10 Wardrobe Swaps to Instantly Look Younger

It's so easy to just get up in the morning and throw on the same thing you always wear, right? One less thing to think about. But if you've been wearing the same styles for years, your clothes may be aging you.

Looking older than you feel can have consequences. At work, showing up in outdated clothes can cause others to judge you as dowdy and frumpy. And dressing as if you don't care how you look when you dress casually may cause others to assume you don't care how you're treated.

This post was updated in 2022 to reflect current styles and options to buy!

Maybe it's time to take a moment and evaluate your wardrobe. Are you still wearing any of these items? If you are, it's time to retire your old faithful for some new updates to instantly look younger.

Jump to:

• Swap Out Your Shapeless Baggy Blazer...
• Up-to-Date Blazer Options (2022)
• Swap Out Your Giant Flower Print Tops...
• Muted, Tailored Alternatives to the Big Flowery Top (2022)
• Swap Out Your Black, Pleated Pants
• Sleek Black Pants (2022)
• Swap Out Your Shoes Picked Just for Comfort...
• Stylish & Comfy Shoe Options (2022)
• Swap Out Your Wide Cropped Pants...
• Cropped Pants Alternatives (2022)
• Swap Out Your Bedazzled Print Tee...
• Breton Tees & Some Other Choices (2022)
• Swap Out Your Running Shoes...
• Fun Sneakers (2022)
• Swap Out Your Mom Jeans ...
• Flattering Stylish Jeans (2022)
• Swap Out Your Plain Boxy Top ...
• Fun Sweaters and Tees (2022)
• Swap Out Your Dollar Store Reading Glasses...
• Flattering Reading Glasses (2022)

I've taken before and after shots of my suggestions and I think you'll be amazed at the difference these clothing swaps make in how youthful and how slim I look in each picture.

There's no Photoshop at work here other than the color corrections I applied to all the photos and I used the same poses in all pictures. (So no sticking out my tummy in the before shots, etc.)

I convinced myself how much a simple clothing swap can change our appearance when I saw these pictures. (And my sister who helped me with these photos and said, "You look like our mother!" more than once.) What do you think?

Swap Out Your Shapeless Baggy Blazer...

... For a Shorter, More Fitted Jacket

These jackets may seem like a good choice if you're feeling sensitive about menopausal weight gain, but unfortunately the extra material in these jackets can make you seem even bigger than you are and the straight up and down shape makes your figure appear boxy and frumpy. 

 A shorter jacket (hitting somewhere about mid-hip) with a more defined waist will be more figure flattering and make you appear more youthful.

And if you really take things to the next level, ditch that classic wool blazer entirely for a modern alternative like a collarless jacket, a knit blazer, or a knit moto jacket in a bright color.

Swap Out Your Giant Flower Print Tops...

... For a More Muted, Fitted Shirt or Sweater

If I could lovingly remove one category of clothing item from the over 50 woman's wardrobe, it would be the giant flower print tops and tees. These prints are often garish and overdone and when a woman wears one of these tops.

The eye is immediately drawn to the top instead of to the woman wearing the top. These shirts also seem to inevitably be big and flowy, further overwhelming the woman wearing it.

If you want to dress more youthfully, switch out your big and flowy flower print tops for a more muted tee or sweater cut closer to the body. You'll look slimmer without the extra yards of fabric and the focus will be on you, not your outfit.

If you'd like, you can add a pop of color with your top or your jacket.

Swap Out Your Black, Pleated Pants

... For Sleek and Straight Black Pants

No, the pleats aren't disguising your tummy. That was a lie we were all told, unfortunately.

Sleek straight pants are flattering for all body types and give you an air of youthful professionalism. The latest style are pants that end at the ankle, but if you're not comfortable with that, a longer pair that ends at the top of your shoes looks great too.

Swap Out Your Shoes Picked Just for Comfort...

... For Comfortable Shoes with Style

No, you don't need to wear sky high stilettos to look younger, but choosing shoes with a bit of a heel tends to look more youthful. If you do go for flats, look for stylish selections, rather than the wide orthopedic look.

Swap Out Your Wide Cropped Pants...

... For More Fitted Capris

I know these pants seem like a practical solution for times when it's just too hot to wear pants but you don't feel comfortable in shorts any longer. But there are other options, my friends!

