"I'm not checking that bag!" my Nana would exclaim to the airline attendant. "My face is in there."
My Nana was frugal but her face was her luxury item and her spending inelastic on all items of skin care. A veteran traveller, she had her routines. "Unpacking her face" was ritualistic. She would lay out the hotel washcloth upon which she would arrange her creams, brushes, liners, mascara and tweezers.
I loved watching Nana put on her face. Not one item was wasted. Lipsticks worn down to the metal were fair game as she dipped her lip-brush into the cylinder and extracted a full application working first the outline of the lips then filling in the rest.
Dedicated to taking care of her skin, she was the Zen master of evening cream applications. This was her personal care meditation: slathering on the Ponds Cold Cream (I love this stuff too), removing her day from her face, gently letting go of her tension.
Next, the Elizabeth Arden evening cream was applied with a process that I'm convinced effectively smoothed away her wrinkles until she closed her eyes for good at age 94. With the back of her hands she would stroke her neck from collarbone to chin UP, UP, UP. She would then make the "victory sign" with her pointer and middle finger and flip her hands over, palms faced down, middle finger over her chin pointer under and stroke her jowls UP, UP, UP toward her ears. Next finally, she would take those same two victory fingers and stroke her brow in the same UP, UP, UP direction.
Nana believed elegance and fashion were in the face. Great skin and good lipstick, finished off with a show-stopping pair of glasses was the ultimate high fashion statement. A sleek minimalist outfit was all that was needed to finish off the look. A no-nonsense outfit could be worn repeatedly, and heads would turn if the face was just right. She emulated the simplicity of her beloved Audrey and Kate Hepburn with the uniform of black turtlenecks, tailored "slacks" and comfortable shoes.
Today this laid-back elegance is still a showstopper. Kate Middleton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane Keaton and Jane Fonda are just a few of the women whose simplicity makes us want to pair down our wardrobe to just the basics. Great jeans are the slacks of yesterday but the rest of "the look" remains. A smart looking black turtleneck and a hip pair of sneakers are all that's needed to make the statement of confident elegance.
So what's with those black turtlenecks? They seem to be everywhere today and they make a huge statement. You can even follow the photos of women in black turtlenecks on Pinterest https://pinterest.com/susanam4500/the-black-turtleneck/
Not only do we remember the movie stars like Audrey Hepburn wearing hers as Holly Go-lightly, but also the artists and French existentialists wearing theirs, the Beatles, the beatniks, Twiggy in her turtle neck and the poets -- not to mention Andy Warhol and the not-so-stylish Steve Jobs. It feels retro and smart to pull one on. That simple black turtle carries a high IQ rating over its long history saying "I don't have to be a slave to fashion, sure you can look at me, but you're really going to want to listen to me." It's a backdrop that allows your personality to shine through.
Is a turtleneck for BA50's even possible to wear given our unpredictable hot flashes? Yes it is. If you are a victim of raging waves of flashes -- best not to wear the high collar -- you can wear a mock collar. You can also wear a sleeveless turtle to manage your impossible furnace.
So don your turtle and rock out with Gwyneth in Glee singing "Forget You." Ok, she's got the kilt but it's the black turtle that I'm talking about. http://insidetv.ew.com/2010/11/12/glee-gwyneth-paltrow-forget-you/
And what about channeling Kate Middleton? Apparently she's embraced the turtleneck and has been seen shopping at the local markets wearing the "look."
And let's not forget the woman who gave us reason to laugh and dress well simultaneously, our beloved Nora Ephron who believed "a woman can never own enough black turtlenecks" from her book I Feel Bad About My Neck. She was adamant about women over 50 wearing the turtleneck. "Our faces are lies, and our necks are the truth -- You have to cut open a redwood tree to see how old it is, but you wouldn't have to if it had a neck."
So whether you're after high fashion, simplicity or elegance, we're giving a thumbs up to well cared-for skin, followed by a black turtleneck shopping spree. Finally, a shopping list that won't put a hole in your pocketbook.
Read more from Better After 50:
To Go Brazilian Or Not?
Downton Abbey And Money
Ten Fashion Tips Post 50
Confessions of a Desperate Dieter