9 Reasons Why You Already Look Better Over 40
Somewhere along the way, we were told that our 40s are when style gets difficult. That it becomes a battle to keep up, to hold on, to look as good as we used to. It feels like it’s literally ingrained into us!
But I don’t buy it. I’m 47, and I’d argue that I actually dress better now than at any other point in my life.
The truth is, you probably already look better in your 40s than you did in your 20s, you just might not have noticed yet. Nobody talks about it much, but experience is one of the most underrated styling tools going. You can’t buy it, you can’t fast-forward it, and it makes every outfit decision easier.
So rather than treating this decade or the next as a tough ask, let’s flip the whole thing around. You already look great in your 40s, your 50s and well beyond. Yes you might need a little help styling your outfits from time to time, but the fundamentals of having good style, I bet you’ve already got that in bucket loads, here’s why…
First, Everyone Loses Their Style Mojo Sometimes
Let’s get one thing out of the way. Everyone loses their style mojo at some point, and it’s completely normal. Life gets busy, bodies change, your wardrobe stops feeling like you, and suddenly getting dressed feels like a chore. If that’s where you are right now, you are far from alone.
And that’s where I happily come in to help you along the way!
But here’s the thing. You’re probably far more stylish now than you were in your 20s. I know I am! And that’s worth giving yourself a proper pat on the back for. Long gone are the days of all that fashion angst, the outfit panic and the buying something new just because everyone else had it. You’ve got years of real style experience under your belt.
You might not know it yet, but you already bring all of that to the table to look even better than you did before. So what’s holding you back?
A lot of the time, confidence is the deciding factor. That’s where a little style guidance can help. Not to tell you who to be, but to help you make the decisions you already know, deep down, are right for you.
1. You Now Buy For Life, Not Just A Night Out
There was a time when I’d buy a whole outfit for one night out. The top, the shoes, the bag, all chosen for a single occasion and then quietly forgotten at the back of the wardrobe. Sound familiar?
Now I buy pieces for life. Before anything goes in the basket, I ask myself how many different ways I can wear it and whether it will still earn its place in a couple of years?
That one question changes everything. When you buy better and more considered, you end up with pieces you can wear on repeat. And slowly, one beautiful piece at a time, you’re curating your own version of a timeless capsule wardrobe.
You don’t need a big wardrobe overhaul or a dramatic clear-out, though I do personally like doing the latter. But it’s about a quiet, steady build of pieces, like small stepping stones, to create that forever wardrobe you’ve always wanted. And as you build that perfect capsule for you, you’ll start to notice the easy pairings. That pair of trousers you saved up for, they work beautifully with say 5 tops you already own. And the coat you invested in, that layers beautifully over every single outfit.
It’s also far more satisfying than the weekend only outfit ever was. You open the wardrobe and everything in there, is something you actually want to wear. That for me is priceless!
2. You Know Spending More Doesn’t Mean It’s Better Made
Life and years of experience have taught you that spend and quality don’t always go hand in hand.
We’ve all seen it. Big name designers selling £2,000 dresses made from 100% polyester, while a £100 dress in 100% organic cotton quietly gets on with being brilliant without needing a song and dance about it. A logo is not a guarantee of anything except a logo.
One of the best things about being over 40, brands can’t pull the wool over my, or your eyes anymore! You know what’s quality, and you know what’s having a laugh at your purses expense.
So you do the things that younger us skipped. You read the fabric label before you look at the price tag. You feel the material properly. You check the stitching, the lining and whether the pattern matches at the seams. You know the knits that are going to bobble after 3 wears and you can’t be hoodwinked into paying over the odds for anything less than the quality your wardrobe deserves.
It’s a real skill, and it saves you money, disappointment and a lot of returns. And if you’re not quite there yet don’t worry, it’s easy to learn and I’m happy to help. And step by step that need for quality pieces over ‘just something new’ will start to feel like second nature. My guide to what to avoid when buying knitwear this Autumn is a good example of this in action, because a bit of knowledge before you buy can make all the difference.
3. You No Longer Feel The Pressure To Be On Trend
The “it” handbag. The “in” jeans. The “must have” coat.
