I'm Turning 40 Next Year—Here's How I'm Approaching Fashion Now

It almost goes without saying that your style evolves as you get older. As the years pass and trends come and go, certain items are bound to fall by the wayside as you mature. Since style is so personal, and everyone, regardless of their age, should feel entitled to wear whatever they like, we decided to reach out to one particularly stylish late-30-something woman and asked her to share some insights into how her style has changed over the course of her 30s.

We're referring to Create Cultivate's editorial director, Sacha Strebe, who you might also recognize as the former editorial director of MyDomaine. Often clad in head-to-toe black and always looking effortlessly chic, the stylish content creator divulged that she has been making modifications to her wardrobe that make her feel cool, confident, and, most importantly, comfortable in her own skin. Keep scrolling to see how she's approaching fashion now that she's on the verge of entering a new decade.

I Switched to an All-Black Wardrobe

"When I moved to Melbourne in my early 30s, it was inevitable that I would start wearing more black. Australia's most livable city is renowned for its all-black aesthetic and that cool art-curator vibe. I was drawn to it immediately because I love how it simplified getting dressed every day, and let's face it, black always looks good.

"But there is an art to dressing in all black, and I really enjoyed perfecting the art of layering. I was also a new mom, so black definitely hides a lot yet made me feel chic and cool even if I was just wearing all-black athleisure to the park.”

I Buy Less, But I Buy Quality

"Since I only wear black (yes, my entire wardrobe is filled with inky-hued clothing, the exception being white, gray, and denim), I now have a very edited wardrobe of designer pieces (mostly Australian designers such as Dion Lee, Christopher Esber, and Ellery) that I layer together with simple T-shirts, sheer turtlenecks, and leather pants—case in point.”

I Wear More Gold Jewelry

"In my 20s, I wore a lot of silver jewelry. I had a ring on almost every finger, necklaces, and earrings. Remember when chunky jewelry was popular? Abby Lee Kershaw was my muse at the time, and she really spearheaded this trend.

"Now, I opt for a less-is-more approach to everything, which is helpful since switching to gold jewelry is definitely more expensive. But I look at buying gold as an investment. It’s like wearing money that never depreciates in value.

"I’d rather save up and buy something I love in gold that I can always resell later if I fall out of love with it. That's not to say I don’t wear costume sometimes. I am currently obsessed with these hoops from my friend’s line F+H.”

I've Adopted a Polished-Yet-Casual Look

"As I’m nearing the big 4-0, I am feeling more comfortable in my own skin and embracing my flaws—or at least what society has deemed as flaws. In fact, they make me feel unique. This confidence comes through in my styling too from my fashion choices to my hair and makeup.

"I want to look polished and powerful now, but I also need to feel comfortable. I’ve found that the combination of these two (polished comfort) makes me feeling self-assured and fearless.”

I Don't Follow Trends

"I’m not against trends; I just don’t adhere to them anymore. I feel as though most of the trends are very youth-driven or lack the timeless appeal I’m after. I am also less interested in fast fashion because of the alarming rate at which clothing ends up as landfill, not to mention the degree of water and pollution as a result of its manufacture. So I try to buy ‘lifers’ or clothing that is made well and made to last. Trends don’t typically fall into that category.”

Up next, women over 40 are proposing a ban on these swimwear trends.