Baby Boomers can
stay stylish at any
age

By Anita Manning, Special for USA TODAY

 
Those on the front line of the Baby Boom
generation, once carefree souls who frolicked
through the Summer of Love, are now coming to
terms with an inexorable fact: They're turning 65 in
2011. And maybe taking a good look at themselves.

Born starting in 1946 and growing up in a time of
free expression in thought and fashion, they've long
since retired their hippie beads, though they never
gave up their jeans. Now, many ask, what comes
next? Does the future hold polyester pants and
elasticized waists?

Absolutely not, says Joanna Coles, editor in chief of
Marie Claire magazine and a frequent judge on TV's 
Project Runway.

 
At 48, Coles is at the tail end of the Baby Boom
generation, and she has a message for her older
sisters: "Just say no to elastic waists."

POP CULTURE: Boomers turned rock music, TV into
art

MORE BOOMERS: Stories, photos, videos, graphics

WHAT GENERATION ARE YOU? Take the quiz

CBS NEWS: More Boomer stories

Hone your style and think about what it says about
you, she advises. "I personally expect to wear a
Pucci tunic top with black cigarette pants," she says.
For others, "maybe it's all about jeans and a white
shirt and navy blazer," a classic American look that
is easy to accessorize, says Coles.

There really is no age at which a woman should
ditch the denim, she says. "Jeans are the great
American invention, along with the car and peanut
butter," says British-born Coles. "The key is finding
jeans that work with your body type, and that
requires serious amounts of time in the changing
room. Jeans are very forgiving, as long as you don't
buy them too small."

She also favors tunic tops, boot-leg pants and
blazers, as long as they're not too boxy.

Once you are comfortable with a style, pare it down
"so everything in your closet goes with everything
else," she says, and give away whatever you haven't
worn in three years. That may mean letting go of
those skinny pants you've hoped will fit you again
Advertisement
   
    By Ralf Nau, Digital Vision
Stop dying your hair, advises model Cindy Joseph. "Find out how special your own color is."
 
some day.

"The opposite of the freshman 15 is the menopausal
15," she says. Don't fret. A little extra weight can
make the face "look pretty and younger, less lined,"
less hollow and drawn. "If you've got the menopause
15 and it's there to stay," she says, "embrace it as a
line-reducer."

In makeup, use a light touch, says Cindy Joseph, a
Ford Classic model and founder of a line of "pro-
age" cosmetics (boombycindyjoseph.com).

"What makes a woman look special is when her skin
looks alive and healthy," she says. Applying heavy
foundation to fill in those wrinkles won't fool
anyone. "Our faces have developed more dimension
and unique character," says Joseph, who will be 60
in January.

Eye shadows in bold colors, such as blue, green or
charcoals, "distract rather than add to our beauty,"
she says. Instead, choose a sheer, iridescent
Champagne, "never darker than your skin tone but
always the same or a little lighter. It will brighten
rather than weigh the eyelid down."

When it comes to makeup, she advises, "less is
more."

Joseph and Coles also zero in on these beauty tips:

• Hair: Let the color go natural, Joseph says. "You
will never be able to tell what color your hair is by
looking at an inch or two of roots. Let it grow out
completely and find out how special your own color
is."

And "unless you have amazingly thick hair," cut it
short, Coles says. "There's a strange desperation in
America to hold onto longer hair. In France, almost
all women over 40 have short hair."

• Trying to dress like a younger woman: An
"absolute no-no," Coles says. "You want to embrace
who you are." Forget size; choose clothes that fit.
"Women often try to squeeze into one size less than
they should wear." Not a good look.

Joseph agrees. "When a woman embraces her age …
her choices of hair, makeup and wardrobe are easier
to make. Each woman has an individual expression
and style that comes across beautifully when she
honors herself."

• Sweat pants: No, Coles says. "No one should wear
 
sweat pants over age of 12," she says. "OK, maybe in
college. But once you've left college, put the sweat
pants away."

If you're escaping from a burning house, what
accessories should you take with you? "Spanx,"
Coles says. "And the best bra you have."

Advertisement
Quantcast