Ageless Style vs Fashion Only Midlife Women Wear
I often talk about classic, timeless fashions. The simple cardigan, white shirt, ballet flats, loafers, trench coat, and straight-cut pants all stand the test of time. They can look as current today as they did 20 years ago. Boho fashion also has its timeless essentials, as do preppy and traditional styles. Today, I want to talk about some fashions only midlife women wear. As always, my goal is not to convince you to give up wearing something you love. I hope to help you become aware of the messages your clothes are sending so you choose with intent.
As I go in and out of some of this community’s favorite retailers lately, I am occasionally struck by some of the unfortunate fashion they’re offering. This topic has been on my mind more and more lately, and lo and behold…I see we’ve discussed this before…so let’s dig a bit deeper.
You may also enjoy- An Easy Guide to Boho-Chic Wardrobe Essentials.
Our style evolves as we age, but that doesn’t mean we should embrace clothing that makes us look older than we are. Fashion is a tool for self-expression, and regardless of our age, it’s empowering to choose outfits that reflect vibrancy, individuality, and confidence. Wearing clothes that feel outdated or are overly conservative can send the wrong message. Conversely, outfits with juvenile prints can unintentionally undermine the polished image many older women want to portray. The overly puffy sleeve has been an unfortunate trend lately, and few women over 60 can pull it off well.
Since people judge who we are by how we look…dressing in ways that embrace a modern look and personal flair allows older women to feel visible, relevant, and celebrated. We need to wear fashions that reflect our personal style recipe, work for our lifestyle, and complement our body shape. I also firmly believe they should bring us joy.
By this age, many of us have tried and true brand favorites that we rely on for the fit and styling we like. That makes shopping easier and life simpler. However, and this is a big one, just because we appreciate and trust a brand to carry our aesthetic doesn’t mean we can go into the store with a carte blanche attitude and count on everything they offer to work in our best interest.
Fashion that puts women in an identifiable age bracket is not ageless, timeless, or modern. For example…capri pants. I’m not talking about cropped pants, but capris that stop at the widest part of your calf. Despite their resurgence among the young last season, they only seem to proliferate at retailers that cater to midlife women. See also Are Capri Pants Out Of Style For 2024.
In the same vein are tee shirts and dresses in tiny, childlike prints we might expect to see in the toddler section.
Ageless dressing means choosing clothes that accentuate our best parts and subtly camouflage the ones we don’t want to draw attention to. By our age, we’ve got plenty of body parts we’d prefer to cover, but I’d like to see us doing it with styles that people can’t pigeonhole into an age bracket.
One could argue that silk scarves and brooches also date us because young women have not adopted those accessories. And you would have a point…except they’ve been worn by some of the chicest women in history.
I have no problem looking my age. I just want to look like the best version of myself and dress in a way that keeps me visible and modern. I’ll admit that I find capri pants one of the most unflattering garments a woman can wear, so I have a clear bias. I also steer clear of most prints, but that’s my personal preference. By this age, we’ve earned the right to wear whatever we please. So, if you love capris, by all means, wear them with pride. If teeny, childlike prints ring your bell, enjoy them. Just be aware that they may visually slot you into a distinct age category.
Let’s talk about this. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for reading, and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
I wonder if you would elaborate more on whether you think prints age us. For the longest time, I refused to wear anything with prints, (ever since the printed turtlenecks, you know with the repetitive little turtles or hearts, or the polyester shirts with newspaper photos). But now I find I’m bored with wearing only solid colors, and I’m starting to gravitate towards incorporating bold, interesting prints into my outfits. For example, I have an artsy floral t-shirt type of sweater that I wear with solid colored jeans, booties, and a solid, quilted blazer. My friends love the look and say it’s very flattering, but they are my age. I also have a cute pair of ankle pants with a muted dark red print that I love and with which I wear with a solid chunky sweater and trendy mary janes. Psychologically it makes me feel younger, but I don’t want to embarrass myself either.
It sounds wonderful and they seem unique. It’s the “garanimal” type prints that give off and older vibe to me. That’s said, it sounds like these bring you joy, so have fun with them!
I see the topic mostly discussed is capris. Yes, some women can wear them with style. Now, leggings is another issue. Sorry, but I have never seen any older women or one of heavier stature look good in capris. Stick to exercising session. FYI–I cannot wear leggings. I have looked in a full length mirror, front and back, and even with a tunic, it’s not flattering at all. I’m 74 years young and love clothes, classic and comfortable.
Great post, Jennifer. I think we can all agree that capri pants are not flattering. But what do you mean about wearing “tiny prints?” I am petite and large prints don’t work for me. Does this mean that I can only wear solid fabrics? Can you give some examples?
Not at all. I mean tiny and old fashioned looking. Some prints are just aging.
Agree 100% with your points on being pigeon holed by brands and stores. Because I live in Vancouver, there are a few stores you do try-ons in that we don’t have. In your quest this year to take a hard look at your style, I could see in some of those posts that the clothes either through fabric or style were aging. Yes, maybe they were just not for you, but but back to your point about being open to new stores and ideas. I think this is critical for all of us, even the capri wearers. Life is about making the best out of everything and trying new ideas.
