by Maura Bannon

(The following interview with renowned female opera star Patrice Munsel was conducted by  Maura Bannon, fashionista and popular Saratoga fashion blogger.  Bannon interviewed this amazing woman  personally for FiftyIsTheNewForty.com , and reveals a fun-loving, savvy octogenarian with style and grace! )

Patrice Munsel is the youngest person in history to take the stage at the Metropolitan Opera at age 17 in 1943. Also known as “Princess Pat,” Munsel’s calling cards are her stunning voice, dazzling personality and charisma. Munsel graced the covers of Time and Life magazines, performed at the Metropolitan Opera 225 times and was married to her husband for 55 years!

When I had the opportunity to interview Munsel from her home in Lake George, it was apparent upon speaking to her that when she walks into the room, people pay attention—a true show stopper! If I could describe her in one word, I would say she has spunk. Munsel is in her late 80’s, but while talking with her, I could tell that to her, age is nothing but a number—she’s quick witted and livelier than ever!

Q. After looking at older photos of you, I noticed that clothing was just so much more formal then it is today.  Can you tell me what you think about that?

A. The style was comfortable.  Nice pants, chic boots from great designers. Actually, you could get away with mostly anything as long as you had a feeling of style and a feeling of who you are.  I just liked to have fun with it.

Q. How would you describe your style today? How is it different from when you were younger?

A. My style is Klutzy, but very casual. At times I am very dressy, depending on what kind of party that is being given. But, basically I dress informal most of the time.

Q. What advice would you give for older women trying to stay current with today’s fashion? Can you give us some fashion tips?

A. That’s almost impossible for me to do because I do everything. I wear every kind of thing. I don’t have a planned look. Casual is mostly it—lots of yellow, hot pink and fun!

Q. Do you have a favorite accessory? Why is it your favorite?

A. Diamonds and Emeralds are my favorite. I love turquoise too—colorful jewelry with beautiful stones that are simply set. They make me feel gorgeous. Statement pieces are best.

Q. Who are you favorite clothing designers?

A. I love Arnold Scaasi. I worked with him a lot. He was a wonderful designer and did gorgeous chic, dressy clothes. He was famous for a long time. He was a fantastic designer— his clothes were dressy but simple.

Q. What is the oldest item in your closet that you still wear today?

A. I haven’t a clue! Perhaps bright yellow cotton pants. They are fabulous! Yellow is big in my closet, it’s such a happy color. People actually stop me on the street and say “you look so great in bright yellow!” God only knows when I bought them, but I still love them!

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about fashion when you were a girl?

A. I used to design my own wardrobe.  My mother used to make my clothes when I was little.  She designed wonderful stuff! It gave me a feeling for design myself.  It was great fun putting together wardrobes.  I developed a talent for it.  I made outfits in bright yellows and shocking pinks.  I used to design items that I could wear to any event.

Q. How do you choose what to wear?

A. I like to buy clothes that I can wear anywhere in the world! I like colors that make me happy when I put them on and that make other people happy when they see me. Life should be a ball!

Browse our website for more information on Life after 50…including health, fashion, career and interviews with women of inspiration!

  (Woo Hoo – A special gift for you!  Our readers get 10% off their order or free shipping when they type in the words FAB50 at the promo code box!)

Renowned designer and CEO Rickie Freeman of Teri Jon is fulfilling a need. Baby boomer women are looking for fashions that fits beautifully, style that is age appropriate but sexy, clothing with timeless elegance but a trendy look that’s gorgeous. Over50 fashions that meet all these criteria can be hard to find, but Teri Jon is filling the gap! The stunning designs she creates are worn by savvy fashion-conscious women everywhere, from celebrities to the chic mother-of-the-bride next door.

We recently touched base with Rickie to see what she views as the winners in the upcoming summer fashion season for baby boomer women (and all women, for that matter!), and to get her thoughts on the baby boomer fashions currently available.

Q. Your style is classic, elegant, and trendy all at the same time! What – or who – has inspired you as a designer?

A. I am inspired by my surroundings. Living in New York City there is such an influx of tourists from all around the world and just walking in Manhattan you see so many different ideas that influence and inspire me. My co-workers ranges in ages from 22 to 70 and of course my three daughters ages 22 to 34 keep me on my toes and are always pushing beyond my comfort zone.

