I have a question about turtlenecks:

They used to be my go to item – especially in black.  I would wear one practically every day in the winter.  Well, now that I am 42, they don’t look so hot on me at all.   I feel like they highlight that little bit of loose skin right under my chin and cheeks that you can barely see otherwise.  When I see other women I think this about them too…yet everyone still wears them.  Is it one of those things that you just suck up and still wear as you get older even though it doesn’t look so hot  (kind of like a bathing suit)?  I am wondering if I should just bite the bullet and start wearing them again.  Or maybe you know of a way to make them look better?

Thanks so much.

AJ

Dear A.J.

Off white can be much softer and suits this gal's silver hair

We wouldn’t suggest wearing anything if it doesn’t look good on you. There’s too many choices out there!

We know what you mean about turtlenecks. As we’ve gotten older they seem to have fallen off our favorites list because they sometimes do give you that turkey neck if you have a lot of loose skin.The contrast between the black up by our faces and our lighter skin and hair can look plain harsh, and actually emphasize every little wrinkle.

That being said there are still some women who love their turtlenecks, like Diane Keaton. Nobody quite knows what is going on with her but she wears them so much they’ve become her trademark. Sometimes she looks dull and stiff in them, but other times she can look great. You really have to judge for yourself  how it looks on you.

Diane Keaton in her trademark turtleneck

Diane looks darling here!

I'm going to wear dark brown, rather than a black turtleneck with this.

With all the new chunky sweaters out there, it’s hard to get completely away from turtlenecks. For example, I (Deborah) just bought this great Diane Von Furstenberg wrap sweater that cries out for a turtleneck to wear underneath. My neck is not bad at all,  so I can still wear a turtleneck, but a black turtleneck would totally wash me out, so I’m going to buy an espresso brown micro thin turtleneck to wear with it.

If you really don’t like the tightness of a turtleneck pushing up all that extra skin, a great alternative a a cowl neck sweater. They’re very in style right now and because they are much softer looking they are very forgiving on mature gals.

Here are a few we like:

Neck draping: See how beautifully this drapes and shows off your  decolletage. It looks perfect the way it is. Don’t ruin it by wearing a necklace. Only one caution : Make sure your arms are toned before you choose to wear this sweater.(Nordstrom)	soft and feminine- a cowl is a nice alternative to a turtleneck
Try a cowl neck cape: Capes adds glamour and we love a touch of glam.They also hide your tummy on those “I feel bloated days”, which is a nice bonus .(Nordstrom)	A chic look over black pants
Go for Gray: If you like neutrals, gray is a wonderful alternative to black. It’s just that bit softer and is very in fashion at the  moment. (Nordstrom)	gray is softer than black
Try experimenting with Color: Not everyone looks good or even feels good in gray. Green can add life, same with purple and red. There’s lots of choices out there. Love the button detail and raglan sleeve on this BCBG Max Azaria Cable detail sweater. It’s different and that’s what you want. (Nordstrom)	green looks fabulous on redheads
Choose slinky and stretchy: Don’t hide behind oversized sweaters that hide your body and make you look like a polar bear. Slinky stretchy turtlenecks and cowl necks like this follow the curves of your body making you look much more sexy and modern. Worried about your tummy or bottom? Buy some Shapewear. You’ll be amazed how it transofrms your figure.	If you have a great waist show it off in a form fitting cowl neck
Good way to wear black: If you want to wear a black turtleneck, but worry about too much black up by your face, try this. It’s a Michael Kors twist front turtleneck. That touch of openess at the neckline brings in more skin and doesn’t make you look like your head is cut off from your body. Very sexy! ( Nordstrom)	a new take on a black turtleneck

- Nancy

Dear Nancy,

We sure wish we could wave a magic wand with your problem, but it is not that simple. However, your problem is one that many women face. We get letters all the time from women that can not wear heels.

That being said, you can still look fabulous but just have to try styles that might not be the latest trends.

The good news for you is that with styles changing so often, almost anything goes when it comes to pant styles.

When you are stuck having to wear clunky shoes, there are several things to make sure you do not do. First off, is leggings will be out of the question for you. Since the style is really a “pencil” shape, no matter what you do, legging will just not look good with a clunky shoe. Instead, you will need to opt for any pant that has a wide leg and (or) has some flair at the bottom.

This will still be stylish, and you can wear almost any shoe. Also, there are some great brands of shoes out there that do sell some comfortable shoes that don’t look orthopedic.

Here are some styles from Zappos.com that we suggest:

These Taryn Rose flats are comfy and stylish	Actually if you can wear this type of fat shoe you could still wear it with a legging and look great!
This is good with pants only!	Once you have to start wearing more orthopedic looking shoes like these, you can easily see that style starts going out the window.
Another simple but elegant choice	However once again, if you wear these with the right style of well-fitted pants, you will still look great!

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Have you tried something new lately?

Did you see the Oprah Show the other day, the one where she took 3 women who were all feeling down and out and made them do things that were WAY out of their comfort zone?

Seems the Glam Gals are not the only ones out there trying to get you over 40 gals to try something new!  (check out our past posts on  leather jackets or  thigh high boots!)

If you need a little push out of the “plane” Jane   syndrome, just go and take a peak  this weeks Blogging Boomers Carnvial #138! The Boomer Chronicles are hosting and have lots of inspiration from some of the top Boomer Bloggers out there!

