What To Wear When You're 30-Something...

[Lapin de Lune]

Thirtysomething fashion

I hope I'm posting this in the right section!

I am looking for blogs or fashion related websites which focus on fashion/personal style within a 30-45 yr old age range. I did do a bit of searching but didn't come up with anything really substantial, and wonder if there is anything at all out there?

I am not looking for sites containing 'fashion rules' or 'how to dress', etc, etc, just the regular fashion focused stuff that we are used to seeing from younger writers and photographers.
I would love to see how other thirtysomethings interpret their passion for ...all things fashion

 

[The_Ida]

Go to COS and buy the whole shabang.

 

[Sylwiasta]

^ Unfortunetly it did not work in my case

I am 33 now and my outfits were COS in 80%. I do not know if they changed anything within their designer team, but I have realised that I cannot wear these shapeless clothes anymore. I need to see my waist now I used to be this kind of boyish type figure which looked fantastic in clothes from COS with their slightly masculine and arty edge but I cannot pull that off anymore in my 30s with roundier hips and bust. I am still a size 8 but I feel more comfortable in clothes a size bigger and new COS' collection seems to swallow me when worn this way!

I am really frustrated after a week of trying things on and not a decent pair of trousers in sight! The British highstreet is ruled by skinny jeans still (haven' they seen any Stella McCartney's collection?) and short but wide tops.

I think I reached a point in my life when a total look Zara is not appropriate anymore but I cringe at the prices of designer's clothes at Harvey Nichols...

 

[The_Ida]

I imagine myself wearing COS when I'm in my 30's (in not so many years...gulp). I don't know why, really, but I think it has to do with the simplicity. I am going to have people working for me, and I don't want to have look both dull AND formal. Ick.

COS is easy for me, it just works well for my frame I guess? I haven't noticed if they've changed anything this last year though.

 

[La Vanguardia]

I'm in my mid-30s and I'm more drawn to solid colors. I also try to buy well-tailored clothes, regardless of the brand, and invest a lot in alterations. A good fitting outfit works wonders (regardless of one's age).

 

[Lapin de Lune]

I am trying to transition at this stage, but taking it quite slowly. One issue is that my body hasn't altered at all since my twenties (yet!...it'll happen eventually, haha), and I feel quite scared of moving out of my usual comfort range.
But mentally I have a wholly different attitude, which is what I think growing older is all about, so this is the more determining factor than any kind of style rules or physical changes as yet.
It's like my mind is tired/bored with Topshop, yet it is the only high street store that works well with my body shape.

It is true that I am becoming more concerned with great basics (which I've heard a lot of you discussing here), and less interested in crazy patterns and flirty styles.

you know, the truth is, if I'm entirely honest, I always had this penchant for eccentricity, which the younger me never dared to carry off - something I would love to refine in future decades, with a chuckle and a sense of fun...but right now, I still feel too young (or scared) to indulge it, for I think our thirties are a really awkward stage (you're neither here nor there!) so perhaps it becomes a decade of transition in itself.

Really glad my question was dropped into this thread. It's been intriguing to read so far.

 

[Hebden]

Oddly, the thing that changed most noticeably for me was my taste in jewelry...in my teens and 20's I hated gold or gold-toned jewelry and would only wear silver...in my 30's I suddenly had an urge for gold .

Other than that, as some others have said, I think it's a time to buy a few good quality pieces. You've (hopefully) figured out what you like...or what works for you...by this point so you can buy a few better items that fall into that category and keep "testing" other styles from Zara, COS, etc (because, after all, life doesn't end when you move out of your 30's...your style will keep evolving...my grandmother used to dress incredibly, I'm still inspired by the clothes I remember her wearing).

 

[Sylwiasta]

Do you also have that symptomes of getting older as liking ony VERY expensive, DESIGNER handbags? No matter how nice, a bag from Zara will not cut it anymore!

If I were a handbag in my mid thirties I would be a Celine Nano Shopper

 

[SabrinaNicole]

Yes, I agree with you about Liz Hurley. She looks great for her age but there are some things like a strapless leopard dress that look better before the mid 30s:
http://www.stylelist.com/2011/03/11/elizabeth-hurley-look-of-the-day/

The rule in the 30s is to dress in a way that is comfortable and stylish. If you feel sloppy, not so put together or are wearing something better left to the 20 something set, you will know that. It's not a big deal imo before 35 but after the mid 30s it's better to tone down the wardrobe some but without veering in to Old Lady territory. Accesories are especially important and can instantly improve your look and make you look your age.

i dont think early 30's need to worry so much

but......after the age of 34 (this seems to be THE year where it all starts) you need to really take a look at yourself. liz hurley could pull off what she wore in her early 30's but now shes 39........she just cant in the way she used to, it looks sort of wannabe young again even though its only a few years difference

 

[quimby]

I'm not sure that your style has to necessarily change, but I do find it helpful to institute various adjustments, in attitude mostly:

- better quality material which won't show every lump or bump. even if you don't have these, the material conveys a certain polish that carries well on a 30+ year old.
- along with that, better construction. jackets should be lined, seams should match, etc. you'll probably end up spending more in pursuit of these things, but it's not necessary in itself.
- some things just look better on women, not girls, imo. like high heels, diamonds. growing older doesn't just mean giving up things. there are things that you can acquire, like a signature eccentricity or individuality, along with certain totems of femininity like those mentioned above, that you earn with age.


