Tips for retirement style
Happy Tuesday, ladies. Today, I am updating a conversation about tips for retirement style.
I was asked last week to write about retirement style, and now that another year has passed of me leaving the professional office life, I decided to update some things I have said before.
My experience with creating my own tips for retirement style has only solidified my belief that we can retire a career, but absolutely should not retire our style….we must stay engaged in life.
I still feel like the biggest pitfall of retirement is getting too comfortable and looking too comfortable on a daily basis.
My experience in the past is that will affect your mind…possibly lead to depression…and cause someone to shrink back and not be involved in other aspects of life.
Not caring about our personal outward appearance can easily rob us of joy.
Here are some points that can be easily misinterpreted and should be understood in my tips for retirement style:
- Of course, there are gardening days and work-around-the-house days and you may not want to dress nicely for those.
- You will not dress the same as you did for work, but you can still look amazing and have great style in a new casual-focused wardrobe.
- As I always say, you should develop a confident style that is unique to you and your lifestyle.
So, let’s look at my best tips for retirement style.
TIPS FOR RETIREMENT STYLE: MESSAGING
This is such a great time of life. Retirement is a time to re-evaluate and think about new opportunities and what you want your life to be…then you can look at your retirement style.
Since clothing is our calling card and communicates a message about us in retirement, first decide what do you want your clothing to say about you in this time of life.
What do you want your clothing to say to your family about you…to your volunteer organization about you…to your significant other about you in retirement.
And, perhaps most important, what do you want to say to YOU about you…when you look in the mirror what do you want to see?
No matter what I am doing, I want others to see a strong, vibrant, intelligent woman….still vital and engaged in life….not retired from it.
As I wrote in last week’s post, WHY I DRESS WITH STYLE ADJECTIVES, messaging is best done with consistent style adjectives….I use five.
You use them to glean over the old professional clothing and to shop for new casual…then you are developing your new retirement style.
Everything in my wardrobe has to combine for style that says I am polished, creative, approachable, joyful and current.
I want every outfit to say this about me…even in the more casual life I lead right now.
If a piece doesn’t work in my style adjectives, then it must go. I like to be polished, but have passed on pieces that were too polished and professional.
These did not play well with the creative, joyful, approachable side of me.
TIPS FOR RETIREMENT STYLE: WHAT STAYS, WHAT GOES
If you are early in developing your retirement style, I would be careful not to toss too quickly.
This is perhaps my number one in the tips for retirement style.
Set aside a place where you can put some pieces that you want to think about. I ended up saving a few of those, and passing along a few of those.
I kept in mind:
- My best colors…which are vibrant autumn colors…and sent away anything that was not my best.
- I made sure that I wear confident casual clothing that accentuates my positives…fitted jackets that look good on curves, and longer pants for my long legs. (always enhance your best features…yes, you have them)
- To dress the body I have and not the body I want.
- If a garment does not make me smile in the mirror…it goes.
Here is a list of what I kept from my professional office life, that I am glad I kept:
- Blazers….one of my “uniform” casual styles that I love are my jeans, with blazers…love it.
- My Eileen Fisher crepe pants…they are lightweight, good colors, and I can wear them for anything…no matter how casual or casual chic I desire to be.
- Nice blouses to dress up jeans or pants for church or special occasion dinners.
- A few special pieces that I previously wore for work events, but can now wear for my new life special events.
- My accessories…accessories are one way I speak my creative, joyful style.
I have said before that I want to dress with “I’m Not Done Confidence” and I keep that in mind almost every day.
In order to speak my “current” style adjectives, I have moved a few professional pieces along and replaced with more current, casual chic pieces.
But, I allowed time for that to happen as I evaluated. Again, be careful about just tossing that amazing professional wardrobe too quickly as you ponder what your retirement style will look like.
TIPS FOR RETIREMENT STYLE: REJECT INVISIBILITY
Smiling at yourself in the mirror indicates confidence.