There is also such a great amount of information and exposure to the wide world via the Internet that you are at any given moment scanning thru multi media events, cultural exhibits and current events on the new that showcase people that I find intriguing. As a designer, your inspiration evolves and your modify your collection according to that gut feeling of what you want to project coupled with the customers needs or indulgences of that specific season.

Q. What upcoming trends do you most favor this season for mature, fashion-savvy women?

A. I love this season’s trend of mixing fabric and colors, it can be very flattering to strategically create bold stokes of color blocking or creating mixtures of textures in one garments, especially where there are so many technological advanced fabrics that have stretch and hold like spandex in them so by mixing them with traditional beautiful fabric you get the look of luxury but also some comfort when mixing them with stretch fabrication.

Going forward for Fall 2012- I have added a lot of leather trims. I love how leather make garments look classic but a bit “racy” at the same time.
How do you feel about the day-to-day career and casual fashions for baby boomer women that are currently available?

A. I think there are so many options that one can mix and match from different price points that do not need to compromise one’s look or pocketbook in order to accomplish that goal. I myself went into a store yesterday to pick up some bright cashmere summer sweaters that go so well with some of my strapless and sleeveless dresses for summer, (I am always cold indoors in the summer). Depending on your body type, you can do the same with different career and casual styles- there is so much assortment.

You have dressed some glittering baby boomer celebrities like Meryl Streep with stunning results!  Can you share some of those style guidelines with the rest of us?

A. The key to dressing all women is to try to dress her with styles and cuts that call attention to her most beautiful parts of her body and face.

My goal in dressing celebrities, and all women in general is to highlight that unique feature. For some, it is the legs for other could be beautiful skin and décolleté, others it can be a cinched waist. One should try to analyze the body type and give them the outfit that will make them feel as feminine or as girly if that what they wish to project.

Your Teri Jon Spring 2012 collection has so many unique designs…what is your very favorite?

A. My favorite dress this season is a combination of laces looks which are very trendy this season. We created style number 29067 which is a pintuck seamed lace dress with a classic feminine silhouettes that glides as someone walks. The sheerness of the sleeves covers the arms showing just the right amount of skin.

You are a successful fashion designer, entrepreneur and businesswoman – what plans do you have, if any, to change or expand your business?

A. We are always looking to grow our business by introducing more products for our customers, expanding into international markets and perhaps helping our lady find that perfect look head to toe- shoes, jewelry and all!  We are also trying to offer more opening price points as people are more price conscious. Obviously we hope to do so without compromising the integrity of our product and quality

If you can give baby boomer women one piece of fashion-buying advice for buying fashions, what would it be?

A. Buy what looks good on you. It should feel comfortable, and not be something you are tugging on all night. Experiment with colors! The color against your skin tone will give you that little extra vibrancy that defines spring.

Browse our website for more on fashion and beauty for 50+ women,  interviews with fashion designers and some timely fashion tips!

Questions about fashions for baby boomer women are what we get most at FiftyIsTheNewForty.com! As summer approaches and the weddings, garden parties, and galas begin, it’s always a challenge to find clothing that is elegant, fun,

affordable and – yes, let’s put it right out there – age appropriate!  We have a guest post from Laura Clarke  - a  fashion blogger currently working on behalf of Jacque Vert, a UK based company who specialise in women’s occasion wear and mother of the bride fashion.

As spring is upon us the wedding invites start dropping though our letter boxes. Whether this year you are the mother of the bride or groom, sister, auntie, grandma or a family friend what you want most of all from your outfit is to be fashionable (because style doesn’t end at 50) and elegant without looking over-the-top.

Perhaps the first thing to think about when deciding what to wear is to decide whether a dress, trouser suit or skirt would be the ideal option for you. Midi length skirts and dresses are very on trend at the moment and are the perfect length for a summer occasion. Trousers suits are always a classic look but try to stay away from darker colours to avoid looking like you are going to the office rather than a wedding.

