Ok, ladies. You have seen me in professional business attire, in elegant wedding attire, in relaxed resort wear. Every situation calls for a different ‘look’ and I always pay attention to the ‘message’ an outfit delivers as it is really your personal ‘book cover’. On this particular occasion, I was attending a Dance Party fundraiser with a creative group of people, many in the fashion industry. Rather than going for an elegant look, I wanted something fun, creative, sexy, even ‘over the top’…

Thank you Revolve Boutiques! On one day I was in the Belmont Center Revolve and saw this edgy Alexander Wang bustier – I thought it was so cool and so sexy, I bought it with no plans for when or where I would wear it…weeks later I popped into the Winchester Revolve and found these adorable Tibi black leather shorts – perfect fit, ADORABLE, and a great bargain…I had no intention to ever wear these random pieces together…

As I was perusing through my closet for what to wear to the party, I considered a few dresses, but they seemed too easy, too predictable…I also wanted to wear these lucite shoes so was looking for something to go with them…HEY! How about the black leather shorts!!! That would be fun! Next the decision was what to wear on top…I tried a slim black turtleneck, a simple white tee, then I saw the bustier begging me to try her on with the shorts! OMG. Yes. Over the top for sure!

Wait! Is this too much for a 61 year old? Who’s decides what’s “too much”? I work my ass off at the gym, this makes me smile, and it’s not an occasion where I need to look respectful/conservative. (For sure, Ginger would NOT have approved!)

Back to the shoes…clear lucite shoes are very much on trend this year…I saw these on a young woman in Palm Beach and loved them so much I searched for them online and finally found them at Bloomingdales…the brand is Shutz…at first I thought that my feet weren’t pretty enough for the clear shoe, but they look just fine!

To start off the evening, I topped off the black pieces with a white blazer by Theory…the blazer would come off later for dancing…;-)

Kept accessories simple – diamond hoops and two delicate layered necklaces…

What did Peter think of this outfit? He said, “Wow, this is the best you have ever looked!” “Thanks”, I replied, “But do I look slutty??” No hesitation. “Well, yeah!” :-0 (I took it as a compliment.)

Here at the party with the incredible Yolanda, a savvy, stylish businesswoman who doesn’t follow silly rules about dressing for your age – at the age of 86, she dresses to please herself.

Now I don’t look so ‘over the top’, do I???

The Bottom Line:

• Before you decide what to wear to an event, think about the circumstances and the image you want to convey.
• Avoid the trap of shopping for “a dress”. Putting together separates can be much more creative.
• Forget about the rules you may have in your head about dressing ‘age appropriate’. Wear what pleases YOU.
• Whatever your body type or style preference, dressing with CONFIDENCE is your greatest asset.