When the first photographs from the set of Just Like That came out, I was sadly underwhelmed. Part of the fun of the Sex and The City brand was the fashion. Going through the initial photographs, however, left much to be desired. Some of the outfits were downright dowdy, with much too much fabric; others looked dated. It was like there wasn’t much clarity as to how exactly fiftysomething women should be dressing.

So how exactly should women of a certain age be dressing? Should we be dressing with our boobs hanging out like JLo? Or should we go chilling classically like Robin Wright?

Stylist Anne Bella has inspired countless women to explore their personal style preferences. The woman behind Stylist of Sorts, she says, “Fashion is now ageless.”

And I do so agree.

Anne says, “The definition of age-appropriate dressing has drastically changed nowadays, mainly thanks to the internet and the anything goes culture of this generation. Not that I’m complaining! It’s awesome how people are more relaxed about fashion. After all, clothes are meant to be fun and frivolous to a point and who’s to say what one should or shouldn’t wear anyway? Social media has no doubt played a huge role in giving confidence to women of a certain age to embrace dressing in a way that pleases them, rather than what society dictates. More often than not, the results are inspiring, endearing, and highly entertaining.”

The compulsion to scroll down social media feeds when time permits has undoubtedly opened a world of inspirational choices. Linda Wright, Lyn Slater, Grece Ghanem, Tracee Ellis Ross, Linda Rodin, Sophie Fontanel, Susie Wright, Melissa Meyers, and of course, Iris Apfel… We won’t be running out of inspiration when it comes to fashion for the fiftysomething set anytime soon.

Of course, the more practical among us would say, what does ageless fashion mean exactly?

Anne explains, “This means you can experiment all you want, for as long as vulgarity in dressing is kept at bay and that it offends no one. There are certain cultures, like ours, that’s probably not as open-minded as Westerners but you should take it as a challenge to educate and make them realize that fashion as self-expression is actually life-changing— and a lot of fun!”

Certainly, this is the age when we’re more confident of ourselves and our bodies. We know what works and what doesn’t. We know what looks good and what doesn’t. If we still don’t, well we’re in a position to ask assistance from people who know better.

Some guidelines from Anne though:

• Basic rules of decency apply. Perhaps it’s not wise to wear a micro mini skirt or expose your bra with a see-through top like in your 20s or 30s. Otherwise, go and let loose! Embrace print and color, don’t get stuck in a sea of black or neutrals no matter how tempting.
• Keep your profession in mind. Work does dictate what one should wear to a point especially a corporate environment, so be wary about dress codes and give them due respect.
• Let your personality shine. If your preference is to dress like a 1950s housewife day in and day out, commit to it wholeheartedly and don’t let anyone rain on your parade.
• There’s a difference between choosing comfort and letting yourself go. Find the balance between comfort and making the effort — a small tweak in accessories oftentimes does the trick. There’s no excuse to ever let yourself go no matter what age.

“The great thing about being an older woman who enjoys fashion is that she’s been through the experimental stage, paid her dues with bad outfit decisions, painful shoes and uncomfortable accessories to know what works for her. If you feel like you’re in a slump, bored with your current wardrobe, log into Instagram, Pinterest, or one of the many magazine sites and look through street style photos. I guarantee you’ll be super inspired to try a new trend! That’s the great thing about being alive in this day and age, inspiration is to be had without ever leaving the house.”

What’s important is for you to enjoy and have fun because you so deserve it!

Single mannequin photo by Roberto Martinez on Unsplash

Fashion exhibit photo by Laura Briola on Unsplash

All other photos from the IG of our fashion inspiration Iris Apfel, Linda Rodin, Linda Wright, Melissa Meyers, Grece Ghanem, Susie Wright, and Robin Wright. Thanks so much for showing us the way!