Boots Made for Walking

For Thanksgiving, I wore a zip sweater, a straight skirt and my new tall boots. Not surprisingly, I got several compliments from female relatives who hadn’t seen my new boots until then. I say “not surprisingly” because I’ve been getting compliments on my new boots every time I wear them. If, like me, you love to wear skirts but live in a cold winter region, tall boots are both a practical solution and a flattering look for women over 50 look. And the good news: there are lots of flat and low heel boot designs available. That's because boots are tres fashionable this fall/winter season. And even better news: there’s a huge selection of boots on sale right now. If you’re reading this on or before Cyber Monday, November 29, there’s at least one super boot sale you should check out (see below).

Always looking for a bargain, I went to Designer Shoe Warehouse for my new tall boots (pictured at the top of this posting). I love shopping at the DSW store for two other reasons: 1) I don’t have to vie for help from a shoe attendant; it’s self-service and 2) the store is huge, so I can put on a pair of boots and walk around in them for a while, see how they feel and whether I like them. As you can see, I chose a boot with a slight heel. Since I'm only 5'4", I like to wear a little heel for lift whenever I can. Even if the days of wearing high spiked heels are over for you, you may find you can still wear a boot a wide, slight heel to add a little lift and femininity to your look.

If you don't have a DSW store nearby, check out the website. I don’t know where you’ll find a bigger selection of online boots than at the Designer Shoes Warehouse (DSW) site. In fact, the site is so large that you’ll probably want to narrow it down according to a particular feature. Even so, if you narrow it down to, say, boots under $50 , you’ll find 127 different designs.

CYBER MONDAY ONLYAnother site worth an immediate look is Macy’s. The department store is having a Cyber Monday sale on November 29th. If you can’t decide whether you want to buy a tall boot or a short bootie, Macy’s may have the solution. On Cyber Monday, if you buy one pair of selected boots, get a second pair for free at Macy’s.

OTHER BOOT BARGAINSRight now, it's pretty easy to find boots--dress, casual, tall, short, with heels, without heels--on sale for under $200. Here's just a small sample...






Anne Klein Andrea Casual Boot (Grey) for $129.99.





Anne Klein Calantha Tailored Boot (Brown) for $139.99.

If you can wear a little bit of a heel, there's...



Anne Klein Grenti Tailored Boot (Brown) for $139.99.


Cole Haan has a number of boot designs on sale, including…
Brookings Boots -- $189

Air Liberty Flat Boots -- $189

Air Petra Tall Boots -- $149

At J. Crew, check out DixonTall Boots for $198.

Lord and Taylor has a pretty good selection of boots for less than $200. If you can tolerate heels, take a look at Tahari Delia Tall Sueded Stretch Boots for $119.


BIGGER BARGAINS--BOOTS UNDER $100
There's also a great selection of boots under $100. The
Skechers Shape-ups Boots 11812 for $89 are available at the Planet Shoes website.



Or visit Kenneth Cole. The website has a half dozen boot designs in leather or suede for under $100. Nordstrom has a very large selection of boots. Fortunately, you can narrow down the choices to save time. For instance, if you click “under $100” and then “flat” boot styles, you’ll see just the boots under those categories. The last site I'll mention (but only because I want to get this post up to alert people to Macy's Cyber Monday sale) is Eddie Bauer, which has a pair of Clarks Grazer Buckle Boots for $99.

Is There an Age Limit on Jeggings?

Yesterday, I learned a new word: Jeggings. Jeggings are medium-weight, stretch cotton leggings. The word, I was told, is what you get when you combined “jeans” and “leggings.” Maybe if I had daughters instead of sons, I would have known that. All the high school girls in my town are wearing some kind of leggings this season; some of the leggings are probably jeggings. The word came to my attention only yesterday, when an over 50 girlfriend arrived at my doorstep wearing a jean jacket, a short creamy cashmere v-neck sweater and jeggings. And it made me wonder: Are jeggings ever a flattering fashion choice for women over 50?

My friend told me her jeggings were “the most comfortable pants” she’d ever owned. And I know many over 50 women think comfort is all that matters. However, this blog is about flattering 50 and I don’t believe 50-something women can wear whatever they want and expect to always look good. Simply put: a short sweater or jacket with skin-tight jeggings looks cartoonish--at any age. And my fashion rule is: If a trend looks cartoonish on a teenager, don’t try it at age 50. ‘Cartoonish’ may be fun and edgy at 17, but it’s just sad at 50.