When you leave the house confident, your day, even in retirement, will go much better. You are more likely to be involved and to meet more people when you smile.
And, it means that invisibility is not a part of your day…and you won’t care one bit. Reject Invisibility and enjoy this amazing time of life.
I know we typically just have a video on Wednesdays and I will tomorrow, but this was such a great video for today’s topic.
This 76 year old has retired her career, but definitely not retired her style….
Please add positivity to this conversation in your comments or pose questions. I so hope it helps and inspires those in retirement or about to retire.
Just remember: Retire your career, but don’t retire your style as you consider these Tips for Retirement Style.
STAY STRONG & KEEP SMILING!
By Pamela Lutrell
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Good tips, Pam. Another great advantage to retirement is having more time to think about and play with styling. I have always found that as much fun and satisfying as my other creative hobbies. That video was ‘interesting’. Do you think that the person commenting was possibly AI generated? I can’t put my finger on it, but I found it a little strange.
I would agree with you on the video…I found the woman’s desire to continue her style inspiring. But the commenting was a little strange in some ways. I agree with more time now to play with my style and it has been fun!
Great tips that I wish I’d had when I retired four years ago! My mistakes were to keep buying clothes I would have worn to work, as they just were not casual enough. Also, the sheer volume of clothing I kept buying was a mistake. While it’s an unwritten rule that you shouldn’t repeat an outfit too often at work, in retirement it feels fine (even in a part time job like I have). A great outfit is a great outfit. Another big tip I have is to really start to spend a decent part of your budget on quality workout and loungewear. Your new life deserves honor the same way your career did. And I feel better about adding errands and a coffee or casual meal out on the way home if my walking clothes are elevated (I find spontenaiety one of the best things about retirement). In other words, I echo your comment about dressing for the life you live now. Also, I would suggest keeping all the small accessories, as they take up almost no room and can really spark up an otherwise more limited or basic wardrobe. You said all these things better than I just did, but I wanted to add a “me too” :).
I like your “me too” I do like statement jewelry and as of right now I am not ready to weed it out, but I know that is always subject to change! Thanks Linda
I’m so happy you introduced us to Anna Massagrande! I am now following her on Instagram. She has such a wonderful style, (and beautiful hair). I love seeing women who still embrace style into their 70’s and beyond.
You are so welcome, Carolyn!
I heartily agree with taking plenty of time to think through each piece of clothing before deciding to keep or donate. I am very sorry now that I gave away a blazer that fit great and was my best color, periwinkle. I could have worn it with so many other things, but at the time in my mind it was a work outfit! Great advice as usual Pam!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Shirley. I also tossed too quickly and have regrets. Live and learn!
This is some good advice. After I retired I did fall into the trap of not thinking about what I was wearing. It does make a difference. Now I try to at least dress so I feel good and also put on makeup. It helps.
It is easy to go the other direction. Glad you snapped out of it, Paula.
It’s kind of funny (that may not be the best word) to read about retirement wardrobes, as I went in the other direction. I was a stay-at-home mom for most all of those years (to five children), so after we became empty nesters, I had the inclination and finances to buy some nicer things for myself!
Yes! Kim…so did I and it has been fun!
After I left the business world I took a part time job at a clothing store. I loved getting dressed for that job as I could dress more casually and creatively than I did in my business career. I think I am still buying clothes for that chapter in my life so when I have somewhere to go like church or a meeting I have great outfits to choose from. I’m home now most of the time and spend a good deal of that time working in my studio. I move around a lot can’t wear anything that will catch on the equipment so I’m usually in jeans or shorts and tee. I do choose my good colors because they make me feel good. And I do my hair and light makeup for the same reason. I don’t own any “athleisure” clothing even though its quite popular now. I wear yoga pants for yoga but not otherwise, not even for walking the dogs. But athleisure is just not my style.
