Hot colors for a cool fall (plus animal prints)

If you have reached the age of 60 and want to review and revive your wardrobe, making it fashionable for fall 2010, you already have had many years to find out just what styles are most flattering to your body and personality. Stick with them!  Don't buy what's 'in' just because it's the latest fad. It will be 'out' sooner than you think, and you'll be left with a closet full of garments that will make you say ... 'what was I thinking!?!'

Do you have a favorite color that flatters your hair or complexion, or a neckline that looks especially good on you? Start with them, culling out for charitable donation anything that looks passé.  Find some accessories that are the latest fad, and you will look right in style!  Reasonably priced accessories can be found on-line, in boutiques or at thrift shops, and can be worn with many different clothes that will change the look of an entire outfit. The accessories can be mixed and matched, added or subtracted and will make you feel really fashionable and ready to strut your stuff (without spending a fortune)! 

Animal prints and bold colors are very much in style this fall.  If you want to wear the latest, but don't want to look like you belong in a cage .... moderation is the answer.  Again, accessories will do this for you like nothing else can. Start with basic colors.  That doesn't mean only black, brown, gray or navy, although those colors as a base, make coordination much easier.  But, you can also wear beige, purple, pink, red or green and then bring in the animal print.  In fact, this season we've seen animal prints in those colors, too.  Usually, realistic cheetah, leopard and tiger prints look best with black or brown, but are smashing with grass-green or beige, as well.  Think of nature, and the way animals camouflage themselves in the jungle.  With black and white stripes (as in zebra), black or white are the easiest basic colors to work with, but red, electric blue or hot pink would also be stunning.

Hot prints and splashes of color are very 'in' this fall.  Just make sure you don't put them all together!  Think Pucci, Picasso, Calder and Jackson Pollack.  With these hot prints and splashes of color, you should pick one of the clear colors in the dress or top, and pick up solid accessories in that one color.  What we usually like to do is find shoes and (possibly a bag) a scarf, belt or jewelry already in our closets that pick up a color in the top or dress.  If you can't find a color in your closet that is in the garment, then just use the background color of the dress or top.  Keep the jewelry and accessories simple when wearing splashes of color or hot prints.

Very important:  Remember, what you see on the runway is not the way it's worn in real life.  You must adapt your outfit to yourself ... your figure, your age and your style.  Whatever you do, have fun with your fashion.