When choosing your outfit colour is not something to be feared. There are plenty of options other than salmon pink or cream. Pastel colours have been seen rocking the runways of London, New York and Milan and the great news is they look chic at any age, even the queen looks stylish in lemon yellow! Lilac and cool ice blues are definite favourites and are a subtle way to wear colour without looking gaudy.

So the dress or suit is picked in a gorgeous pastel shade, but what about the accessories? Particularly as the mother of the bride, you know you will be on your feet all day at the ceremony, then the photographs and finally the reception; you need a shoe that will look smart but also feel comfortable. The kitten heel is a brilliant choice as it has a slight heel for style but won’t give you that horrible burning in the balls of your feet which higher styles will after only a few hours.

When wearing a dress a cover-up may be needed when the temperature drops a little, especially at a night time wedding or if the reception is to be held outside. A fitted jacket or bolero will add interest to your outfit and if the dress has a pattern, go for a jacket in the colour of the print rather than the background colour for full impact. For instance an ice blue dress with navy detailing will look great with a navy jacket. A small clutch bag in the same shade as the jacket will really finish the effect.

The final piece of any wedding outfit is a hat. This season the most popular choice of headwear is the fascinator as they are not as heavy as a full hat. They will not go with all styles so when choosing yours take a friend and get their honest opinion, and shopping is so much more fun with a friend anyway!

Finally and probably most importantly, remember this outfit will be worn all day and so needs to fit perfectly. Don’t squeeze into shoes that are a half size too small or make do with a zip that digs in a little as by the end of the day you will become very uncomfortable. Style, colour and comfort will always equal the perfect wedding ensemble.

Browse our website for more information and inspiration on fashions for baby boomer women!

In addition to our review for her new book, Fifty Is The New Forty was able to ask author and Criminal Profiler Pat Brown what inspired her to write her new novella,  Only The Truth.   Her answers were both a bit surprising and revealing, giving us some more glimpses into what makes her such a uniquely interesting baby boomer entrepreneur…

Q. Did you have a real case inspiration for this unique story?

A. Actually, not any one case in particular. I based Billy Ray’s love interest, Charlene, on a composite of a number of women who commit crimes for a variety of reason and have questionable psychological issues and

Q. This style of this book is quite a departure from the typical novella or crime novel out there.  How did you arrive at this place?motives.

A. I hate to say my answer is, “No clue!” Well, maybe there is something in that I love John Steinbeck and other fairly old-fashioned authors and I am not overly found of extremely violent mystery/crime novels. I get tired of all the excessive gore and such and prefer a story with more of a literary quality. Having said that, I WILL have a new mystery series coming out in which the protagonist is a female criminal profiler (you will never guess who that character is based on) and it is a bit more “modern” and in the vein of Janet Evonovich and Sue Grafton mystery novels with a sense of humor and the female sleuth chasing down suspects and leads

Q. Do you think that the main character in your story, Billy Ray, represents the “every-man” sort of character who becomes involved in a real life murder-for-passion type of scenario? The “innocent involved”?

A. I have seen quite often that when a significant other commits homicide, there is a great deal of confusion and disbelief on the part of this secondary “victim” of a heinous crime.  It is always a horrific place to be; one either has to stand by the killer or recognize one has been a chump and the relationship one believed to have been real is but a fraud. Emotions ping-ponging back and forth are the norm and where one ends up much depends on the evidence finally uncovered and the own personal emotional makeup of the individual.

Q. With the success of this book, are you anticipating changing your career direction to spend more time writing?

A. Heh, well, I have two more books coming out this year with traditional publishers:  How to Save Your Daughter’s Life (HCI Sept 2012) and The Murder of Cleopatra (Prometheus Feb 2013) and my next self-pubbed fiction is in the works, BUT I am a profiler first and an author second, and I have much to do in the field to establish criminal profiling as a tool of law enforcement and to educate the profilers of the future, so I have decided to

clone myself and live to be one hundred and twenty.

