How to Accessorize After 40

Belt it, scarf it, adorn it -- the right way.

Cynthia Nellis explains on Style Goes Strong


Bracelets, worn layered, are a great look for over 40.

You aren't still wearing the same accessories you did 20 years ago, are you?

The simplest (and most cost-effective way) to update your wardrobe is by adding new accessories. A new scarf here, the right bracelet there will make all the difference.

Here's an easy guide to help you do it right:

Big hoop earrings. Ready for a cheap, easy way to look younger and hipper? Try large hoop earrings (you can find them almost everywhere for less than $10) in gold or silver to add an instant update.

At 52, Sharon looks spectacular. And not in a trying-to-look-young way, but in a way that helps define what a middle-age woman can look like: sexy, confident, daring, chic.

Which is why I paid so much attention when Sharon showed up to an event last week wearing supersized hoop earrings. I'm a recent oversized hoop convert and think they add instant glamour to everything. Mine aren't quite as large as Sharon's but they are pretty big. I love how they go with absolutely everything from a denim tunic and leggings to a preppy cardigan and black pants.

Here are a few tips for wearing large hoops:

• Keep your hair simple (short hair works great with hoops), either pulled back or worn straight. Big hair + big earrings = too '80s (and not in a good way.)
• Elegant makeup works with trendy jewelry like large hoop earrings. Skip the glittery eyeshadow and black nail polish if you are wearing big hoops and opt for more classic looks. I often wear natural-looking makeup (bronzer and nude lips) with bigger jewelry so it doesn't look theatrical.
• The holidays are a great time to try big hoop earrings. Try simple gold or silver hoops or dress it up with crystals or rhinestones.
• Make the big hoops be your statement. Skip the necklace with big earrings.
• Buy it cheap. Teen-centric shops like Claire's abound in hoops. I snatched mine up at Walmart (can't swear to it, but seems like they were $5 for four pair.)

Bracelets – Stacks of bracelets – often mixed and matched – are the freshest way to carry  off bracelets. Go through this primer  to find out how to wear them over 40.
Do Choose a Sophisticated Mix of Bracelets
Wearing stacks of assorted bracelets make a huge fashion statement, and one that's perfect for women over 40. The easiest way to wear mutiple bracelets is to choose a common element: choose either a related color (here, it's turquoise and gold) or shape (like wearing multiple bangle bracelets together.)

Are you carrying old lady handbag? —  Shed the organizer or logo bag and go for something that is both age appropriate and modern.
Show me a woman's handbag and 99% of the time I can tell you how old she is.


I'm not sure why women don't freshen up their handbag wardrobes more often, but it's definitely one of the most neglected areas for many women.

Basic economics may be part of the reason we may not be updating our handbags more often: a well-made leather bag is usually over $100.

But even though it's an investment to carry an updated bag, it's worth it because a great bag is the finishing touch to any outfit.

How to know if your handbag is tipping off others to your advancing age? Here are hallmarks of the old lady bag:

• Status bag – Over, over, over.  The logo bag is so '80s, '90s at best. What it's not is modern.
• Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink bag.  Does your bag have a zillion organizer compartments ? Is it enormous with pockets all over the outside? Nobody needs to carry everything they own with them.
• Fanny pack. I don't care if Donna Karan was caught wearing one, it is still a fashion no-no.
• Freebie bag/Grocery bag.  Full disclosure: For a few days this winter I carried my black patent Fashion Week goody bag everywhere as a handbag.  But aside from that fashion slip, I never carry giveaway totes or worse — a recyclable grocery bag — as a handbag. But I've seen it done and it is not good.
• Pleather bag. Nothing cheapens your look faster than a big, fake leather bag. The only exception for going faux might be a brightly colored patent bag, which is obviously supposed to be fun and inexpensive.
• DIY Bag. Did you knit your bag yourself or plaster pics of your kids all over it? Or worse, does your handbag  have a likeness of your dog on it? Don't, don't and don't.

Now that you know what you shouldn't do, it's time to think about how to pick a new bag or two. There are several new silhouettes in the market like the crossbody bag which I love because it seems to alleviate shoulder/back pain for me (I'm no doctor, this is just my experience.)

