Ever feel like your wardrobe is in a rut? You grab the first thing you can reach and throw it on. You look… OK, but you’ve been wearing the same old outfit for years.

Sure, it’s a classic look. You really can’t go wrong with a classic. Right?

It’s true – some pieces will never go out of style – like the little black dress. But that doesn’t mean you want to – or ought to – wear the same colors, patterns and cuts over and over again. It can all get a bit dull.

Want to jazz things up a bit and mix up your wardrobe? Here’s how to add a little spice to your classic outfits and come away with a stylish masterpiece.

Fun Footwear

Always go for high quality footwear. You want to exude elegance. Nothing says it better than jazzy heels that draw the eye and get attention.

Switching up the shoes can instantly change an outfit and make a stylish statement. Here are some simple ideas:

• A pair of boots with feather trimmings or glitter can add a little fun to a casual night out.
• If comfort is important, look for block heels. They give support but still look professional.
• Slouchy boots are popular and look great with a shorter frock.

Don’t restrict yourself to a monochrome, black wardrobe. Try a bright shoe with your black dress. Or take it a step further with a bold leopard print. Shoes with beading or hint of gold also offer a unique look.

If you opt for the classic black pump, go with a closed toe with a slight point. It’s a modern, elegant look that elongates the leg and flatters your figure.

Worried about drawing too much attention to your ankles? Stay away from shoes with straps. Strapless shoes give you a more svelte look and distract from problem areas.

Play with Patterns

Your clothing is like a blank canvas. You could go all black, but would you want to look at a canvas with just one stripe of black paint? Get creative and express yourself with patterns instead.

Start with the classic black dress. Then add a bold patterned scarf or a colorful kimono sleeve cardigan that gets the attention. Try experimenting with animal prints, tie dye and batik.

Add a basic handbag in stunning red or vibrant yellow. If you want to add another subtle touch, a brooch or hair accessory can complete the look.

Try mixing up shapes, too. A flowing tie dye tunic that lets you breathe – combined with slinky black pants – is anything but boring. The contrast is eye catching and flattering. If you prefer a solid top, make it a strong contrasting color and pair it with chunky jewelry.

Worried that a big pattern will make you look bigger? Many plus size women are unsure about patterns. But delicately arranged patterns can give a new look and even hide weight. Opt for big, subtle prints instead of small patterns.

It’s All in the Details

A classic look must be complete from head to toe. Details mean everything. You can’t combine a knockout dress with a cheap pair of heels.

Remember, if you don’t feel great, you don’t look great. Don’t force your body to fit a style that isn’t you. Focus on your best features and show them off.

The wonderful thing about classics is, you don’t have to have only one look. Keep on experimenting and modernizing your outfits. Change your accessories and shoes often. It will have your friends always guessing what will be your latest look.

Classic pieces with clever accessories are easy to mix and match, creating something new every day. Unlike trends that leave you in a few months, basics stay stylish.

Since these basics are your favorite pieces, you always feel comfortable in them and keep a simple, versatile wardrobe. What could be better?

If you want to try some of our plus size clothes, we are offering a 10% discount for our Sixty and Me sisters in our Etsy Shop.

How do you jazz things up a little in your wardrobe? What are your favorite colors or accessories? Please share in the comments below.

Twice a year, Bath & Body Works pulls out all the stops and discounts holiday and everyday favorites up to 75 percent off, which new discounts throughout the week. The Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual sale for holiday 2020 is no different—actually, it might be even better. We’ve got the details on all the goods so you can game-plan your shopping trip.

Of course, deals will be online as well as in-store so if you feel safer shopping from your couch, you can still stock up on Bath & Body Works favorites. Now’s the chance to score the beloved holiday fragrances before they’re gone (until next year), as well as throwbacks including Secret Wonderland, Honeysuckle and Sensual Amber brought back just for this sale. Christmas body care will be just $4.95 and select Christmas 3-Wick Candles will be $11.95.