Q. What kind of response have you had to this release?

A. Quite frankly, extraordinary! I am absolutely thrilled with the readers’ responses to Only the Truth. When one writes fiction, one gets very involved with the characters and by the end of the book, those characters are quite real to the author, as is the story, the towns, the locations, the circumstances…even the dog. So one gets quite concerned that when the book gets into the hands of the reading public, they will not see any of what the author believes they will. I have been ecstatic to learn that readers are seeing everything the same way as me! Woo hoo! They love Sweet Billy Ray who I am most protective of and they adore Police Chief Williams who I think The Rock should play in the movie version (and he has said he will if I promise to provide some bad guys for him to whoop ::laughs::).

All in all, I couldn’t be more pleased with the response. Thank you, Readers!

Behar, to name a few, as well as being the author of The Profiler: My Life Hunting Serial Killers and Psychopaths. We featured Pat Brown on our site some time ago as a recognized authority in her field and a female baby boomer entrepreneur extraordinaire!  In her newest novella, Only The Truth, her skills are of another sort entirely.

This well-written novella has it all: interest, suspense, great characters, and a surprising conclusion.   As the saying goes, this one would be “A bargain at twice the price”!  Loved it.

by Michelle Seitzer

My mom just got her first job.

Outside the home, that is. Since 1978, she has put well over 40 hours a week into raising her five daughters. Her commitment to that career is one that no paycheck could ever fully compensate her for, and it’s a gift I’m thankful for every day. She has also devoted countless hours to volunteering in her community, helping friends and neighbors through difficult times, caring for her aging parents, running a family business, and securing a massage therapy license. Job or not, she’s worked hard all these years.

But the fact remains: our experiences as young women have been completely different. At age 21, I started a full-time salaried position just a few months shy of my college graduation, and I’ve never been without work since. At age 21, Mom started her career in motherhood and has been occupied accordingly…until now.

After my youngest sister graduated from high school last summer, my mother knew it was time for a change. But what to do? That was the bigger question, and one that many boomer women are currently asking themselves.

We’re entering a totally new era in womanhood, and it’s exciting and terrifying. Women like my mother are exploring new identities outside of motherhood. They’re getting divorced and remarried, or enjoying the single life; they’re struggling with sandwich generation responsibilities, starting new jobs and business ventures, and are reinventing themselves in every possible way.

Women in my generation are getting married later and starting families even later still. We’re fighting career versus family battles, trying to balance “having it all” in this modern world that is rich with opportunities that our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers just didn’t have.

Author Suzanne Braun Levine writes about all of these shifting roles and dynamics in her third and latest book, How We Love Now: Sex and the New Intimacy in Second Adulthood. Says Levine, “This is a new stage of life not available to women ever before in history. Most women now have 25 years or more after turning 50 to explore another adulthood.” (Read more about her book in my post, My Mother and the Necessary Reinvention of the Modern Woman.)

In other words, everyone’s new at this. Women in both generations are blazing trails for the women who will follow them. There is much to learn from one another in these transformational times, and we should take full advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to define who we are, who we would like to be, and who we want our daughters and granddaughters to become. All the while, we must remember those women who live in countries without educational, romantic, or career opportunities, without basic rights, without many of the comforts and freedoms that we have enjoyed for years. We must commit ourselves to advocating for these women, working alongside them, striving to create a better world for women, regardless of their geographic location.

Dream with me: what kind of future do you imagine for the women in your life?

Michelle Seitzer is a freelance writer who blogs regularly for SeniorsforLiving.com, 101Mobility.com, SeniorCareSociety.com, and a host of other boomer- and senior-focused sites. She’s also a contributing writer for BELLA magazine. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook; get links to published work or contact her at her blog.

Apology By Limbaugh – Isn’t!

Yesterday Rush Limbaugh issued an apology for his radio show tirade where he slandered (no other word) a young Georgetown University student by the name of Sandra Fluke.   He refers to his attempts at “humor”, and falls back on his gimmick that is based on “absurdity”. Really? So, what is he? Part-time entertainer? Comedian? Pundit? Voice of the right?  Full time misogynist?

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Can’t have it both ways, Limbaugh. 

A hearty heigh-ho to the sponsors who have dropped him like a bad habit: Carbonite, Quicken Loans, LegalZoom, Sleep Train and Sleep Number Beds. Hope they stay the course.

