"Age-Appropriate" Trends

By Lois Joy Johnson; Photographs by Michael Waring

Which trends are age-appropriate? We asked 1,500 MORE readers how far they'd go to be fashionable, then devised this real-life test. Are you classic, modern, or edgy?

The Little Black Dress: Classic

Taking a style and running with it is one of the privileges of being an experienced shopper. When we asked MORE readers how they update their wardrobes, 79 percent reported that they browse trendy stores like H&M and Forever 21, often with their daughters, to find out what's hip, then buy less extreme versions for themselves. Eighty-five percent mix their seasonal finds with clothes they already own. Perfect example: This season's little black dress (yes, it's back, in a zillion versions) can be worn simply, like the thoroughbred it is, or styled, mixed, and layered to a fare-thee-well.

Premise stretch cotton dress ($315). CH Carolina Herrera patent tote ($520). Jimmy Choo leather slingbacks ($455). David Yurman cuffs and ring. R.J. Graziano necklace.