Age Appropriate Dressing

OOO summer is coming and so is the impulse to dress like a teen, especially since I'm smaller now than I did when I was a teen. Not a good style when you are nearing 50 unless you look like you are in your 20s and really, who looks like that.

So what is age appropriate anyway? I read somewhere that you should dress shape appropriate more than age appropriate. Great now I have to figure out the difference between a rectangle and the two triangle deal. Is my waist really a waist? What if my waist isn't in the middle? Reading around on the web I should make a list of my good points and dress for them but not in primary colours (darn I just bought an awesome short red trench coat in a petite size yet) Supposedly I know my style and what I like.

I have to admit in the winter I know what to wear. Jeans and a sweater or top with jacket type top is easy. I go on a winter holiday where no one knows me so I do wear short shorts, bikinis and pareaus. It's only that thing about pants and tops. How to buy the right pants when they stretch a size after they are worn for 5 minutes. How come tops come in snug or baggy and not body skimming?

The best things about being close to 50 is that I did get the opportunity to make the same fashion mistakes 20 years ago so at least I'm not tempted by rompers, jump suits and transparent blouses.