DO JEGGINGS EVER WORK OVER 50?
Can jeggings ever flatter the over 50 woman? The simple answer is "yes." But there are a couple of cavets to successful jeggings styling on older women. Specifically...

• Beware of Bottom Coverage. I don't care how skinny you are, please don't tuck a shirt into jeggings or pair the bottoms with a short blouse or sweater for the reason stated above. Instead, look for longer tops.
•  Assess Your Legs Honestly.

Just how long a top over jeggings should be will depend on your comfort level and what your legs look like. If you have great legs, especially long legs, you may be able to wear a sweater or tunic that falls a little above mid-thigh. If, however, you have less than perfect legs, like me, I strongly advise a longer top or short dress over tight-fitting jeggings. If I wear a tight bottom with a top that hits me high on the thigh, it's like pointing a neon arrow at my stocky legs. For short women, the longer top should be lightweight and have some structure. Boxy tunics or chunky sweaters with jeggings only flatter women with nicely shaped, long legs. Finally, I know over 50 women who feel self-conscious about their skinny legs. They like to wear jeggings under dresses or longer sweaters to add a little weight to their legs.




JEGGINGS SHOPPING

There's a good jeggings selection at Amazon.com

Women's Plus Dark-Wash Jeggings at Old Navy

Several jegging choices at Target

Lauren Jean Co. at Macy's

Denim legging in petite sizes at Banana Republic

Sexy Flats for Women Over 50

Sexy flats? I know--it sounds like an oxymoron. When I think of sexy footwear, I think of stilettos--the kind Marilyn Monroe sauntered down the sidewalk in. But thanks to this season’s trends of peep toes, sling backs and shoe trimmings, flats are looking lovely--sophisticated, feminine and, yes, even sexy in some cases. This is fabulous news for women over 50 who've had to shelve their stilettos, but still want to convey that they are alive and ready to kick up their flats. And there's more good news--many of the flats are under $50. For instance, the pair of
Anne Klein Jamila Dress Detailed (Silver) at the top of this post are on sale for $39 and come in black and gold as well. Click on the photo or shoe name for details. Here are a few more examples...

Anne Klein Grayland Dress Detailed (Purple) for $39.99.


Anne Klein Mavra Casual Flat (Green) for $49.99.



WHICH STYLE IS BEST FOR YOU?Shoes on over 50 women should exude sophistication and energy. And, yes, whenever possible, they should be sexy. Obviously, there are occasions—housework, gardening, hiking—when something practical and sturdy are needed. But for activities like office work and evenings out, a feminine shoe flatters women over 50.

If your feet are average-to-long and narrow, you can probably wear all the styles—pointed or round toe, with or without trimmings. Remember the pointy shoes that had points extending several inches beyond a woman's actual toes? Well, the days of those silly, wicked witch style shoes seem to be over. This season's pointy shoes are pretty subtle. Thank goodness.



If you’re like me, with feet that are small-to-average, you may want to be careful when buying round toes. The round toe shoe or classic ballet slipper look awfully juvenile on my smallish feet. The last person I want is to resemble Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Personally, I prefer a slightly pointed toe.

That said, some of the toe trimmings on the round toe shoes disguise the ballet styling and create a more grown-up look. Take a look at...



Anne Klein Marcella Casual Flat (Black) For $39.





Anne Klein BamBam (Purple) for $49.99.






Anne Klein Bernadet Casual Sport (Black) for $49.99.



Anne Klein Buttons Flat (Red) for $49.


TRENDY TEXTURESHow many pairs of black leather shoes and boots do you own? Maybe it's a New York thing, but my shoe rack is overrun with black leather footwear. If you dare, there are plenty of flats with textures--colorful suede, sequins, woven looks--to choose from this season. Here's a couple of examples...





GOING UP?If you can wear a slight heel or wedge, the number of shoe choices seems to explodes! Personally, I find I can wear average-height heels one day as long as I wear flat shoes--flats, boots, sneakers--on the days before and after. As long as I rotate, my feet don't rebel. Here's a few designs that caught my eye...


From Max Studio...



FLAT-6.5-SILVER for $149.



From Anne Klein...


Anne Klein Danvers Dress Detailed (Black) for $49.99.






