I found that you guys loved my post about casual summer/spring outfits for women over 50. So, that’s what I decided.
Yes, I have some tips shared in that article but I wanted to create an ultimate styling guide that will be more useful for you.
So, I want to share 20 style tips for women over 40. But the best thing here is that this one will be useful for women of any age.
First of all, I have to say one thing.
Appearance doesn’t always indicate age. Some women in their 60s look great, while some in their 20s don’t. So I am just sharing some tips to be your best self.
And another thing, I don’t love mentioning age so many times in my article because it really doesn’t matter to me. I think age is just numbers and the higher they are the more experience you have.
I want to start with a bonus tip. Actually, it’s not a tip, it’s an advice.
Did someone tell you that you can’t wear leather leggings, a short skirt, or any other specific clothes? Did they say they aren’t appropriate for your age? – Tell them they are living in a lie and they are wrong.
Instead, if you look beautiful, you feel confident or you love those clothes – you must wear them.
Even if you read to avoid something in my article, forget it. If you love the piece I am saying you should avoid it – you have to still wear it.
Because the most important thing is to be confident in what you are wearing.
Now, let’s start with actual tips.
1. Invest in a good bra
Every woman has a different body type. Some of them may be similar but they aren’t exact. So, when you are going to invest in a new bra you should pay attention to other details and not only the size of it.
Even some women don’t know what size is proper for them. So, first, find your bra size.
However, you shouldn’t rely on only one number. Different brands have different size measurements even for bras.
So, what I want you to do is find a bra that is a good fit for your size—the bra that fits perfectly on your shoulders and most importantly the one that looks smooth and clean.
Without it, believe me, you are not gonna look very good. I am sorry to say this but that’s true.
2. Find and show your asset
Everyone has some part of the body that they love.
For example, I love my waist, because it’s pretty narrow. And so I am always trying to maximize it by adding something interesting in that area.
As a woman over 40 or 50 (doesn’t matter) you may love your waist too. Or you may love how your shoulders look. What about hips or legs? It may even be a butt!
What I am trying to say is you definitely have the asset, first, try to find it then make it more visual.
It’s easier to find your asset by knowing your body shape. If you don’t know what body shape you have check out my article about it after reading this one.
Once you know what your body asset is you have to try maximizing it. It means you have to use some details to get all attention on that area first.
Let me tell you some examples.
If you love your shoulders, you can wear clothes that get attention to your shoulders. Those can be clothes with off-shoulders, puff sleeves, cap sleeves, one-shoulder, and many others.
Let’s say you love your legs. As a woman over 40, you have to be proud of yourself. Plus you have to start maximizing your legs.
You can do it by wearing short dresses or skirts, beautiful heels or clothes with some interesting details on your lower body.
In case you are ready to do some experimenting, I invite you to the 7-day wardrobe challenge. This is where you will have some fun!
Don’t worry there is nothing difficult. You are gonna receive emails with some challenge rules to try every little thing from your closet.
Then you will have a chance to get my ultimate fashion book “Dress to Impress” for free.
3. Forget that you can’t wear short skirts
I don’t know why but a lot of fashion bloggers say that women over 40 shouldn’t wear skirts that are over the knee.
Well, in some aspects I could agree. But if you love how you look in short skirts, why should you avoid wearing them?
Instead, I think you can definitely wear a skirt of any length. The most important thing is that you must love yourself in it. That’s the only thing.
So, if you ever decide that you can’t wear short skirts because you are a woman over 40 or someone told you so, it’s time to forget it.
The same goes for shorts. You can wear them if you feel comfortable wearing them.
However, you are gonna find some clothes that I want you to avoid as well. But as I already said, if you love how they look on you you can still wear them.
The thing is I am not that specific. I mean, these are styles of clothes that don’t look good on everyone not only on women over 40.
4. Don’t wear too oversized clothes
It doesn’t matter how big or small you are. Stop wearing those grocery bags. Yeah, exactly. I think people with oversized clothes look like they are sitting in a grocery bag. LOL
So, I want you to avoid wearing them. But listen – you shouldn’t wear too tight clothes as well. Instead, you have to wear body-skimming outfits. Clothes that move with you when you are moving.
As a woman over 40, you are not gonna look perfect in very tight clothes because they will show absolutely everything on your body.
So, you have to find clothes that at least have some volume on your body. But not too much volume, because they will look baggy on you. They will make you look bigger and fatter as well.
But if you still want to wear some oversized things wear them. But do it right.
Let me tell you how?! So, what you can do is to first choose the one oversized piece for the outfit. Then forget about oversized things.
You need to have only one oversized item in a whole outfit. That’s gonna be just perfect.
