| | Published March 16th, 2022
| Looking Good in Lamorinda
| | Finding fashion at 50 and beyond | | By Moya Stone |  | | Influencer/stylist Francie Low Photo provided |
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Lafayette resident Francie Low. Readers might know Low from her memoir, "Alive and Fixable: A Road to Love and Recovery," which tells the story of her husband's arduous journey back to health from a serious bicycle accident. Since the publication of the book in 2018, Low has started a new chapter in her life and it's focused on one of her favorite topics: fashion!
As a fashion influencer and stylist, Low has been inspired by the women she met over the years she worked in local boutiques. Repeatedly women said to her that once they hit age 50, they had to change the way they dress. "They lost their confidence," she explains. "Or they wanted to reestablish themselves." These women still wanted to be fashionable, but they no longer knew what "fashionable" meant for them. That's where Low can help. In 2021 she launched OhSoFancyFrancie, a blog and Instagram account documenting outfits that she creates for women of a certain age who don't want to look like a grandma.
Low hunts for fashionable clothing, and then styles what she's found on herself. She posts the looks she has created and lets her followers know where they can buy the featured items. Low says that she's like a curator. "I'm trying on. I know how it fits. I take the guesswork out of shopping." She believes that women can wear what they want. Distressed jeans, for example, are a hot item right now and she advises that 50-plus women could wear a less distressed pair of jeans paired with a frilly blouse. "It's all in the way you wear it."
This year Low has started to offer styling services that range from a full closet clean-out to finding the right outfit for a special occasion. She says that helping clients with fashion brings her joy. "When you can find that perfect thing and they're so happy, it's like the best feeling in the world." Check out Low on IG #ohsofancyfrancie and https://ohsofancyfrancie.com.
Spring officially arrives later this month and with it come new looks in fashion. Cropped cardigans, gingham dresses, and silky, shiny fabrics are some of what's trending. Low tells me she's excited about wide-leg jeans and she's searching for the "perfect" non-wrinkle slip dress (a retro look from the '90s). As for shoes, according to Low, slides are going to be a big hit this season.
"At last travel is starting up again and ladies need and want new clothes," says Terry Kiskaddon from Harper Greer in Lafayette. With that in mind, Kiskaddon is offering lots of dresses in bright colors and separates, such as crop pants with wider hems. T-shirts with "punchy iconic prints" are popular with guests and vests are "flying out the door." Starting April 1 - 4 Harper Greer is hosting a trunk show with the brand Alembika, which is known for chic, edgy designs.
Lorin Platto, proprietor of Luck boutique in Lafayette, says that it's the Year of the Dress. "There are so many pretty dresses right now, most with some form of ruching and feminine sleeve or strap detail." Platto has stocked "tons of dresses for all ages and body types." To top the dresses Luck has cardigans and fun accessories "from bags shaped like shells to clear plexi shoes."
I've been watching the new television series "And Just Like That," a spinoff from the 1990s hit show "Sex and the City," starring Sarah Jessica Parker as NYC stylish writer Carrie Bradshaw. Much has been said about how the now middle-aged Carrie and her circle of friends are being portrayed, but it's the costuming that have many of us tuning in and anxious to see how Carrie handles fashion in her 50s. In my opinion she's just as quirky, but more covered up. Costumers Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago say that some of the clothing they used is vintage, some are repeats from the original show, and many are rented from brands such as Chanel and Oscar de la Renta. "And Just Like That" is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Whatever your age ... Go forth in style!
Moya Stone is a fashion writer and blogger at www.overdressedforlife.com. |
 | | Cotton dress by Fenini available at Harper Greer Photo provided |  | | It's the Year of the Dress at Luck. Photos provided | | | | | | | | | |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA