

I’m generally not into wearing this much drape in one outfit. But the fabrics are woven, keeping them crisp and dressy, and the lengths of the pieces are short, minimizing the potential for arty drape to overwhelm my frame. The pony pumps mimic the pattern of the blouse for a bit of matchy-matchy fun. Why not! I’ve worn this combination out to lunch with a friend and to shop with a client and felt fab on both occasions. 

These outfits make me smile for reasons that go beyond my love for the actual silhouettes. First, harem pants were my “poison eye” until we visited Tel Aviv and saw women sport them with verve and panache. I was greatly inspired and bought these soon after that trip. They remind me of how important it is to keep an open fashion mind. Second, the lace top was a birthday gift from my sweet Papa which makes it extra special. Third, I keep on wearing these pony Okala ankle strap pumps because they kick things up a notch. That’s a good reminder to wear the HECK out of the pieces you love.

And last, my very feminine and ladylike late Mum would have turned 74 today. She loved wearing black and white, making these outfits dead right to post on her special day.

It’s hard to find booties for narrow ankles. Naturally, a bootie in a smaller size will fit more closely on the ankle. Things get tricky when you wear a larger foot size and have narrow ankles, because the fit around the ankle increases as the shoe size increases. 

If this is the case for you, then these styles might fit the bill. Be sure to browse through all the colour options. 

• MATISSE Nugent: These are very comfortable, and there is room for an orthotic or cushioning insole. I love the way they dip in front and lengthen the leg line when worn with bare legs. I've had the cheetah print for years and am considering these in the speckled white too. Works for a low and regular volume foot. Runs half a size small.
• Corso Como 'Dynamite' Ankle Bootie (Women): Technically more of a shootie and oxford hybrid, but comfy and refined nonetheless. Elegantly menswear-inspired and gorgeously gold. The pointy toe is quite dramatic so consider yourself warned.
• Topshop 'Mary' Chelsea Boot (Women): A patent rust-coloured bootie with a higher shaft is a rare find. Moderately comfortable and equestrian-inspired.
• Topshop 'Midnight' Pointy Toe Boot (Women): A sleek pointy toe bootie with a stable thick heel. Moderately comfortable. Great snug ankle fit.
• H By Hudson H by Hudson Azi Off White Leather Ankle Boots: I haven't seen these in person yet, but the distressed leather in a pretty shade of cream is fun. Casually Elegant. The double zipper detailing is sleek, and the cognac trim is unique.

Zappos

MATISSE Nugent

$193.00

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13

Nordstrom

Corso Como 'Dynamite' Ankle Bootie (Women)

$164.95

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Nordstrom

Topshop 'Mary' Chelsea Boot (Women)

$140.00 $70.00

Sale

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Nordstrom

Topshop 'Midnight' Pointy Toe Boot (Women)

$140.00 $84.00

Sale

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8

ASOS

H By Hudson H by Hudson Azi Off White Leather Ankle Boots

$265.00

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Top Pick

5

Visit the collection page to see the items alongside my descriptions.

During August I thought and wrote a lot about closet editing and wardrobe management, so that’s our theme for the monthly newsletter. Also this month: four ensembles, two outstanding outfit bloggers and other must-reads.

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