By Morenike Taire
Like they have always said, there is only one cure to growing old. Dying young. Those who have accepted this realize growing gracefully is the only way forward.

The best stylists all agree about this: there are two ways to look old and dated- dressing too old, and dressing too young.

Dressing too Old

Maybe you were a hot young thing in your day , so you got stuck in a time warp and you think bell bottoms, brown powder and Ray Barns will keep you forever young. Big mistake. They make you look dated, and as if you are trying too hard to look younger than you are.

Dressing too Young

You have something to prove- that you still look as hot as any young thing, and what better way to prove that than to wear exactly what the teenagers are wearing any given season? For some reason, you still have to put on display all your essential body parts,

The Rules

The rules of fashion are ever changing,but not so much that simple intuition and discretion cannot help a woman keep up. The ideal situation is to have style, rather than fashion, in mind. In addition, the general rules are still the same.

20s

Test the waters. You’ll win some and lose some, but always remember to maintain an open mind. This may be the only chance you’ll ever have in life to push your luck — and get away with it.

30s

The twenty-something rules still apply.If your figure starts to head south, maybe after you’ve had a couple of kids, wear blousier but not baggy silhouettes. With extra curves you don’t want to wear anything that is too tight or fabrics that are too thin.

Go for monochromatic separates that will give you clean and classic lines that can never be ruined. You can even wear these underneath flattering pieces that have vertical detailing in terms of color, texture, and patterns.

40s

Those things you relied on wearing to get you through your every day life have been taken for granted and need to be energized. Pair down to the basics. Fit is paramount. Then add an element that expresses how you want to feel: A colorful bag, a leopard print sweater, a decorative jacket, a stylish boot, a fabulous faux in-your-face piece of jewelry. by getting out of your comfort zone and experimenting with new shapes and styles and colors. Move slowly, but with focus. Dress up your favorite jeans with great shoes, a pretty blouse and tailored jacket.

50S

Refined, tasteful choices are the foundations of age-appropriate dressing. Tailoring and structure are key, as are clean lines and fuss-free pieces in a simple palette.

Xpressions

Abiola deserves honour, but the controversy dishonours him

From the days since the Yorubas have denied that giving Obasanjo the presidency is just and proper compensation for the prevention of chief MKO Abiola from claiming the mandate he so gloriously won on June 12, 1993, there has been talk about honouring the late Politician and businessman for bringing democracy into the consciousness of Nigeria.

Indeed he did, and not by default.

When Ibrahim Babangida, the dictator of old, openly aspired to the presidency of Nigeria in the more recent past, he was rightly accused of attempting to reap where he had so blatantly not sown. It had been expected, back in the day, that it would be business as usual, and Abiola would shrug it all off as a misadventure.

There was every likelihood that he would have been handsomely compensated, keeping in mind that he needed neither money nor fame. It was a shock to most people who had known MKO as an easygoing, happy-go-lucky fellow when he insisted that the votes of the people of Nigeria should count, perhaps for once.

There is therefore no controversy about whether Abiola attained hero status legitimately, or whether he deserves to be honoured. President Obasanjo was lambasted left right and center for doing nothing to honour MKO, and could not be bothered, while the late president Yaradua might have done something had he been given enough time. Had he used his discretion properly, Goodluck Jonathan would have been applauded widely for honouring Abiola on the most important of days -Democracy Day.

How could he go so wrong? Perhaps if he had studied the personality of Abiola well enough, the presidency would not have missed perhaps the most important essence of the personality of the late president elect: His great love and sensitivity to people, both great and small.