It sounds like this will be a great article for your blog, since your clientele are reinventing themselves in their 50s. I'm only in my forties, but I have heard that sometimes women feel more "invisible" as they age. I hope that your readers take away some great pointers from your article.
I can only share what I have learned in my own fashion journey. I think it's similar to what Angie said: Go ahead and wear the trends, but make sure they have a level of sophistication. Sometimes it's as simple as buying a (trendy) moto jacket that has only two zippers instead of five, or maybe buying a pair of moto boots that has only one buckle instead of three.
Here's an example: A few months back, I was looking for a white miniskirt to replace my American Eagle one (yes, I'm 41 and still wear miniskirts every now and then). I found one at Lucky that was almost exactly like the American Eagle one, but for some reason it "read" really different. It had two zippers instead of three, and the zippers weren't so dark compared to the material, so they didn't stick out so much. It was amazing to me how such small changes made the skirt read much more grown up! So that's what I am talking about.
I think that Angie's main tenets of any style refresh are great to do too: get a hairstyle update, get an eyeglasses update (if you wear specs), get a makeup refresher with a professional consultant.
Angie's idea too of taking a trend and wearing it with very classic pieces also helps up the sophistication. I know she has talked about a client she has who wears coated skinnies; I think the client is in her 70s. But she doesn't wear the skinnies skin-tight (that might be another tip to wearing trends—if you like something body-con, buy a size larger so as to make it more of a tailored fit), and she pairs them with classic pieces.
Good luck with your article!