For a versatile basic bag, it's hard to beat a small hobo shape, and I really love a great clutch because it is always chic. Bright colors look perfect right now, especially if you have lots of black and white or neutral in your wardrobe.

How to wear a belt –  Skip the baggy looks and add a belt for better waist definition. See the video about How to Wear a Belt . takes a wee while to load

Pearl necklace — This classic jewelry piece has staying power. Here are some of our favorite ways to wear pearls.  Wear a pearl necklace with a pendant. - Give pearls extra style by adding a pendant. You can either add something chunky — like Angela Bassett has — or something dressy with diamonds or crystals.

Scarves -  Scarves are a great addition to your wardrobe, but if you wear them the old-fashioned way you'll end up looking like an old lady. See also: Video about how to wear scarves.
Scarves are a great way to add print, texture and color to your outfit. Scarves are also a surefire way to add a smack of old lady style to your outfit when worn the wrong way.


Here are better ways to wear a scarf:
Choose a youthful print. Dots, stripes, ombre, even tie dye are fun, young prints that will add zip to your look.
Wear a long, thin scarf. Instead of wearing a scarf folded into a triangle (either tossed around your neck – or worse, on one shoulder secured by a brooch), opt for a long, thin scarf you can wrap around your neck like the photo of model Carmen Dell'Orefice
Look for bright colors. Wear a scarf in a vibrant hue that brightens your skin; a great way to spice up neutrals.
Try some texture. A nubby wool scarf, a slubbed silk scarf or a even a scarf with small tassles or balls on the end can lift an ordinary outfit.

Add bright accessories — Liven up your look with fun accessories in colors that you'd never wear close to your face like bright yellow or acid green. 


Choose updated accessories -  Everything — including your reading glasses – may need an update. Fortunately, it's easy and inexpensive to do.

Dos and don'ts of inexpensive accessories —  - It doesn't cost a fortune to update your look. Here are quick, inexpensive ways to add a little punch to your wardrobe

By the time you reach 45 or so, you've probably amassed an impressive collection of accessories. I know I have a wide array of everything from inexpensive wood jewelry to the good stuff. But out of that collection there are only a few accessories that I turn to regularly, and – not surprisingly – those are sometimes the least expensive ones.

Not all inexpensive fixes are created equal, though. Here are some of my personal Dos and Don'ts for wearing cheap accessories:

Do: Bracelets. I love bracelets – shiny bracelets, jangly bracelets, wood bracelets, charm bracelets. You name it, and I love it.  My favorites are the cheap gold and silver bangle bracelets I bought for just $5. The beauty of bracelets is that they really do draw attention away from not-so-perfect upper arms. I especially like a jumble of different bracelets so you can mix cheap with cheap or cheap with expensive and no one will know the difference.
Don't:  Traditional Scarves. Although I love the idea of scarves, and hear from fashion experts all the time how they can transform your wardrobe, I don't like to actually wear them. Traditional scarf prints look frumpy tied the easy way around the shoulders or the neck. And I've never been preppy enough to carry off a scarf tied around a handbag. If I did wear a scarf, it would be one of the new longer ones that look good wrapped around a woman's neck (and it is a great camouflage for sagging necks). I actually tried this look myself, but it drove me crazy. I don't like all that bulk on my neck. If you can carry it off, great. 
Do: Inexpensive seasonal bags. I have a straw bag that I picked up for less than $40 at an off-price retailer a few years ago and still love carrying it every summer. Buying something summery (or wintery) for a song is a quick way to freshen up your wardrobe for a small investment.
Don't: Fancy chains for reading glasses. Sorry, but nothing makes you look old quicker than a chain around your neck holding reading glasses. If you keep losing your glasses, I'd suggest buying a few cheap pairs of glasses instead of doing the glasses'-chain-as-accessory bit.
Do: Fabric flowers. I really love large fabric flowers, a la Carrie Bradshaw/Sarah Jessica Parker from "Sex and the City." It's an easy DIY project if you have the talent; if not, you can snag flower pins on Etsy.com. Flower pins look especially pretty in the spring and summer.
Don't: Crochet/Knitted/Handpainted. OK, so this is a broad Don't, but what I'm trying to steer you clear of are all things that look like a granny made it for the local bake sale. Handmade is fine (and I pointed you to Etsy.com, above) but you want to go for an artisan look, not something cheesy.