Meet a Stylish 68-year-old blogger with a heart as big as Texas

Welcome to another month of Ageless Style. Each month Elizabeth (the Vintage Contessa) and I interview someone over 50 with great style. This month I have the pleasure of interviewing Pamela Lutrell from the popular blog Over 50 Feeling 40. Pam and I have never met but I feel like I know her. We are the same age and have been blogging for a long time. I have been wanting to interview her for quite a long time. I am excited to have you meet a stylish 68-year-old blogger with a heart as big as Texas.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your history

– I am a born and bred Texan!  Though I hail from many areas of the state, I have been in San Antonio for almost 40 years.  I met my Mr. B here and we have three adult children and six incredible and fun grandchildren.  At 68, I am definitely over 50 and feeling my best ever.  I am a communications professional with a journalism degree from the University of Texas in Austin.

How has it influenced your style if at all?

Good question!  I think my history influences my style today in that I live in a very warm climate.  I tend to wear clothing for the heat and I embrace fall and winter with enthusiasm after long hot summers.  In my 20s, I was in marketing and advertising and traveled often, so I was able to shop and enjoy designer clothing.  Some wonderful women took me under their wing and helped me discover fashion!  And the rest is history!  I do believe living in San Antonio with a rich heritage of the Hispanic/Mexican cultures has influenced my love of vibrant, bold colors.

How Would You Describe Your Style? 

I developed my own personal style system a few years ago that I call the Foundational Five Personal Style Building Blocks…it teaches us all about the messages we send with our style and how those messages are key.  I now think more about what my clothing says about me and I build my wardrobe around the five messages I have decided to focus on.  So today, my style is joyful, creative, approachable, polished, and current.   I ask myself every day if the outfit I put together speaks those adjectives…if I am consistent to do this every day…then I have a “uniquely me” personal style.

The biggest change in my style in the past two years is that a color specialist from London noticed I was wearing the wrong colors and eventually typed me as a Vibrant Autumn.  I have completely committed myself to this change and only wear colors in my palette…which means all my black had to go.  But, it changed my life in so many good ways. I enjoy my wardrobe more now…it is more me…and it all works together.  Shopping is easier and composing outfits is easier.  I love it!

When did you start blogging? 

When I turned age 50, I had a wake-up call and realized as a working mom, I had put myself at the bottom of my priority list.  This set me on a reinvention path that was fun and liberating. After five years of sharing all I learned with my friends, one of them said, “You need to start a blog.”  So, I did and that was in 2010.

Has your blog evolved over time, or has it remained the same from the start? 

I believe it has always been focused on optimism, joy, and the audience with my desire to help ladies in the second half of life look and feel their best.  For most of the time, I blogged as a second profession.  Now, I blog as a primary profession and I believe it is even better than before now that it has my full attention.  The blog is for ALL women over 50 and the phrase feeling 40 is just another way to say Feeling Our Best.

During the past two years, another friend of mine has joined me as a co-contributor.  We go on dressing room posts together, in order to show the clothing on two different body types…these posts are now known as Shopping with Leigh & Me and are currently the most popular posts. 

I consider my blog a “lifestyle” blog though women mostly want it to be about clothing, beauty, and style.  However, it was the audience who asked for my Wednesday News for Women Over 50 posts to be a regular feature.  On that day, I curate lifestyle news together in one place that I think the audience would be interested in reading.

I just recently returned to Youtube with a new video series on how to be “Uniquely You.”  I am soon to release the third video in that series.

Tell us about the women that read your blog, and what you have learned from them. 

My audience is amazing and I have learned so much from them. They are all vibrant, active, women over 50 and over the last 11 years have been incredibly loyal and engaged. I love the fact that they are all over the world, including Canada, and the US. I feel as though I could contact someone to go to lunch in any area of the country were I to visit their towns. They still want to look their best and be involved in life. Girls will be girls…no matter our age…and we always like to talk about clothing, makeup, and our families.

Do you have a style muse?

Over the life of the blog, I have had several style muses.  Currently, my two favorites are Annie Castano of Castanohel and blogger Susan Blakey of Une Femme d’un Certain Age.

What is your favorite accessory? 

Hard to answer….I am known as the Accessory Lady…love them all. I guess it is a tie between scarves and necklaces…but why leave out bracelets, shoes, and purses…just too hard to decide!

What are your favorite color combinations?

 All combinations in my Vibrant Autumn palette.  The beauty of wearing my best colors is that they all combine beautifully.

Do you have a signature piece that defines your style? 

Other than accessories, I believe over the years, I have been known for my kimonos and third pieces. Since one of my adjectives is “creative” prints definitely identify uniquely me.

What are your favorite beauty products and why can’t you live without them?

 A few years ago, I was introduced to the all-natural, antioxidant skincare line called Chamonix Skincare.  You will not see it in stores or salons, but it is amazing and I would not want to be without my daily routine of their plant stem cell technology.  Their products turned my skin around.  I use them twice a day. Other than that…I am very impressed with Laura Geller’s makeup…and I use purple mascara (makes my hazel eyes pop!)

 Do you have any style rules that you live by, or do you choose to break the rules?

I am not really a proponent of rules.  I do follow style tips, especially to slim down my curvy figure.  I decided to only wear my best colors because I saw the difference immediately in my complexion and in organizing a wardrobe that says what I want it to say about me. Also, I live by my five adjectives.  It has worked for me and for members of my audience and helped with developing a unique personal style and with making the right purchases in-store. I will always use my adjectives for getting dressed every day.

What are your favorite online and or boutique sources? 

I have many favorites.  Most notably I have been a Chico’s shopper for well over 30 years.  I also love to shop at Talbot’s and Dillard’s.  This past year I have discovered some real gems at great prices at JC Penney’s. I also love thrift shopping.

Do you have any pro-aging foods and or supplements that are your go-to’s? 

I learned the importance of building my immunity over the last couple of years. My go-to’s are Vitamin B12; VitaminC; Vitamin D3; Zinc: Elderberry; Fish Oil; Tumeric and a brand of all food fruits and veggies called Juice Plus. I am faithful to take these daily. I love to cook and I am learning to cook healthier…not necessarily Southern or Texan as I usually cook…and I am eating healthier than I ever have.

What advice do you have for women over 50? 

I will try to keep it short…we live in interesting times and I believe the experience, wisdom, and knowledge Women over 50 possess need to be shared with their families and communities.  We need to be in this game…active participants in the world around us.  That is why I feel that caring for our health and insides, as well as our outsides, is so important.  If retired, we should be participating in volunteer work or overseeing the organizations, or even running for office. If a grandparent, pour everything you have into sharing what you know with your grandchildren. They need that knowledge and encouragement.  Don’t shrink back…face every day (One day at a time) with joy and anticipation of the role you can play.  You are needed and by all means, make sure that you KEEP SMILING! (I close every blog post with these words)

GET PAM’S OVER 50 FEELING 40 LOOK

Thank you so much Pam for allowing us a peek into your life and style. You can find all of my previous Ageless Style interviews here. Thank you for reading Meet a Stylish 68-year-old blogger with a heart as big as Texas.

You can follow Pam here:

Blog:  https://over50feeling40.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamover50feeling40/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/over50feeling40/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/over50feeling40/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpRE4R0MTZNt_bRE7IS7gdg

Now let’s pop over and visit Elizabeth and see who she is interviewing this month. We never tell each other so it is always a surprise for both of us.

THE VINTAGE CONTESSA