CAROLINA’S SECRETS OF AGELESS STYLE
Know your style
WHEN you get to a certain age, you must be careful about what looks good on you. You must develop your own sense of style.
It’s difficult to define and it is very personal. It’s not only about the clothes you wear,
it’s about how you wear them. It reflects your tastes — you way you live, the way you your house, the art you like a bit of everything.
When you get older, you cannot keep wearing the things you wore when you were a young girl. You have done that already. Fashion is something magical — — it’s changing all the time, so you must change, too.
One must-have
THE best thing a woman can buy for herself is a a full length mirror. It is so important tant because you can see what is missing or what you must add to your look.
Always . . .
INVEST in a classic white blouse. I’ve always loved
them. I wear them casually and I wear them as part of an evening outfit. They’re my security blanket.
. . . and never
WEAR mini-skirts. A mini-skirt is for young girls. As for bikinis, I left them behind when I was in my late 40s/early 50s. And I don’t wear jeans. I’m not the right age for them. Jeans are for young people, too. Move on to something new.
Sleeves matter
SLEEVES frame a woman’s face and give drama to a look. You can have the most beautiful dress with all the details in the skirt — and then you sit down at a dinner table and it all disappears.
Black is boring
AS WOMEN get older, they play safe by wearing black. But during the day, black is very draining.
It becomes like a uniform. everyone is wearing black and it’s boring. I don’t mind black in the evening — a chic little black dress is fantastic — but during the day I like to wear some colour. It’s much more flattering.
Find a good tailor
YOU can buy clothes in high Street shops at any age, as long as you know what suits you. That’s why I say you need to develop your own style. And if you need to invest in a little alteration here and there, then that’s money well spent.
The fit is very important. Shoulders should be in the right place, for example.
Never flash flesh
A LITTLE bit of decolletage can be sexy, but showing too much? Being nearly naked? That’s not good. A woman should have a little mystery.
Add some sparkle
JEWELLERY is wonderful for adding light to your face. I always wear earrings, and I think a necklace of pearls or costume jewellery brightens you up.
Embrace Botox
I’M A great believer in taking care of your skin — it must be clear and fresh no matter what age you are.
I go to a very good person who gives me treatments and a little bit of Botox. But I don’t believe in big changes.
I see women friends and I think: ‘What’s happened to her lips?’ She’s had them made bigger. But if you are not born with fuller lips, why do you want them to be big? You will look like a clown.
Go for the chop
AT A certain age, I think most women suit shorter hair. I don’t think long hair down to here [she mimes past her shoulders] looks right.
Lately I’ve been admiring women with silver or white hair, women who’ve let the colour grow out. I’m fascinated by it. I’d love to do it, but I don’t like the idea of the in-between stage.
And finally . . .
THERE’S nothing wrong with growing older. What’s wrong is if you try to stop it.
have confidence in yourself and in your own style. Wear what you think is beautiful. If you still find it hard, ask someone whose opinion you trust; someone who will tell you the truth about the clothes you are wearing. Not ‘oh, you’re looking fabulous in that outfit!’ and then they turn away and say to their other friends: ‘Do you see the way she looks?’
You do not have to be a fashion victim and you do not have to dress in an oldfashioned way. You have to dress in a way that suits your personality and whatever stage you are at in life.
And at a certain age, you cannot be shy any more.
I used to be shy. Not any more. It would be ridiculous at my age. Let your personality come out.