Flirting with Style – Fashion Over 40. Or 50.

I love Instagram. I love discovering other people and connecting with folks from all over the globe. I also love to follow fashion bloggers—to see what ideas I might come across that would suit my body type and personality.

Well, the other day I came across someone who has definitely sparked my interest. Her name is Lyn Slater, and she’s the ACCIDENTAL ICON. You may have seen a video about her on Facebook, but if you haven’t, let me tell you what little I know about her. She attended a fashion show wearing something tremendous and people noticed her and thought she was someone famous, and her friend said to her, “You’re an accidental icon.” Hence the name of her blog: accidentalicon.com. She also happens to be 64, and she’s inspired me to not dread aging, as I have found myself doing for the last 10 years. She made me look at it in a different way. She says she even has young people tell her that she’s made them not fear growing older.

I love the fact that she has always embraced her style. And owns it. At any age.

People come in all different shapes & sizes, have different clothing ideas of what works for them; and allow their personalities to shine through in their clothes.

Anyway, after considering all this, here’s my new take, and what I posted on my Instagram a few days ago.

Some people ask me why I post outfits so often. Fashion, to me, is fun. As someone who is over 50, when I was younger I always thought by the time I reached this age, that I might not care about what I wear anymore. But I still do. I still love playing dress up. Just as people like to work out to feel better, playing with fashion and what I wear makes me feel good. Of course what’s on the inside of a person is so much more important, but feeling good about yourself on the outside does matter and helps your mental state. I’m about to go do some writing in my home office, and staying in my work clothes keeps me in that “I’m working” state of mind. Anyway–bottom line: you can still have style as you age. As Coco Chanel always said, “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.”

Some of my latest outfits I’ve shared…

Bottom line on this Valentine’s Day: accept yourself, your age, and don’t be afraid to dress the way that makes you feel your best.

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Stephanie Verni is Professor of Business Communication at Stevenson University and is the author of Inn Significant, Baseball Girl, and Beneath the Mimosa Tree. Along with her colleagues Leeanne Bell McManus and Chip Rouse, she is a co-author of Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice, published by Kendall-Hunt.