Have you ever looked at an item of clothing you like and wondered if it’s too “young” for you? Before 30, you probably never even thought about the concept of clothing being too “young.” But you ask yourself, does fashion over 30 change in any way? Changing your style for your age seems to be a controversial thing to do. Some say they do dress differently after turning 30. Others say they wear want they want and don’t care if it fits their age.
I turned to some of my friends to ask them their thoughts. One of my very stylish friends says she’s changed how she dresses. She says, “I dress better now! I have a more contemporary style. My body has changed, so I choose a different fit for my clothes. I think you should adjust what you wear but still wear clothes that are pretty and in style.”
Since you are reading this article, I imagine you want to change your clothes or style up some now that you are in your 30s. So, we’ll talk about ten things to consider when choosing what you will wear to dress better in your 30s.
Know Your Body Shape
The truth is that our body shape changes as we get older. Clothes can downplay body parts that you don’t like and accentuate the ones you do like. When you dress for your body shape, you’ll look fabulous. You’ll not spend your hard-earned money on clothes to decide a month or two later that they don’t suit you.
Know Your Skin Tone
Figure out whether you have a warm or cool skin tone. You look like you have a brighter complexion when you dress in colors that complement your skin tone. The right colors can bring life to your skin and make you look happier and more rested! Who doesn’t want that?
Know Your Wardrobe Needs
When you know what you are doing, you can buy clothes for those activities. For example, I work from home for most of the week and dress casually, but I also volunteer and wear a dress or skirt. My needs are primarily casual 60% of the time and business dressy 40% of the time. Knowing that I won’t buy an evening gown or fancy cocktail dresses even if they are on sale at an excellent price because I never go to black-tie events.
Reevaluate Your Style
By the time you turn 30, you might realize that your style has evolved. Opening your closet might be a trip back over the last ten years of trying different trends, styles, colors, etc. Your 30s is an excellent time to reevaluate your style. Once you have defined your style, you can look at what you need to donate or toss from your wardrobe and what pieces you need to acquire to accurately describe who you are now and what you are doing in life. A quick tip: Open your closet and see which colors, prints, fabrics, and design details attract you.
Prune Your Wardrobe
Take everything out of your closet, then pick 5 of your favorite pieces, try them on to make sure they still fit, and put them back in your closet. Keep doing this until your wardrobe is 3/4 full. You can take note of anything that needs to be mended and set it aside. I have a basket under my bed where I put the things that I’ll fix. Make a list on your phone of the clothing items that you need.
Buy Clothes Made from Good Quality Materials
Natural materials such as cotton, linen, viscose, silk, wool, and cashmere have many benefits. The pros of clothes made from these materials are that they’re more comfortable to wear, long-lasting, and make you look much better than cheaper materials such as polyester. They’re also more eco-friendly. You can make your clothes more eco-friendly (and make it better for the living things that provide us with some of these materials) if you buy clothes secondhand. Secondhand clothes are also more budget-friendly.
Get Some Style Inspiration
Check out @liketoknow.it on Instagram or download the app to find fashion over 30 bloggers or influencers whose style you love and who have the same age, body shape, and skin tone as yours. Take a screenshot to save the looks that you’d like to recreate. You can look up #fashionover30 on Instagram to find some inspo.
Be Wary of Trends…
A lot of trends aren’t flattering (such as neon). Only purchase those trends that you love and must try. Before you buy, make sure you can wear the items with other items in your wardrobe.
…But Nail the Basics
What’re the basics? I’ve written another page about this, but basically, a solid, neutral-colored camisole and a neutral-colored pair of pants are examples of basics. These items will make putting together outfits a breeze.
Dress for Yourself, Not for Others
At 35, I don’t care what other people think about my clothes. I wear my clothes because I love them, and they suit me. So enjoy your clothes as a form of expressing your individuality!
I hope you enjoyed these ten tips to improve your style and fashion over 30. You can find outfit ideas and more fashion over 30 on Instagram @stylizeyouig
