Dressing for Success After 40: Yoga Pants Be Gone!

Yoga pants, leggings and skinny jeans are all the rage, but it doesn't mean you should wear them to the office.

If you're pushing 40, 50 or older, you may feel compelled to follow the latest trends to fit in with younger co-workers. After all, career counselors regularly tell people who are looking for a promotion, job hunting or making a midlife career change to color their hair or update their wardrobe to make a good first impression.

But when it comes to enhancing your image at work, there's a fine line between fashion forward and fashion victim, says Rachel Weingarten, a New York City business style consultant.

"I don't think people should forgo fashion once they reach a certain calendar age. But there are certain things that don't work in the workplace," says Weingarten, a People StyleWatch business attire advisor and the author of Career and Corporate Cool.

"I don't want to see your bra straps or see through your clothes. You do get judged if you're in the office with too much cleavage. When you've reached a level of success or corporate history, you want to look a certain way. You don't have to look like somebody's grandfather, but you do want to look a step above."

"Think about the message you are sending with your clothing choices," adds Barbara Pachter, a Cherry Hill, N.J., business etiquette expert. "Do you look like you are serious about your work or planning a day at the beach?"

Here's what Weingarten and Pachter suggest for midlife workers who want to dress for success:

1. Stick to the classics.

Weingarten recommends women build a work wardrobe around a dress, pencil- or figure-flattering skirt, well-tailored pair of black or neutral color pants and classic dress shirt. Round it out with a jacket or jacket alternative, such as a crocheted sweater. "It doesn't have to be tailored or have buttons," she says. "It could have three-quarter length sleeves, a Nehru collar or 50 buttons. When you put on a jacket, you command a different level of respect." Men have it easier: They're good to go with a well-tailored jacket and slacks, shoes that are polished and in good repair, and a belt that suits their stature, she says.

2. Adopt a signature style.

Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O. became fashion icons by picking a look and sticking with it, adapting it slightly to change with the times. If it worked for them, it'll work for you.

3. Stick to what passes for acceptable attire in your area.

What's appropriate in a big office in the Northeast may be very different than what's appropriate in the Southwest, Pachter says. If you're traveling for business, adapt your wardrobe to where you're headed.

4. Be remembered for what you say, not what you wear.

Baggy shirts, short skirts, loud colors and plunging necklines all steal focus away from you. One man Pachter counseled wanted her opinion about his bright green pants. Since the slacks weren't typical corporate clothing, she advised him to ditch them or risk being labeled "the man in green pants," she wrote in a recent issue of her company newsletter.

5. If you like following trends, add them sparingly.

Nothing dates you faster than going all out to adopt a new style. Especially if you're over a certain age, you could end up looking silly instead of chic, Weingarten says. Instead, bring trends into your wardrobe through accessories such as belts, handbags or ties. One high-powered attorney she knows wears only green bow ties with suits, alternating different shades to fit his mood.

6. Keep the yoga pants in your closet.

Despite how casual some offices have gotten about what passes for business attire, no place is casual enough for yoga pants -- or leggings, Weingarten says. "If you're a person who wants to wear yoga pants to work, you could probably telecommute," she says. "It doesn't have anything to do with whether you jiggle. If you're playing a part, whether it's superior or consultant, people peg you. And if you're the CEO and you walk into a room and you're wearing yoga pants, they'll take you down a notch."

7. Curly or straight, keep hair groomed.

According to this story in The Wall Street Journal, some New York image consultants are telling professional women to straighten their curly locks to get ahead. "People who are being groomed for high potential, and people who are handling a lot of money, have overseers who really understand that they can't look unkempt or ungroomed," image coach Susan Sommers says in the piece. While Weingarten thinks that's taking it too far, she agrees it's important to keep whatever hairstyle you choose well maintained. If you choose to color your hair, make sure it's natural-looking.

8. Follow the leader.

If you're still at a loss for how to dress, look at what higher-ups at the company are wearing and copy them, Weingarten says.

9. After hours doesn't mean after thought.

Whether you're going out to dinner with clients or to the company picnic, dress codes still apply, so forget the bikini, skin-tight micro-mini or skull and crossbones T-shirt. "There's nothing wrong with dressing a little nicer" than the crowd, Weingarten says.