There’s never a bad time for a beach getaway, but more of us seem to head to tropical locations in the summertime when we’re guaranteed balmy breezes and plenty of sunshine. And because I passionately believe that packing for your trip should be almost as relaxing as soaking up the sun, I’ve created a video […]
How To Combine Colors In Outfits Over 40
I am not sure whether there’s actually a scientific study directly linking an extroverted personality to a love of color, but let’s just say there is. And I’m the subject of that study. To me, outgoing color is a natural extension of an outgoing personality. It’s my theory and I’m sticking to it. But you […]
10 Essential Pieces For Travel
It’s finally time to leave the house, you guys! 2022 is the year for travel, and I could not be more excited. Our 2020 trip to Scotland has become our 2022 trip to Scotland, and it’s just weeks away. My extended family of 16 (including my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews) will be descending […]
Shopping Secrets Of A Stylist | Women Over 40
I shop like it’s my actual job. Wait. It is my actual job. As a personal stylist (going on 15 years now!) I’ve successfully shopped for women of all sizes, ages, budgets, and nationalities. I have built wardrobes for women in Dubai and Hong Kong and Sweden and Australia. I have scoured websites in most […]
Sustainable Brands Over 40 For Every Style
Back in the day, when someone would ask me about sustainable style, my answer was often something like this. “You can be stylish or you can be sustainable, but you can’t be both.” Sustainable style options were limited to shapeless and scratchy sackcloth dresses in hemp in shades ranging from beige to beiger, and unless […]
My MOST Controversial Opinions About Style
Don’t hate me because I’m opinionated. I mean, it’s kind of why I do what I do. If I didn’t have strong feelings about things like shoes and lipstick, I probably shouldn’t be a stylist. And this would be a very short post. Fortunately for you, I have opinions about allll the things. Usually, I […]
Nada Saves Style: Ask Me Anything
I seriously get tickled when you all ask me questions. I could answer them all day long. I always try to get back to each of you personally, but sometimes a question comes up that addresses a common challenge or concern. And for those, there’s Nada Saves Style, my new video format where I answer […]
4 Easy Spring Outfit Formulas With Dresses
I recently ran into a friend at a party who said she had given up on wearing dresses. “I have no waist,” she moaned. “I look like a cardboard box with legs.” Looking at my gorgeous friend, who is in her late 60s, I knew that this was untrue, but I didn’t have time at […]
How To Pick Prints Over 40
Sometimes I feel like my job as your personal stylist and fashion friend is kind of like the role of that mom who breaks up the teen parties. She means well, but she’s not a lot of fun. How many times have you seen a printed item shared in the Facebook group only to hear […]
How To Quickly Build A Spring Capsule Over 40
I’ve built hundreds of capsule wardrobes for hundreds of different women in my 15 years as a personal stylist. I love the challenge and the creativity of finding the perfect pieces to reflect a client’s unique lifestyle and personal style, and ensuring they all work together to create a versatile wardrobe. For the right client, […]
Nada Saves Style | Torso Length & Aging Bodies
I’m switching things up a little this time and giving you the mic. Not literally, of course, because my mic is pretty heavy, but figuratively. I’m letting you pick the topics. I’ll be answering more of your questions in future episodes of Nada Saves Style, so send me your style conundrums to [email protected] and I’ll […]
The Best Swimwear Trends (& Brands) Over 40
Trends are fun and all, but if you don’t also have flattery, what’s the point? We deserve both. Bathing suits are especially tricky because we can feel overexposed and vulnerable. A well-made suit that holds everything in and up and helps you relax and enjoy outdoor summer fun is critical. The perfect bathing suit over […]
How To Turn Back The Clock in 2022
When I was a teen, I used to say that by the time I was old enough to have wrinkles, they would have found a cure. Well, I am, and they have. Sort of. The tools and treatments and techniques that are currently available to us are truly transformative, and they go way beyond anything […]
11 Outfits That Age You
Forget wrinkle creams for a minute. Clothes are the ultimate anti-agers. And unlike wrinkle creams, they have an immediate effect. Not convinced? Here’s proof. I rest my case. Notice that I’m wearing relaxed-fit dark neutral pants and black flat shoes in both pics, but the similarity ends there. It’s the details (fit, fabric, embellishments, etc.) […]
5 Pretty Spring Outfit Formulas Over 40