You can appreciate them, of course. But you certainly don’t feel the need to run out and buy them. By the time we get past 40, we’ve made every style mistake in the book, and we’re in no hurry to repeat them. Most of us have owned at least one jacket we can now only describe as “a phase”.
What you’ve learnt is that the best trends to invest in are the ones that suit you and work with what’s already in your wardrobe. Everything else can be admired from a safe distance, and that’s a very freeing place to shop from.
It’s the difference between being on-trend and actually being stylish. On-trend is about the moment. Stylish is about you.
That’s the same thinking behind my Autumn fashion trends guide: featuring the trends worth wearing, not the trends worth chasing. Because the best buys fit naturally into your wardrobe, if it feels forced it’s probably because it is. You can pick one or two that fit your life and leave the rest exactly where they are.
4. You’ve Stopped Overanalysing What Other People Think
Don’t get me wrong. Most of us care that we look nice on any given day, and it’s a lovely feeling when someone pays us a compliment.
But does it make or break our day if someone, often someone who isn’t even a friend, doesn’t like our outfit? Absolutely not.
The wonderful thing about being on this planet for 47 years is that I don’t much care if Josephine Bloggs doesn’t like my outfit, as long as two things are true. One, I like it. Two, I feel nice in it.
That’s the whole test now. No committee of imaginary critics, no changing three times before you leave the house, no standing in front of the mirror analysing what a stranger might think.
And that ease shows. It’s what effortless style is all about. Wearing something because you love it, is one of the most flattering things you can do. Confidence has a way of making everything you wear look better.
5. You’ve Got More Disposable Income, And You’re Getting Picky About Who Gets It
Here’s one that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. Chances are you have more money to spend on your outfits now than you did in your 20s.
Apparently the highest average household disposable income in the UK belongs to people aged 55 to 65. By the time we reach our 50s and 60s, we’re often at our most cash rich! And on top of that, we often have a little more time on our hands to shop! I’m looking forward to that 😉
And yet marketers seem to have missed the memo. Research shows that only 6% of women aged 45 to 54 feel represented in the adverts they see. Separate research from CPB London found that six in ten women aged 55 and over see a distinct lack of representation of older women in advertising. Isn’t that sad, 6 in 10 of us! That’s not right.
So brands are keen for us to spend our money, but they insist on showing the clothes they want us to wear on a 20-something? No thank you. If they don’t want to represent my age group properly in their marketing, why on earth should I spend my hard-earned pennies on their clothes?
With a larger portion of disposable income the older I get, I’m getting pickier about which brands get it. And when a brand is proud to represent my age group and beyond, I’ll show my appreciation with my wallet:)
6. You Know What Actually Suits Your Shape
Our bodies change. Sometimes it’s a lot, sometimes it’s a little, and sometimes it’s just that everything sits differently than it used to. Younger us might have taken that personally. Now you take it as helpful information.
You know where you like a waistline to sit. You know which necklines feel good and which ones make you tug at your top all day. You know whether you’re happiest in a high rise, a longer hem or a fuller sleeve, and you’ve stopped forcing yourself into shapes just because they were in a magazine and looked great on a model.
Fit is where this really pays off. A piece that fits properly will always beat a more expensive one that doesn’t. And by now you probably know a good tailor or alterations you can contact, or you’re at least are willing to find one because you know it makes a difference. Shortening a hem, taking in a waist or adjusting a sleeve costs very little and can turn a good buy into your new favourite piece.
Knowing your own proportions is a form of confidence. You’re no longer dressing for an idealised version of yourself. You’re dressing for the real one, and she pretty darn wonderful.
7. You’ve Found Your Colours And Your Signature
Ask most of us in our 20s what our personal style was and we’d have struggled to give an answer. Ask us now and there’s usually a clear thread running through the wardrobe.
Maybe it’s a love of tailored trousers and crisp shirts in a slightly more minimalistic fashion. Maybe it’s soft knits in a neutral palette, leaning towards a more feminine style or a great pair of jeans with a classic white T-shirt finished with a French vibe blazer. Whatever yours is, you’ve noticed what you reach for again and again, and you’ve started to buy more of it.