The pants are shaped like a rectangle and make you look rectangularly shaped as well. Any curves you have are well-hidden beneath all the fabric and, speaking of all that fabric, these pants really aren't that much cooler than other options!

If you're wearing these cropped pants instead of shorts, I totally get it. I don't necessarily feel all that comfortable in a lot of the shorts options available these days. But there are alternatives!

You can switch out the wide and baggy cropped pants for more fitted and stylish capris. Or try a comfortable skirt or even a skort.

You might even find a pair of shorts you like. I'm a huge fan of these Little Donkey Andy Bermuda Shorts. They have a lot of stretch so they're forgiving around the tummy and they're long enough to cover your legs without looking frumpy.

Swap Out Your Bedazzled Print Tee...

... For a Striped Breton T-Shirt

The bedazzled print tee is another variation of the Big Flower Print Top, I'm afraid. There's nothing really wrong with it, I suppose. It's really more about what it isn't: classic, elegant, timeless. Can you picture Kate Middleton in a bedazzled print tee?

What can you picture Kate Middleton wearing? A Breton t-shirt! This classic style looks good on everyone and flatters all ages. It's also great for adding a youthful flair to both casual and work outfits.

I often hear that women our age or who feel a little bigger shouldn't wear horizontal stripes. Anyone can wear horizontal stripes, it's all in the scale of the stripe. Look at how much thinner I appear with the thinner stripes in the Breton Tee.

I've got some options for you, though, if you just really don't like horizontal stripes.

Oh, and while we're at it, this is a great time to make sure your bra fits properly too. It makes a huge difference in how your clothes will fit. Check out my favorite bras for older women over here.

Swap Out Your Running Shoes...

... For Cute Sneakers

I have some exciting news for you. YOU DO NOT EVER NEED TO WEAR RUNNING SHOES UNLESS YOU ARE RUNNING. (Then you really must.) If you want easy, casual and comfortable shoes that support lots of walking, you have so many options these days. 

The most popular, and the most youthful option, is the white sneaker, and please be sure to keep it as white as possible. But, even if you need a shoe with more support, there are plenty of attractive options.

Swap Out Your Mom Jeans ...

... for Some Age Appropriate Figure Flattering Jeans

I know I can't be the only parent who's said "I think this is the actual pair of jeans I owned in 1998," to their proud "Mom Jean" wearing daughter.

And yet, even though these jeans are fashionable again, women our age need to focus on finding jeans that are flattering to our mom bodies. We can't actually wear the same jeans we wore in 1998; those pleats don't do anyone any favors.

It's also time to ditch the "Mom Jeans" we all evolved into during the 2000s and 2010s. Not low-cut and not high-waisted, these jeans end somewhere around the middle of our bellies - the most unflattering place to visually cut our bodies in half.

They aren't skinny jeans, but they aren't boot cut, either. They seem to just gently taper a bit in a way that either emphasizes our hips or our thighs.

Swap Out Your Plain Boxy Top ...

... for a Fun, Trendy and Flattering Top

A square boxy top makes you look shapeless and does you no favors. The one in that photo above ends right in the middle of the stomach, making the largest part of your body look even larger.

Swap out that unflattering boring top for a slightly longer, more tapered sweater. Pick a sweater with a trendy and fun message to bring a spot of youth to your wardrobe.

Swap Out Your Dollar Store Reading Glasses...

... For a Professional Pair of Quality Readers

I'm not sure why the manufacturers of reading glasses seem to think that all their women consumers want to show off their quirky personality with electric blue or flamingo print glasses.

Those glasses may be fun to look at, but they make it clear you've entered the Red Hat Society phase of your life.

If you do find a pair of dollar store glasses with a benign tortoiseshell or black frame, the glasses tend to be too small for your face and have that traditional square shape that scream, "Hold on, I need to put on my readers."

OBVIOUSLY, you'll still want to keep a collection of dollar store readers in every room of the house for those times when you need a pair of glasses NOW.

But, at work, or other times when you want to look pulled together, consider purchasing a pair of flattering and professional reading glasses. These glasses look better and you'll see better too. The first time I put on the pair of prescription reading glasses I bought, I knew I could never go back.

I ordered my glasses from Zenni Optical and couldn't be happier. They have a range of styles to flatter most faces and frequently have amazing sales.

Flattering Reading Glasses

Do you disagree with everything I've said? Great! Check out this post for inspiration from some of my other favorite midlife bloggers.