The challenge will build on your skills and will give you some fabulous outfit ideas.
A note about participation
I would like to stress that the challenges are OPTIONAL. You don't have to participate and it will be perfectly fine just to observe. If you're not on Facebook, you will get a lot out of this style theme from just trying out outfits in the privacy of your home and creating new combinations from your existing clothes.
If you do choose to participate, feel free to do it your own way. Sometimes simply commenting on other club members' outfits or reading the suggestions on Facebook helps you develop your own style.
That means that you may choose only to post 1 outfit or participate in only one or 2 challenges. You may choose not to comment on all posts. You may choose just to observe. It's all good.
Please remember that we are all different. Some of us like to participate in every challenge and also love to comment on others' posts. They love supporting others and get energy out of helping and supporting them. Perhaps these are the extroverted women who get lots of energy from participating and connecting with others.
Others are more the observers who may occasionally participate and occasionally leave commenters. They may be the more introverted women or women who are short on time. They get energy from pondering options and observing others.
Please feel free to participate in any which way you like! There is no need to apologise if you can't participate or if you're not able to comment on the posts of others. These challenges are created for you so you can have FUN with style and practise what you learn. They are here to support you and advance your learning and should never feel like an obligation.
Here are the outfits for this challenge!
Our first challenge starts with choosing a favorite, versatile color as the signature neutral of your choice. In this example, it's denim blue. Other ideas can be white, a vivid indigo blue or a soft shade of a more vibrant color.
Your challenge is to avoid the traditional beige, black, brown or muddy colors. Post your signature neutral in the Facebook group or check out what the other ladies have selected, if you need ideas. Add a nicely printed top that has 2-3 simple colors featured in the pattern. Add metallic accessories in gold, bronze, metallic greys or silver. Feel free to dress this look up or down.
Nothing is more comfortable than a simple dress when it's hot. A nice, flowy one, like this tunic dress, allows for air to circulate easily and looks pretty put-together too. Choose a dress that is somewhat neutral, but has additional color to it. If you want to add bold accessories in the same color family consider these combinations:
- Rust or pinks: use hot pink, red and orange accents
- Pale blues: add navy, turquoise or indigo accents
- Light sage greens or pale olives: use a bright teal color or emerald or even bright lemon yellow
- Lavenders and dusty purples and pinks: add vibrant violet or a rich bordeaux to accent
You ready to really experiment with advanced color and pattern mixing? This is the challenge for you! One of the boldest statements you can make is combining black and white. But you can also try this with a navy and white tone or other combinations. Don't be afraid to practice. A stripe pattern is one of the best to use when mixing prints and patterns - it seems to go with nearly any other type of pattern.
To start small, mix a print or pattern bottom with a bold color top. If you want more of a challenge, try mixing 2 prints and patterns by adding a jacket or cardigan in a different print like in the challenge image above. Or choose a nicely patterned top in one print with a legging or cropped pant in a different one.
Once you mix your print and pattern see if you can add pops of colors in your accessories. If you're working with basic black and white, nearly any color goes. If you're trying to mix other color combinations, take one of the shades in the print or pattern and add accessories in a bolder version of the shade as your pop of color. We're here for plenty of feedback and support on this one!
This is a great challenge for looking your best when running errands. You may have practiced some color blocking in June. This month you'll add some metallic accents that dress up your outfit and make it a little more fun.
Let's experiment with getting some mileage from a single outfit. The plan is to create a casual, comfortable look that still looks put together enough to wear for an evening dinner out or a date.
Mix a favorite, flattering skirt or a nicely tailored pair of shorts with an easy tee and give it some structure by adding a light summer cardigan. We love this convertible one that can be tied up as shown. But you can also wear your cardigan loose and untied. Or by adding a belt, like in the article How to Style a Cardigan.
If the slip ons feel too sporty for you, a nice sandal would work great, too. Take a favorite handbag and add your colorful scarf to it to dress it up a bit.
Full July Schedule
Since the videos and workbook will keep you busy enough, we only have 5 challenges this month.
Feel free to completely interpret the looks to your own liking. If you don't wear cropped pants, just replace with longer pants or a skirt. Anything goes! There are no rules (in fact there is only one rule and that is to have FUN with this).
Uploaded looks in the community:
- #color1 Unique and signature neutral
- #color2 Layering and accessorizing
- #color3 Mixing bold prints and patterns
- #color4 Casual and simple color blocking
- color#5 Layered outfit and patterns
A few more questions you may have
What hashtags do we use?
For each challenge please use the hashtag listed in the schedule above. In addition also use your body type hashtags (#pear #apple #invertedtriangle #rectangle #hourglass).
Since some members love to follow particular women, it is also recommended to use your own personal hashtag with each image. That will give other members an easy way to see your posts. For example my personal hashtag will be #sylviavandelogt
How do we give and receive feedback in the community?
Please read our guidelines on receiving and giving feedback in the private community here.
Can I still post other outfits?
Yes! You can post any other outfits or ask questions any time you like. Always adhere to the image posting guidelines though.
What if I'm not on Facebook?
You can still do the challenges in the privacy of your own home and practise all the strategies.
Of course it's more fun if you become part of our community and if privacy is an issue for you, you may consider joining the group with an alias or with a completely new email that none of your real life friends have.
Here is how you can do that:
- Go to gmail and register a new email address.
- Then setup a new account on Facebook and use your new email address. Since noone will have this email address, none of your friends will be notified that you're on Facebook and you will be able to use your account solely for the 40+StyleClub.
- If your used name for Facebook is different from the one your ordered with, please notify us at support [at] 40plusstyle.com about the name you use for your Facebook account and what the name is you used when you placed your order.
- Request access to the community and we will approve you as soon as we can.
Where can I find all the important information about this month's style theme and what's going on in the community?
The Color theme homepage is is your 'hub' for this month. Always start from there.
In the Facebook community, you will find all important info and the main threads in this overview, which is always pinned at the top.
What do I do if I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the info or the many looks in the community?
Just take a break or limit your time in the club or community to a certain amount each day. This is your club and you can use it any way you like. It should always be fun! As mentioned, don't ever feel that you HAVE to participate actively or HAVE to comment or always have to be around. Use the club and community in a way that most supports you!
If you feel overwhelmed by the many notifications from facebook, there is an easy way to completely customize them to your needs. Just go to our private Facebook group, click on notifications and then choose the setting that suits you best. If you set it to off, you only get notifications if you are tagged or reply to someone else's post. And by the way, you can turn that off to, by clicking on 'turn off notifications for this post' when you have given your comment. Of course, if you do turn notifications completely off, be sure to check in regularly in your group!
Wishing you lots of fun and learning with these challenges. I look forward to admiring your outfits!
I look forward to seeing all your interpretations of these outfits!