5. Invest in a good high-waisted jeans
High-waisted jeans were huge for a few years already. Lower waists become more popular this year, but a lot of women prefer to wear high-waisted pants.
There are several reasons behind it! But the most important and the most common reason is that they can hide a tummy in the high-waisted jeans.
Even if you have a little tummy, you are gonna look awesome in it. Most commonly, women are getting more of their weight in the middle of the body after a certain age. So, I think high-waisted jeans are the perfect option for you.
Another good thing about them is that you can pair high-waisted jeans with everything – crop tops, blouses, off-shoulders, blazers, jackets – and so on and so forth.
Here are some high-waisted pants and outfits with them you can check out. It’s an article about how you can dress over 40 when you are on a budget.
6. Choose the one go-to formal outfit
If you want to find some classy fall outfits for women over 50, you can check out my article about it.
There were hundreds of times when I have been unexpectedly invited to some events. In the past, that was a big problem for me.
I struggled to find items to create my outfit, but all I found was a disorganized mess in my closet. Looking back, it seems funny now, but at the time it was frustrating.
So, if you don’t want to be in my place go to your wardrobe now. Find one or more pieces that you can pair together. Don’t wear them at a daily event. Keep them for something more rare and special.
That way you will have one go-to outfit ready for the next appointment or event. You can change it by that time. But try to have at least one for a certain period of time.
Time is the most expensive thing in our lives – so it’s better to spend a few hours on something better than messing around your wardrobe, even if you love doing it.
In case you want to find more outfits that are already ready for you, you should check out the new article on my blog. This is where we will build a fall capsule wardrobe together for you. You are just gonna need to find what are your favorite pieces to have in your wardrobe.
7. Invest in a structured bag
Well, well…
Structured bags are not good only because they are on-trend.
No, no.
They are a great accessory for outfits. Why? Because they look more modern and chic. They look more expensive and elegant as well.
So, if you want to look younger, more expensive, and more elegant you should invest in a good structured bag. If you want me to help you find the best handbag for every day, you can check out my article here.
You don’t have to pay thousands of dollars for it. You can find them at very affordable prices. You can check out some on Amazon too.
8. Use pearl accessories
Every woman should have at least one pearl piece of jewelry, whether it’s a set of three (necklace, earrings, and bracelet) or a single one.
Especially for women over 40, I think they make the outfit look more elegant. And also they give outfits more like vintage vibes and I think that’s perfect.
Another reason why I want you to use pearl jewelry as an accessory is that it just feels appropriate for your age. They are perfect for some parties as well.
By the way, if you are invited to a summer wedding and you want to find the perfect dress for you, check out another article about it. There are 10 wedding guest dresses that I was able to find for you.
I said I don’t love mentioning age too many times, but since the article is about this age, I should do it.
So, if you have stud pearl earrings or pearl necklaces, I want you to try them and look at your outfit in the mirror. I am sure you are gonna love it.
Do you know what I think? I think outfits accessorized with pearl jewelry look the chicest, most sophisticated, and elegant. And if that’s what you want, you should definitely go for it.
9. Find the best color for your skin
There are thousands of skin colors and their undertones. Each of them looks beautiful with some specific colors.
So, when you are buying new clothes you have to know which color suits your skin tone. By knowing that you will be able to choose either cooler or warmer color tones depending on your own skin.
I want you to find out what your skin color looks like and then decide which colors you should wear.
It’s also possible that you don’t know what your skin tone is. But as a mature woman, you may already find out which colors do and which colors don’t work for you.
10. Choose the right shorts
Did you read somewhere else that you shouldn’t wear shorts at your age? – forget that.
You can definitely wear shorts if you like wearing them. But here are some things I want you to remember.
You need to find perfect shorts which make you look bigger than you really are. For example, longer shorts that are knee-length. They actually don’t look like shorts anymore. So, don’t buy them.
Another tip to find good shorts is to avoid getting straight-leg shorts. If you want to flatter your body you just have to skip wearing them.
They don’t look chic and modern. They don’t also look like retro or vintage style. They are just the part of old fashion which doesn’t make you look good at all.
Instead, try to find a shorter version of shorts (sounds weird, I know) that also have some shape on them.
For example, they may be tight on your waist and hips and then they become wider. That’s a great type of shorts. They look modern stylish chich and cute as well.
So, remember these and go for shorts. You are gonna rock them.
11. Try to have only one bold color in the outfit
I mentioned that you should find the perfect colors for your skin tone. And I know how great it works. But my next tip isn’t about specific colors. It’s about using only one bright, bold color in a whole look.
It’s useful not only for women over 40. It’s a “rule” of matching and creating outfits for every woman.