Source: Instagram

For the best of the best deals, you’ll want to dig for those 75 percent off products. These include body care, candles, hand soaps and tons of non-holiday items you’ll want to use all-year round. You’ll even be able to find some best-selling fall body scare scents and ones you haven’t smelled for months. It’s basically like a rummage sale where you never know exactly what you’ll find.

The sale begins Saturday, December 26. If you’re shopping in store, don’t forget your face mask and hand sanitizer and maybe even consider going on off hours to avoid the crowds. Or, there’s always delivery! As much as we want to shop and treat ourselves this year (we deserve it), we also have to stay safe too. Set your iCal and get ready to get your haul on. Then, have big New Year zoom with friends to share exactly what you got.

Twice a year, Bath & Body Works pulls out all the stops and discounts holiday and everyday favorites up to 75 percent off, which new discounts throughout the week. The Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual sale for holiday 2020 is no different—actually, it might be even better. We’ve got the details on all the goods so you can game-plan your shopping trip.

Of course, deals will be online as well as in-store so if you feel safer shopping from your couch, you can still stock up on Bath & Body Works favorites. Now’s the chance to score the beloved holiday fragrances before they’re gone (until next year), as well as throwbacks including Secret Wonderland, Honeysuckle and Sensual Amber brought back just for this sale. Christmas body care will be just $4.95 and select Christmas 3-Wick Candles will be $11.95.

Source: Instagram

For the best of the best deals, you’ll want to dig for those 75 percent off products. These include body care, candles, hand soaps and tons of non-holiday items you’ll want to use all-year round. You’ll even be able to find some best-selling fall body scare scents and ones you haven’t smelled for months. It’s basically like a rummage sale where you never know exactly what you’ll find.

The sale begins Saturday, December 26. If you’re shopping in store, don’t forget your face mask and hand sanitizer and maybe even consider going on off hours to avoid the crowds. Or, there’s always delivery! As much as we want to shop and treat ourselves this year (we deserve it), we also have to stay safe too. Set your iCal and get ready to get your haul on. Then, have big New Year zoom with friends to share exactly what you got.

Twice a year, Bath & Body Works pulls out all the stops and discounts holiday and everyday favorites up to 75 percent off, which new discounts throughout the week. The Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual sale for holiday 2020 is no different—actually, it might be even better. We’ve got the details on all the goods so you can game-plan your shopping trip.

Of course, deals will be online as well as in-store so if you feel safer shopping from your couch, you can still stock up on Bath & Body Works favorites. Now’s the chance to score the beloved holiday fragrances before they’re gone (until next year), as well as throwbacks including Secret Wonderland, Honeysuckle and Sensual Amber brought back just for this sale. Christmas body care will be just $4.95 and select Christmas 3-Wick Candles will be $11.95.

Source: Instagram

For the best of the best deals, you’ll want to dig for those 75 percent off products. These include body care, candles, hand soaps and tons of non-holiday items you’ll want to use all-year round. You’ll even be able to find some best-selling fall body scare scents and ones you haven’t smelled for months. It’s basically like a rummage sale where you never know exactly what you’ll find.

The sale begins Saturday, December 26. If you’re shopping in store, don’t forget your face mask and hand sanitizer and maybe even consider going on off hours to avoid the crowds. Or, there’s always delivery! As much as we want to shop and treat ourselves this year (we deserve it), we also have to stay safe too. Set your iCal and get ready to get your haul on. Then, have big New Year zoom with friends to share exactly what you got.

According to The Street, the number of American homeowners over 65 with mortgage debt is up nearly 60% in the last decade. Though mortgage rates have fallen significantly in the last 10 years, home price appreciation has dramatically outstripped wage growth. This has made it more difficult for many homeowners to pay off their homes before retirement.

In a previous article, I identified three ideal reverse mortgage candidate profiles. The first profile was the homeowner with a free and clear home (or very nearly so) who doesn’t need the proceeds right now. Homeowners who fit this profile often use a reverse mortgage as a safety net to cover unexpected expenses and help protect and preserve other retirement assets so they last longer.