Our thoughts on the apology:

“For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.”

Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines absurd as:

• ¹ab·surd  adj \əb-ˈsərd, -ˈzərd\
• : ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous <an absurd argument>

It follows that “ridiculously unreasonable” makes the assumption that one can make a judgement of what IS reasonable, i.e., that Ms. Fluke is not a ‘slut’ or a ‘prostitute’. However, in the purest form, that is not the case. I don’t know Ms. Fluke, nor did millions of Americans prior to her brief appearance before Congress and then as a result of Limbaugh’s rant.  So perhaps in some cases, can there not be, if not outright questions, at least the tiniest question in the back of some minds?   “She looks way too nice and is far too polite and soft-spoken to be for real..she must be covering up something if she wants to talk about this topic in public…Hm..maybe she is a slut.  Why else would he say that?”

In 1993, his ‘absurdity’ went here: “Everyone knows the Clintons have a cat. Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is a White House dog?”  And up goes a picture of 13-year old Chelsea Clinton.   If my middle-aged memory serves as to his radio show, he went on to expound more fully on the physical characteristics of that one 13-year old child, one of which I also had at the time.

The point being that once again, his apology is not. And he knows it.

“I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities.”

Little hang-up there?  “I personally do not agree…” implies that you have the right to disagree. Call me crazy, but does Ms. Fluke not enjoy that same right to disagree? She didn’t make the decision to allow this content to be debated before Congress.

“What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow?”

Indeed, Mr. Limbaugh, indeed. I find it interesting that you have the very best health-care that money can buy because of your use of your Constitutionally-granted freedom of speech.  Your extraordinary access to a superior health care plan even supported you during your withdrawal from drugs. Hm… Yet a young female Georgetown University student paying for her own health-care needs cannot obtain the simplest form of female reproductive health care.

“Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?”

What the…?

“In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone’s bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.”

Oh, jeez, sorry we missed the more subtle points of your argument amid all the salacious name-calling and vicious verbal vomit. No one debates your right to “posit”, but that’s a pretty high-falutin’ 25-cent word to describe hateful rhetoric and sophisticated bullying strategies.

“My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.”

Humorous? Puh-leez. Translation: “Oh, sorry I caused such a big mess and lost my advertisers. You’re still a slut.”

I’m so incredibly sick of Rush Limbaugh. Here’s a guy who’s a drug addict who rails against drug addicts. A crude loudmouth who purports to believe in free speech, but talks over anybody who tries to express an opinion other than his.   A schoolyard bully of the worst kind, so full of dis-ease about himself he’s gagging on it. A grown man spewing hateful things about a soft-spoke, intelligent college student, Sandra Fluke.

So, I guess it makes sense that he’s been married four times, has no children (who will own him, anyway), and has the gall to make  ignorant and inflammatory comments designed for no other reason than to give him face time and make him money. (Did I mention ignorant?)  He’s  so incredibly brave in front of the microphone. Perhaps he should make those remarks to that intelligent young lady to her face.

It’s really tempting to go on a tirade, but as Auntie Em siad to Almira Gulch, ” For twenty-three years, I’ve been dying to tell you what I thought of you! And now… well, being a Christian woman, I can’t say it“.  Time to be heard, ladies…this is NOT how we want to turn back the clock!

Watch this video on YouTube.

For many women in midlife, it’s totally tempting – the thought of going gray in midlife may cross your mind every time you shell out money to get your roots touched up, or have to make time out of your busy schedule to do it yourself. You may just be experiencing that level of appealing self-confidence women in midlife exude. Whatever the reason, deciding to go gray – or not – is a personal decision as unique as you are!

Going natural with our hair color as we age has taken on new life of late. Baby boomer women are going gray for any number of reasons:

Save Money: Although this may seem like a rather lame reason to give up something you’ve embraced for years, the fact is it’s true. A snazzy haircut is far less expensive than a cut and color no mater where you get your hair done!  That nagging sense of guilt that you have after leaving the hairdresser and relieving yourself of that hard-earned ….

