This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Discover the style that works for you with Maggie Cox’s guide for the over 50’s.
When I heard about this book I knew that I would enjoy it because Maggie Cox is singing from the same hymn sheet as both Grace and I.
In this book Maggie Cox has challenged the fashion industry head on. She shows that women over 50 – and beyond – can still have relevance and style. No longer are we invisible, and younger women can learn a lot from our generation. We have been around and experimented with fashion. Hopefully we have now found the styles, colours and shapes that suit us.
Maggie Cox identifies the four qualities that make style: Surprise, True to yourself, Artistry and Reinvention. Follow these and you become a style S.T.A.R.
Maggie reminds us that Fashion is not the same as Style. “Fashion is something that is churned out twice or four times a year according to what the design doyens think will drive sales.”
Fashions fade. Style is eternal.
Yves Saint Laurent
However Maggie Cox does not think we should ignore fashion. She suggests that we must keep and eye on what is new in the current fashion scene. Perhaps incorporate it in some way into the way we dress. Style is what we choose.
One of the many things that I love about this book is that Maggie Cox expounds the theory that, whilst we may not have that so-called perfect model figure, we can still be beautiful.
The thing about a body is that it’s a complicated thing. And we don’t see all of it at once – not usually anyway! We’re drawn to details. Great news for us young oldies because we can show off the best and make the rest disappear under semi-fitted, or flowing garments.
Maggie Cox
Maggie asks did we ever have a perfect body? She is right, even top models will tell you something they don’t like about their bodies. So let’s make the best of what we have!
Age and size are only numbers. It’s the attitude that we bring to clothes that makes the difference.
Donna Karan
Throughout the book Maggie gives tips and mentions to brands or shops that work for older women. For example she suggests that we investigate the Robell range of super comfortable pull-on trousers and jeans if your proportions have strayed in waist of bum.
Maggie looks at the contemporary mix of clothes in the marketplace. She shows that there are exciting clothes for us if we know where to search.
Maggie gives recommendations on make-up, independent shops to visit, how to edit your wardrobe (not as ruthless as Marie Kondo). She discusses special occasion wear – something most of us panic about. She also talks about fashion today.
This book includes many tips. It is a book of reassurance that you can look good at your age. However it is written with humour and personal experience.
Time to re-thing the image we want to show to the world. It really is never too late to look good.
To buy Maggie’s book in either Kindle or paperback form click here