When i first grew conscious of being older, i worried a lot about "pulling things off" and the rules and such. now I don't really care. it doesn't matter if you're 18 or 38, but if you dress with intelligence and knowledge of your own body and proclivities and lifestyle, what you wear will make sense for you.

 

[HiHeels]

For me, it's always better to dress older than younger. I start to feel the transition to a new aesthetic, or to sensitivity to changes and differences in what I am from what I was, when I approach milestones, but always before they actually arrive (late 20s prompted thinking about 30s, now approaching late 30s and thinking about 40s), so that the shift is gradual.
Presently, my priority is for polish, for items with design integrity, top quality of production, and zero reference to anything undignified. I am not exposed to the cheapness of celebrity, so my taste is inspired instead by my experiences, my life, my needs, my ideals. I know that I do not want to spend a day in uncomfortable shoes. I know that I do not want ill-fitting clothing. I value quality over quantity. Have I found any reliable sources to regularly inspire or advise me? Only exchanges with good friends, and selective street style inspirations. I've grown into style confidence, so I can listen to myself instead of testing trends. I know what proportions I like, what degree of symmetry is appealing, the colors I enjoy, the materials I return to. I avoid stores and media outlets that are motivated to influence me for their own success, not my satisfaction. There is a store in my city that sells the same 'made in Italy' shoes every season, every year. They do not change their styles. They know their identity and expect their customer to know theirs. I like maybe 2 of their designs out of a hundred, but that is my job, to know what I want from the selection. It's really a fun process, to know yourself well enough to know how to dress yourself. The women I really admire are always those who are able to convey themselves through their style. It's not about a hot shoe or a current bag, it's about the connection between the appearance and the person.

 

[lola rose]

Do you also have that symptomes of getting older as liking ony VERY expensive, DESIGNER handbags? No matter how nice, a bag from Zara will not cut it anymore!

If I were a handbag in my mid thirties I would be a Celine Nano Shopper

Oh, I have that symptom all right. And it's true, it all started in the 30's! Before that Zara's handbags did a miracle for me, but now I am more like: "Hrm.. ok, but I think I'll pass.."

 

[Lapin de Lune]

I know the feeling.
But I'm still at my 20-something income

 

[Heroin_Chic]

I think the supermini-skirts should be replaced by short skirts that almost meet the knee.

Not really for the "modesty" but for the "seriousness" of oneself.

 

[HiHeels]

^but that is about seriousness, not age. i suppose age is just one of many ways to approach how we dress. i don't know if rules "have" to apply at any age. how you dress entirely depends on how you want to be perceived. if you want to be perceived as more serious, at any age, you dress accordingly. clothing is a code - it can be more, but when it isn't more, it's always that. people read something from it, and we can actively shape what they see. if there are social expectations of who or what we ought to be by, at, or after a certain age, we can use clothing to match those expectations, or to rebel against them. so i suppose the question shouldn't really be "what should i wear if i'm over 30," but rather, what should i wear if i want to appear ____________ (fill in the blank).

 

[Les_Sucettes]

I didn't change my style at all when I turned 30, age means nothing to me, as i got older i just felt i did not have the body to wear certain clothes and they have been dropped through the years. I do not wear hotpants anymore, or very low rise jeans, or short tops.
I simply adapted my style, something that is also not static, to the way my body aged, not because of a number.

 

[Rova]

I am confused, I think.
I believe that I'm more knowledgeable now at thirty than I was when I was twenty and I believe that I'm able to view myself from the outside and knowing what my style looks like instead of just looking in the mirror and trying to show of my figure and sticking to all black, like I used to.
The problem is my visions are most likely as clouded now as they were back in the days.

Ten years ago I saw the chance to dress as a dame in a brothel and now I see my chance to dress ladylike in a kind of vintage style that probably reads granny to some people.

I must try not to think about this too much

 

[tourist10]

I went through a bit of a style identity crisis after my baby was born, not only because my body changed so much post pregnancy but also because my life was so different after. I think for many, big lifestyle changes like marriage/kids/etc happens in your 30's, so if so, 30 can be a big turning point for many people, style wise included. It's a bit interesting, but now that I've reached certain milestones in my life (family and career), I most certainly feel like a fully realized adult, and I suddenly feel less shy about looking like one. I don't want to be wearing the same clothes that younger women are wearing. I want jackets, to tuck in my blouse into high waist, wide leg pants, to wear heels (albeit low ones). And yes, I've also been bitten by the luxury item bug! Suddenly the Chanel reissue 2.55 is the most beautiful bag I've ever seen (and will never own, lol).

 

[HiHeels]

^ i can relate to this tourist10. definitely i had a sort of, 'oh, i'm a grown-up, and that's a good thing' epiphany and that is reflected in many things, many choices, among them, my style and clothes.

 

[tourist10]

^ yes, that's exactly it! Being comfortable with being an adult. I think I would feel flattered being called "madame." Everyone will personalize that in their own way, but for me, it really does mean making style choices that make me *feel* like an adult. It's not to say that women in their 30's can no longer wear skinny jeans with converse or short skirts, for example, but for me, it wouldn't quite feel right.