What I mean is that, if you decide that you want to use blue (red, yellow, green, or any other) color in the outfit you have to keep other pieces in the outfit neutral. They must be very simple and neutral.
The same goes for prints. There are only some exceptions when two prints work well together. Generally, it doesn’t work.
So, when you are creating the outfit choose one piece that has print on it. For others stay as neutral as you can. That way you are gonna look better and chicer.
I have an article about matching outfits for women, and if you want to find some style tips for women over 40 and actually for any age, check out that article as well.
12. Wear both large and small floral prints
I saw a post where they were saying that women over 40 don’t have to wear large floral prints. Believe me, they are wrong. Although, partly.
In fact, you can wear both, large and small floral but you have to be careful with the colors on them. It’s even more important than the size of the print.
The colors on the florals shouldn’t be too busy. It would be better if they would be darker colors. Because darker colors are easier to pair with more clothes.
I know, it’s hard to understand what I exactly mean, but you will know that in practice.
Experiment with things, try many types of floral prints and you are going find ones that look awesome on you.
13. Avoid wearing boxy styles
Yes, you can hide some details in boxy clothes, but the thing is you are gonna look like a moving box.
So, you have to avoid wearing boxy styles. They just don’t work on anyone. They don’t look flattering on anybody. So forget about them.
Instead, find clothes that flatter your body. You don’t have to hide everything on your body. In fact, you have to show it in a beautiful way.
In summer I often see people wearing dresses that just make them look so baggy. And I don’t want you to do the same.
So here is my article where you will find the best summer dresses for older women. And I guarantee you will be satisfied if you get any of them.
14. Skip wearing clothes with horizontal lines
Prints do a huge thing to your body. They can do the favor of the worst thing for you. If you know how you should work, with them, they definitely will do their best.
Clothes with horizontal lines don’t do anything well if you wonder. Always avoid wearing them because they make you look boxier and just bigger.
There are some exceptions here.
For example, if you have a pear or triangle body shape, you can wear clothes with horizontal lines. because you are smaller on your higher body. So, that will balance your body perfectly.
You can check out these articles to find out more about body shapes and balancing your outfits on my blog.
Another way, if you don’t want to look bigger on your higher body you have to really skip wearing horizontal line prints.
Instead, you can wear clothes with vertical or diagonal lines. They will create interesting shapes on your body. By the way, vertical lines visually make you look slimmer and taller.
15. Wear monochromatic outfits
Monochromatic outfits generally look awesome. They look so modern and chic.
In monochromatic outfits, you are wearing an outfit of the same color in the clothes.
But what I want to share is that you can create monochromatic outfits not only with the same colors but also with different shades of the same color.
They look even more interesting. Check out some images below to understand what I exactly mean.
16. Follow the trend
I know it seems too general but let me explain what I mean.
There are many places to find outfit inspiration. Whether it’s a blog, social media, YouTube, or any other forum. you can find outfit ideas everywhere.
But when you like the outfit you have to choose only one piece that will pop into your own look. You have to keep others neutral as well.
That way you are creating the look that has at least one piece that you fell in love with. And also this piece would be on-trend since other women are also wearing it.
You can find outfit ideas for women over 40 on Pinterest. I mean, it’s a great platform to start with. When you will like the outfit you can save it to your board for later. So, you would have unlimited outfit ideas.
And you can also definitely watch some YouTube videos to discover what is trending right now. Here are the best YouTube channels about fashion over 40 that I recommend you to watch.
17. Spend money on clothes wisely
This is my favorite tip in this article. Do you know why? – because it’s so useful.
Whether you are updating or creating a new wardrobe you should follow the rule of 80/20. That means you have to spend 80% on your basics and 20% on other clothes.
Why? Because you can create more outfits with more basics. So, they are more important to have in the closet.
And actually, as a woman over 40 basic clothes will help you to create classic, simple chic outfits by pairing them with other layers.
18. Find one go-to outfit
It’s hard to have outfits ready every single day. But let me offer you an easier way.
Go to your wardrobe and create one go-to outfit. Next time you are just gonna need to swap one piece from the outfit to create another outfit.
For example, let’s say you created one outfit with some high-waisted jeans, a basic top, and a denim jacket. It would be the main and our first outfit.
What you can do next is, use the same outfit but change the one piece in the look. So, you can change (for example) the top for the next outfit.
Then you can wear a leather jacket instead of denim. Or you can dress up your outfit by adding a blazer instead of one.
Did you get it? – I hope you do.
If you follow this tip you are gonna have outfits ready for more than a month. And the best thing is that all of them will look different.