Thanks for sharing, Kathie. Good thoughts!
Great tips! I have been retired for fourteen years, but I remember all too well the urge to dress too comfortably in oversized, faded or otherwise worn-out clothes. As a caregiver, I spent a lot of time at home, so taking a good look at myself in the mirror was very important. I had to learn to please myself first & foremost. Fit also is very important. Those oversized super comfy clothes had to go. I might be wearing a T-shirt & jeans or shorts, but they fit well & are in flattering colors & styles. Since my office had gone business casual before I retired, I found many of the pieces still worked in my new life especially for running errands, my late husband’s many doctors’ appointments & other casual outings. I might be the best dressed person at the grocery store, but that’s alright by me.
I wore hospital scrubs for 30 years so not exactly a professional wardrobe as they were provided by the hospital. I retired 22 years ago and since have enjoyed lots of soft comfortable shorts and tees or flutter tops in summer and comfortable Chicos jeans and long sleeve knit tops in winter. I have stuck with my colors of navy to light blues with a white linen sweater to top or a navy boyfriend sweater on colder days. My budget allows JCP and Landsend and I spurge on my Chicos jeans. My rural mountain town in Colorado is very casual and the only “business attire” seen is a funeral director or bank president. I don’t own a suite or a blazer and don’t miss them. My purges are usually because I have gone up in size. I dress for my current size and comfort.
I am 6 years out from my professional job on the east coast. Upon my retirement we moved to the west coast where the fashion is much more relaxed. My biggest challenge was to find my style for an active lifestyle; when I moved here I did not own one pair of shorts never mind any golf clothes. Now those are the items I wear the most. I don’t regret donating much of my old wardrobe because so much of it just wouldn’t work here. I still own a few wool blazers that I have not worn at all. With your help, Pam, I assessed my lifestyle and began to buy the best quality I could afford that I knew would be workhorses in my wardrobe like quality slacks and shirts. I agree with Linda LM and buy nice athleisure wear which goes a long way for many of my activities. One day a new friend here remarked how she liked that I wore earrings, bracelet, watch and a necklace every time she saw me; she said it completed me. I took that as a compliment!
Great tips. Thank you. The Italian lady looks lovely, but her lifestyle must be a lot more “elevated” than mine. Perhaps it’s an Italian thing or a Milano thing. She does look great in her outfits.
One question which you touched on a little, does it make sense to style an outfit around a beautiful piece of jewelry? I have a couple of necklaces I rarely wear which are the correct colors for me, but I am just not sure what to do with them. Thank you!
And with me! Thanks for sharing this part of your journey, Becky!
Thanks for sharing your favorite brands, Sydney.
I think it is a compliment, Linda. Good for you!
I put together outfits around my necklaces all the time, Mary. I think it’s fun. You can put a fun necklace on top of neutral basics and take them to a new level. Have fun with it.
Great tips today for our retirement life style. The one adjective I keep in my mind when I look at my clothes, “are they current”.
The longer I am retired the more I need to remind myself… don’t be invisible. Thanks for your encouragement.
Happy to help, Audrey!
This was such a timely and wonderful article! I will be retiring next week and will take a good long look at my work wardrobe and think about what works now for my new at home wardrobe. Thank you!
You are welcome, Michele! Congratulations on retirement!
Excellent guidelines Pamela and totally agree ‘not to give up your style to stay engaged in life’. I know for myself; though I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home Mom but having worked prior in an era that there were dress and good grooming codes, I learned one is judged by personal appearance whether we wish to admit it or not. For example; I have been offered jobs when I haven’t even sought them and one that made me really smile was that the ENT Specialist whom I had for twenty five years upon his retirement asked me ‘when I was planning to do so’ as thought I always was out in the work force which I took as a compliment considering at that time I hadn’t been for fourty-six years. -Brenda-
I love your comment, Brenda. We never know the doors that can open or the people we can meet just by taking time to look our best.