I do try on many things that are not my style so readers can see what they look like. It feels like a service, but I try to avoid ones I don’t think would be flattering on anyone.
Not in the capri camp, nor the wide leg pants. I have tried them on and I just do not like how they look on me. I like my pants slim or straight, preferably ankle length as higher heels are no longer comfortable. And living in the rain prone PNW, I do not like wet pant legs. Other fashion trends that I avoid are small prints, and ruffles. I hate ruffles! In the summer, I like a linen tropical print, though. I tend to like my clothes more fitted, rather than loose.
The comment about the juvenile/Christmas t-shirt print. I really struggled this year with looking “Christmasy” without relying on Christmas prints. I need a tutorial on looking festive in an everyday sense,
I am old, and whatever I wear will not fool anyone into thinking I’m 25. I guess the best way for me to try to understand your point is Alfred Dunner. My mother wore nothing but for decades and stopped when she died at 95. Not my taste, for sure, but her choice of clothing was not what identified her as old. I wear what I like (including prints) but I don’t think I look bad. In fact, I regularly get compliments from young women on my outfits. I guess I just don’t get the “don’t dress old” thing.
I guess I’m the odd one out here as I have always loved wearing capris. I’m tall and slim with long legs, so capris usually end slightly above the widest part of my calf which is, I admit, a much better look than if they ended at that point. While I do want to look visible and modern, I’m more interested in looking healthy and fit and I’m not even slightly concerned about trying to look younger than my 72 years.
I agree with you about capri pants. I’ve never worn them and I don’t wear shorts. I do wear cropped pants that are lightweight in summer. I wear workout and golf skirts a lot when it’s warm. I’m 74 and it’s sometimes hard to find your style. You help so much with all your info.
I have found one thing that can update your look to a modern woman – adding a bit of color to the hair, e.g. a pink stripe. the color does not have to be significant, but it will instantly make you more memorable to those around you. I’m an older woman who is shocked and pleased by the positive compliments I get from young people about my hair color.
That’s such a fun idea!
I feel the same way about all crops. Unless one is tall and slender ala Hepburn/Tyler Moore (lucky you!), they are both unflattering and aging. And yes, sometimes stores are overrun with clothes that just don’t work for many of us. But any crop is just a no. A linen dress is the most comfortable thing to wear in hot weather and can be surprisingly flattering. Any dress/skirt in a light weight fabric will be comfortable and skip the awkward vibe of crops and shorts.
I think capris, baggy, shapeless clothes , big/ floral prints, outdated fashion jewelry, certain comfort shoes, embroidered sweaters, too long skirts, jeans too stretchy, don’t dress proportionately, wear sneakers with the wrong outfits., too many accessories, cargo pants., elastic gathered pants ,too much or not enough makeup. I am sure there is more.
I like crops instead of capris.
Never wore capris…at 5 feet tall they make me look shorter. But, I can buy non-petite capri pants and they often are the correct length for me as an ankle pant or a little longer. I agree with you…when I see capris out and about I think how they just don’t look great. I am with you on the scarves…they add a nice touch. And as a retired school librarian I weeded out my pins when I retired, but kept some classics.
I’ve asked women with a nice haircut who is their stylist. It’s the best way to find someone who will give you a great hair style when you move to a new place. So hubby is not wrong. Might be a little strange if he does the asking though. lol
I assume the picture of the lady in the trench is a Not to do picture. Looks like overbleached hair that needs a trim desperately. And, a ribbon with a fedora???
I know how I like to dress (classic but still current) but each to their own. Style is very personal. I judge a person by their character, not their dress. Although, I do wince at some choices.
LOL, it’s just a stock image of an older woman shopping.
Well said Jennifer. Great article.
When I read your headline, I thought of Talbots. Because I am a true petite (5’1”) I will always start a search there because they have, by far, the best selection of petite sizes. But for many years now, I have thought that when they try to get too trendy/fashionable, I often have to say to myself “what were they thinking?”. For example, perhaps 10 years ago, colored lace (red, royal blue, kelly green) was a “thing”. But in low-to-moderate price ranges it looks trashy and cheap. Ivory, pale pink, navy, black can look very classic in lace.
I also thought of Talbots and wondered what went wrong in demographics. When I was in my late 30s, I would see lots of women my age shopping there. Now we are in our 60s-70s and still shop there, but no one in their 30s. Other chains that I shopped in during that era (Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, J Crew) do seem to have a considerably younger demographic.
As for capris (and the comments you received really side with you) I have to say “it depends” (on body type). I am petite, small boned including thin legs……wide leg cropped pants make my legs look like toothpicks. And, unlike most petites, my legs are relatively long (hubby is 7” taller but his inseam is less than 2” loner than mine). So they work on me. I agree as to avoiding frumpy shoes with them, I wear them with pointy toe ballet flats.
Talbots, J.Jill, Chico’s, Loft, Ann Taylor, have great options but we need to be picky because they also carry things that have are questionable at best.
Many years ago I read an article about a Hollywood clothes designer who had to dress Joan Crawford for a movie. He realized that she had very broad shoulders and instead of trying to camouflage them, he decided to enhance her style by creating wide, padded shoulders for her costumes. Padded shoulders became all the rage. I never forgot the principle of enhancing one’s own figure and style. Accentuate the positive….
I love that.