19. Show/hide enough skin on your body
Showing a lot of skin, yes, looks sexy. But showing too much skin isn’t good at all.
I am not saying that because you are a woman over 40. That is the rule for others as well.
Let’s imagine you are wearing an off-shoulder top with a short skirt. Is there anything wrong with an off-shoulder or short skirt? – no.
But they are not good together. You are showing skin on both, your higher and lower body. And there is not anything interesting in it.
Instead, if you wear that off-shoulder top with a midi skirt that will be below the knee, you are adding interest to your body. And actually, it looks a lot better.
20. Wear an outfit that isn’t too busy
I explained a similar thing in the 11th tip but I forgot to mention one thing.
Along with one bold color or one print you have to have only one busy piece in your outfit as well.
That means you have to have one piece that has ruffles, sequins cuts, and other details on it. You have to keep other pieces very simple.
Another way you are gonna look like that is you tried too (extra) hard and it will be noticeable to everyone. So, it doesn’t look good at all.
21. Wear pointed toe shoes
Talking about style tips for women over 40 I couldn’t miss this one.
It’s worth considering wearing pointed-toe shoes as they can create the illusion of a longer body and a taller, slimmer appearance.
And always try to avoid wearing round-toe flats since they make you look older than you really are.
I think they are out of style for enough time already.
I am sure pointed-toe shoes will become your essentials – no problem, thank me later.
And if it’s not enough I have a list of wardrobe essentials over 50 for you. There you will find everything you need to find.
22. Try jumpsuits
Do you have at least one jumpsuit in your closet? If not it’s time to add a few.
Why?
Because jumpsuits are very comfy to wear and they are so chic and elegant.
Jumpsuits have the added benefit of elongating your body silhouette, making you appear taller. It’s a great way to create a long line for your body.
Aren’t those reasons enough for you to get one or two jumpsuits for you?
By the way, if you are unfamiliar with this, jumpsuits are perfect for Christmas and you know why?
They look cute and you feel comfy in them.
Oh, and if you need some cool Christmas outfits for women over 50, you can check out my article about it.
23. Always tuck in your tops
It’s true this article is about style tips for women over 40 but I think those pins will be useful for any fashionista woman.
And the next tip that I want to share now is to always tuck in your tops.
It’s important to tuck your top in, regardless of whether you’re wearing a skirt, shorts, jeans, or any other type of bottom piece.
This will elevate your outfit and make it more fashionable and chic.
By the way – if you don’t yet know tucked-in tops look great with shorter, cropped jackets. Just for you to know.
24. Add a third layer
This is not a must-follow tip but I would try it in your place.
I don’t know why but I think that outfits with a third layer look more put together and complete.
I think that’s because if you choose the right piece for the outerwear (or third piece) it gathers and gets very well with other pieces.
A denim jacket is the best for layering spring/summer outfits.
And if you want to discover some outfit ideas with a denim jacket, you can check out my article here.
Fall is the season of outerwear and it’s a favorite season for my hubby. He loves Fall just because of this.
So, create more fall outfits from your wardrobe and I am sure you are gonna love to wear third player as well.
I have another article about fall fashion essentials for women over 40 and I think it will be valuable and very informative for you, so don’t forget to check it out.
25. Invest in a good blazer
Following the previous tip I have to mention that a blazer could be the best investment piece in your wardrobe.
If you read some articles on my site, you probably know how I love blazers.
I love them because they make life easier, LOL.
I am really crazy about blazers and that’s why I have them almost in every color I love – I have white, black (2), brown, and pink blazers.
I style them with jeans, leggings, and even with some dresses. You can do the same and more!
You know a blazer is the perfect piece that you can wear at work. But in case your office has a smart casual dress code I have another article about it.
I promise you will master the smart casual dress code over 50 after reading that article. I promise…
26. Accessorize every outfit the right way
So there is not one but many style tips for women over 40 when it comes to accessorizing.
First of all, always opt for smaller or at least mid-size handbags.
Why? Because larger bags make you look frumpy and shorter. They look bulky with outfits.
So, it’s always a good idea to choose mid-size or smaller bags. They will be easier to style as well.
Another thing is always to add one or more accessories.
What I mean is to use a belt, sunglasses, scarves, hat, or anything to the outfit. You must do it.
Accessories are actually the most important thing in the outfit. They make it look more put together, fashionable, and complete.
When I say accessorizing is the most important thing when creating an outfit, I really mean that. Summer is the best season to use so many accessories like hats, sunglasses, fun jewelry, and others.
In case you are out of summer outfit ideas for women over 40 and need some help here is the next post you should read on my blog.
Share this on Pinterest if you like the post!
Leave a comment