Fashion Lesson #30: The Miniskirt

I recently received an excellent Ask Fashion Sensei question from Candy regarding denim mini skirts for women over 30.

Hi~
I’m 30ish and have the hankering to wear a mini blue jean skirt. First, are they hot right now or so, so?? A friend of mine mentioned that she was going to pair a jean skirt of hers with leggings. I think we’re too old to do that trick. What do you think??? IF I can rock a jean skirt, any tips/ideas on how to make it fabulous? Thanks

Jean skirts are as timeless as jeans themselves.  Like denim pants, they can be dressed up with a blouse and heels or dressed down with a pair of flip flops and worn over your swimsuit to the beach.

With regard to your question on wearing leggings with a mini skirt, I would pass.  I agree with you Candy, I think that look would be better suited to the 18 and under crowd.

How Old, Is Too Old?

Your query provokes another question that many other women have.  When are you too old to wear a mini skirt?  In considering the appropriate hemline for women over 30, my general advice is to limit the length of your skirts to 2-3 inches above the knee.  Notice I said general advice—there are countless caveats to this recommendation.  For example, if you have long legs, you will want to stick to a slightly longer length than someone who has very short legs. 

You should also take into consideration the proportion of your legs.  If you have heavy legs, the most flattering length for a skirt is at the narrowest area of your leg—which is just above or just below your knee.

Take a look at these pictures of mother of three Heidi Klum, who will be 36 in June. 

Photo Source: People.com

Frankly, I think the first skirt is too short.  For the average woman over 30—and especially over 35—a micro mini is a hard look to pull off.  The third picture has a perfect length; it’s sexy without having to worry if one of your butt cheeks are hanging out. 😉

Jean Skirts—In or Out?

As I mentioned before, I think jean skirts are always in.  Like denim pants, it depends on the cut and what you pair with the skirt.  The other great advantage to owning a jean skirt is that you can wear it during all four seasons.  You can wear a jean skirt in the summer with sandals; or with a sweater, thick tights and a pair of boots in the winter.

I did a little shopping online—here are a few jean skirt looks that I would suggest.

Shopping Info:  J.Crew skirt; J.Crew top; Salvatore Ferragamo Scuderia Satchel; Laser Cut Sandal Peep-Toe Bootie by Nicholas Kirkwood for Pollini; Miu Miu Shoes; More-Than-Half Clutch by Lisa Perry; Callouge Ring by DANNIJO; Merona printed shrug by Diane von Furstenberg.

Shopping Info: Gap White Denim Skirt; Limited: flowered top, Rayon Wrap, Indian hinge bracelet, Shell Disk Earrings; Nine West Sorcer, Piperlime.com; Gap: Denim mini, Striped Summer T; kate spade Caprice; bright lights, big city charm bracelet;Alena Stud Earrings, Forever 21.

Thanks for your inquiry Candy, I hope this information helps.  If you have a question regarding style, click on the Ask Fashion Sensei tab and leave a comment.  Your question may be used for a future Fashion Lesson.

Have a great weekend everyone and GO MICHIGAN STATE!

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She’s Got The Look

With the advent of the new Sex And The City Movie, all the newspapers are abuzz with women of a certain age.  Articles from the Wall Street Journal to local newspapers are discussing the “untapped” market of women over 35.  Can you believe 35 is considered old?  Is seems that once you graduate out of the 18-34 marketing category, corporations and marketing firms consider you dead.

Well, with unmistakable timing, a new reality series called She’s Got The Look is America’s Next Top Model for the over 35 set.  She’s Got The Look is looking for a women with beauty, but more importantly, a relatable personality with depth that comes with maturity.  Ten women will compete for a contract with Wilhemina Models and a photo spread in Self magazine.

Judges include:

Sean Patterson, President of Wilhemina Models, Inc.

Beverly Johnson, The first African-American supermodel to appear on the cover of VOGUE.

Robert Verdi, whom you may recognize as the host of shows such as Surprise By Design and Fashion Police.

Photo Source

As you can imagine all sorts of fashionistas turn out, from a man in the process of becoming Trans-gender to a leopard-print, body suit wearing diva.  Each hoping to have “The Look”.

She’s Got The Look airs Wednesday, June 4th at 10:00pm on TV Land.  To read more about this show and to view some great sneak peaks, click here.  I’m really interested in your opinion on this. 