Save Time: women in their 40′s and 50′s are busy….with kids and jobs perhaps, or maybe your kids are grown and you are taking this time for yourself to really reach for your career goals. Today’s women in their 60′s and beyond aren’t sitting home waiting for life to happen either – they’re out there, many of them still working! Admittedly, it can be a pain to have to give up your free time to get your hair done.

Natural: Chemical-free is always good! As midlife approaches, a lot of women want to jettison the number of chemicals they use throughout their daily lives and replace with natural, organic products or lifestyle.

Trendy: You’ have heard it: “Gray Is The New Black”. Quite simply, gray is in. Cool. Fashionable. Smart. A ‘la Helen Mirren!

Fun:  Let’s face it – your hair color isn’t permanent if you don’t want it to be! Going gray can represent a whole new direction for you, and can feel adventurous and sort of like risk-taking without the risk!

Whatever your thoughts about going gray in midlife, it’s a trend not likely to go away any time soon!

I refuse to understand why turning 50 (or 60 for that matter) should have a negative impact on the way you present yourself to the world.  This is the time of your life when your foot is on the gas, not the brake.

At the age of 50, you have (hopefully) accepted yourself and released yourself from the bondage of abnegating and derisive “inner speak.”  If you haven’t, I urge you to read The Essentials of Fabulous as I wrote that book to help everyone rewire their brains so they can catapult themselves to the very top.  By the way, the view from the top of the mountain is astonishing.

Let’s consider Anna Wintour, Vogue Magazine’s editor who looks smashing in every photograph.  She has her look down pat:  She is a minimalist as she keeps everything simple but simply elegant.  Through her presentation, her message is clear:  I’m fascinated by life and the opportunities in front of me.  Age is irrelevant.

At 50-plus, you should be putting style before fashion.  In fact, I would focus my energies solely on style in order to build a wardrobe that’s timeless.  Timeless is a fitted pantsuit that can be worn with either a crisp white shirt or a turtleneck (leave the dowdy jewel-neck sweater at home…you need to look of the moment) or a pair of grey flannel pants that can be worn with a brown, amber, camel, navy or grey sweater and a beautiful loafer.

At 50, you ought to be having fun with clothes to telegraph your ease and confidence in being a woman with a sure eye for details.  This could include a full skirt that hits the mid-calf worn with a fitted shirt or a crocheted slouchy sweater and thick matte stockings.  Another modern look is a soigné pencil skirt, a fitted blouse and fishnet stockings with an unexpected shoe such as a high-heeled oxford.  No one in her 20s would dare wear a look that sophisticated but you can.

My style mantra has always been to throw caution to the wind but that does not mean wearing leggings with a wrap-around sweater so that everything is on full display.  Au contraire.  Leggings look absolutely fabulous under a long skirt or dress instead of the predictable pair of stockings.  Shop your closet – there are things you haven’t worn because you (mistakenly) thought they were too young for you such as an argyle vest (fantastic with a Peter Pan collared shirt) or a hand-tooled leather bag from the 70s (very cool to mix vintage and new).  Avoid any temptation to shop in the same department or store that caters to teenagers. You have one goal and that is to look supremely confident, smart, tailored and polished.

My list for the essentials of a fabulous wardrobe when you’re 50 and older:

• A perfect pair of trouser jeans in a dark rinse; a few white shirts that will give everything a lift (J. Crew has many versions in stores and on-line)
• A chunky sweater/blazer that takes the blazer silhouette and adds a twist
• A pair of linen or wool trousers that give you a long, lean line
• A lightweight wool, raincoat or winter coat that hits the knee in either a gutsy plaid or the classic camel, navy or black
• A boldly striped scarf instead of something “cautious and dowdy”
• A messenger bag in either cotton or felted wool (go to www.esty.com and look for something artsy and stylish)
• …and a pair of driving gloves that have unbeatable flair.

Attitude trumps age.  If you think you’re fabulous, you will be fabulous.  Make sure your grooming is impeccable – sheer make-up, an easy hairstyle, imaginative accessories and a smile that conveys a warmth and accessibility that’s seductive at any age. Then go rock the essential pieces that tell the world you’re someone to know!