Fashion After 40

With so many designers and trends targeting the svelte bodyof the twenty-something, is it possible to look fashionableas the years pass and your body begins to tell the tale?

Absolutely!

In fact, with a little ingenuity and sleigh-of-hand, it'seasy to be fashionable and stylish regardless of how manycandles are on your birthday cake.

Now let's be frank: unless you work out religiously, youprobably don't have the same body at 40, 50, or 60 that youdid at 25. Time, gravity, and pregnancy all take their tollon the female body, as does menopause. And when you mix amature body with fashions obviously made for a youngerperson, it can lead to self-doubt, frustration, andconfusion.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Getting older alsomeans getting wiser, and like a fine bottle of wine, you'reimproving with age. So you don't have the same body asthose twenty-somethings you see in magazines or on TV. Sowhat? Would you REALLY trade everything you've learnedsince your twenties for the body you had back then? Probably no sooner than you'd like to re-live puberty,thank you very much.

So how can you be fashionable without wearing all thosebody-conscious clothes so en vogue these days? Byremembering the "3 C's" when you dress: clean, classic, andcoverage.

CLEAN

Clean lines create a clean silhouette which makes the bodyappear more youthful by skimming the trouble spots insteadof calling attention to them. Complicated cuts, seams, anddetails usually call for a killer body to pull off, so ifyou haven't got it, steer clear of those styles.

CLASSIC

Classic styles are called classic because they remain instyle year after year. Why? Because they look good on somany bodies! Sheathes, A-line skirts, flat front pants -all tend to flatter a variety of shapes. What's more,because they remain in sty

year after year, classics areeasier on the budget than trends.

COVERAGE