I think it’s smart of TV Land to recognize that women over 35 aren’t dead and we still do care about what we look like.  I hope that a show like this encourages women to take better care of themselves and inspires them to follow their passion at any age.  We’ll see…

Any 35 or over gals want to weigh in? 

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SJP Reacts to ‘Maxim’ Magazine’s "Unsexiest" Woman Title/ Jamie Lee Curtis Goes Topless

In October Maxim Magazine published their choice for the “Unsexiest Woman Alive”, naming Sara Jessica Parker as their number one choice.  Maxim‘s feeling was that she was “the least sexy woman in a group of very unsexy women.”

 

Those of you who have not read the article I’m sure are saying “What?!!”  I agree with you.  SJP beat out #5 Britney Spears; #4 Madonna; #3 Sandra Oh and #2 Amy Winehouse.  I hardly call this picture taken of SJP soon after her son was born unsexy.

Last weekend reports came out that in an interview in Grazia magazine she had this to say:

“Do I have big fake boobs, Botox and big lips? No.”

“Do I fit some ideals and standards of some men writing in a men’s magazine? Maybe not.”

“Am I really the unsexiest women in the world? Wow! It’s kind of shocking… It’s so brutal in a way, so filled with rage and anger.”

“It upset [Matthew], because it has to do with his judgement too. It’s condemnation, it’s insane. What can I do?”

“I guess you can’t please all people.”

Fashion Icons have feelings too Maxim.  What I find appealing about Sara Jessica Parker is that she isn’t always beautiful.  There are times that she just looks average to me; like a real woman.  To call her the unsexiest woman alive above Britney Spears is really perplexing to me.  To place Britney Spears whose life is out of control, and physically unfit as compared to Ms. Parker is just absurd.  Aside from physical beauty, doesn’t the fact that she actually has her life together and her wits about her play any part in the readers decision?  This was a poll you see, of Maxim readers.  What does that say about their readership?

I agree with you SJP, don’t get the plastic boobs; the frozen Botox Face or any of the other strange cosmetic procedures that actresses seem to see as necessary to have a career in Hollywood. 

You may remember my post on Thursday’s Fashion Sensei Says… where I said “Don’t buy into it” when Charla Krup extolled the virtues of Botox and “injecting poly-L-lactic acid-a substance used to fill crows’ feet and other facial lines-into the balls of our feet.” 

I remember watching the Barbara Walters Oscar Special and her interviewing Vanessa Williams and she said “I certainly do Botox”.  She went on to say that most of her Hollywood friends also imbibe. 

Look, I don’t have a problem if someone wants a nip here or a tuck there.  To each her own.  I just don’t want the message that in order to remain employed or to be considered sexy I need to have plastic surgery.

The atheists to cosmetic surgery, Jamie Lee Curtis is posing topless and is speaking out in AARP about her impending 50th birthday this year and how she feels about aging:

“I want to be older. I actually think there’s an incredible amount of self-knowledge that comes with getting older. I feel way better now than I did when I was 20. I’m stronger, I’m smarter in every way, I’m so much less crazy than I was then.”

“Getting older means paring yourself down to an essential version of yourself.”

“My style is a distillation. I’ve etched out who I am through myriad haircut attempts, outfit attempts, beauty attempts, diet attempts. It’s been an evolution. I’ve let my hair go gray. I wear only black and white. Every year I buy three or four black dresses that I just keep in rotation. I own one pair of blue jeans. I’ve given away all my jewelry, because I don’t wear it.”

“I want to be as a human being. New. Different. Challenging the old. Function over frivolity. Clean living. Clean lines. If I can challenge old ideas about aging, I will feel more and more invigorated. I want to represent this new way. I want to be a new version of the 70-year-old woman. Vital, strong, very physical, very agile. I think that the older I get, the more yoga I’m going to do.”

I will say up front, that I am too vain to let myself go gray, and I can’t imagine only wearing three different colors.  But I appreciate the simplicity that Ms. Curtis is adopting.  Mind over materialism and vanity; it’s a goal to strive for.

What’s your view on this?  Is Sara Jessica Sexy?  Are you for cosmetic surgery or Botox?  What about Jamie Lee Curtis’ views? Leave me a comment, let’s discuss.

Sources: PR Newswire; AP

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