Not Done Yet! by Bonnie Marcus

Author:Bonnie Marcus
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781989603796
Publisher: Bonnie Marcus
Published: 2020-12-03T00:43:50+00:00

Dress

the Part

True confession time. When I worked in corporate companies, I spent a ton of money on my wardrobe. In my closet were Armani and Donna Karan suits, tailored to perfection for my petite frame, and high, high heels. (They weren’t called stilettos then, maybe because the heel, although high, was thicker than the Louboutins today.) I considered the investment in my business attire to be a necessity of sorts. Maybe I was justifying my vanity, but I don’t think so. I wanted to dress the part and look professional and powerful.

Here’s the challenge with dressing the part when you’re fifty-plus. You want to avoid looking old and frumpy at all costs. I mean, why would you draw more attention to your age by wearing baggy, matronly clothes with no shape or style? A professional look is tailored and neat. At the same time, you want to avoid looking like you’re trying too hard to look young, with ripped jeans on casual Fridays or tops that show too much cleavage. It’s a conundrum.

Our bodies are changing and the contents have shifted. Despite our best efforts to fight the love handles, we seem to grow thicker in the middle post-menopause. The wardrobe that worked at twenty, thirty, and maybe even forty doesn’t work so well anymore; it could make you stand out like you’re stuck in the dark ages (the ’80s or ’90s?). Your appearance matters. It matters a lot if you want to stay in the game and position yourself as relevant and with it.

So, what’s the best way to look powerful, hip, and professional in the workplace today? What’s the best way to balance looking chic yet mature and experienced? Your appearance influences the way others perceive you and, most importantly, it affects your self-confidence and the way you carry yourself.

Scarlett DeBease, an image consultant, helps women create the right brand to fit their profile. She has several practical and useful recommendations for professional women over fifty. First of all, know what colors suit you best and then buy clothes only in those colors. She also suggests avoiding an all-black wardrobe because black can make you disappear and, god forbid, you don’t want to be invisible. Wearing all black suggests you do not want to be seen and lack confidence. That being said, you can wear black, but accessorize with fabulous jewelry or a great big scarf to let everyone know you’re not hiding.

Should you wear hosiery? One woman I interviewed shared with me that her younger female colleagues always commented on the fact that she wore pantyhose and made fun of her for it. DeBease recommends Donna Karan’s The Nudes Pantyhose, if you feel the need to wear hosiery but don’t want it to be obvious. Hosiery, except opaque tights, apparently makes you look old and out of touch these days.

Avoid being too trendy, but don’t be afraid to experiment. DeBease encourages women to try different stores to avoid getting stuck in a rut. She notes that lots

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.