I have strong opinions about women “of a certain age” and I won’t be swayed in these ideas. They definitely play in to style after 50.

At our age, we are strong, we have survived so much; we are wise, we have learned so much; we are appreciative, because in some cases we have lost so much.

And so, it follows, that we must remain visible because our knowledge, our power, our hearts, are so valuable, not only to family and friends, but to the world.

What does any of this have to do with style? Everything, dear readers! After all, the very definition of style is “a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed.”

By design, we are powerful and valuable… our personal style after 50 should reflect that we are who we have become, who we have fought to become in many cases, and we will unapologetically own the style that defines each of us.

So here are some tips that I follow in maintaining my own sense of style after 50.  I do hope it inspires you, dear readers!

Tip #1: Embrace your curves

If you have curves, and they make you proud, embrace them. Here’s a suggestion: Opt for a knee length dress that fits you well, or is tailored to do so, or a fitted pencil skirt that sits high on the waist and hits just below the knee.  And I’ll talk about bare arms in a moment but as you can see… I am not opposed to showing mine!

Tip #2: Slim fitting jeans

Slim fitting jeans will elongate the legs. Of course, the perfect fit is ideal and it can take some time to find jeans that suit you perfectly. You may recall that I fell in love with the jeans pictured below earlier this year, they are exclusive to Halsbrook. They are made by Fabrizio Gianni and feature a four-way stretch, a slim leg and tone-on-tone stitching, which makes the silhouette extremely flattering. The only thing better than the way these jeans make me look is the way these jeans make me feel.

Tip#3: Embrace your arms!

Am I suggesting that you should bare arms? Sure, if you want to, or don’t… if that’s what you want.

Here’s what I do: I am comfortable showing my arms or, if at any time I am not, such as when wearing a certain blouse I love that shows too much (pictured below), I opt for a long sleeve nude shell underneath.

We ran a wonderful story about this very subject penned by two very chic stylists that I adore (based in L.A.), “The Right To Bare Arms.”

Tip #4: Bring on the block heels! 

If you can’t wear the popular stiletto but you would still like a shoe with some height, opt for either wedges or block heels. Block heels are very much in style now, thankfully, making them easy to find.

I am a huge fan of Prada’s block heels (pictured below), in part because they are very comfortable!

Tip #5: Meet the Little Black Jumpsuit.

Or grey, or whatever color you so choose. Jumpsuits are an easy, breezy way to look chic from head to toe with minimal effort and they are truly timeless.

In fact, Shelly bought me the grey and black jumpsuits pictured below in New York at the Geoffrey Beene shop twenty-five years ago! They still fit — yes, I am pleased about that — and they are both staples in my wardrobe.

What are the secrets to YOUR personal style? I would so love to hear from you either in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.