A winter storm left us with a few inches of snow today, so it allows for an opportunity to share a cold-weather look. Thin layers enable warmth without adding bulk.
I’m wearing a gray turtleneck, vest, coat, leggings, gloves, sunglasses, and my favorite fedora. The combat boots are at least three years old, as are most of the other items. Shopping links are for similar items and may allow me to earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
I have focused on simplicity for the past few years while wearing the same high-quality basics on repeat and avoiding fads. My purchases have centered around a core of neutral colors and classic pieces while creating interest and individuality using accessories and layering. I avoid heavy makeup, overly done hairstyles, and too many accessories. Those elements combined with colorful print clothing would feel disjointed from a classic casual style. But, that’s the beauty of finding a style aesthetic that resonates with you. Style is communication without words.
Some of my looks from ten years ago would no longer feel comfortable or stylish. However, well-made classic items can be adapted to reflect any style personality. In addition, basics are exceptionally suited to a more casual retired lifestyle. At sixty-five, I am well aware that my face and body are much different than when I started blogging over a decade ago. As a result, I have adjusted the proportions of my clothing to accommodate wearing low-heeled shoes with more relaxed casual attire.
I take style inspiration from my Instagram feed which reflects carefully chosen accounts from various people who inspire me on many levels. Below, I share some favorites that lead me to style my classic wardrobe to remain current. Rather than copy their looks, I view these accounts to hone my style aesthetic since what we see regularly influences us. Styles change, and so do I.
Allison Bornstein is the celebrity stylist behind many A-list stars’ most famous looks. Allison’s YouTube channel here is a delightful basket full of ideas, tips, and inspiration.
Felicia Akerstrom has a timeless appeal using neutral colors and classic pieces. I enjoy the simplicity of her looks.
I appreciate how Anna uses unfussy, classic basics to look timeless, approachable, well-dressed, and appropriate for every occasion.
@mychicobsession
Carolyn has a well-honed talent for helping women use classic basics to look timeless and elegant. She also has a great website here.
Alessandro Squarzi is the Creative Director of Fortela, a company that combines tailoring at its finest in Italian style and tradition using top-quality fabrics. I appreciate the way he layers classic pieces for unique results.
Audrey also shares beneficial videos here to highlight the tips learned during her style journey.
Kinga shares lifestyle tips and the minimal aesthetic that I find relatable and comfortable.
Congratulations to Joan Hooks! You are the winner of the beautiful bracelet from Beauty in Stone Jewelry.
Thank you for sharing who inspires you.
Very interesting, I will check these out. Some nice styles, easily adapted for us over-60s gals!
We awoke to 14″ of fresh-fallen snow! It added to the 20″ we already had on the ground, leaving us in an incredible wonderland.
With our current, continued temps of below-zero, style stops at our door and more practical clothing is a must!
Cashmere & pearls are traded for heavy down, Sorels & snowshoes when stepping forth to put out apples, hay & grain for the deer, elk & birds!
I’m afraid my recent treks to town have me styling more like the Michelin Man!! But, in a rural mountain area, everyone looks the same at this time of year.
Thank you so much for taking time to share so much information with your readers. These sources will be so helpful, just as your content always is. The happiest of new years to you!
hi Susan. What a great wealth of information you have shared !!! Thank you very much!
Susan, Thank you for sharing these wonderful women with us.
Beautiful photos! You and Mr. MIckey need to make a snowman on your next date . Quick question – do you steam your clothes and, if so, can you recommend a quality steamer?
I do steam or iron anything that needs it. Here is a great option for a handheld steamer.
It is interesting that your inspiration comes from such a young group (except for the gentleman).
What a fun, change of pace post! Thank you.
Thank you for the inspiring photos. I have followed you for several years and appreciate how you’ve developed your current style. I’ve done the same. My closet now consists of navy, grey and white neutrals. My colors are variations of burgundy, plum and sapphire. And I wear everything. It’s not just the color adjustment that helped me, but fabrication and garments that are right for my pear- shaped body. I still have a few outliers. But I’ve learned that I can appreciate a garment while knowing it won’t work for me. That was the problem before. I’m comfortable now.