In this article, I will tackle the second ideal candidate profile: the homeowner who has a significant mortgage balance and many years before it’s paid off. Homeowners who fit this profile can use a reverse mortgage to eliminate their mortgage payments years (or decades) early, which improves their retirement lifestyle and financial security.

Introducing Mrs. Miller

To show you how this works, let me introduce you to Mrs. Miller, who was a case study subject in a book I recently wrote about the HECM reverse mortgage. Mrs. Miller is not a real person, but the case study is based on real-life scenarios.

Mrs. Miller is 75, a widow, and has a mortgage principal and interest payment of $1,127. Her sole income is Social Security, which totals $1,540 per month. She can’t live on her retirement income alone (for obvious reasons), so she supplements her income with withdrawals from her savings.

Mrs. Miller had a substantial savings balance when her husband passed away five years ago. Unfortunately, it has since dwindled to about $50,000 thanks to a rising cost of living, unexpected medical expenses, and a few odd home repairs. At the rate things are going, her savings will last at most another four years.

Throwing Good Money After Bad

Mrs. Miller’s mortgage is fixed at 5% with a balance of $184,685 and 23 years left before it’s paid off. With interest rates so low, why hasn’t Mrs. Miller refinanced for a lower mortgage payment? Unfortunately, she doesn’t qualify because her debt-to-income ratio is too high.

With 23 years left to pay, Mrs. Miller is fully aware her savings account won’t last nearly long enough to pay off the mortgage. Even if it did, she’ll be in her late 90s when the mortgage is finally paid off. Odds are the mortgage will outlast her, too.

Though Mrs. Miller has paid nearly $96,000 in payments since she took out her mortgage, the balance has only decreased by about $25,000. She’s draining her vital liquid reserves and barely putting a dent in the balance. She’s throwing good money after bad!

Mrs. Miller considered taking a part-time job to supplement her income and preserve her savings, but recent health issues have made that unworkable.

She could ask her children for help, but they have families and financial burdens, too. Besides, she prefers to remain financially independent and not rely on somebody else for her financial wellbeing.

Solving the Cash Flow Problem

Fortunately, Mrs. Miller’s home has appreciated to a value of around $400,000. With $50,000 in the bank and over $215,000 worth of home equity, Mrs. Miller has a substantial net worth – at least on paper. However, only $50,000 of her net worth is actually liquid. The rest is locked away in non-liquid home equity.

To Mrs. Miller’s luck, that’s where the reverse mortgage comes in. A reverse mortgage can help Mrs. Miller unlock her home equity and help make her financial situation more secure.

Based on her age and a home value of $400,000, Mrs. Miller qualifies for a reverse mortgage principal limit (the total proceeds) of $199,600. The principal limit is enough to cover Mrs. Miller’s outstanding mortgage balance, closing costs, and still leave her about $10,000 that can be added to her savings.

As long as Mrs. Miller lives in the home, pays the required property charges, and reasonably maintains the home, she won’t be required to make any mortgage payments ever again. She always remains the owner of the home and is free to leave it to her heirs, who will inherit any equity remaining in the home.

If the home isn’t worth enough to pay off the entire loan balance at the time of her passing, FHA will cover the shortage.

Granted, Mrs. Miller is not going to be taking world cruises on a monthly income of $1,540. However, she’s far more financially secure without the mortgage payment than with one. No longer will she need to drain her savings every month to pay the mortgage, which means her savings will last far longer.

An Ideal Reverse Mortgage Candidate

Mrs. Miller is an ideal reverse mortgage candidate because she had so many years left on her mortgage. It made no sense to drain her savings to pay a mortgage she likely will never pay off anyway.

Now that the mortgage payment is gone, Mrs. Miller is more financially secure and worries less about money. She now has more cash available to spend on more important things, including a few small home upgrades and her beloved grandchildren.

If you’re still paying mortgage on your home, have you checked your reverse mortgage options? What financial opportunities have you considered to make your funds more liquid? Have you met with an advisor competent in reverse mortgages? Let’s discuss in the comments below.