Women's Travel Clothes - Dress Your Age in Neon

Neon Clothing and Accessories for Chicks Over 40 or Over 50

Aug 17, 2009 Christina Gregoire

Women's travel clothes can include a punctuation of neon. Boomers are able to dress their age with a minimal amount of neon clothing and accessories in "almost neon".

Boomer women’s travel clothing should not normally include neon, but bright colors can work with tropics and tans. Yes, all Boomer Chicks know, by now, that neon is made for 20-somethings and 5-year-olds, but O the Oprah Magazine said it could be done, so it will be done.

Tasteful

Is there a tasteful way to give an outfit the cheap thrill of neon? Yes, if it's done right.

Fashion conscious men and women have traditionally concurred that, a lady who has worn a trend the first time around is too old to wear it again. Well, what if a Boomer Chick has worn neon, not only in the 80s, but also in the 60s, when neon was, instead, called:

Acid Green
Hot Pink
Day-Glo Orange

(Put that black light away. If a color glows in the dark, ditch it. )

Dress Your Age, Baby

First off, to wear neon without handing out sunglasses, most of a woman's outfit needs to be a neutral color, like:

Black
Gray
White
Tan

However, if an ensemble's main color is black, care must be taken to ensure that the neon is a grayed-down (less glowing) version of what was worn in the '80s, or a woman will start to look too NASCAR, in every sense of the word.

Almost Neon

A bright color is "almost neon" if it doesn't glow or resemble any hue worn by road crews or any color used in the making of plastic cones. For inspiration, search for colors used by Andy Warhol, whose palette was not of the same intensity as those old slap-on plastic bracelets.

Purses and Handbags

Here are some accessories to consider:

Michael Kors Neon Patent Leather Clutch. This only works for elegant skinny chicks. And, all the other people in the room should be drinking. Try it at a cocktail lounge before going public.
See by Chloe Backstage Hobo. This electric blue works well with black. Actually, this blue is the best of the neons, and all of the See by Chloe bags come in great colors; too bad the label is so obvious.
Marc By Marc Jacobs Croc of Q Lil Riz
Michael Kors Wainscott Large Shoulder Hobo
BCBGMAXAZRIA Bedford Large Shoulder Bag. Turquoise with white is great in warmer climes.
Betsey Johnson Leather Bow Hobo (purple)
Kate Spade Daisy Hill Griffen tote. Wow, this would be cute in Hawaii.
Bagtique Patent Top Zip Satchel
Hobo International Dylan Flap Crossbody Bag
Carla Mancini Braided-Strap Leather Handbag

Neon Accents

Here are some good ways to add some pop without looking bubblegum:

Wendy Grace Aqua Blue Lace-Print Bangle
Bindya - Women's Neon Green Scarf

A lime green, acid yellow, or hot pink scoop tank can be cute on vacation, as long as the color is a tamed-down version of neon. Use common sense, here. Another possibility is to only have a tiny bit of neon, as an accent, on one’s:

Cuffs
Piping
Trim
Belt
Gauzy Scarf

A tee shirt can work as long as it has no legible words or graphics of Blondie (or any bygone genre).

Old navy carries some cute neon tees in green, pink, and purple, which would be great under black or white jog suits, and could also be used as layering pieces.

Neon Aging?

Many "experts" explain that neon should only be worn if it's good with a Boomer Chick's complexion, but what these younger people don't realize is that black, near the face, is often worse than many bright colors. Black can age a face.

Wearing a bright blouse, which just peeps out from under a jacket, is an easy way to add "almost neon".

Neon Shoes?

In some people’s minds, neon on a pair of shoes looks like a mid-life crisis.

These are some places to start. Remember that less is more, though some vacation spots are perfect for (toned down) neon looks. Learn the "Dress Your Age" rules.

The copyright of the article Women's Travel Clothes - Dress Your Age in Neon in Women’s Fashion is owned by Christina Gregoire. Permission to republish Women's Travel Clothes - Dress Your Age in Neon in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.