Back to School Wardrobe for over 35 +

Back to School wardrobe over 35 #capsule #capsulewardrobe #overthirty #backtoschool #backtoschoolwardrobe

Black Tank • H&M | Pink Tank • H&M | White Tee • H&M | Grey Tee • Splendid |
Graphic Tee • Topshop | Tunic • H&M | Long Sleeve • H&M | Striped Shirt • H&M |
White Blouse • Madewell | Chambray • Mango | Print Blouse • Mango | Pullover • Madewell |
V-Neck Sweater • Mango | Cape/Cardigan • H&M | Black Cardigan • Madewell |
Long Cardigan • H&M | Blazer • H&M | Skirt • H&M | Casual Dress • Mango |
Black Dress • H&M | Colourful Dress • Mango | Leather Jacket • Mango |
Trench • Mango | Casual Denim • Mango | Dark Denim • Gap | Black Pants • H&M |
Casual Pants • H&M | Leggings • H&MBlack Purse • Sole Society |
Brown Purse • Urban Outfitters | High Boots • Frye | Black Booties • Lands End |
Brown Booties • Lands End | Flats • Joe’s Jeans | Slip-ons • Nordstrom | Sneakers • Nike |
Hat • Nordstrom | Coloured Scarf • Nordstrom | Black Check Scarf • Nordstrom

When you hit a certain age or point in life  you sometimes start to question your clothing and wonder if you should start abiding by the “what not to wear over….” articles that seem to flood your Facebook newsfeed.

I hate those. Hate them.

I’m not going to post a link to any because they can make you feel like shit and I don’t want to do that.

I think it is normal to question fashion choices. I did after the birth of my first child and I was only 25. I thought, I am a mom now and should start to abide by what society believes moms should dress like.

Where that brainwashed thought came from I can only blame on the feeling of failing in every aspect of my life and if I dressed like society believed a mom should dress than people would at least think I was a good mom.

I also equate those feelings to having undiagnosed postpartum depression but that is another post.

A blog post titled 24 Things Women Over 30 Should Wear passed through my new feed a couple of weeks ago and I loved it. It voiced my mantra of “wear whatever the fuck you want”.

That’s the only fashion rule I follow and the only fashion rule I think anyone needs.

This post comes as a request via Australia. I received an email several weeks back (I have a little backlog) asking for some help.

The request is actually twofold with a couple of parts to it. First she is a 40-year-old woman and is going back to school (congratulations! That is huge, and I might be a little envious) and wanted some clothing ideas that would keep her on trend but not too young, and on a budget.

Second, she is also going on a trip to Italy in October and was looking for ideas on what she could bring to cover the exploration/sightseeing aspect with some dressier dinners.

I am going to try to tackle this over a couple of posts with the  first being the 35+ back to school wardrobe.

I picked the pieces based on her favourites colour palettes and her style of French Classic, mixed with some boho, a bit of Rock Chic, and eclectic. I find that I am partial to each of these styles and they filter through many of my clothing choices as well.

It’s hard to pick things for others because you never know if you are going to hit the mark or be way off from what they envisioned, and I try to remind people that the items I pick are only suggestions.

You can interpret those anyway that you want with any colours or prints that you choose, because it’s basically like a list of generic things with some visual guidance to help out.

This is like a capsule wardrobe that will cover back to school, as well as most other situations (except you may need a pair of heels added).

I want to say to Andrea who made the request, I know that you think that jeans aren’t the most comfortable for all occasions but I have an uncontrollable impulse to include them 😉

I find if you stick to a style with spandex or elastane in them they are quite comfortable (I know, I know but it is hard for me to choose a wardrobe without them) please bear with me.

Also, many of these pieces or something similar might already exist in your wardrobe, therefore, making it easier for you to plan out.

I am going to take some of the selections from this post and turn them into a packing list for Italy in another post also with some outfit ideas to give you a better visual of how to wear them for different occasions.

I tried to pick as many items in this list that run from sizes 8-18 and higher as I could. I also realize that the coral dress doesn’t seem very schoolish but I think that it could be very versatile.

It has a 1930’s vibe to me and I can picture it being worn with a messy undo and scarf tied around your head in retro fashion.

Everyone has their own fashion rules, stick to yours.

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Sara

Sara is the founder and creative behind livelovesara. A George Brown College Fashion Styling Graduate, she provides advice on finding your personal style regardless of age and budget. She is always on the hunt for the perfect wardrobe piece and is a vintage and thrifting enthusiast who can't wait to share her newest finds. She is also trying to learn French.

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