Timeless. Ageless. Style.

“Fashion changes, but style endures.” – Coco Chanel 

I love seeing a woman who has her own unique sense of style and is comfortable in her own skin.  I particularly love seeing stylish women of all ages who are confident to wear pops of colour and just the right amount of accessories to flatter their body shapes & complexion.

I have admired the following women for years, they have maintained their unique styles and showcased their own personalities through the way they dressed.  They did not simply follow the trends.

My biggest style icon, Audrey Hepburn, who looked stunning from the moment we first saw her on-screen on Roman Holiday, looked amazing in a simple white shirt & a-line skirt.  Audrey introduced us to many fashion staples including the fitted pants & ballet flats, the “little black dress”, cropped silhouettes, A-line skirts, gorgeous cocoon coats and an envious assortment of hats and earrings.   She wasn’t afraid to wear pants or a suit and “always retained an aura of femininity with her outfit choices.”

Above: Audrey’s signature cropped pants & ballet flats, LBD, gorgeous coats, and far right, at the age of 60, wearing a stunning rouge feathered dress by Oscar de La Renta at a benefit in 1989 for the Council of Fashion Design Awards (CFDA)

Julianne Moore, at the age of 54 (born 1960), the mother-of-two American actress looks spectacular both off-screen and on-screen and certainly knows how to dress to impress with jaw-dropping gowns on the red carpet.

Diane von Fustenberg, legendary fashion designer, who brought us her signature colourful prints and wrap dresses.  She is confident and not afraid to wear colour and shapes that show off her assets, at the age of 69 (born 1946), still looks amazing.

Closer to home, here in Australia, I admire the following fashionable ladies, mums, who are inspiring other women, and have defied the ‘stereotypical styles and age barriers’.

Lindy Klim, mother of three & entrepreneur owner of Milk & Co & the face of Witchery looks stunning both in a relaxed-denim look or dressed up for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (below far right, wearing Tony Maticevski at Fashion Week).

 

Yasmin Sewell, the Sydney born fashion consultant & mother of two, (now) based in London looks fantastic both dressed casually in jeans and dressed for Paris Fashion week, she is not afraid to be bold and show her personality through the way she dresses – I love her unique style.

Australian actress Cate Blanchett (mother of 4!) always looks immaculate at the age of 45, both off-screen in jeans, wearing a coordinate suit, or on the red carpet.  She chooses the right colours and styles to suit her shape & complexion and just the right amount of accessories for a chic yet understated look.

And lastly, our own Australian supermodel, Elle Macpherson (mother of 2) who still looks as amazing as ever, at the age of 51, and has maintained her casual relaxed style along the years, from jeans and loafers to leathers & heels.

Of course not all of us have the body of a supermodel, but the women above have shown us that we don’t have to limit the way we dress or define our styles by our age.  What is important is to know what styles to wear to suit our own body shapes, colour complexion and our lifestyles.

How should I dress at my age?

Many women have asked me whether they can get away with wearing certain things they have in their wardrobe that they wore years ago, or pre-motherhood.  I think the rule is to dress in what makes you feel comfortable and makes you happy. “Dress for yourself, not to impress others” ~ Alexa Chung.

I know many women who find it hard to know what styles suit them, their body shapes & complexion. Although they have a wardrobe full of clothes but “can never find anything to wear” or cannot find anything they feel comfortable or happy in. A lot of mums struggle with finding their own style again, particularly after their bodies / shapes change post motherhood.  As a mum, I myself have also gone through various wardobe refreshes post motherhood. We have all struggled with our changing body shapes at various points in our life, and it is knowing how best to dress to suit your body shape and complexion, to hide those wobbly bits we don’t like and how to bring out/ flatter our best assets.  For tips on dressing as a mum, please refer to my post How to dress like “Yummy Mummy”.

I recently read a post about a mum who, post motherhood, lived in her yoga pants for years.  Earlier this year she finally  decided to throw away her entire wardrobe of yoga and t-shirts and invest in 37 key staples pieces in her wardrobe.

You don’t always have to get rid of your entire wardrobes, (there are still times where yoga & track pants may be needed), nor should we become complacent and wear yoga pants or track pants every single day.   But with the right help and advice, you can invest on key wardrobe pieces that complement your body shapes, complexions & lifestyles.

So what’s the secret to timeless & ageless style? 

“It’s all about identity and dressing for you and who you are.. attitudes are changing. More women are saying, “I’m celebrating who I am and my uniqueness”. ~ Gok Wan

Ines de la Fressange,  French model, fashion designer & author of “How to dress like a Parisian” (great book by the way! 😉 where she shares the secrets of “effortless Parisian style”.  Ines’ golden rule of dressing is “1. Never follow convention, 2. Never be bland. 3. Never neglect yourself.  4. Always choose the right accessory to transform your look.”

Above: Ines de la Fressange in her collaboration for Uniqlo

Ladies, in your 30s, you can dress bolder.  You can “stop limiting your options by automatically ruling things out and start having fun with fashion again. Be fashion-forward with confidence and sophistication..” ~Bobbie Thomas, Today Style Editor.

“And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!” ― Audrey Hepburn 

As a Fashion Stylist, I love helping other women of all ages discover how to make themselves look & feel good again.  For me, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the transformation on my client’s face after a styling session, it is almost as if they have discovered their own beauty again. They always come out of a session more confident, happy and with a content smile.

I am lucky to have grown up with my mum’s unique sense of style.  She always looked stylish and wore (& still wears) timeless, classic pieces that withstand the test of time.  I still love borrowing items from her wardrobe today (& she also borrows mine too :). My sisters & I grew up watching Style by Elsa Klensch, Charlie’s Angels & Audrey Hepburn movies with my mum.  I believe through our own appreciation of fashion & style as well watching my mum’s approach to shopping, dressing and style at an early age, she instilled my sisters and my own sense of style.  🙂

I just styled a lovely mother & daughter last week who thoroughly enjoyed discovering new styles that brought out the best in their body shapes, we found some great wardrobe staples & they loved the whole styling experience.  As mother’s day approaches, consider giving your mum, your wife (or treat yourself 🙂 to that passionate ‘glow’ again, make her feel happy about the way she looks, and feel comfortable in her own skin.  Give her the gift of style*.

Follow J’adorais as we share key timeless pieces to add to your wardrobe that can be worn at any age.

*For more information on giving your mum the gift of style with a personal Fashion Styling consultation, please feel free to email me on info@jadorais.com (please note, my Fashion Styling services are Sydney-based only).