In the past few weeks, I’ve covered everything from trends to springtime essentials, shoes to bags to jewelry, but you may still find yourself wondering what to wear. I got you. Seasonal transitions can be tricky. Nothing is more frustrating than coming home with an armload of spring trends only to have them hang in […]
Pretty Spring Jewelry & Beauty Trends
My mom is going to love this topic. Growing up, once I reached makeup age, my mom always reminded us to wear blush and earrings. Those were her parting words as we were headed out the door. She felt like an outfit was incomplete without both of these finishing touches. 40 years later, I totally […]
13 Spring Essentials Over 40 for 2022
I’ve sifted through stores and scoured your favorite sites to find some of the very best styles for spring, and as happens every year, some clear favorites emerged. These are the pieces you will reach for time and again this summer and become your new favorites. I really wanted to keep this list to a […]
What To Buy At Your Favorite Stores For Spring
Be careful. It’s scary out there. With puffy prairie dresses and stretchy mesh crop tops popping up in stores for spring, it can be hard to know what to buy and what to skip. Fortunately, there are also so many cute things in stores for spring that if you had to start over with a […]
How To Take A Selfie Over 40
I consider myself something of a selfie pioneer. A trailblazer, if you will. I have invented groundbreaking selfies like the following: Don’t try these at home. However, in spite of my selfie skills, I’m still teachable, and because I wanted to learn from the best, I turned to my trusted panel of selfie-snapping experts for […]
How To Dress A Full Bust Over 40
Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. Or the body type for the curves. Let me explain. When we talk about body shape, we are talking about the body silhouette or the outline. But you can’t blindly follow the guidelines for your body shape while ignoring other key elements of your body, like […]
5 Spring Accessory Trends Over 40
If you’re only going to update one category of your wardrobe this season, make it accessories. Actually, I would say that for any season. Adding updated trend-driven accessories to wardrobe essentials is a shortcut to chic and updated style on a budget. Speaking of budget, the cost per use on a versatile accessory is always […]
Nada Saves Style | I Fix Your Outfits
Styling is my superpower. It’s my only superpower, just in case anyone accuses me of bragging. I mean, I can’t do push-ups or dance or sew or craft. I’m an average cook and a mediocre homemaker. But I can style. And write about style. It’s always been my thing. Maybe I should get a cape… […]
Spring 2022 Fashion Trends Over 40
If you want to be spared my lecture about why trends are increasingly important the older we get yada yada yada, let me sum it up for you here: The older we get, the more we need trends. Nada manley Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about which trends, because […]
How to Style a Sweater Over 50 | Warm Winter Outfits + Outfit Formulas
I know you’re getting tired of your winter clothes. Or is it just me. It’s the end of February and I’m just totally over winter. And I live in Florida. We have only had it for about a week. 🙂 I was especially getting bored of sweaters. Yawn. Sometimes, a chunky knit sweater can seem […]
Wardrobe Styling With A Friend | Pear Shape | Tall
Sometimes, we just feel stuck in our style. We buy and buy and still feel like we have nothing to show for it and so we end up wearing the same pieces in the same ways, while other pieces, which once held so much promise, languish in our wardrobe, unloved. It’s really kind of sad […]
The Best White Tees for Every Body Over 40
Nothing could be more humble than a wardrobe essential that got its start as a man’s undershirt. But the power of a white tee lies in its simplicity. It’s the outfit-connector, the black canvas for accessories, and the unassuming hero of a modern wardrobe. It can also be finicky and unflattering and harder to find […]
Best Outfits for a Pear Shape | Style Dial Orange
Here I go again, referring to a body type as a fruit. In The Style Dial body type system, we use colors and not inanimate objects, but since so much of the world is familiar with the term pear-shaped, I’m throwing it in here for clarity’s sake. But just to be clear: You are not […]
How To Look Expensive On A Budget ft. LilySilk
One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that elegance, like many other things in life, can be learned. And we get better at it with experience. Getting older does have its advantages, after all. It’s not all wrinkles and hot flashes. 🙂 Back in 2020, I did a video called How To […]
I Finally Dress My Age | From Frumpy to Chic | Outfit Makeovers!
