How to Wear--no, ROCK--the Trendiest of Fashion Trends After 30

by Fawnia Soo Hoo


Congratulations and welcome to the chic and exclusive club known as your thirties! It's an awesome time, trust me. We're older, but we're also wiser--meaning those sartorially experimental trial-and-error days are so over and we know exactly how to dress to showcase our best. (Oh, and it's time to treat ourselves to those investment pieces too!)


But turning 30 doesn't mean we have to give up those edgier and more playful fashion trends out there. It's all about how you wear the styles, especially to avoid looking like you're shopping in the juniors department. And these gorgeous accomplished stars are going to show us exactly how to do it.

Getty Images
Getty Images

Oh, crop tops. They're controversial, often divisive, and not going anywhere for the next couple of seasons--at least. But leave it to the eternally classy Cate Blanchett to show us not just one but two refined ways wear one. (But first I feel the need to point out that Cate has a rockin' figure, and if she felt like flashing some bare midriff, she'd look nothing short of amazing. But then again, of course the style icon would come up with an inventively chic way to crop it, right?) For a formal occasion, throw the abbreviated top over a strapless dress with contrast bodice, like Cate's watercolor-print ensemble by Prabal Gurung. For a more casual setting, try a monochrome pairing of a long-sleeve top with high-waisted trousers, like Cate's Stella McCartney monochrome outfit. To keep the look especially sophisticated, opt for luxe fabrics like silk or wool crepe.

Getty Images
Getty Images

Shorts are the new skirt! But it's time to graduate from music-festival-ready T-shirts and teeny cutoffs. Instead, match an elegant ladylike blouse with a pair of tastefully tailored shorts. You could stay safe with black or neutrals, or play with colors like Golden Globe winner Elisabeth Moss. In the colder months, opaque tights are an especially chic way to add more coverage and elongate the look.

See more: 10 Trends to Try in 2014

Courtesy: Veuve Clicquot for the Stella McCartney pre-fall 2014 presentation
Courtesy: Veuve Clicquot for the Stella McCartney pre-fall 2014 presentation

Prints are such fun ways to kick up a pair of skinny jeans for a weekend or night out, but there's no need to risk getting carded at the door. (Although, that's always kind of flattering.) Maggie Gyllenhaal instantly elevated her rocked-out Dalmatian-print skinnies with a soft monochrome palette and a silk button-down layered under an oversize cashmere coat. It's all in the fine and very luxurious details.

It's now or never to try that crop top. Would you wear it the Cate way? Which trend do you like best for over 30?

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