The 30 Best Tips For Dressing Well In Your 30s

In your 20s, you can get away with a lot, sartorially speaking. You’re fit and fetching; anything you wear, no matter how ill-advised, comes across as a failed style swerve at worst. But once you pass 30, those swerves—the mismatched patterns, the unflattering silhouettes—aren’t as acceptable as they once were. Basically, now that you’ve grown up, it’s high time for your wardrobe to as well. With that in mind, we’ve cobbled together 30 trinkets of sage fashion advice to help you help you learn how to dress in your 30s. Follow them to a tee, look in your closest mirror, and rejoice. And whenever you decide to reboot your wardrobe, don’t miss the 30 Best Ways to Save Money on Clothes.

1 Pay more than $75 for your wallet

It wouldn’t be a list of how to dress in your 30s without a few things you should toss. Now that you’re in your 30s, a few more bolts of fabric are necessary. Switch out those mini skirts from your college days for a classic, always-appropriate pencil skirt. And if it’s leather? Don’t even think about it. For more things you should slash from your wardrobe, check out the 30 Ugliest Dresses of 2017.

3 Own a suit that isn’t solid

Long gone are the days, ladies, when you could pack five cotton camis in your shopping cart for a sweet deal of $20. Opt for a higher-end camisole that’s slinky, silky, or partly made of lace. And to take care of it—and all of your clothing—be sure you know the Best Way to Load a Washing Machine.

5 Get yourself a pair of whole-cuts

No one is telling you to outright ditch that Justin Bieber concert tank you paid $50 for. We’re just saying you should keep it neatly stacked in the back of your drawer and wear it to bed only—or maybe the gym (because it’s definitely on the list of what not to wear after 30). When shopping for tops, you should be exclusively looking at blouses and sweaters—not t-shirts.

7 Memorize the rules about buttoning

It’s no longer appropriate to possess heels that do double-duty. Your going-out heels should be a wildly different breed than your professional heels. Office heels are best kept to the kitten level. And if you have anything leopard? Don’t even think about it. That print ranks among the 40 Things No Woman Should Ever Wear to Work.

9 Swap low-rise for high-waisted jeans