
Styling a Red Top and Black Pants with Personality & Ageless Style Linkup
Styling a red top and black pants is something I see a lot out in public. In fact, I had this idea for a post years ago, but had never gotten around to actually putting it into action. Then for our Ageless Style prompt, Julia suggested that we show something that ages us and explain why.
Quote of the day: “You only fail when you stop trying.” Unknown
First, I want to point out that I don’t consider “age” a bad thing. So when we talk about something that ages us, I would say it’s more about not being our best.
The idea of styling a red top and black pants came when I saw this woman out with her son for breakfast years ago. She seemed animated and fun because I could hear them talking. But her outfit was basically boring with a red sweater, black pants and black shoes. I felt like her outside appearance did not match what I heard coming out of her mouth.
So I wanted to see how the three of us could take that basic outfit and give our own twist to make it more us. Because one thing that definitely ages us is looking frumpy as we have talked about many times in the past. And to me much of frumpy is giving up, or not putting in much effort.
Make sure to check out how Lesley adds a scarf to the outfit, and Charlotte mixes in her accessories.
Pants: Banana Republic ~~ Vest: Miss Me-thrifted ~~ Top: Fashom ~~ Boots: Walking Cradles~~ Bracelet: ~~ Earrings: ~~ Purse: thrifted
Adding Personality to a Red Top and Black Pants

I hear many older people complain they feel invisible. The fact is we are visual animals. So adding personality to any outfit is my number one way to feel better about myself.
I started with a topper. For some reason a third piece always seems like a good idea. And here in Arizona, a vest is great for the weather. Even if you live in the colder climates, we’ve shown ways to wear vests over jackets.
Insider tip: If you can’t find the vest you’re looking for, you might consider revamping a jacket. It’s usually easy to take the sleeves off a coat to make it a vest. I did this with my mom’s fur coat.
The Accessories are Like The Ornaments on a Tree
There are so many analogies to how your accessories really complete and can change up an outfit. Would your Christmas tree be the same without all the ornaments and extras? Of course not. So consider yourself your tree and sparkle up.
This “purse” is a lunch box that I found thrifting on our Small Business Saturday excursion. I wished I had turned it around too because there’s another fun image of Lucy on the other side. No fear, I’ll be carrying it many more times.
Insider tip: Don’t be afraid to add in a whole different color with your accessories. That makes them stand out more. Remember that Christmas Tree? If you only matched the decorations to the tree, they certainly wouldn’t be as obvious.

Don’t Forget to Have Great Shoes

My contention is that nothing ages us more than ugly “old woman” shoes. I know…I know, we all want comfort. And I get that. Trust me, I do. Which is why I work with Walking Cradles and Jambu.
But don’t think that you can only wear the basic black and brown shoes. Add color to your feet or even a print. I think it’s high time we all get over that idea we should try to look taller with matching shoes. How is tall going to make us feel better about ourselves?
Insider tip: It’s not a scientific fact, but more of an observation. Do you realize you see your shoes the most because they are in your line of vision? You can only see your face if you look in the mirror. So make sure what you see makes you smile.

Let’s Talk the Facts About this Outfit
I really like the end result of this outfit. The vest, the booties and fun accessories really make me feel good. In fact, I was still fighting the crud when we took these photos (thus the sunglasses). There is no eye make up on and I was coughing half the time. Yet I think I can say you would never know that.
In fact, the pants and sweater are not particularly flattering in terms of fit. The pants are a tad big from my working days and the sweater is more oversized. Yet with the extras added in, you don’t focus on those issues.
Insider tip: As much as I talk about alterations (and I still think they are important), you can cheat at times. When something doesn’t fit perfectly then either cover it up or change the focal point to something else.

Photo credit: Rob Filogomo
Ageless Style
I know you’re going to love seeing what each woman in our ageless style group came up with about what ages us. Make sure to click over and see what resonates with you. And feel free to weigh in on the question.

Daenel ~ Living outside the stacks blog, instagram, pinterest, twitter
Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust bloglovin, blog, instagram, pinterest, facebook, twitter
Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots blog, instagram, facebook, pinterest, twitter, bloglovin
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style blog, facebook, instagram, pinterest, bloglovin, twitter
Julia ~ When the Girls Rule blog, facebook, instagram, pinterest,
Kellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag blog, instagram, bloglovin, twitter
Paula ~ Dimples on my What blog, facebook, pinterest, instagram, twitter
Shelly ~ The Queen in Between blog, instagram, bloglovin, pinterest, facebook
Shugunna~ Nzuri N* Simplicity blog, instagram, pinterest
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