You also know your colours. You know which shades brighten your face and which ones leave you looking a bit tired, and you’ve stopped buying the ones that don’t. Sticking to a palette you love is one of the quickest ways to make a wardrobe feel cohesive, because everything starts to go with everything else.
The result is that getting dressed gets much easier. You’re not starting from scratch every morning. You’re working with a wardrobe that already knows who you are, and that’s a lovely place to be.
8. You Dress For Your Real Life
There’s a point where glamorous but impractical stops being fun. You’ve tried the shoes you can’t walk in, the top that needs constant adjusting and the dress that only works if you never sit down. We’ve all been there, and we’ve all learnt, eventually. Though I do try on a stunning red floor length gown the other day and fell in love!
Now comfort and style sit side by side. You want to look good, but you also want to move, sit, walk, travel and get through a long day without counting down the hours until you can change. *Thinking of you horribly painful knee-high boots I wore for a day in London once. I actually cried with relief David collected me from the station that day, barefoot and bruised!
It’s not a compromise to prioritise comfort. Some of the best-looking outfits are the ones where the wearer is clearly very comfortable. A well-cut flat shoe, a soft but structured fabric and a coat that’s warm enough for the weather all send the same message: this person knows what she’s doing.
Dressing for your real life also means building outfits around the things you actually do. Your wardrobe should work for how you actually spend your days, not the Instagram version you choose to share:)
9. You Look After What You Own
When you buy fewer, better pieces, you naturally start caring for them. Leather gets a wipe and a little conditioning. A loose button gets sewn back on before it goes missing, and a good steamer becomes a quiet wardrobe hero.
It also changes how you shop. Once you’ve looked after a piece for a few years, you start to see clothes as long-term companions rather than quick fixes. You ask whether something will wash well, wear well and still look good in five years’ time, and that’s a much better question than whether it’s on sale.
Small habits like these make clothes last years longer. They also keep everything looking sharper, and a well-kept piece always looks better than one that’s been neglected, whatever the cost in the first place.
There’s something rather lovely about it too. Repairing, caring for and re-wearing your clothes is a more thoughtful way to dress, and it’s kinder to your bank balance and the planet. You’re not just building a wardrobe. You’re giving it the care and love it deserves. After all, dare we count up the pennies we’ve spent on ‘said’ wardrobes, I want that spend to actually last a lifetime!
When You Hit A Style Slump, Here’s What I Do
As I said at the start, feeling stuck in a style slump is completely normal. It happens to all of us, and I’ve been there more than once. So when it hits, this is what I do.
I go back to my favourites. I pull out the pieces I’ve worn the most in the last year and look at what they have in common. That’s my style, already telling me what it wants more of.
I shop my own wardrobe first. Before I buy anything, I try what I already own in new ways. A different pair of shoes, a belt, a tucked-in top or a fresh layer can make an old favourite feel new again.
I get things altered. Half the time a piece isn’t wrong, it just doesn’t quite fit. A hem taken up or a waist nipped in can turn something I’d stopped wearing into something I reach for again.
I add one or two good pieces, not a whole new wardrobe. A slump isn’t a sign I need an overhaul. One or two well-chosen pieces that fill the gaps, like a great coat or a pair of trousers that works with everything, usually does the trick.
I wait before I buy. If I want something but I’m not sure, I give it a few days. If I’m still thinking about it, it’s probably a keeper. If I’ve forgotten about it, that’s my answer. And when I do buy, I read the label and sit down in it in the changing room.
Plus I remind myself it will pass. A slump isn’t a sign you’ve lost your style. It’s usually a sign you’re ready for the next chapter of it, and that’s something to look forward to.
So, Do You Look Better In Your 40s? Absolutely!
And not in spite of your age, but partly because of it, and it only gets truer in your 50s and beyond.
You buy smarter. You spot real quality. You skip the trends that aren’t for you. You choose which brands deserve your money. You know your shape, your colours and your signature. You dress for your real life and you look after what you own. And you wear it all with a confidence and a skip in your step that can’t be bought at any price.
That’s what fashion over 40 really looks like, and it’s a lot more fun than chasing whatever’s “in” this month.
So if you’ve ever felt that your best style days were behind you, I hope this has changed your mind. They’re not behind you. They’re right now, and they’re only getting better from here on in:)
