Should you wear high heels after 50?

Bring up the subject of wearing heels, and women respond as if you’re starting a debate about religion or politics. They have a lot to say for and against the practice. Here are some of our favorite positions, on both sides of the issue!

“Never. After a lifetime of having to dress up for my job, when I left to become self employed, I threw away all my heels and panty hose. And my back and my toes thank me every day.”

Mary Tracy Hollifield

“When I wanna feel SEXY!”

Wendy G. Lax-Bryant

“High heels? Never. Have you ever seen an X-ray of feet in high heels/stilettos? You’d never wear them again. LOL I do wear a lower heel though if an occasion calls for it.”

Debbie Summers

“Never. Women look utterly ridiculous teetering around in them. And OLD women who wear them to try to look young appear as ridiculous as a bald old guy with a comb-over.”

Donna Dee

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10 tips for your kids when they move out on their own

At last, your “child” is moving out of your house, into his own place, and you can’t wait to be enveloped in peace and quiet. Not so fast! Unless you arm him with some practical advice before he’s out the door, chances are he’ll be back at your door sooner than you think.

1. Leave an extra set of keys with us (because we know how forgetful you can be).

2. Don’t use a stepladder unless someone is there to spot you.

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Why estrogen therapy IS good for you

Dr. Tara Allmen is a “51-year-old girl” who realized she “really had a passion for midlife women’s health, for the above 40 crowd,”  when she was a practicing obgyn in her early 30s.

I think I delivered about a million babies at that point, and while I loved the practice of obstetrics (the care of reproductive aged women), there was something very special for me about taking care of women after their reproductive period was over.  I felt a passion and a mission to start educating women, because once you’re done making babies you’re sort of tossed aside for the next group of women coming up the pike, and nobody educates you about what’s next for you.

TaraAllmenMD-slider-Castle-Connolly-Medical-3-10-16 (more…)

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How to dress over 50: Do’s and don’ts!

Diane Roth, owner L’Armoire boutique in New Canaan, CT, has dressed ladies for the Oscars and for other iconic film ceremonies.

stylistShe is the straight-talking best friend you need when you want to make a fantastic first impression. Diane and her team of five offer consultations about style, trends and complete wardrobe overhauls. She’ll even pack your luggage for vacations, whether you’re traveling for three days or three weeks!

Diane hosts regular in-store events and has established relationships with New York based designers, including Christian Siriano, Maggie Norris and Cynthia Rose. Her fashion and estate jewelry trunk shows are said to be dazzling.

Consider what Diane recommends, and ridicules, when it comes to our wardrobes. “Clothing should be our friend as we age. Like makeup, it should accentuate our positives and camouflage our negatives,” she says.

…Keep Reading

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12 Top Food & Wine Books Of 2015

No matter how many recipes you can access online, there’s nothing quite as satisfying in the kitchen as having a real cookbook at your side, while you make your first or fiftieth crème brulée or a new roast chicken dish.

So think cookbooks as Christmas gifts, and don’t leave yourself out! Here, we have the pleasure of presenting you 12 reviews by award-winning essayist, FOF Annette Gallagher Weisman.

Annette Gallagher Weisman is an award-winning essayist and a longtime member of the National Book Critics Circle. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, she has written for numerous publications including the St. Petersburg Times, edibleASPEN, TheWineBuzz, Cincinnati Magazine, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Town & Country, People, and in the U.K. Vanity Fair and Over21. Annette received an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College in Vermont.

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Eyeshadow 101: Buying & Applying

Sherry Hafassa is a 53-year-old, French makeup artist and beauty expert who has trained at the prestigious Steiner beauty school of London, appointed by the Queen.

sherryDuring her career, she has worked as a makeup artist for Bobbi Brown cosmetics in London and Dubai, and now is a freelancer in the UK and France.

Sherry is frequently complimented about the glow of her skin, and wants to share her beauty expertise and makeup tips with other FabOverFifty women. Today, she’s bringing us tips about choosing and applying eye shadow. Although she believes that less is best when it comes to applying color to our eyes, it doesn’t mean that we can’t use a wide range of lovely warm, golden, frosted colors, she explains. (more…)

Why Do Some Women Over 50 Crave Fame?

This is the story of three real women—one in her late 70s, one in her early 60s, and one in her late 50s—who have either achieved fame, given up fame
or are on an endless quest for it.

Searching for
New-Found Fame

I recently met the woman in her late 70s, whose name is known to most of us over fifty. I’m not going to reveal her identity, however, because what I’m going to say probably wouldn’t delight her. Besides, her identity is less important than what she symbolizes.

This woman has enjoyed a great deal of professional and personal success throughout much of her adult life. I guess you could have even called her a “celebrity” from the 70s through the 90s. But while she has continued to do her craft, and has a great deal to offer others, her “star” doesn’t shine nearly as brightly as it once did. This is not because she’s any less talented now, but simply because the “world” in which she once circulated no longer exists. For one, the media that helped her attain fame—namely newspapers and magazines—don’t have the clout they once did. So even if she’s quoted and her photo appears in the New York Times this morning, no one much cares or thinks about it by noon. Second, she hasn’t created a powerful presence for herself on the Internet. She’s trying, but she lacks the digital marketing savvy she needs. No matter how successful she is at attracting real live audiences when she lectures, in person, that doesn’t translate to a great number of fans on her website or Facebook page.

Now, here’s the rub: This woman yearns for the good old days, when she would draw a crowd around her by just walking into a party, and the next morning her name would appear in all the papers, which only fueled her celebrity status. While chatting about the present, I sensed that her mind was focused far away from our conversation. Oh, she’s darn astute, I assure you, but seemed most “present” when she talked about the past. Part of the reason, I suppose, is that she lost her husband a number of years ago, a man with whom she enjoyed great happiness, both personally and professionally.

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