Timeless Style | Fab Over Fifty Style Blog

26April

{FOF style} The timeless value of jewelry

We all know that women today spend more time and effort than ever on the way we look. Happily, the desire to look great doesn’t stop when we turn Fab Over Fifty.

But, when we leaf through magazine after magazine and click on countless websites, we’re bombarded with a never-ending stream of photos featuring stick thin, and very young, women, wearing pencil-thin clothes. That’s pretty irritating for FOFs who want advice on how to look their best.

The good news is that accessories can help us stay trendy and discover our own style, at any age. In minutes, jewelry can enhance anyone’s overall look. Diamonds are now more popular than at any time in history, and it’s easier than ever to purchase beautiful pieces online, as well as sell pieces that we no longer wear. If you’re interested in selling your jewelry, at the best possible prices, you can find diamond buyers at www.wpdiamonds.com.

Here, also, are some of FOF’s best recommendations to look stylish at any age:

Know your strengths and weaknesses. First of all, find a mirror and take a look. Recognize your good features, as well as your "not- so-good" features. We recommend wearing only jewelry and accessories that help you cover up some of your less desirable features and enhance your strong points. An exquisite diamond necklace, for example, may look dramatic on a long or medium neck but not so much on a short one.

Focus on your hair! Your hair may matter more than you realize. Update your hairstyle to something more contemporary in order to look fresh and vibrant. Those of us who have been using the same hairstyle for years should consider looking for new options. Keep in mind that the new style should look great on an FOF, which means staying clear of teenager styles. Hair style and color are important pieces of the puzzle, along with accessories and jewelry. If you experiment, you’ll see that certain earrings or necklaces mix perfectly with a particular hairstyle, while other pieces don’t look as good.

Use trendy jewelry, not trendy clothing. It’s always a smart idea to use stylish or trendy pieces of jewelry to put the edge on elegant or casual outfits. FOFs should leave super trendy outfits for teenagers or younger women. Often, an FOF who wears an “in” outfit will look like she’s trying to hard and out of place. Stylish pieces of jewelry, such as bright silver, bronze or copper, also add a great deal of panache to an FOF’s skin tone and overall look!

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23November

{Timeless Style} Thanksgiving at the Governor’s Mansion

Talk about going cold turkey. This fab photo was snapped in 1959 at the Governor's Mansion in Tallahassee, Florida. The photo is of Florida Governor LeRoy Collins's 9-year-old daughter, Darby (now an FOF!) on Thanksgiving. Governor Collins and his family were the first to live in the Governor's Mansion. The 1959 Thanksgiving was the second-ever Thanksgiving celebrated there.

Image via Flickr

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17November

{Timeless Style} Bathing Suit Beauty

The real secret to sexy? Leaving a little to the imagination...

Just ask Alfred Mugford. The photo below, taken in 1941 in Waikiki, Hawaii, was his favorite photo of his then fiancé, Margery. Margery "Muggy" Mugford was a swimwear, lingerie and sportswear model at McEnerney's department store in Wakiki. She went on to open her own swimwear shop and modeling agency. A mere five years after this photo was taken, "the world's smallest bathing suit," the bikini, debuted in France. Forget mystery, the rest is history....

"This was my grandfather's favorite picture of my grandmother. It was taken shortly before they were married. He was 22-years old. She was 18. It represents who she was: beautiful, strong, athletic, independent, confident and sexy. She was a remarkable person." -Cori Redford

Image via Flickr

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10November

{Timeless Style} Beatlemania!

"Doesn't it seem like just "yesterday" that the Beatles played their first U.S. concert? In fact, they made their U.S. debut on February 11, 1964, at the Washington Coliseum in front of approximately 8,000 fans. It was just two days after they premiered on the Ed Sullivan show. The day after the concert, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson said to the British Prime Minister about the Beatles: “I like your advance guard. But don’t you think they need haircuts?”

"A family friend had given my teenage daughter, an avid fan of the Beatles, an old book about the band. She found it while cleaning out her attic. Tucked inside the old book was this 8X10 photo! Curious about the photo, I zoomed in on the officer's (in the photo) arm patch, it said "Washington," which was when I realized this photo was from their first U.S. show!" -FOF Shelagh Duffett.

