Style vs Age

 


      I am not going to lie to you, I am a 40 year old woman who is very conscious about my clothing choices because of my age, I am also a mother of 2 teenage kids so that adds to my clothing choices. I feel that because of my age "for me" certain articles of clothing is just off limits- leggings, band t-shirts, super skinny jeans(it took some time for me to purchase my first pair of skinny jeans, my daughter talked me into it), and many other things but the list will be to long to highlight. Here is the flip side of that, wearing clothing that is considered to old(my button down sweaters, certain styles of shoes, granny panties). While I can find clothing for me in just about any store, I feel that I have to keep it age appropriate but what does that really mean?
    Continuing from a conversation with my co-workers how do you determine what is really age appropriate. My co-worker made a comment that if her mother agrees with her clothing choice then there was a chance that she was wearing something more fitting for an older woman. I like browsing through stores like INC. or The Limited, however I don't come out with very much when I shop there. I purchase clothing for work purposes but nothing for my weekend attire. I can find cute tops for the weekends at stores like Charlotte Russe.These types of stores would be considered for younger ladies but I like the some of their styles. Does it make me wrong to wear younger looking clothes?
    I say it is all in your head, and the confidence you have in yourself. Now, let me clarify because we have all seem some woman who are wrong on so may levels for their clothing choices, and we see them at the malls, grocery stores, and at the kids schools. The line between age appropriate, and inappropriate clothing choices is thin.......
    As woman we know deep down inside when our clothing is to tight, to revealing, to young looking for our ages, and we ignore the signs because we want the attention(just being truthful). Woman feel they can hold onto their younger years by wearing clothing that our daughters, or nieces may wear for examples clothing with words written across your butt(I am sorry but words don't belong there at any age), crop tops(I wore those in the 90's which means late teens, early 20's), or any other clothing that can purchased at stores like 579 or Forever 21.
    Just because we become older does not mean we loss our style, it has just changed a little. You can still wear sexy clothing without over doing it, we don't have to become buttoned up stuffies.Your style is suppose to evolve with your age, not disappear. It is very easy to take a pair of nice jeans and pair it with a sexy top, wear a maxi dress with a deep neckline,or casual pants with blouse that has a sexy neckline. With our age comes wisdom to dress, and accentuate our bodies while keeping age appropriate based on the confidence and level of comfort you have within yourself. Your age does not dictate your style, your confidence in yourself does, and we all know confidence is the sexiest part of a woman.

STYLE

 

 Ladies does your age(30's, 40's, 50's), or your title(mom, grandmother, wife) dictate your style?
Do we allow certain categories determine what our clothing style is or what is considered age appropriate? I had a great conversation at work that I wanted to share with you.
    I feel that the way a person dress says a lot about them, but sometimes it seems that your style of clothing could be deceiving to others, I will explain. For some ladies their style of clothing makes them appear older than what they may be. It hides there sex appeal, conceals their beauty and labels them. Their clothing styles don't bring out the best in their style or beauty. Take myself for example, I wear a lot of button down sweaters for 2 reasons. First reason, I am always cold so my sweaters keep me warm especially at work because I am in an office environment. The second reason is that I like sweaters, they are cute, versatile, and come in many colors, and styles to be worn with just about anything. A comment was made to me by my husband as well as my boss about my choice of clothing(sweaters), it was pointed out to me that they are older looking and not as appealing as I thought they were. I have never thought of it that way, I just thought of them as being cute, and warm. This got me to thinking, how many of us wear clothing out of comfort not realizing that we are hiding or sacrificing that sexy part of ourselves.
    Now of course I could not have a blog titled Getting to Sexxy, without working on myself as well. I am not perfect and want to enhance my sexy side and continue to grow, love, and show off the beautiful woman I believe myself to be. I am a work in progress just like any other woman. We all want to be beautiful, sexy, empowering women who command attention(at least I do). I am open to feedback because sometimes others can see what you do not. My solution will be to up my wardrobe choices and look for blazers and jackets instead of my go-to sweater assortment. I took advice earlier this year and wear more heels to work instead of my go-to flats. I am still evolving and loving it.
     Do you feel like you have become to comfortable in your style? I have learned that sometimes we dressed according to what we believe is accurate based on our ages, our jobs, or our titles. Just because you are a stay-at-home mother does not mean sweats and no make-up is your uniform. A hospital worker does not have to limit their clothing to gym shoes, and scrubs or loose fitting clothing for comfort on their days off. I feel we all should step up our game, and evolve. By nature we are creatures of habit, but sometimes those habits can hinder us. Start stepping out of your box, whether it is switching from cotton panties to lace, or waking up putting on makeup with no place to go, start changing the way you do things and the way you see yourself.

