Rediscovering Style at 62 - The Freedom of Dressing for Myself

Fashion thrills me more at sixty-two than it ever has. I still purchase the latest issue of Vogue every month so I can be up on what’s new, but I also feel very drawn to vintage pieces and how they can be relevant now mixed in with what I already own.

If I’m going to be honest, the past year has been one of just getting through the day in more ways than one, mainly because of our home being in complete chaos. I think expressing my individual style comes in moments of clarity…when you put something on and just know “it’s you”, but that doesn’t happen as easilywhen everything around you is in chaos! Now that the dust has settled (literally) and I’ve had a chance to step back and begin to rethink my life and my business and really start to define what I want going forward, my sense of self and style is coming back. I look forward to going into my organized closet and getting dressed!

I’ve started dressing for the day more often than not…instead of just throwing on a pair of jeans. It is completely astounding how much better I feel when I put a few minutes of thought into my outfit and that translates into every part of my day. It’s a form of self care that we don’t often think about. When I’m dressed, even if I’m alone, I feel more confident, I make better choices and I get more done. It’s an energy I’m putting out into the Universe and it comes right back to me!

I have been obsessed with fashion and style for a long time but now…it started when I was a child and an older lady who was a friend of my parents gave me a stack of Vogue magazines (how I wish I still had that stack). I poured over those magazines and that experience planted a seed for me. I know that fashion is not all about what’s new…it’s also about expressing my individual style through a conversation I have with myself…

What makes me feel creative, what makes me feel confident, what makes me smile? It’s different on any given day, but I’m having more fun getting dressed than ever before…I’m still evolving…never finished! There is so much of this life and this world that I want to discover and truthfully, I don’t want to be finished (how boring). I want to remain alive in every way…comfortable with my imperfections, showing up in style and probably a bit undone but always growing. That my friends, feels like freedom!

How much fun is this outfit? It feels easy yet definitely makes a statement…it’s a little unexpected and that’s just how I like it! The skirt is from Hunter Bell and I purchased it at a local boutique called Brown. I loved it the minute I saw it and when I tried it on, I knew it would be mine! The cowboy boots (also from Brown), and the unusual cigar box handbag that I purchased at a thrift store years ago make the outfit and I think they’re perfect accessories! I added a simple short sleeve white tee, an older denim jacket and a necklace from Hart for a casual kind and of funky but well thought out look! I actually wore this outfit to have wine with friends last week!

You can read more about my cigar box handbag in my latest Substack!

I’ve also purchased a gold sequined top to go with the skirt…it’ll look great along with the boots but I’ll also wear it with different shoes and add a cropped fur coat for dressier occasions over the holidays.

Speaking of fur coats…I have two shorter fur coats that were my moms and I wear them often. I also have a couple of fur coats that hit my right below my hip that belonged to my friends mother-in-law who lived behind me. I love wearing those coats, knowing that I am keeping them alive in a new way! That’s the beauty of vintage fashion…it get’s reinvented and loved all over again!

As I continue to evolve, I’m learning that style is not about perfection or following every trend (although trends can be fun), but about showing up authentically and embracing where I am. Whether I’m dressed up or perfectly undone (which is usually the case), it’s the intention behind it that matters most. Here’s to stepping forward…confidently, curiously, and always in style.

As always…I would really love your comments, questions, constructive criticism…

Thanks so much for reading today!

~XOXO Suzanne