It’s the moment you all have been waiting for. 🙂 I finally grow up and dress my age. No more ripped jeans or sassy shoes. Just kidding. You know that will never happen. Here’s my philosophy on “dressing our age.” It’s different for every woman. The goal shouldn’t be to dress younger or older. The […]
The Best Jeans Over 40 For Every Body
Jeans are about as much fun to shop for as bathing suits, am I right? Between the rise and the length and the pockets and the rinse and all the other details that make a pair an immediate favorite or a total flop, it can seem like the perfect pair is truly a unicorn. Fortunately, […]
The Best White Shirts for Every Body
If there’s one item in my Wardrobe Building Series that, without fail, every single woman needs in her wardrobe, I would say this is it. Every single woman would benefit from a fab white (or off-white, ivory, or cream) shirt in her wardrobe. It’s that critical connector that makes the rest of your clothes work […]
How Long Should Your Clothes Be?
Body type is only half the puzzle. I know I know that I talk about it all the time, and that’s because knowing your body type is critical, but it’s still not going to yield flattering results in your outfits unless your clothes also FIT. And that’s where the Fashion Fit Formula comes in. If […]
Best Black Pants Try-On Haul
I know you were hoping I would talk about something more exciting, like sparkly shoes or red lipstick, but alas, I’m over here talking about (yawn) black pants. (Or dark neutral pants, if black’s not your thing.) It can be easy to dismiss, as I did for years, the important role that wardrobe essentials can […]
How to Build a Winter Capsule Wardrobe | The Easy Way | Wardrobe Clusters
I’m a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. You may already know this about me, but I’m not much of a planner. But the world can be hard on us free spirits. While everyone is plotting out an entire year’s worth of goals and resolutions, we’re over here like: “Can we […]
Body Shape Series: Petite Pear
I know you all like looking at me and stuff, but just in case you ever get tired of just seeing me, all the time, wearing the clothes on my specific body, I thought I’d mix it up a little for 2022. This video featuring the beautiful Ashley is the first in a series on […]
5 Wardrobe Staples & How To Wear Them
I am not a stapley person. I know you know this about me, if you’ve been following me for any amount of time, but I resisted staples for years, fearing that they were a slippery slope to a boring basic wardrobe. I felt like staples were something the fashion industry told us all we had […]
My Favorite Outfits of 2021 | Outfit Ideas
Happy 2022! Before we move forward, I enjoy pausing for a minute to reflect on the previous year. And by reflect, I mean look at my outfits. Sure, other people make res_ _ _ _ _ _ _ s but those are boring and they won’t make your wardrobe any better. Unless of course, they […]
What To Eliminate From Your Closet
I finally got around to picking up my own closet. I know, I know. I do this for a living, but I’ve done about a bajillion closet edits in the last couple of weeks, as well as two bajillion loads of laundry for one husband and two teenage daughters. I don’t know how so few […]
Easy Holiday Outfits For Every Event
We are two weeks out from Christmas, and I have to admit I’m drowning. Between a December birthday (Eva turns 14 on the 12th), wrapping up a semester, and all the usual shenanigans in a house with two teen girls, I’m not feeling at the top of my game. That’s one of the reasons I […]
The BEST Gifts for Everyone On Your List! (And For Every Budget!)
I adore gift-giving, the whole art and anticipation and drama of it, but let’s face it, some people make going to the store a bore. And yes, I’m talking about dads and husbands and the other impossible-to-shop-for people on your list. Sure, pajamas and ties are standbys, but what if you want something with a […]
10 Ways To Look Stylish This Fall Over 40
It’s the little things, really, that can elevate the everyday outfit and make it feel special and stylish. And that’s what today’s post/video is all about. Like every season, fall brings with it a unique set of challenges and opportunities when it comes to style. We want to look festive without feeling silly, warm without […]
Outfits Every Woman Needs Over 40 + A Roundup of Comfortable Pumps | Ageless Style 19
Today, I’m taking a different approach to style, because I’m not telling you what to wear. I’m telling you what to feel. Let me explain. Most of us base outfits on the occasion. I am going ___________________ so I need to wear ______________________. And that is often the most logical place to start. I even […]
8 Steps To Confident Style
Maybe it’s old age ;), but I’ve gone from being a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl to one who sees the value in systems and routines. Don’t yawn. I promise I won’t tell you to get up at 5 a.m. It’s just that for the better part of my life I’ve improvised and reinvented the wheel […]
What I Wore In A Week | Ageless Style 18
