How to Dress Up Over 40

There are at least 937 mothers of the bride in the Ageless Style Program right now. Or at least it seems that way. One of the members has two daughters getting married 2 months apart.

And it can be a real challenge. There doesn’t seem to be much between this:

And this:

Where are the clothes for the 50 years in the middle?

The struggle to find a chic flattering dress is all too real. And when you add accessories into the mix, you might be tempted to skip the whole thing and stay home in your PJs.

Fortunately, I’ve been dressing women over 40 (and often over 50) for special events for years, from mothers of the bride/groom to graduations, cocktail parties to formal affairs. In today’s video, I show you to put together a beautiful and chic outfit for your next event.

Even if you don’t have a fancy-schmancy function on your agenda right now, these guidelines and brands will help you identify details and strategies that work in any outfit, even the casual ones.

And we start, as always, at the bottom. 🙂

The Shoes

Wincing is definitely not fashionable. For a big event, you want shoes that are both stylish and comfortable enough to dance the night away,

I have always believed that you can have comfort and style. If you have fit or foot issues (and most women do) you’ll have to tweak these guidelines to suit your specific needs. And you’ll want to check out 7 or 9 Shoes.

Click here to shop.

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These are truly some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever tried, at any height. They feel like you are walking on little pillows. The shoes are so comfortable, that their loafers are called Mattress Flats and the sandals are Sofa Sandals.

•   Air-Touch Foam：7or9 thoughtfully used Air-touch Foam in each shoe. The design inspiration was from sneakers, which makes a great difference. All-round coverage for all foot shapes, reducing toe and heel rubs.
  
•  Shoes insole & lining: lambskin with micro-needle punching, prevents water buildup on the soles of the feet, keeps your feet comfortable and dry.
•  Accessories for DIY: Nearly 100 detachable accessories including buckles, laces, back clips, and ankle chains which can be applied to toe, back ankle, and other positions.

I have been wearing mine all the time, and these are truly all-day shoes! Here are some of my favorite styles from 7 or 9 Shoes. (Pics are linked.)

Jewelry

Why does so much of the evening jewelry out there look like prom jewelry? This is not the way we want to accessorize to look sophisticated and chic at our events.

What to wear instead? Stick to the 2 Sparkle Rule:

I love a fabulous pair of statement earrings for fun and festive events, or you can go with a sparkly necklace and keep the earrings simple. Here are some favorite earrings from great department store jewelry brands.

Bag

In my opinion, a metallic evening bag is the most versatile and the most classic. A metal mesh evening bag, like those from Whiting & Davis, can often be found at thrift and consignment stores. They are collectible and never go out of style.

What Not To Wear

I’ve covered these before, but I couldn’t do a video about this without some cautionary examples. Here are some styles to avoid for special events.

Brands to watch out for include Pisarro, Richards, and Xscape, to name just a few.

If you want a set with pants for evening, go for something modern, like this. More on pants for evening later in this post. I would wear a top with this, but that’s just me. LOL

Cocktail Dresses & Gowns

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s focus on chic wearable dresses for evening, including styles with sleeves. 🙂

In my opinion, every woman should have one dark neutral gown and one dark neutral cocktail dress. Make them special but not memorable, so you can wear them again and again.

A simple switch of accessories can completely change the look of a simple gown or cocktail dress.

Some of my favorite brands include: Dress The Population, Chiara Boni, Mac Duggal, Tadashi Shoji, Badgley Mischka, Cinq a Sept, Adrianna Papell, Maggy London

Create a Cluster

Consider creating a cluster of evening separates. A pair of dress pants, a skirt, 3 tops, and an evening jacket will create multiple timeless options for almost any event you go to.

This cluster consists of some of the following items. They are timeless, elegant, and stylish.

What do you think of the strategy of planning out a dressy wardrobe before you need it? And which of these items was your fave? Let me know in the comments!