Beauty on a Budget

MAC, Lancome,and Este Lauder have great products but beyond my budget some times, and that's OK. I love to walk through stores such as Sephora and Ulta looking at makeup colors and products but, my purchases are made at CVS, Walgreen, Wal-Mart, and Target.

Maybelline is my go to for mascara, I use Maybelline Colossal Volume. I have tried many brands that  lengthen, volumize, and curl your lashes but,  nothing compares to Maybelline Colossal Volume. Maybelline also has a good eye shadow pot, I am a big fan of cream shadows, and the Color Tattoo by Maybelline Eye Studio is a long-lasting color. I currently have Tough as Taupe, and can't wait to try the Leather eye shadow versions this fall. Cover Girl's Bombshell eye shadow are little tubes of shimmering color. Platinum Club and Cooper Fling can be applied lightly for work purposes or heavy for a night out.

To say I have a vast collection of lipsticks might be an understatement. Loreal, Revlon, and Cover Girl all work for me and I have to many colors to list. My lip gloss choice may surprise you. I love NYC Liquid Shine in New York Nude, Bowery Blush, and my latest color Honey on the Hudson. They have great shine and lasting color. I love neutral shades and these colors work with my complexion.

The purpose of this blog is to share, and let you know some great make-ups products are affordable, and do not have to put a hole in your pocket. If you are curious about what the higher end products have to offer, I suggest taking advantage of the holiday season and purchasing gift sets. NARS has some great ones, as well as many department store brands. This way you get a little more for your money, and more varieties in your purchase. Beauty Supplies stores are another good place to pick-up inexpensive make-up products such as lip and eye pencils in a rainbow of colors.

The main thing is to have a little fun with your make-up, and branch out to new things. The holidays are coming so it is the perfect time to experiment while finding some great deals, and specials on make-up.

So, tell me what are your make-up favorites?

The Scent of a Woman

     As a woman we can't help but love fragrant smells. They can make you feel sexy, happy, and even confident. There is a reason perfumes, oils, and lotions have been around for centuries, they are an extension of you. They can remind people of your presence(especially your man). They draw attention(the good kind), and they blend in with your personal body chemistry to create a fragrance that is unique to you.
     I understand that some women can not wear perfumes because of reactions such as headaches. This does not mean you can not wear any this just means you have to focus on lighter scents or other types of scented items. Start off with scented lotions instead, let Bath and Body works be a starting point, actually this store is my go to spot of choice. Walk around a do a little smelling, find scents that appeal to your senses. Perfumes and fragrant lotions are broken down into 5 categories: Fruity/Citrus, Clean, Floral, Sweet, and Spicy. I like floral scents and sometimes sweet scents, on my husband I love a clean scent. Find the scent that works best for you, and it may not be the scent your mother has worn or your girlfriend because with perfumes they adjust to your body chemistry. You may pick up something that smells good in the bottle but when you spray it on it smells nothing the tester strip version. It will take some time to get it right. I suggest stores such as Bath and Body Works and Victoria Secret as your starting point, they have a range of selections to sniff through.
     I feel every woman should be wearing some kind of fragrance, it is only natural. It does not have to be expensive, and please not over the top(your fragrance should not be chocking you cubicle neighbor, or the person at the desk down the hall, this will be a topic for another time). Think about everything we pick up in the drugstores are fragrant, soaps, lotions, and deodorants. That is telling you that our scent is a powerful thing(only when it is a good scent, again a topic for another day), so why not find something for you, and no the scent from the Jergens Lotion, or your Secret Deodorant

does not count.

Ladies having your own unique fragrant scent is part of being sexy, so go out and find yours, and if you have one I would love for you to share it to give other women some ideas.