60s Fashion (And we don’t mean go go boots!)

Nov 24, 2020 | Blog

To this day, I am not as old as my mother was when she was my age. I refuse to go down the path of “matronly” when I want to look as great as I can. Because it feels good. And we deserve to feel good. I suppose there comes a time and place to give up on beauty and style. But today’s not the day.

My name is Sandy Van Pelt and I have had the fortune to work on the performing arts stage and in the home decor industry for quite a while. I love the harmonious feeling when colors and textures come together to create just the right mood.

The tough thing as we approach what I like to think of as the most exciting chapters of our lives is to strike a stylish tone without looking like we’re trying too hard. The key is to embrace your age and worship it, instead of trying to run away from it. Slapping on the latest trend for trend’s sake (Hello, blue eyeshadow!) can only make us look like we’re trying to be something that we aren’t. Real style is honoring our true selves. Authenticity is sexy.

I always recommend deciding which body parts are your best features. And yes, you have some. Pick two that you really love. Stand in front of a mirror and say, “I love how my calves look” or “I have beautiful arms” or “My face is gorgeous!!!!” Then make all of your fashion choices based on your favorite features.

If you have knockout legs, wear skinny jeans or leggings with a long top. If you’ve got great arms, go sleeveless. Showcase a nice waist with mid-torso belts, fitted jackets, tops and dresses. If you have hypnotizing eyes, consider earrings, jewelry, scarves and interesting collars to draw the eye up to your face.

2021 wardrobe staples that everyone woman should own right now are at least one pair of jeans, one pair of leggings, and one pair of dress pants that fit you well. If they are too tight or uncomfortable, get rid of them and get new ones. The size doesn’t matter; the fit does!

Then add a slightly tailored or fitted jacket, swing sweater or duster. Include one top that will coordinate with your choice of jean, legging or pant. Focus on solid colors relying on textures as the focus factor unifying your style! This is a key point to avoid looking stylish without looking matronly. Avoid florals, loud patterns, washed out colors. Stick with solid colors. You can add interest with accents and pattern in your accessories: scarves and jewelry.

Speaking of scarves, they are one of my favorite accessories. I call them wardrobe jewelry. When you keep your basic wardrobe simple, you can add a lot of fun, color and personality by throwing on scarves. I prefer nice, long scarves that can be wrapped around in multiple uses. The nice thing from a budget standpoint is that scarves are fairly inexpensive. And always fit, no matter how much pizza or chocolate cake may have crossed out path.

Once again, the real trick to looking stylish and avoiding the “matronly/trying to hard” trap is to embrace our age and showcase how beautiful we really are right now. We deserve to feel gorgeous. Because we are.