Turning 40 in style

On the other hand, I’ve come to realize that my wardrobe isn’t the only measure of my maturity — nor of my individuality. I express my “style” in other ways: I’ll stay up until midnight baking cupcakes from scratch (icing included) for my son’s birthday parties; I deliver homemade cookies to the doormen working the late shift at my apartment building. I’m a ferocious protector of my family. I’ve thrown myself into motherhood, encouraging my son to do countless word puzzles, engage in energetic tickle contests, and learn the fine art of “please” and “thank you.” I care passionately about the well-being of my loved ones and the state of the world. And in the last few years, I’ve had plenty of experiences that tested my strength and showed me the true meaning of what it is to be a grown-up, including the loss of my father, a week spent at my mother’s bedside when she had spine surgery, and a health crisis or two of my own.
 

Maybe I’ll never feel as put-together as I remember my mom being at my age. And that’s okay. I may not have a sense of style that’s completely mapped out, but underneath it all, I’m finding my own way to be a wife, a mother, a woman. I’m a work in progress — and I think I wear it pretty well.
 

Turning 40 in Style:REDBOOK Readers Share Their Thoughts on Reaching a Style Milestone.

“I’m still trying to develop a style! I have four sons, so I don’t spend a lot of time on my clothes. I’m into whatever fits and is comfortable — loose-fitting tunics, jeans, sweaters. This is how I’ve always been. One thing that has changed is that as I got closer to 40, I started thinking, Am I trying to dress too young? Or am I looking too old and stuffy? I take a longer look at what I’m going to wear now — I really think about how things are going to make me look and feel. Sometimes it might look all right, but I’ll feel old in it, which I don’t like!”
–Jocelyn Dorsey, 41, Chicago
 

“Now that I’m 40, I put more thought into how I put things together. I have to have matching accessories — necklace and earrings, a trendy belt, or a scarf. I’m not a sweats-and-T-shirt kind of gal; I can’t fathom even going to the grocery store like that. I like tailored jeans and tailored shirts with a jacket, and stepping that up a level at the office or for social occasions. I have a new baby, a 10-year-old, and a full-time job, and it seems like I’m always juggling so much. But if I look pulled together, I don’t feel quite so harried.”
–Suzane Winkler, 40, Omaha, NE
 

“I dress pretty casually. In my 20s and 30s I was dressier — heels and short skirts. Now I’m into basic classics — khakis, flat shoes, nice white dress shirts — and I have a more practical hairstyle too. I think I feel more comfortable in my own skin. I don’t care about trends. I’m into being who I am. That, and my feet couldn’t take the heels anymore!”
–Glynis Buschmann, 45, Yuba City, CA