Today I decided to answer a question from a reader, Silvia, who asked how I choose shoes for an outfit. Instead of doing the usual outfit collages, I chose to illustrate my shoe strategies using outfits from an actual week in my life, the week of September 20. This is a different kind of video, […]
Quick Morning Makeup Routine | 5 Minute Morning with Merit Beauty
People are often surprised to learn that I am all about a 5-minute makeup look. In my regular everyday life, I typically spend 10 minutes on skin, hair, and makeup every morning. I don’t need more than that to look fresh and awake and ready for the day. Okay, some days I might need more […]
How to Slim Your Arms With Style | Ageless Style 17
I’ve been hearing it for years from clients. “I will never wear sleeveless.” “The only thing I know for sure is that cap sleeves are out.” “I hate my arms.” “That dress is cute, but it needs sleeves.” Arms are a concern and become more so as we get older. Weight gain and loss, sun […]
What To Wear Everywhere This Fall | 7 Outfit Ideas
September 24 is my husband’s birthday, a date that has unofficially been the start of fall, in my mind. Even the Florida weather is catching on. Yesterday morning, I thought I felt a breeze, but by the time I noticed it, it was gone. That’s how fall in Florida is. One 75-degree morning, followed by […]
How to Wear Skinny Jeans Over 40 in 2021| Ageless Style 16
I really hate to be the bearer of bad news. For one thing, I am almost absurdly non-confrontational. I hate to ruffle feathers or offend in any way. But sometimes, in my role as your fashion friend, I have to speak truth. And some of these truths may be hard to hear. Over the years, […]
Fall Wardrobe Haul Over 40 | Shein Review
Even though it is something like 6 bajillion frizz-inducing degrees outside, I am all about fall right now. After all, fall fashion is my favorite (isn’t it everyone’s?) and I’m so looking forward to slipping into a cardigan or two when the temps plunge below 75 degrees. Unfortunately, the only windows of time I get […]
How To Shop Online Consignment Stores | Ageless Style #15
I used to have all the time in the world. Back in my magazine editor days, I would spend hours, and I mean HOURS, sifting through the racks at Filene’s Basement (right around the corner from my Tremont Street apartment in Boston) or Century 21 (my favorite location was right across the street from the […]
What to Buy at Your Favorite Stores for Fall 2021
I don’t have to tell you that I love to shop. I mean, I think we’ve known each other long enough that you’ve gathered that by now. (And if not, and you’re new here, welcome!) Shopping truly is my cardio, even though it’s a really bad form of cardio these days since time and circumstances […]
Your Styling Questions Answered | Ageless Style #14
When my 13-year-old, Eva, was a toddler, she had a LOT of questions. A LOT. Her favorite question was: “When am I going to get a baby brother?” followed immediately by an endless stream-of-consciousness string of questions, ranging from “What is the road made out of” to “If we keep digging will we get to […]
What To Do If You Hate To Shop
I like to think of myself as an understanding person. I can empathize. Relate. And I’m a pretty good listener. All of that goes out the window when someone says that they hate to shop. I just don’t get it. Shopping is my love language. I know it’s technically not one of the 5 love […]
The Only Accessories You Need
I know this is a tall order, but it’s not too tall for me. I may be short in stature, but I’m tall on style. You know what I mean. I’m not afraid to tackle the hard-hitting style subjects, like why you keep buying the wrong clothes or the pants that have the potential to […]
How to Wear Black Over 40 | Ageless Style 12
Ah, black. It is the color of elegance, to many women. And you can’t have an LBD without it. (Little brown dress does not have the same ring, I’m afraid.) Still, this perennially popular and eternally elegant color isn’t without its drawbacks and its downfalls. Especially for the Softies among us. And I’m not talking […]
How to Tell If Your Clothes Are Good Quality
Quality and the lack of it are hot topics in style right now, and that’s because of fast fashion. And while fast fashion gets a bad rap (and there are some really valid concerns surrounding it), I’m going to start this whole topic off with an opinion that might seem a little controversial. And here […]
High/Low Basics: Best Basics At Any Price
A few years ago the word basic was getting a bad rap. I think Kate Moss started using the term to describe everyday women in everyday outfits, and it stuck. Basic meant boring, and it was more than a little mean, in my opinion. After all, what’s the matter with basic? I use this term […]
How to Pick the Right Shoes for Your Outfit
I recently read a fluffy novel where the heroine started every day by picking her shoes. She planned her outfits from the bottom up. She’s pretty much my soul sister. Shoes can make or break an outfit, so it makes sense to start there. Plus, shoes are my favorite. 🙂 And while there are some […]
