In her first published style guide, TV personality and former magazine editor Charla Krupp takes you by the hand and yanks you firmly back to a smarter, savvier version of your 20th-century self. Promising to erase 10 LB’s and a decade, “How Not to Look Old: Look 10 years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better,” is an insider-y mix of coast-to-coast resources, industry secrets and straight-from-the-horse’s-mouth experience.
Written especially for the over-40 set, “How Not to Look Old” reads like advice from an older sister, for women too wise and experienced to actually worry about an older sister’s opinion. Along with inspiring photos of stars like Madonna, Angela Bassett, Christie Brinkley and Heather Locklear, Krupp’s best tips are of the dressing-for-your-body-type variety, the kind of rules I personally never tire of hearing. Acknowledging the effects that age and gravity have on every woman’s physique, “How Not to Look Old” also gives a lift to the boomer woman’s ego, proclaiming, “Judge us by our brains, our talent, our spirit, our generosity, our kindness, our warmth, our sense of humor – but not our date of birth, no way!”
Krupp offers several strong, empowering rationales for keeping up appearances in a youth-oriented culture. In addition to battling age discrimination and maintaining an active love life, Krupp argues that today’s mature woman needs to put her best face forward in order to survive in a fierce work environment. For example, “How Not to Look Old” justifies the somewhat pricey maintenance improvements as essential to self-preservation, especially for career women facing tough competition from attractive younger colleagues.
Now, technically I am not Krupp’s target reader yet, but I can really appreciate Krupp’s sage advice. While my mother proudly paraded her first grandchild around, proclaiming she felt 30 years old again, having my first baby really took its toll on my looks and attitude. Motherhood only has one year on me so far, but I look at least five years older and feel about a decade older. Flipping through “How Not to Look Old” cheered me; it bolstered my spirits and reminded me that a proactive approach is necessary to make life-changing improvements at any age.
Of course, reading the book from cover to cover is a study in self-indulgent exhaustion. But for any woman who’s taken stock of her appearance, done the calculations, and decided it’s time to invest in a personal upgrade, “How Not to Look Old” is an essential reference.
