These outfit posts document real-life personal style on a 5’3″ size 14/16 midlife body. Since 2005, Alison Gary has shared what she actually wears to work, on weekends, while traveling, and during everyday life, offering an honest archive of how style evolves over time.
Unlike curated influencer lookbooks, these outfits reflect real closets, real budgets, and real bodies. You’ll see how pieces are reworn across seasons, how trends are adapted for women over 40, and how fit, proportion, and comfort work together in everyday dressing.
These real-life outfits serve as a visual extension of Wardrobe Oxygen’s fashion advice, showing how capsule wardrobe concepts, denim reviews, footwear recommendations, and layering techniques translate into lived experience.
If you’re searching for outfit inspiration for women over 40, midsize style ideas, curvy petite fashion, or realistic examples of how to style trends in daily life, this archive provides two decades of documented looks to explore.
Use tags to browse by fashion brand, season, occasion, or wardrobe staple.
Saturday started as usual – feed and play with the dog, head to yoga, and then had tea at the local cafe with my mom and hubby to talk about our week. Ran a few errands. My sister and my husband’s friend came over and we hung out until the evening, when we headed to…
You know those days where you hate everything in your closet and you hate your hair and you just look at your clothing and get frustrated and consider going to work in sweats? Yeah, that was me this morning. I got a coupon for J. Crew and ordered a dress from them. It arrived yesterday…
Had a few coupons and goodies for Ann Taylor and ordered some nice stuff. Unfortunately very little worked – a dress was a tad small, pants too big, top not my style (but the style and size for my mom so I am going to pass it on – originally $148 and on sale for…
Okay, so you guys have seen I have been doing some shopping on eBay. I have had some luck, a few not-so-good purchases, but all in all it has been successful. I had done minimal eBay shopping in the past – bought my Banana Republic purse there last year, got some tools back when I…
Tan, brown and red print faux wrap dress from Maggy London via eBay (same style as my black and turquoise and green one, but a 12 instead of a 14P). Brown suede rouched boots from Silhouettes, long gold necklace from Express, gold bangle from Ralph Lauren. Hair was washed and conditioned the night prior, a…
Felt that a little bit of color was in order… Orchid silk blend v-neck sweater from Banana Republic, French vanilla wool blend trousers from Ann Taylor, black flats from Naturalizer, ivory necklace in the shape of camels from my mom’s jewelry box. Hair is second day; brushed and that’s it. Makeup is Revlon ColorStay under…
Look familiar? Yeah, I pretty much took off last night’s outfit, folded it on my bureau and put it back on today. It didn’t get dirty and well… I didn’t do all my laundry this weekend! Hair was washed, a small amount of Jonathan Silky Dirt and blown straight with a paddle brush. Makeup is…
Saturday began with yoga, as usual. After stopped by the local cafe for lunch with my mom. Jade green scoop tee from Gap, black exercise pants from ProSpirit, white socks, black “Chucks.” Hair was second day, just brushed. Makeup is Afterglow Mineral foundation in Bisque, their Organic Glow bronzer in Medium and Natural Lip Gloss…
Hi all, healthy Allie reporting for duty! I am SO glad this cold didn’t last very long. I’d like to thank Emergen-C, plenty of sleep and Zicam for this feat. So I am wearing this dress for National Wear Red Day. I was planning on wearing my red Maggy London frock, but there was freezing…