How to Choose Flattering Jeans Over 40 | 3 Things to Know Before You Shop
Choosing flattering jeans is part art and part science. Part what you love and part what loves you. I experienced this firsthand on a recent shopping trip in Chicago with my husband. We had the whole day to browse and shop and eat, and I took full advantage of it, trying on brands that I […]
Best Fashion Advice Over 40
When my oldest daughter, Lola, now 15, was little, I used to post some of her more adorable remarks on Facebook, saving them in an online journal of sorts. I know everybody thinks their kids are the cutest, but people often asked me if I would turn Lola’s one-liners into a book. It would definitely […]
How to Flatter a Full Tummy & Hips: Ageless Style Show Episode 7
Do you ever feel like you’re getting the same message over and over again and just not listening? Lately, these words of wisdom keep coming up for me. Drink more water. Quiet time needs to be quiet time. Turn off the distractions. It’s now or never. Life is short. Well, that got deep real quick. […]
How to Wear Color
In high school, much to my mother’s dismay, I plastered my walls with Duran Duran posters, Chanel ads, and makeup looks pulled from magazines. One of my favorites was a very 1980s makeup look on a model with short spiky hair. I don’t even remember the brand. Clarion, maybe? Or Ultima II? The slogan, however, […]
Summer Casual Wardrobe Essentials
I know I talk about essentials a lot, and at this point you might be hearing yada-yada-yada every time I utter those words, but they are so important. I don’t want to sound like that mom that repeats herself so many times that no one listens to her anymore. I’ll end my therapy session there, […]
The Truth About Capris: Ageless Style Show Episode 5
I’m not going to lie. I was a little afraid of tackling this topic. I mean, this is about as controversial as it gets around here. And I know that capris are considered as commonplace as flip flops and sunblock in the summertime. I’m not sure if this is quite as controversial as the time […]
Ageless Style Show #3: Long Torso vs Short Torso
I’m a woman of mystery. Really. Even though I’m only 5’3″, petite pants are usually too short on me. If you don’t believe it, check out these two pictures I just posted in the VIP group. Both of these pants arrived in my Short Story Box, which is a subscription box for petites. (Quick review: […]
Shoe Mistakes That Age You
If there’s any topic that I feel qualified to speak about, it’s shoes. And like many illustrations in life, it is best made through a story. When Kevin and I got married, we took two pictures with his fraternity brothers. One showed my amazing bejeweled Sergio Rossi mules. The others showed his friends. Which one […]
Pants Guaranteed to Fit: Ageless Style Show Episode 2
I’ve always been a dress girl. Part of it is because I have feminine style and part of it is because I live in Florida and dresses are cooler and part of it is because I’m lazy and dresses are one-and-done, but I think the main reason, if I’m being honest, is that pants are […]
10 Small Habits That Create Lasting Change
It’s the little things. I used to think that getting some of the results I want in life, from better skin to tighter abs, would require a major life overhaul, and that the only way to achieve these goals would be to wake up at 5 a.m., spend 2.5 hours on my morning routine, and […]
Fall Fashion Haul Over 40
Plus: Cluster Concept at Work I’m going to make a quick attempt at a mathematical formula here. Wardrobe Essentials + Seasonal Updates = A Beautiful Wardrobe Only I could come up with an equation that doesn’t contain numbers. It’s a gift. 🙂 If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I created […]
One Week of Fall Outfits
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” When the world is in turmoil, getting dressed every day and slapping on some lipstick is boldly optimistic, almost rebellious. And it can definitely help us feel like we are keeping it together. Today’s video is short and sweet, and really just a […]
WalMart Fall Fashion Finds
I am not a snob. I promise. I am an equal opportunity shopper. I can find something I LOVE almost anywhere. However, I never used to have any luck at WalMart. Recently, though, I started spotting the cutest WalMart finds on other bloggers, and wondered if I was missing out. And I started getting requests from […]
6 Affordable Fall Updates Over 40
Stuck in a style rut? One of the best ways to keep your wardrobe fresh and rut-free is to try a new trend. Naturally, you have to find a trend that suits your style, your life, and your body, but a fresh new find for fall is exactly the boost your wardrobe needs, and I […]
Summer Haul & Wardrobe Update
I have an approach to shopping that I like to call focused flexibility. This means that I never go shopping without a plan or a wish list, but I also stay open to fun finds and special surprises. This basically means I can buy whatever I want. Just kidding. Kind of. It does mean that […]