Fashion

Wear to Where: Ask Your Stylist
07.06.11
After all my years in this business I get the most questions about “dressing my age” without “looking my age”. This week I’m highlighting some of the best of the best in the age appropriate category.
QUESTION: At 45 years old, I feel like a tart in five-inch stilettos or wedges, but like an old lady in kitten heels. What is the right height for my age?
ANSWER: There comes a time when super-stylish shoes in extreme heights are just too much for women of a certain age. At 45, you can still wear those sky-high heels that are so on trend, but once you hit 50, adjust your heel height. Three-inch heels feel more appropriate.
Q: I'm a 66 yr old woman and I have no idea where to look for the modern, but age appropriate clothing. Can you help?
A: J. Crew, Banana Republic and Ann Taylor are ageless brands. These three stores offer on-trend pieces that will make you feel pretty, stylish and appropriately dressed. The key is in the styling. Here's a good trick: Pay attention to how the mannequins are dressed in the store and steal the styling ideas that work for your body type. When in doubt, stick with classic items, like sheath dresses, straight-cut pants, fitted tops, cardigans and tailored jackets. Then add bold accessories, like a colored belt or a statement necklace, for a chic look that is modern, timeless and perfect for any age.
Q: Prints are my passion. Is mixing them for just the young or the young at heart?
A: Both! Great style is ageless. And pairing vivid prints like florals and ikat can be modern and ultimately age-appropriate. The trick here is to make sure the contrasting patterns are complementary in color. So if the floral is navy and pink, the ikat should be too. If the colors are too divergent, the look will turn to the chaotic.
Q: I'm in my thirties and just had my second baby. I'm working my butt off, literally. What's a quick fix in the mean time to make me look longer, leaner, taller and thinner than I am?
A: To look thinner, dress monochromatic, all in one color, top to bottom, no patterns. The visual illusion that a monochromatic outfit can create is a slimmer, longer body line by moving the eye down the body, from head to toe, featuring one color. Don’t think of an outfit all in one color as bland and boring, consider it a fashion challenge with the best benefits of making you look great and making you feel great in your clothes.
Leslie Christen writes "Wear to Where" for pacific-creative.digital each week. She is the owner of Leslie Christen | LifeStyling a business that does personal shopping, fashion styling, closet edits and organization. For tips on What to Wear and Where to Buy view her website at www.LeslieChristen.com and contact her at Style@LeslieChristen.com.
Blog

Music For A Cure!
07.01.11
Check out Greer's article about Music for a Cure's founders Julie and Murphy Karges in this month's issue of Riviera Orange County Modern Luxury magazine!
We absolutely love this photo of the Karges taken by amazing photographer John Russo!
Julie and Murphy started the foundation after a young Sugar Ray fan - Murphy is the band's bassist - lost his battle to cancer nine years ago. The Costa Mesa couple has worked tireless to bring music therapy to area hospitals and hopes to expand Music for a Cure's reach later this year.
In two weeks, young OC musicians have the chance to battle it out Sunday, July 17 in South Coast Plaza's Garden Terrace from 2 to 4 p.m. The winning band will receive a music video and a professionally recorded song - and even more children will receive the healing power of music.
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from the blog
- 08.20.25 – Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort Unveils New Enhancements
- 08.20.25 – The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe Completes $42 Million Renovation
- 08.20.25 – Cozy Earth Hosts Exclusive In-Store Promotion
- 08.17.25 – Buena Vista Orchestra Live in Costa Mesa
- 08.17.25 – Award-Winning Chef Ralph Estrada Joins IL Girasole in Costa Mesa
- 08.05.25 – Puesto Unveils Flavor-Packed Summer Menu Across SoCal Locations
- 08.03.25 – One Night in Asia – An Immersive Culinary and Entertainment Experience
- 08.01.25 – MoonGoat Coffee Roasters Opens Fifth and Largest OC Location at Pacific Arts Plaza
- 08.01.25 – Fritz and Friends Set for One-Night Show in Orange County
- 07.29.25 – A Botanical Bug Spray That Smells Like Summer
- 07.27.25 – Hotel Maya Celebrates 50 Years as a Long Beach Icon
- 07.24.25 – darkroom Pop-Up: Spanish AF
- 07.16.25 – ABT’s ‘Giselle’ Returns to Segerstrom Center This Summer
- 07.16.25 – Hotel del Coronado Unveils Restored Victorian Building
- 07.07.25 – Bardega to Open in Laguna Hills with Bodega-Style Market and Custom Cocktails
- 07.04.25 – Fit Bodies by Amanda Marks 15th Anniversary With Pop-Up Celebration
- 07.04.25 – Puesto Debuts Protein-Packed Bowls and Summer Specials
- 06.29.25 – Celebrate the Fourth from Offshore 9’s Rooftop in Huntington Beach
- 06.27.25 – Luciana’s Ristorante in Dana Point Wins 2025 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
- 06.24.25 – Luxury Designer Pop-Up in Tustin: Up to 90% Off Now Through June 29
More Daily Doses
- 08.20.25 – Seafolly Opens First U.S. Flagship in Corona del Mar
- 08.16.25 – Stone Groove Stillhouse Brings World’s First Audio Distillery to Anaheim
- 08.14.25 – An Evening at The Lido Theater to Benefit the John Wayne Cancer Foundation
- 08.14.25 – Harvest Restaurant Showcases Seasonal California Cuisine
- 08.06.25 – ClubSport Aliso Viejo Debuts Recovery Upgrades and New Friends Membership
- 08.05.25 – A Taste of Japan in Irvine: Izakaya Osen
- 08.01.25 – Bubble Blast Brings Summer Fun to The District
- 07.24.25 – Exciting Additions at Anaheim Hills Festival: Egg Tuck, Story Bar + Kitchen, and More!
- 07.21.25 – Gala of the Stars Returns to the Irvine Barclay Theatre
- 07.17.25 – Beats & Brews: Outdoor Concert Series at The District at Tustin Legacy
- 07.12.25 – Studio Mediterranean Debuts at Montage Laguna Beach with Reimagined Coastal Dining Experience
- 07.12.25 – World Taste Returns to Anaheim Packing District July 16
- 07.11.25 – Pacific Waters Spa Introduces Innovative Wellness Therapies at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
- 07.11.25 – Chef Jason Yamaguchi Debuts Konpa Nikkei in Corona del Mar
- 06.30.25 – Sip Into Summer at The District Tustin’s Cocktail Tour
- 06.25.25 – Where to Watch Fourth of July Fireworks in Orange County
- 06.22.25 – Surf & Sand, Laguna Beach Unveils Property-wide Transformation
- 06.17.25 – RELISH Food, Wine and Spirits Experience Debuts in Newport Beach June 27-29
- 06.15.25 – Sweetgreen Welcomes 5th O.C. Restaurant To Laguna Niguel
- 06.15.25 – Casa de Onda Brings Modern Mexican Fusion and Coastal Cool to Triangle Square