Dresses for Over 50: Let'm flow

The other day while shopping, I spotted a woman over 50 in a long, straight, sleeveless cotton dress. The fabric had a trendy grey, black and white “tribal” pattern. The neckline was somewhat plunging, so she wore a matching pale grey camisole underneath. The lack of excess fabric perfectly suited the woman, who was slim and petite. I actually went up to her and told her, “You look fabulous.”

I’m seeing more long dresses than I have in a while and I find it wonderfully refreshing. At the risk of sounding like a crabby old lady, I find the very short skirts and shorts coupled with spiked-heel sandals on young girls in the city a little creepy, more than a little hooker-esque. This post features a sample of maxi dresses online, with a range of price tags. But first, here's a list of why I love long dresses, especially those in light-weight fabrics...

Light-weight, long dresses have several advantages for women over 50:

• They hide less than perfectly shaped legs and/or varicose veins and other skin imperfections.
  

• Long dresses, especially those that fan out below the torso, are ultra-comfortable and offer freedom of movement.

• The continuous fabric color or pattern from shoulder to ankle makes a woman look thinner and distracts the eye from a widening waistline or hips.


• Long skirts and dresses actually make shorter women look longer. As a 5’ 4” woman, I have found that I look best in hems just above the knee or hovering near the ankle. (A hem only an inch or so below the knee makes me look like gigantic parasol mushroom!)

NEW FOR SPRING 2012
Many of the maxi dresses I'm seeing are sleeveless like the Allison Britney Black & White Print Maxi Dress from Beall's online department store. I, like many of my over 50 friends, aren't crazy about our upper arms. But I'm not going to stop wearing sleeveless, especially when it's 80 degrees outside! My thought: If I'm dressed nicely in a flattering style and I keep smiling, people (unless they have an upper arm fetish) aren't going to be fixated on my aging limbs. And if I'm feeling self-conscious, I can always throw on a little cover-up. For a dressy maxi like the one from Max Studio below, I'll grab a shawl or a shrug. Otherwise, my go-to cover up is my beloved jean jacket or a short, light cardigan.


PRINTED CHIFFON LONG RUFFLED DRESS-M-FLRLNOIR from Max Studio





The Ultimate Maxi (was $124, now $99.20) is ultra-comfortable.





Jones New York Wrapped Bodice Dress,


And, finally, here's a gorgeous Diane von Furstenberg Abigail Dress with 3/4 sleeves. Clearly, this dress is an investment. But the simple pattern and dress design will never go out of style. You can wear it this year and receive oodles of compliments. Then, after storing it for a few years, resurrect it for lots more compliments. Or...just keep wearing it year after year.