Last updated on January 9th, 2023 at 12:23 pm

Welcome to “How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 9”! For this edition we’re changing things up a little bit with what we call “same only different” We shopped at three different stores – Express, Ann Taylor and Zara and picked pieces that were very similar but not exactly the same.

One of the things that we wanted to demonstrate is that you can shop at any store, at any age. Don’t rule out a store just because you think, in general, the clothes are “too young” or even “too old”. There are usually pieces that can be found that fit your style in almost every store.

We also picked three trends to style as well – Pastels (from Express) Gingham (from Ann Taylor) and a 60’s Inspired Mod Look in Faux Suede (from Zara). All the shopping info is below.

This is how “How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 9” works: After we decide on our outfits, we do not share how we are going to style them, so that we can’t influence each other. Sometimes we will style things very similar and sometimes very different. But we hope in all cases we give you some style inspiration, no matter what your age or life stage! 

**Please Note: This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on our links. However, we only recommend products that we truly love. Amazon prices are current as of 4/18/22.

How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 9: Pastel Suiting from Express

Jen’s Pastel Suiting Look

Where do I even begin with how freakin’ fabulous this outfit is? I’ll be honest when I tell you I’ve seen this type of look all over the place, and really didn’t think I could pull it off. 

Aunt Dianne and I went shopping and found these suits at Express, but the fitting room was closed. We decided to take the leap and buy them, and hope I wouldn’t regret buying a lacy crop-top. 

While I’m not ready for the crop-top to shine on its own, I absolutely love this whole look together. The color is perfect, the tailoring is wonderful, and I feel like an overall BOSS. 

The shorts and blazer could easily be worn on their own, or I could swap the crop-top for a white bodysuit. 

I paired this with nude heels so my legs look extra long. And I want to keep the focus on the outfit itself, so I’m keeping the jewelry simple with some more rings and small huggie hoop earrings. 

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Dianne’s Pastel Suiting Look

Just like Jen, I’ve been seeing this monochrome suiting look all season. I saw Sandra Bullock in a gorgeous monochrome lavender suit and Ariana DeBose in a similar pink look and I loved it. That’s why it was a no brainer when Jen and I went into Express and found these amazing pieces.

I went one step further in completing my monochrome look in added a pastel pink necklace and a pink plaid handbag. As you may know by now, I am a big earring kind of girl so I added the large gold hoops. I kept my shoes neutral with a nude pump. I like the elongated look a nude shoe gives you and I especially like a nude shoe with a cropped pant. It creates a nice flow.

I did create this outfit to be more of an office look but with a few changes it could easily be a Sunday brunch or even a bridal shower outfit. I did purchase two tops and I will include the one that I didn’t wear below. It’s a racerback cami and has a little looser fit. It does run a little tight in the chest so I did size up. I actually sized up in both of the tops I purchased, just FYI.

My Dooney & Bourke bag is no longer available (I’ve had it a few years) but I did find the same pattern in a camera bag on Poshmark.

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Gingham Dress/Skirt from Ann Taylor

Jen’s Gingham Looks

What’s a lot of fun with this dress is how many ways you can mix it up for different looks. I would wear this dress with my favorite faux-leather jacket and black heels for an edgy look. 

Or, this dress paired with nude heels and a blazer makes it classic office chic. A black blazer is great, but because the gingham is black and white, a color blazer would look fabulous too! 

I’m all about getting multiple ways of wearing a piece, so I love the options I can have with this! 

You can also go a little wild with your makeup too, and wear any lipstick shade that suits your fancy that day! Anything from a nude to a hot pink or red will all look stunning! 

Dianne’s Gingham Looks

One of the things I love about this dress is that it is a “three-season” dress. The only time I probably wouldn’t wear it is in the heart of winter. So I decided to give it a summer look by adding the white belt, white pumps and a bright yellow bag.

My yellow bag is also no longer available but I did put a link below to a different yellow satchel. The dress link is above.

Shop My Accessories:

For the gingham skirt, Jen and I went with a similar look, especially with wearing our hair up. This is a great look for work for both of us. As you can see, I like to add a pop of color, especially in a handbag and in this case, I went with red. My black pumps have a great block heel (Jen had them first, I copied them).

I will put a few links below to similar accessories. The handbag I’ve selected is the same brand, House of Want that I can usually find for a great price at Nordstrom Rack. This is the second House of Want bag I’ve purchased and I’ve been really impressed with the quality for the price. I’ve also added a couple of different choices for red beaded necklaces.

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Faux Suede Dresses from Zara

Jen’s Faux Suede Dress Look

This dress is so 60’s mod chic, Aunt Dianne and I were pumped to find them in a sea of paisley and crazy patterns (which I have nothing against, just no idea how to wear them!). 

I looked into mod style a bit more, and thought it would be fun to try and do a 2022 version of a mod look! 

I don’t have any go-go boots, but I do have these brown suede over-the-knee boots!

I love wing-liner and a bold eye look, so doing a cut-crease look and nude lips was a lot of fun! 

As far as big bouffant hair goes, naturally my hair is nice and flat. So I tried to give my hair a little more volume!

Dianne’s Faux Suede Dress Look

I LOVE this dress! It definitely does have that’s 60’s vibe but the faux suede gives it a modern feel. It’s definitely a dress I could see my mom wearing in her heyday!

I wanted to keep with the 1960’s classic look – think Jackie O or Grace Kelly so I intentionally selected a pearl necklace and earrings, but again, with a little more of a modern twist. They are not just strands of pearls or studs, they have a little more interest to them.

I am wearing the same nude pumps that I wore with the pink suit.

The “experts” are already predicting that chocolate brown is going to be huge for fall, so with the brown trim on this dress, I thought it was the perfect excuse to add a new chocolate bag to my collection. I love the detail in this bag and it’s from Amazon! (Psst: The bag also comes in red, so it’s another option for the red bag above!)

Shop My Accessories:

So, what do you think of “How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 9?” We’d love to see your feedback in the comments below.

If you’re interested in more of our “Wear It at any Age” series, you can see the entire series HERE.

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