The 7 best accessories for women over 60

There’s a really simple secret to looking stylish on any occasion: fashion accessories. By accessorising existing clothes, you’re achieving two things: the first is that you’re able to wear something you totally love and are comfortable in and the second is that you’re able to accentuate your own personal style in a unique way.

However, don’t fall victim to the typical over-60 women’s attitude of wearing all your jewellery at once. Instead, focus on one statement piece with a few smaller accessories. Sounding like a rattle is not flattering and it’s certainly not going to have you looking younger.

Think about pins and brooches, jackets, hats and belts. These can be used to accentuate your personal style and energy and the right accessory can be a conversation starter. The accessories you choose can also be used to camouflage those less flattering parts of your body. Items such as beautiful scarves, sunglasses and handbags are especially handy here.

Starts at 60 has pulled together seven of the best accessories for women over 60, which can be worn in all seasons.

1. Earrings

Including everything from small studs or drop earrings, what you wear can make or break an outfit. For example, if you’re a woman with a thin neck and more wrinkled skin, you don’t want to be wearing drop earrings. We’d recommend diamond studs (real or fake) to draw the attention away from your neck to your ears. Earrings of different shapes and sizes can be worn well by older women, take for example accidental icon Lyn Slater, who can be seen wearing a mix of drop earrings and smaller pieces, neutral colours and unique designs.

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2. Heirloom jewellery

If you’ve got jewellery that has been handed down through the generations, do you have it stored away in a safe place, or do you wear it with pride? We’re firm supporters of the latter, especially if that classic heirloom jewellery includes items such as diamond studs, pendants, rings and watches.

3. Bangles, bracelets and watches

The most effortless way of adding a bit of bling to your arm is by wearing a watch, bangle or bracelet. You can wear these items to give your outfit a bit of a youthful appeal. Watches are great when teamed with denim (jeans, jackets etc.) and more formal outfits. Bangles can be great fun and you can wear different sizes, colours and shapes. Iris Apfel is a guru when it comes to this.

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4. Sunglasses

Sunglasses are fantastic if you’re worried about the appearance of bags under your eyes (a common complaint among the over-60s crowd). Not only will sunglasses hide your bags they can make a stylish statement. Best sure to wear frames that suit your face shape, but don’t be afraid to mix it up with coloured frames or designs. If you wear prescription glasses, be wary that some styles can make you look older than you are. Take a look at the following examples where glasses and sunglasses have been done stylishly well.

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5. Necklaces and chains

If you’ve got a long neck or a ‘chicken neck’ its the sort of thing you don’t want to draw too much attention to. You can downplay it by wearing a high-neck tops and style it with long chains or necklaces.

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6. Handbags

Some handbag styles look better on older women than others (if you’ve picked up a chain bag, please put it down — it’s not really for you). You want a bag that’s big enough to carry your essentials — glasses, combs or brushes, moisturiser and even mints — so tote bags are a good choice and look great on over-60s women. Other bags that look great are sexy shoulder bags, which can have you feeling sexy and can be a great reminder that you look great.

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7. Scarves

Wearing a scarf is a fun part of fashion if you’re a woman over 60. The goal of a scarf shouldn’t be to draw attention, it should subtly and suitably add to your outfit by adding a luminous splash of colour where you need it most. There are a few basic tips when it comes to making the most out of your scarves (and ensuring you get the right look for your outfit):

• Consider your scarf as a complement to your outfit and you’ll be less inclined to buy one because you like the look of it. Before you hand over your money for a scarf, think about what outfit it will go with and whether you’ll get a good amount of wear out of it. If the answer is ‘no’ then you likely don’t need the scarf.
• Multicoloured scarves should be approached with caution. They are often too busy to make a positive addition to your outfit. Definitely do not team a multicoloured scarf with a multicoloured top or jacket, it can be far too overwhelming.
• Instead of lots of colours in your scarf, keep it simple. You don’t want anyone looking at you to think you’ve cobbled together your look (unless that’s the look you’re actually going for) so consider choosing simple colours and clean designs. If you are going for a bold design, keep the rest of your look simple.

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A final note, there are a few tips you should keep in mind when you’re thinking about your accessories. First, don’t go overboard with your jewellery (we’ve previously mentioned not wanting to sound like a one-man band). Second, if you don’t like your hands we’d recommend not wearing too many rings that would draw attention to them. And where you have loose or droopy skin around your neck, we’d recommend steering clear of chunky-looking necklaces.