I have followed you for years and you are my inspiration for how I want to present my look. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into your posts. I have learned a lot and am attempting to create my own style. Looking forward to checking the blogs you featured in this post. Here is to many blessings for the new year.
Happy New Year! Love your fedora! I want one but wonder if I would wear it enough! Trying to not buy foolishly
Once again, Great post Susan!
I love classic, minimalist looks so this post was a plus 🙂
I love the captions of the snow, especially the evergreens. The temperatures here are in the 20s. However, NO SNOW.
I always look forward to at least one snow event each winter. I hope we get one this season. In any case, it is COLD.
Have a wonderful day!
I’ve just finished a novel where the extremely stylish, older lady character said, “Dress ten years younger than you are, not a bit more – or less”. Sounds like reasonable advice re: this post. The younger women’s looks and your usual looks, Susan, indicate that timeless dressing is stylish at any age.
I love your snow boots!
Happy New Year Susan! I love all your posts and this was one of the best. So good to see where your inspiration comes from, especially since I share many of your color choices.
Thank you!
I really enjoyed your outfit today. It is pretty much what I wear every day. I live here on the north coast. NE Ohio and it is often cold and snowy here. We have not had much snow this year yet. I really like the idea of the tissue turtle neck. Such pretty colors too. Thank you.
Ooh I love that you shared your style influencers. I’m always on the lookout for more of them. Happy New Year and thanks for being there for us. Truly appreciate you.
You always look so chic! Thanks for the YouTube info
Wonder where fakerstrom got the two toned flat shoes. Love them!
They are by Chanel. Here is a used pair on Fashionphile. You could also visit a boutique to buy them new from Chanel or here is the black version. I also found a similar pair by Michael Kors here.
Thank you so much. I enjoy each post and you certainly personify style and grace.
Happy New Year.
I love your simple elegance and ever since I have been unable to buy the European magazine, Elegance, I have done the best I can with simple smartness. I discovered your blog by accident one day from Pinterest and have enjoyed watching you fine-tune your look to the immaculate presentations of today, many of which don’t have to have a millionaire’s income for us to put into practice.
Something that disturbs me greatly is the display in an influencer’s wardrobe of largesse. It’s not necessary as you show time and again .
Keep on going, it’s wonderful inspiration. Happy NY to you and Mr. Mickey
PS: Love the snow. We get so little here that it’s a wonder to see it!
I’d like to find more older women showing great style, like you. I’m 73 and the women you shared today all look 30 or younger. I guess classic looks good no matter your age. But I don’t know anything but classic. I’m pretty sure it’s my style but I’d like to compare it to other styles of women my age or at least closer. Thank you.
The classic modern style of the people I follow inspires me to hone my style to keep it looking current. Unfortunately, I don’t know many older women bloggers who nail the aesthetic. Try not to focus on the person’s age, but take the inspiration and make it your own. You might enjoy former Texan, Linda Wright who has lived in Paris for many years. Her account is here. Leslie is also over seventy. Her account is here.
I love hats.
The way you style them looks absolutely natural, unlike many I have seen, added on to be trendy.
My question is, how do you style a fedora in colder weather to keep from getting “hat head”?
Summer I usually keep mine on, without taking it off as we are out doors .
I love the look in winter, but usually going from out to in requires me to remove my hat(and my hair is a mess)
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Ladies need not remove their hats when they go indoors, but when I do remove mine for the day, I use wet hands to mess up my hair and rearrange it.
You look great !!! You are an inspiration to all! Thank you for everything, it needs to be said! Making decisions on the jewelry, love it!
Wow, once again. Your post and related links are so inspiring and informative.
I am definitely doing another closet edit, SOON 🙂
Great tips today, Susan! As always, thank you for helping us look our best. Happy New Year!!
Susan Byars
Thank you for sharing these stylist links. I will look at them when I have more time, I appreciate your blog since we are of the same generation and you do not dress like you are have your age, yet you are stylish.
Your backyard is gorgeous all covered in snow!
Happy New Year
Thank you Susan. I will look up the stylists you have listed and get some ideas. We have snow here too and our trees look like the ones you have pictured.
I thought the one picture of the guy was Joe Pesci! I laughed when I looked closer and saw that it wasn’t him. Good laugh, thank you.
Hi to you and Mr. Mickey.
Patty
I loved your Simplicity is Elegant post and used it to put together my look for New Years Eve. Thanks Susan for your inspiration. I love seeing your trips with Mr. Mickey.
Pat Lewis
I love your look and how you always look polished and trendy without looking like you are even consciously thinking about it . I have a couple of questions
– what do you wear when you are at home and not going out at all
– how big is your wardrobe? For example how many tops do you keep or how many pairs of shoes?
Thank you
Today, I’m staying home to wait for a heating repair team to show up. I have on black jeans, a black long sleeve tee, and a light-colored denim shirt with three buttons closed. My shoes are black loafers, and I have on black socks. My hair and makeup are done in a loose, light casual way by 8 am on most days. Since I have been a blogger for more than ten years, I have many gifted shoes and bags. (I no longer accept gifts.) You can see the last tour of my closet here. Some of those items have been donated or sold since the post, and I rarely buy anything new now.
One can rarely go wrong with classic basics. And your fedora is perfect.
Hello! Always enjoy your blogs. The pictures from your Instagram feeds were nice but those ladies sure don’t appear to be over 60. Can you include pictures of models in their 70’s?
Thanks! Happy New Year!
The age of the model isn’t the point. I showed the styles of dressing that inspire me and fit with my aesthetic. Don’t get hung up on matching everything you see precisely; instead, learn to use inspiration in the way you put together what you may already have.
What an interesting variety of inspirational
Stylists. They have the classic yet modern
Vibe which is what I am striving for.
Thank you for sharing
Sue
Hi……I so love all of your photography. They remind me of places I’ve been in North Carolina. The winter snow pictures remind me of home in Michigan with the ground covered in white and the evergreens dressed in their finery. Keep those pictures coming !
Love the way you use treasured pieces in your wardrobe. Those ideas come in handy. Thanks for the new blogs and sites to visit and learn new things in fashion.
I hope you have a wonderful 2022 ! Karen Z.
Happy New Year. Wishing you all good things in 2022. Thank you for inspiring me to create a more classic look.
Mary Ellen Todd
Susan you are so reflective of what I was looking for as someone to teach me to put outfits together….I appreciate most that you love good jeans!! And see them as a staple!! I love jeans and like to dress them up or down and learned from you. I love scarves, ruanas, minimum animal print, great sweaters and blouses. I am busty, so you have helped me a ton! I also was ill for a long time was fighting inflammation and learned from you on food items that lead to success on getting on the right path. I love great jackets also and booties and great looking shoes. So you are a hit in this area also.
Thank you so much! Turning 70 this year but finally feeling good about how I look and feel. Thank you very much and I wish you always the very best
Thank you for sharing your comment, Rebecca. It makes me so happy to know that my tips have helped you so much. I hope you have the best year yet!
Susan.
Classic and timeless looks are what I have been wearing most of my life. When I was younger and learning to sew I found out that different fabrics give a luxurious look to plain skirts and pants. Natural fabrics and blends make a huge difference!
I glance through Pinterest and find all kinds of looks. The model’s age makes no difference to me. I like Nina Sandbechs style because she is built like me and I get a better visual. The price points are for a Princess.
Your style and suggestions are for all women regardless of income and doable/practical which is why I subscribe to your blog.
Wishing you the Best New Year!!
Thank you for your lovely comment.
Thank you for sharing these sites, Susan. I will enjoy looking them up. I always enjoy your posts. Your snow covered evergreens are beautiful. I live in wooded lot in Michigan and it’s been snowing all day but we have few evergreens. I’m 72 and have made changes in clothing over the years as you have, often with your guidance.
I follow influencers of all ages and backgrounds. I appreciate your sharing because it highlights timeless, classic style. I have always tried to stay current while adjusting trends as I age. Thanks for great inspiration!
Dear Susan
I enjoyed the the models and how they dressed so simple but look so chic. There was an 73 old model who did her makeup from start to finish and I can’t find her again. I wanted to get the name of her eye shadows she used. She was so cute.
Best,
Betty
That might have been Maye Musk. Is this the video?
Thanks Susan. Goal for the New Year is to continue my weight loss journey and tidy up my closet. Always appreciate your inspiration!
Hi Susan…..your page always inspires me……thanks!