Set List from the Beatles' First U.S. Show
via PopHistoryDig

Washington, D.C.
February 1964

Roll Over Beethoven
From Me to You
I Saw Her Standing There
This Boy
All My Loving
I Wanna Be Your Man
Please Please Me
Till There Was You
She Loves You
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Twist and Shout
Long Tall Sally
--

Image via FLICKR
Source: PopHistoryDig

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25October

{Timeless Style} A Halloween from simpler times

*Sigh* How things have changed...FOF Nancy Poradish recalls a Halloween from simpler times. She submitted this early-1960s photo of her and her sisters after a night of trick-or-treating in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. From left to right, her oldest sister Carla (age 10 or 11) as a night club singer. Nancy (age 3 or 4) as a drum majorette and Paula (age 9 or 10) as a Native American.

"My parents used to take us to our grandparents house after trick-or-treating to show off our costumes. We would have said Paula was dressed as an 'Indian' at the time, but that would not be a correct term to use today. I love the bags from the local dairy and can't believe we were given apples and actually ate them!" -FOF Nancy Poradish

Do you remember what your first Halloween costume was?

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13October

{Timeless Style} Tatiana Riabouchinska

Even world-famous ballerinas have to sew their own shoes!

Prima ballerina Tatiana Mikhaylovna Riabouchinska was born in 1917 in Moscow and died in 2000 in Los Angeles, CA. Tatiana was one of the leading ballerinas of the 1930's and the third of de Basil's "baby ballerinas." She moved to the United States to train actresses and dancers including Rita Moreno, Ann Margret and Joanne Woodward. She was also the model for Hyacinth Hippo, the hippopotamus who dances in Disney’s Fantasia. Here, she darns a ballet slipper on a warm day in Rushcutters Bay Park, Sydney, Australia.

Image from the collection of the State Library of New South Wales

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21September

{Timeless Style} Diane Danvers-Simmons

“My dad was born in 1899,” says FOF Diane Danvers-Simmons, “and he used to say that the most attractive decade for women was the 1930s: elegant lines, beautiful fabrics and just really well made, well-fitted clothes.” His words made a lasting impression. Her style today? “Classic with a twist. I love Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dresses, Donna Karan and Tracey Reese. I also love a chic sheath dress which I accessorize with a beautiful piece of jewelry.”

“I’m not a frou-frou person or a twee person with my clothing. At my age, it doesn't look good. I don’t wear big flowers or ruffles that overtake your body.” -FOF Diane Danvers-Simmons

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14September

{Timeless Style} Ann Hand

"There was a period where I loved ostrich feathers—things that were feminine and girly," says FOF Ann Hand. "I have become more tailored. I like simple, timeless things." Ann's style has evolved as her role has changed: opera singer, wife to a Washington kingpin, mom, and now, jewelry designer to the political elite. Whether crafting pieces for the First Lady or playing with her grandkids, Ann brings sparkle to Washington.

"Washington is a town where you get a lot done after 7:30 at night. We go to quite a few embassy dinners, social functions, political fundraisers...We've been in the front row, watching history happen." --FOF Ann Hand

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06September

{Timeless Style} Sally Hilkene

"I was making jewelry in high school," says accessories maven, FOF Sally Hilkene. Today she continues to design pieces for her Kansas fashion and accessories mecca, Churchill. Her passions and fashion have hardly wavered. "I'm jeans, boots and a lot of great jewelry with a simple white shirt or a turtleneck," she says about her style. "This photo from when I was 14 looks like it could have been taken recently."

"My parents used to take us on educational trips when I was young— Europe, Russia, USA and Canada--and buy us a charm in every place. As I got older I started collecting big, huge charms. I have a charm bracelet with the old charms and mix them with the big, fabulous ones I have acquired in my travels." --FOF Sally Hilkene

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24August

{Timeless Style} Babbie Lovett

“I just get up in the morning and think, ‘It's a new day, now let's see what play we're gonna be in’,” says FOF Babbie Lovett, a model and fashion show MC for whom all the world’s a stage.

Act I: In the 1960s, Babbie modeled for fashion-forward designers such as Bill Blass, Halston and Anne Klein.

Act II: Today, at age 78, she still models occasionally and follows all the latest designers. But, for comfort and ease, she has pared down her look to a uniform of black basics and bold accessories.

"I learned early on with fashion that if it's not becoming it doesn't matter what it is.” -FOF Babbie Lovett

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