Last updated on January 9th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
Here we go: ”How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 5″.
A recurring theme you’re going to see this time around is “I didn’t think I was cool enough to wear that.” And you know what? That’s WRONG!
There’s a difference between not wearing something because you don’t like it, and it doesn’t fit with your sense of style. And not wearing something because you’re afraid of what other people are going to think of you. It’s ok to go with your gut and wear the things that make you feel great and confident.
We’re on this journey with the rest of you, and doing what’s best for you, day-by-day!
If this is your first time here, here’s how How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 5 works: We both decide on three items that we want to style. We do not share how we were going to style each one, 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!
The Challenge for How to Wear It At Any Age Volume 5
Here are the items we’ve selected for Volume 5:
Left: Combat Boots from Target, $34.99. These are a little different from the ones we are wearing but not different enough to make any difference in styling. We just happened to buy ours last year from Target – the link is to the updated pair.
Center: Halogen Leopard Cardigan/Duster from Nordstrom, $41.40 (on sale, 40% off)
Right: Spanx Faux Leather/Liquid Leggings. We got ours at Nordstrom during the sale. They are regular price right now, $98.
And we’re going to start with the leggings!
Jen – How I Style Faux Leather Leggings
Article of clothing #1 that I didn’t think I was cool enough to wear. One of my work/mom friends that I definitely consider cool, has posted pictures wearing liquid leggings, and they look so good.
So when Aunt Dianne suggested we use them for “at any age”, I was a little nervous. But, after talking about the comma, and finding your personal style, I decided to go for it.
I tried on a lot of different things with these leggings until I found what I liked. So many tops these days are cropped, and with these leggings, cropped is not the look I’m going for.
I just got this super cute plaid blazer from Mango, ($99.99) and the combination of plaid and the liquid leggings is so good. I’m actually surprised at how much I like these two together. I wore a basic black tank under the blazer. That and the leggings are the stars of the show!
These heels are the Susan style from Aldo ($85) – they don’t have the snake print anymore, but I love the style!
For me, this isn’t an office look, but I’d totally wear this on a date with my husband!
These leggings are also great for on the go, running errands, and looking cute during the day! When it gets colder outside, I wear a lot of sweaters, sweatshirts (let’s be honest, mostly sweatshirts), cute jackets (before it gets too cold) and boots.
I got this super cute plaid sweater cardigan from Target ($39.99), and it’s a super cute dressed down version of the first outfit! This sweater is so cozy, it’ll probably have a constant spot in my colder weather wardrobe!
I’d wear this outfit on a Sunday, if my husband and I get the chance to go out for brunch for coffee before doing our grocery shopping.
Dianne – How I Style Faux Leather Leggings
I had been eyeing this for quite some time. I actually bought a cheaper pair during the Nordstrom sale last year just because I wasn’t sure I was going to like them and didn’t want to invest. The ones I bought last year are a little shinier – I like these Spanx leggings a lot more.
On the Nordstrom website they do say the leggings run small and to size up, which I did. I usually wear a medium and I purchased a large. I probably could have used a “medium and 1/2” if they made such a thing. But better a little big than a little small.
One of the things that I love about these leggings is that they can easily be dressed up or dressed down. In styling them for “dressed up”, I selected an outfit I could see me wearing around the holidays. I love off-the-shoulder tops. They can be dressy and flirty without being overly sexy. It’s very hard to photograph a “bat wing” style shirt which is why I chose to pose the way I did, so you can get a better idea of the fit and detail.
I purchased my top at small local boutique. The brand is ee:some and it’s new to me. They don’t have a retail site, but I found some of their tops online at limelush.com. The top below is the most similar one I could find. My shoes are from last year, they are Marc Fisher. The ones pictured below are very similar. Links are below.
Left: Asymmetrical Off-the-Shoulder top, $44.99 from limelush.com.
Right: Marc Fisher Gadri Pointed Toe Booty, $129.99 from nordstrom.com
For a more casual look, I paired the leggings with a simple graphic tee from Target for just $12.99 and added some white sneakers. It’s a perfect errand-running outfit. I would most likely pair a light jacket or hoodie with it, but wanted you to see the detail on the leggings.
Jen – How I Style Combat Boots
These are a 2020 fall purchase I thought I wasn’t cool enough to wear. Over the years, I’ve tried on different types of boots like this, either in black or brown, and honestly never thought I could pull them off.
When I saw them on Target.com, they weren’t expensive and figured they were worth the risk. And I’m so glad I bought them! They were my go-to shoes during the cold seasons – fall, winter and most of spring if you’re near Michigan.
These exact boots aren’t available anymore, but there’s similar ones at Target!
Starting with a pair of jeans that I can either tuck into the boots, or are loose enough to cuff around the top. I want to make sure I’m showing off these boots!
And depending on the weather I’ll wear a cute sweater, or a long-sleeve shirt.
This henley bodysuit is by Madewell, but I got it from Verishop. They sell more expensive brands like Madewell, for way cheaper!
How awesome is this faux-leather biker jacket? I can’t wait to start wearing it when it gets chilly outside!
Dianne – How I Style Combat Boots
I had two ideas on how to style my combat boots. One was very similar to how Jen styled hers with a black leather jacket. But I decided to go with this “military inspired look” instead, starting with this Tommy Hilfiger military band jacket and some Levi’s cropped jeans.
Left: Tommy Hilfiger Military Band Jacket in Crimson from macys.com, $109.50
They do have a navy one now more similar to mine
Right: Levi’s 724 High Rise Straight Cropped Jeans from levis.com, $69.50
Jen – How I Style a Leopard Duster
I’ve always loved wearing leopard, so I wasn’t as worried about being able to pull this one off! But in my own, personal, style I kept everything else pretty minimal.
A black knotted tank from Abercrombie, and some high-waisted jeans, plus some Target slides pull this look together.
I also wore my charm necklace from Uncommon James, and some huggie earrings by Ana Luisa.
An all-black outfit and some heels would look great with this duster for a date night!
Dianne – How I Style a Leopard Duster
After our Instagram poll, you asked for us to style animal print. Believe it or not, this was one of the hardest pieces to find. Not because there isn’t a lot of animal print out there – there sure is. But a lot of it was somewhat over the top. We fell in love with this duster because it was both on-trend and classy! (Oh, and it was also on sale – we love things on sale too!)
I went very traditional for this look – plain black leggings, tunic tank and classic knee-high riding boots. This is an outfit I can wear this outfit anywhere – date night, brunch or even Saturday errands. I love red with leopard which is why I added this Coach bag in bright poppy. They don’t sell this bag anymore, but they do still have the color. I’ve linked to a similar bag below., as well a similar pair of riding boots.
Left: Kleo Shoulder Bag in Bright Poppy from coachoutlet.com, $151.20
Right: Bandolino Nilsa Boot from dsw.com, $99.99
Want to add some animal print to your wardrobe but not ready to commit to a large piece? One option is to add a neckerchief or even a headband in animal print. I found both of these at Old Navy and they are only $4.97 each!
So, how did you like How to Wear it at Any Age Volume 5? Please let us know if there’s something specific you’d like to see in upcoming volumes. And don’t forget to check out Volumes 1 -4, if you haven’t seen them.
We have a brand new section just dedicated to our most popular series. You can see all the volumes right in our “How to Wear it at Any Age” dedicated section.