What I enjoyed so much about this book was how the author, who happens to be English, delves deep into the mysterious realm of the day to day habits of the French woman and discovers some interesting wisdom and practical advice on how to achieve that ooh la la style with maximum effect with minimum effort.

Funny, honest and some shocking facts makes this book a good read.

Have you read this book?  Gives us your feedback.

Not your ordinary biker chic!

So what do you do when you are turning 50, your husband has just passed away and you want to do something daring and different? If you’re  Janis Irwin,  you go out and learn to ride a motorcycle and then ride it across the country and back…all by yourself!

Recently at a local wine tasting event in  West Chester, PA, I (JoJami) spotted this Age-mazing™ women. I was drawn to her beautiful coat and entire ensemble of a turquoise necklace, snazzy boots, cool helmet and sunglasses! Of course I had to go up to her and chat her up!

She was beaming when she shared with me her inspirational story of how she packed up only the essentials (including a nice dress and a pair of heels) and went on a cross country adventure, solo on her motorcycle. 

She calls herself, a “Barbie Biker” because she has her own feminine style of biker dressing.  “Many women  think  you have to dress like a tough girl in head to to  black, Harley Davidson attire,” says Janice. ” I found the more I got into the sport, the more I realized that it’s only the beginers that dress that way. I love to be able to get off my bike and feel like I’m still me and not this alter ego.”

Well Janis, we agree that you look gorgeous and classy in your outfit!

As for her day job, Janis runs her own interior design firm.

Do you have a job with a fun hobby? We want to hear from you!

Dear Glam Gals,

The 3/4 length sleeves on winter coats seem to be popular, but what do you do with your sleeves of dress, shirt, etc?  Would it be appropriate to wear long gloves?

Thanks, Ellen

Dear Ellen,

With all the rage of the  3/4 sleeve jacket, there are lots of options on how to wear this look.

I (JoJami) just bought this plaid jacket from a local resale shop, and have found it a great transition piece into fall. I have worn it with some black slim pants, with a black turtleneck with tall boots tucked into them, as well as more casual with a pair of straight legged jeans.

I even wore it with a black pencil skirt and black tights and black pumps and a thick belt to a networking event.

This big question is: Is it OK that my sleeves hang out the bottom? Yes,  we have seen them with the sleeves hanging out the bottom(like this hounds tooth jacket below from Nordstroms, but feel it looks best if you choose a top that you can push up the sleeves or are sleeveless.

Moreover we agree that this jacket would look great with a pair of long leather gloves when the weather gets cooler.

It is also looks great with different shells.  Here I have a sleeveless turtle neck, and a 3/4 sleeve scoop necked shell.

The options are endless, however I really like to keep it simple with all black underneath or pop it with a white blouse.

There is a bit of tan in the plaid as well, and would work nicely with a column of tan underneath as well.  Since I bought it used, I would not attempt to try to put red with it, since it would be probably next to impossible to get the red right.

One more note, we both agree that we would not invest in a piece  like this if it was pricey, since this is more of a trendy look.  However this one was only $40.00 and so I felt like it was a good buy for how much I will be wearing it.

If you have a  3/4 jacket, please send us your photo in it with permission to use it on our blog . It is always fun to see how others put their looks together!

Here’s what they’re posting about this week:

Are you tired of all that negative chatter in your brain?  Perhaps you could change that.  Go see what the Midlife Crisis Queen has to say about that!

“Think swamps are dark, dank places to be avoided? You’ll think again after reading about the beauty Barbara Weibel from Hole In The Donut Travels encountered during a swamp buggy eco-tour in central Florida’s Babcock Wilderness.”

Where are you spending your emotional currency?  Find out at Contemporary Retirement.

When you tell people you’re 51 and just starting violin lessons, you get some interesting reactions. Check out this fun post at  The Boomer Chronicles

How does one become happy? If the answer can be found in a book then it’s probably the upcoming book by the Happiness Project’s Grechen Rubin. Read about it at LifeTwo.

Over at Gen Plus Janet looks at layway — old version of her childhood and new economy take on paying it down, one week at a time.

At Writing Without Periods, a new puppy reminds Mary of the power females have over males! See ‘Sir Baxter and the Girl’ at Menopause Musing

At So Baby Boomer…By most accounts the single best retirement savings plan for Baby Boomers is the Roth IRA. Is it time for you to switch to a Roth?

Finally, Vaboomer.com asks “Do you know Sofonisba Anguissola?”13 Women Artists Children (& women) should know.

Have a great week!

Wearing leggings can be tricky for women over 40!

Are leggings age appropriate for us ladies 40 and beyond? We say,YES!

So, how can you pull off this falls biggest fashion trend, like these slouch leggings from Nordstroms?
Read our article over at More Magazine, and find out some of the do and don’ts of this fun and easy look!

Are you ready for your next trip?

Holiday travel is right around the corner and besides buying what you need and packing, there are lots of other little details that if you take care of ahead of time can reduce stress in case of an unexpected emergency.

For instance, have you thought about making copies of all your documents and prescriptions?

To read a full travel tips list of what you should have in order before packing for a trip and a variety of other topics, go to this weeks Blogging Boomers, held by Contemporary Retirement.