UP FRONT | STYLE
Fashion Makeover Give your closet a refresh to look your best BY LORIE A. PARCH
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hether you’re someone who’s always loved clothes or could never be bothered to think about fashion, when you hit your middle years you might find that what used to work for your body simply doesn’t anymore. When I reached my late 40s, I finally came to appreciate the joy of an elastic waistband, but I was also sad not to feel as confident in what I wore. Somewhere along the way, I’d lost the fun of shopping and getting dressed. That’s when I enlisted the help of a professional stylist. I asked her to be brutally honest in assessing what was in my closet and to put together a few outfits that weren’t my usual palette of black, gray and blue. Her advice was invaluable — and eye-opening. Here are some pro style tips to get you started on your wardrobe refresh:
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Edit, edit, edit. Start by really thinking about where you’re going and what you’re doing, whether you want a style overhaul or just a few tweaks. “Are you at the office a lot? Do you work out a lot? Are you transitioning into retirement?” asks Rachel S. Dickerson, stylist and owner of Golden Style Consulting in Chicago. “That clarity will not only help you know what to buy,” she says, “but also what doesn’t need to stay in your closet.”
Do a five-minute visualization. “Women should start by understanding what they really do love to wear,” says Maegan Watson, founder and CEO of the Watson Style Group in Los Angeles. Think back to a memorable outfit: Why did you love it? How did you feel? What colors were you wearing? “Use that as a filter for everything else in your closet,” she says. “Many of our clients have a closet full of stuff that’s decades old. They may have felt great in an