Customer Reviews

Dressing Nifty After Fifty

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Many thanks to Ms. Richardson for writing this book. I would stare at the fashion magazines' outfits for women of different ages and could not decipher what the subtle differences were that made them age-appropriate. It was very frustrating but now I have her clear explanations to guide me. Particularly helpful were the clarifications of how much to dress up when (casual chic vs. dressy, formal business vs. casual business, etc.) and the two-color/three-color rules. Ms. Richardson takes one from almost getting a sometimes rigid dress code right to being spot on. Her logic is simple to follow and, more importantly, so simple to implement. A reader can take any one suggestion from this book and improve her wardrobe without spending a cent.

This is a good basic guide for women who haven't given much thought to their appearance while taking care of everybody else. The author has laid out a simple plan for creating a wardrobe from scratch. But I didn't find the advice I was looking for. I'm 57 and have acquired a "menopause tummy" which complicates my inverted triangle shape. I didn't find anything here to help me shop for a better look. In fact, the author suggested a couple of styles for my body type that I know are unflattering and not what other style books recommend. When will we short chunky gals get our style guru? Truth to tell, I've gotten the most help from the television show What Not to Wear and a great book by Kendall Farr called The Pocket Stylist. I was hoping to find similar advice in this book, adjusted for an older age group. This book did not help me, but for a woman who is essentially clueless about fashion and needs good practical coaching to shape up, this one is for her.

I have been able to unclutter my closet of unused clothing and find ways to combine clothing and accessories I already own to attain a new, updated, stylish look. My husband and my daughter (my worst clothing critic) have already noticed how much better I am dressing. I am getting compliments at my office and more attentive and courteous treatment in stores and restaurants. My husband and I were even given a chocolate chip cookie as a special treat at a sandwich shop! This book is simple, customized and the principals apply to any age group.

Looking your best every day is just as important at 50 as it ever was in childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, or middle-age. Fashion, grooming, and looking lovely is good for one's self-esteem and confidence, socialization with others, and just plain getting the most out of what life has to offer us. In "Dressing Nifty After Fifty: The Definitive Guide To A Simple, Stylish Wardrobe", Corinne Richardson shows how anyone on any budget can look nice, build up their wardrobe based on three basic colors, add zest to their appearance through the use of color, look taller and thinner with the right kind of apparel, combine style and comfort with their footwear, get the most out of their clothing budget, and simply "stay gorgeous as time goes by". Practical, sensible, economy minded, 'reader friendly', and occasionally down right inspiring, "Dressing Nifty After Fifty" is enthusiastically recommended reading for women over 50 who want to look as good sartorially as they did when they were 25!

This book was a refreshing change from other fashion advice for mature women I've read recently, e.g. give up panty hose in favor of bare legs, embrace the thong, etc. Ms. Richardson's book offers sensible, workable advice to those of us who want to be sensible but not frumpy, current but not silly. I found her delineations of what to wear for work and casual situations particularly helpful.

The appearance of the text is unappealing -- seems like something a low-quality vanity press might produce. There were ink smears on some pages. Surprisingly few illustrations for a fashion-related book. I expected more charts or tables or checklists -- more than just pages of large-print text with an unappealing layout. If I'd handled this book in a bricks-and-mortar store, I would never have purchased it because the text didn't deliver what the cover led me to expect. I am returning it for a refund.

This book should have been titled, Simplify your Wardrobe.
While there were some interesting ideas in this book, such as, by fifty there should be no "cute" in your wardrobe, only chic and sophisticated; the bulk of this book was aimed at making your life easier by going with only 3 main colors in your closet.
The author, a retired attorney, seems to be speaking only to a business professional (and especially in a conservative profession), and not to the entire wardrobe needed.
There were however some good exercises in listing activities for a two-week period to get one thinking about all the different outfits needed during that time.
I would have preferred more direction in how to determine what no longer works for me due to changing body shape and skin tones, how to pick the right clothes, etc.
The cover was the best part! Loved it.

I don't know if I'll be more nifty after fifty, it seems pretty valuable at any age. It could use more elaboration on a few points, such as body shapes and colors. In the traveling section, there is a 10-day packing list, why this list, how do you want these items to work together? What if I'm going on golf trip, why would I want to wear these items two or three days in a row? If I'm going to a resort in hot weather why do I want to build my wardrobe around black? A couple of examples would help to explain.
Great idea, to stick to three basic colors of black, brown & gray, I do find that works great!

This book provides advice for women with limited fashion knowledge or confidence and thus covers some basics adequately. The author also takes a very conservative approach and one which acknowledges that we can dress smartly by spending wisely. However, there are better books available, such as How Not to Look Old that provide advice on how to look fashionable and still be age appropriate. I found that book much more helpful and informative.

Dressing Nifty After Fifty addresses dressing well after 50 years of age superficially and not especially interesting or informative. I was amazed to find there was space dedicated to women our age who don't understand how to clean a closet. Save your money and perhaps dress simply in basic colors. Dressing Rich, a book written with the classy woman in mind is a far more indepth study of looking good at any age, and it was written in the early 80's, and stands tall 25 years later. Sorry Ms. Richardson, but in my mature and humble opinion, your book doesn't measure up to what I consider a worthwhile study of what looks good after 50 years of age. Susan,newly retired and always open to learn something new.