WANT MORE?Want to see some more flats? You'll find a really nice selection of ballet flats by Cole Haan. The shoe designer is known for comfortable footwear. Most of the designs are over $100, but a few are below. Also, J. Crew has some pretty bejeweled flats for $198. I leave you with a few more under $100 flats. The pixs are tiny--sorry! However, if you like a style, click on the photo and it will take you to the online shopping site where you can see a larger version.

Chunky Sweaters: Online EVERYwhere!

True confession: I have a sweater fetish. Here in the Northeast, the cold weather moves in around late-October and stays till late April. My sweater collection helps me cope with the grim reality of frequent temperatures hovering at or below freezing. Needless to say, I’m thrilled that chunky sweaters are the trend this season. These sweaters come in every imaginable style—cowl neck, shawl, cable, wrap, turtleneck, cardigan, pullover, and more. With so many styles to choose from, the hard part will be deciding on just one or two. The good news is there is a chunky sweater style to flatter every over 50 figure and many of them are on sale right now. With the holiday season approaching, a chunky sweater might also make a perfect gift for a sister or girlfriend.


THE WELL-MADE SWEATER
There are lots of very pricey chunky sweaters online (Ann Taylor has a very nice Cashmere Cable Open Wrap for $348.). However, for this posting, I’m going to focus on sweaters under $200, many of them under $100.

Chunky sweaters are available in all the trendy shades--gray and beige as well as jewel colors like amethyst and sapphire. Macy's actually has a Chunky Sweater section online. Check out Lauren Jeans Co. Sweater, Luana Shawl Collar Cabled sweater for $99.50.

Tommy Hilfiger has a similar Shawl Cardigan for $69 in four shades on its website.

At the Gap online, you'll find a Alpaca blend shawl collar cardi for $69.50. Or Cable cardigan for $69.50. Or the Sherpa moto sweater for $128.00. And check out the Double-knit alpaca blend cardi for $79.50.


A couple of other chunky sweater examples...

From Jones New York...


Jones New York Long Sleeve Dolman Wrap Cardigan (Pattern) for $98.






Jones New York Three-quarter Cowl Neck Sweater (Pattern) for $79.

Talbots has six chunky sweater designs online, ranging in price from $134-159. Right now, if you buy one sweater, you can get a second one for 50% off. I’d love to see any of them on a woman over 50.

Also, check out Banana Republic. I love the details on the Cable-knit military sweater jacket in dark gray. It's on sale for $89.50. I also like the Horizontal cable turtleneck in four pretty shades. It's priced at $89.50.

WHAT TO WEAR WITH YOUR CHUNKY SWEATERIn general, my fashion rule is: Never going bulky head-to-toe. It's too much, especially if you’re average height like me. Instead, plan to wear a bulky sweater with either a straight or light-weight skirt, jeans or slacks--bottoms without heavy or excess material. If you are feeling a little fashion adventurous, you might try creating the trendy “unexpected” look. Pick up any fall 2010 fashion magazine and you’ll find designers pairing a chunky sweater with a light-weight flirty lace or flowing skirt and possibly a pair of leather, long boots. Personally, I think it’s a lot of fun to mix things up a bit. It's good humored and makes me feel energized.


You'll find other chunky sweaters that would look great with flirty skirts on the Macy's website. For example, check out Buffalo Jeans Sweater, Lucyna Chunky Knit Cutaway Cardigan for $99.

LONG AND CHUNKY…Short chunky sweaters are perfect for flirty skirts. But when I'm running errands, I want to wear jeans or straight slacks. Longer chunky sweaters are great over straight-legged pants. On the Macy's website, you'll find Fever Sweater, Long Fringe Open Front Cardigan. Normally, I’m not crazy about fringe, but I like it with this green sweater. I also like the sale price of $57.99. Tommy Hilfiger has a Long Sweater Coat for $99 in 3 shades.


Below are a few examples of long, chunky sweaters.

From Max Studio ...




PULLOVER SWEATER-ASST-BLUE for $98.







BOY FRIEND SWEATER-M-HEATHER OATMEAL for $128


And just for the fun of it, here’s a video clip on chunky sweaters for young moms. However, as the woman reporting points out, chunky sweaters work for any age, any shape. The clip begins with chunky sweaters on the runway, followed by why they are a great trend for fall 2010. Enjoy!