Before leaving for Milan to interview fashion expert, Melanie Payge, I asked the women in our community to send me their fashion questions. As I studied their emails, certain patterns emerged. For example, while the women in our community are wonderfully unique, their fashion concerns are strikingly similar.

Get the Look You Want with these 3 Fashion Tips for Older Women

As women over 60, most of us have come to accept the changes in our body and love ourselves. At the same time, we are realists. We want to choose clothes that accentuate our best assets and hide our perceived flaws. So, as a part of our fashion for women over 60 video series, I sat down with Melanie to discuss your concerns and look for simple solutions.

Before I reveal Melanie’s advice, I want to say a few words about the word choice in this article. I’m personally not a fan of expressions like “flabby arms,” “wrinkly knees,” and “turkey neck.” At the same time, since the community described their concerns in this way, I thought that it would be appropriate to include them here. As a reminder, these are *perceived* flaws. Most of us are much harder on ourselves than the rest of the world is.

Even as you read Melanie’s advice, please remember that you are beautiful inside and out. No-one is putting your body under a magnifying glass, except for you.

So, that caveat out of the way, here are a few solutions to the most common fashion concerns that the women in our community have.

Feeling Better About “Flabby Arms”

As we age, we experience a loss of elasticity and tone in our skin. This is completely natural. It also has nothing to do with your body shape or how much time you spend at the gym.

The most common way of dealing with a loss of tone in your arms is to cover them up with a shawl or little sweater top. This is a simple and practical solution, but, it comes with its own challenges. For example, if you wear a shawl at dinner, you may find yourself spending more time adjusting your clothes than enjoying the company of your wonderful guests.

There is another solution, which Melanie affectionately referred to as an “arm sock.” This is a thin top that you can wear under a dress that covers your arms while allowing you to stay relatively cool. It’s not a sweater or a t-shirt. It’s a sleeve that runs along your back and covers both arms. Another side benefit is that, if you wear this item of clothing in white, it will also protect your skin from the sun.

Atelier Sangalli, in Milan, makes a reasonably priced arm sock in several colors. So far, I haven’t seen this particular item of clothing in other stores, but, please let me know in the comments if you have found anything similar.

Winning Against “Wrinkly Knees” and Veins

No matter what the skincare companies tell you in their advertising, there is little that we can do to address this particular concern on a physical level. It’s just a part of getting older. Many women think that leggings are an obvious solution to “wrinkly knees,” but, as Melanie mentioned in a separate video, leggings are actually one of the worst looks for women over 60.

Instead, Melanie recommends wearing a skirt or a dress that is tailored just below your knee. Or, you may want to consider a pair of pants that are tailored to your body type.

A related concern that many women our age have is the presence of visible veins on their legs. Melanie recommended a simple trick to address this situation. She said that using concealer can help to hide the veins in your legs. Just be sure to choose a shade of concealer that is slightly darker than you think you need.

Taking Care of “Turkey Neck”

Probably the least flattering term that older women use to describe their necks is “turkey neck.” This refers to the wrinkling that occurs in this area of our bodies as we age. Once again, this is something that happens to women of all body types. In fact, slimmer women tend to experience this more acutely.

The most obvious solution to this concern is to close off this area with your clothes. For example, some dresses have a button at the top that will allow you to show less of your neck.

But, what if this isn’t an option?

Most importantly, don’t draw attention to your neck with chunky jewelry. Instead, if you want to wear jewelry, consider a beautiful pair of earrings instead. This will add some sparkle to your look, while keeping everyone’s eyes where you want them – on your beautiful, radiant face.

Once again, I want to remind you that these are *perceived* flaws. I have met hundreds of women from the Sixty and Me community over the last few years and every one of them has been beautiful in their own way.

What is the one concern that you have when it comes to choosing clothes? What did you think of Melanie’s fashion tips for older women? Please let me know in the comments section below.