We all have to dress ourselves daily, and having a beautiful wardrobe is the most important part of building outfits. If you love your current wardrobe, you might want to dress the same for the rest of your life. However, your style should change as you get older. While this means you’ll have to abandon some of your favorite garments and replace them with new ones, you can dress your age by refreshing your closet through the decades. Follow along for the best guide to dressing well in your 20s, 30s, and 40s.

Your Totally Tubular 20s

Entering your 20s is pretty easy when it comes to your style. For many people, their style stays relatively the same for their early twenties and begins to shift around age 25. Follow along for the best tips for rocking your personal style in your totally tubular 20s!

Try New Things

Your 20s are the perfect time to try new things. During this phase, the internet and social media influence many people’s styles. So if you see something online you’d like to try, go for it! You’re young, and you have time to turn everything around if you don’t like the direction your closet is heading in.

Find Your Personal Style

Finding your personal style is crucial in your 20s, as it can influence your fashion choices for the rest of your life. That said, take all the time you need to find out what you like and what you don’t. If you’re unsure about your preferences, consider searching online or finding inspiration from people around you—this is a time for experimentation.

Embrace Young Choices While You Can

Even though many people dress young their entire lives, you should embrace young fashion choices while you can. Eventually, you’ll reach an age when you might feel that wearing very short shorts or revealing crop tops is no longer acceptable. This might not be your case; however, your 20s are the right time to live young, wild, and free, especially with your clothing choices!

Add Investment Pieces

After your teenage years, you might not have many valuable items in your closet. However, this is the perfect time to add a few more expensive items to your wardrobe. Whether you invest in a blazer, a designer handbag, or a pair of gorgeous dress shoes, these items should last a decade or even longer. Investment pieces help distinguish you from teenagers, signifying adulthood and responsibility.

Your Thriving 30s

For many women, entering their 30s is a difficult transition. Even though you don’t have to change everything about yourself and your wardrobe, this is a transitional time to make changes where necessary. Read on to learn some helpful pointers when making slight adjustments to your closet.

Embrace a Capsule Wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is a limited collection of items you can mix and match to create new outfits. When you reach your 30s, you might be unsure what to wear as your preferences begin to shift. If you have a capsule wardrobe to work with, it’ll be much easier for you to continue building outfits. The limited options encourage creativity and ensure you only wear pieces you love.

Make It Modest

As you enter your 30s, you should probably start leaving your revealing clothing options in the past. For instance, you should try wearing longer shorts, covering your cleavage, and avoiding anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Of course, you should wear whatever you want; however, modesty is a significant part of maturity. Dressing the part will help you feel more confident in these years.

Consider More Neutral Tones

While there’s nothing wrong with wearing bright, vibrant colors occasionally, you should consider investing in neutral tones. Wearing more colors like black, nude, and gray is a telltale sign of your maturity and grown-up appearance. Plus, these options are much more acceptable and appropriate in the workplace.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

Comfortable shoes are some of the most important things to add to your wardrobe. You might’ve been able to get away with wearing flimsy, unsupportive shoes in your 20s. In your 30s, however, you might soon find it much more difficult and painful to be on your feet in bad-quality shoes. Prioritize comfort over cheap high heels in your 30s.

Your Flirty 40s

Entering your 40s might feel like the end of your youthful era, but that’s not the case. You’re still young and vibrant! While some women might take this opportunity to swap out their youthful clothes for older, mature styles, you don’t have to abandon your personal style. Dress how you want, but embrace a few helpful tips from below.

Neutral Tones Are Your Friend

Like they were in your 30s, neutral tones are also your very best friends in your 40s. Neutral hues will help you appear much more mature and sophisticated. You’ll also feel more comfortable and confident in darker or neutral tones. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with bold colors, but you’ll probably feel the desire to wear them less in your 40s.

Tone Down Flashiness

20-year-olds are much more likely to opt for flashy clothes, but you might want to avoid these options in your 40s. Whether you’re not feeling up to it or want to appear more mature and less tacky, consider toning down your closet’s flashiness in your 40s.

Avoid Shorty-Shorts

Similarly, shorty-shorts should become a thing of the past in your 40s. Consider swapping them out for knee-length shorts or capris for ample comfort and style. You don’t need to show too much skin; modesty is essential in your 40s.

Carry Classy Handbags

Even though you might feel like you can’t have anything fun in your wardrobe anymore, you can use your 40s as the opportunity to carry gorgeous, classy handbags. You can’t go wrong with a designer handbag, whether bold or neutral. Invest in a large tote bag and a smaller evening bag to accommodate multiple occasions.

Now that you have a guide to dressing well in your 20s, 30s, and 40s, you can shop Southern clothing boutiques with confidence and enthusiasm. Fashion shouldn’t be boring or stressful, no matter your age. Keep adding and subtracting from your personal style to achieve the perfect look throughout the decades of your life.

A Guide to Dressing Well in Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

Monica Spruiell