Europe – A posh chic fashion metro-pole
Europe has always been a place to look to for great fashion and style. Thus, I devote this Ageless Style Series post to midlife European bloggers who share inspiring fashion over 40. Be aware that the European Community is too large to feature one awesome fashion and style blogger over 40 from each country. And, yes, of course, those countries have much more great 40+ fashion and style bloggers than just one. đ
In this post, my selection focused on providing an idea about the breath of 40+ fashion and style in Europe at-large. The intend is to show the diversity of personal style that nevertheless is rooted in the respective European countries’ fashion and style culture.
Over the last 400 years or so, European fashion had been strongly interconnected with politics, industrialization, development of technology, science and art. All of them influenced the European countries’ culture of style. Â The Great War and WWII turned the public’s looking to the Courts and steal barons for fashion inspiration to Hollywood and New York. However, after WWII Christian Dior and many others put Europe as one of the World’s fashion centers back on the map.
The features below are in no particular order, i.e. they are random and don’t imply any ranking or whatever. I thank these chic ladies for their permission to use their photos.
Poland
GraĆŒyna Wojdon at Nieco Starsza Dziewczyna (slightly older girl) is a Polish fashion and style blogger in her 40s. She blogs in Polish, but even when the translator fails, her outfits alone are worth looking at. I love the great classic East-European vibe of her midlife style. Due to the continental location of Poland, winter weather can have harsh cold days. GraĆŒyna stands the elements in styled outerwear outfits. Her outerwear looks leave no room for winter boredom. They are all interesting and in tasteful colors that up the mood. Isn’t her outfit looking friendly?
Italy
Dan, the blogger at The Pretty Cute is an Italian style blogger in her early 50s. I love her confident Italian take on turning fashion into style while looking so classic, timeless Italian. Her style could have been the blueprint for the outfits in the 1987 romantic movie Moonstruck with Cher playing the main role. Well, Dan even beats Cher in cuteness. đ Don’t you think so?
Spain
I have been a big fan of Carmen Grimeno’s blog Cocoolook since a while. In spring 2016, she turned from a blogger to instagramer where I follow her now. She masters the style stretch from modern Bohemian to Euro Chic and always gets the look to the perfection. My favorite outfits of hers are those with unexpected combinations of classics (here the Glen check pants) with a bold color leather jacket instead of a blazer. So (Euro) chic. The Adidas sneakers are the icing on the cake. Pumps wouldn’t feel so right with the look. Don’t you agree?
Germany
As you may know, I lived in Germany for more than 38 years. I still have an interest in the latest in German fashion. Thus, I have bookmarked a couple of Ă30 – as the 40+ bloggers are called over there – German fashion and style blogs. The spectrum of what German 40+ bloggers wear is very wide. It seems that there is no such thing like a typical German look. No, the dirndl is just in the Alpine region. Thus, it is shared among the Bavarian, Austrian, and Italian. However, even then, you can tell which region a dirndl comes from. Again, the reason for the diversity can be pin-pointed to politics. Germany had been split into many states very often in its history.
Here I want to introduce you to Chrissie at Die Edelfabrik (the noble factory). She has great, unexpected color combinations (see above) that feel so right! She is also a master of mixing prints and/or patterns in such a way that her outfits look like she is wearing a dress (see collage at the top of this post). However, she did style the look from separates! Just amazing!
The Netherlands
Greetje at No Fear of Fashion was one of the first fashion over 40 bloggers I had contact with when I started blogging. She has a unique way to make great fashion statements with her shoes.She has the most amazing shoes and probably one of the best edited shoe collections in the bloggosphere. She did the dress-over-pants look long before it became a trend. In her outfits, she isn’t shy either to go for bold color like here the hunter green. I also love her great posts on her European shopping tours. Paris, Turin, Amsterdam, Haarlem … you name it. Not to mention that Alkmaar makes for a perfect canvas for her bold fearless, great outfits. Two words – red bricks.
Czech
Martina at Elegant 40 blogs just for fun and inspiration to share outfit ideas and creations in fashion and style. She focuses on clothing, makeup and hairstyles to be one great unit. Every outfit of hers is just such – like a piece of art. I like how she manages to style dresses in a unique personal way. She is the living proof that you can wear a dress many ways without looking like you wear the same outfit over and over again.
United Kingdom
Of course, the United Kingdom or Great Britain at-large has been a fashion hot-spot since the Renaissance. It is a go-to for great fashion and style still today. Samantha Blair’s outfits at Fake Fabulous are color fireworks, beautifully arranged like a flower bouquet and wow worthy, well plain fabulous. An important element of her personal, very British style is comfort and mixing pieces from different seasons, style and/or occasional background or purpose, and getting it right! The photo above expresses what I mean. This beautiful summer dress seems so natural in this fall outfit as if it was designed for just that – fall.
Finland
Living in a cold climate region, Tiina L at Elegance Revisited needs to wear coats a lot and for a long time. She shows how to best fight winter outerwear boredom with bold colored coats that have a classic cut. Since she sticks to her personal most flattering colors she achieves a timeless personal style. Another big style element of hers are geometric pattern, especially stripes. You also can recognize her by her signature umbrella worn in summer.
La France
On the continent, Paris was the other big fashion and style center in the Renaissance. Today, French style seems to be about simplicity and quality. Historically, the British style used to be more relaxed, and simple than the French style at the Courts of Louis XVI, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Napoleon III.
When I lived in France in the 80s, I loved the cool look of the French women of any age. What exactly makes this French vibe is so hard to point your finger at. What makes French women’s look so effortlessly chic? Shauna at Chic over 50 is the personification of the French Je ne sais quois? cool. On first thought, the items wouldn’t go together, but in the outfit, they feel so right together. Don’t you agree? How does she do that?
Aren’t these ladies inspiring? I hope you enjoyed this fashion and style trip thru Europe. If so, why not taking your girl friends on a ride by tweeting them to have a look at this post on ageless style in Europe!
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When you like the blog you may also like my book How to Dress for Success in Midlife.
Photos from these Ladies’ blogs with their permission.
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