Sunday, February 27, 2011

Fashion Over 50: Paint It White

Photo credit: William Werber


White as a trendy spring 2011 color hardly seems like news. White is always associate with spring, especially spring weddings, and summer—isn’t it? There are two things, however, that make white a little different in 2011. First, designers have envisioned women wearing white head-to-toe or combining a solid white pair of pants or skirt with a solid bold (especially yellow or orange) top. Designer Alexander Wang showed almost an entirely white collection for spring 2011. And secondly, the designers don’t want women to stop wearing white after Labor Day. The fall 2011 collections unveiled this month during Fashion Week in New York City were heavily populated with bright white fashions—such as dresses and pant suits. (The photo at the top of this post was taken at a fall 2011 show.) That means women over 50 may be wearing this season’s white straight through to Halloween and beyond. Interesting.

Chances are you’ve already got a good base of white spring and summer fashions. But if you’d like to freshen up your white wardrobe, below are a few trendy ideas. If, like me, your color season is "winter," then white should be flattering choice. However, now that I'm in my fifties, I tend to lean towards the brighter shades in the "winter" palette. For example, when I wear a long, white tunic, I love to wrap a thin, icy blue scarf around my neck.

WHITE TUNICS AND OTHER TOPS
Long tops are a flattering choice for women over 50 and tunics are still a trend this spring.

Pure Hemp Tunic

Pure Hemp Tunic





Pure Hemp Tunic

Pure Hemp Tunic



No doubt, your favorite shopping sites will have tons of white blouses and shirts. I like the pocket details and tailoring on this Anne Klein Roll Sleeve Shirt Roll Sleeve Blouse (White). If you're pear-shaped like me, you don't want a boxy top. And, of course, wearing the shirt out is slimming. I don't think I've tucked a shirt in since I turned 40.

Anne Klein Roll Sleeve Shirt Roll Sleeve Blouse (White)




Silk/Cashmere Wrap Cardigan
Silk/Cashmere Wrap Cardigan from Hessnatur



Jones New York Drape Front Cardigan (White)

Jones New York Drape Front Cardigan (White)





Laundered Linen Scoop Neck Top

Laundered Linen Scoop Neck Top




Linen Jacket

Linen Jacket




WHITE BOTTOMS
Again, I'm not surprised if your wardrobe already includes a white denim skirt, white trousers or white cotton flirty shirt like the ones I showed recently in What To Do With Floral Shoes. If you have a white linen jacket and a pair of white linen pants and you've never worn them together, this is the season to start. Or if you've wanted to add a white bottom to your wardrobe, now is the time. You'll find lots of choices across the Internet. If you've got skinny legs, you might want to try white denim shorts--tres adorable--as an alternative to the white Capri or jeans. Or just grab a good quality, fitted cotton Tee and a pair of white Capri pants for the easiest, trendy look.


Organic Cotton Roll-up Jeans

Organic Cotton Roll-up Jeans




Organic Cotton Jeans

Organic Cotton Jeans




STRETCH POPLIN CAPRIS-8-WHITE

STRETCH POPLIN CAPRIS-8-WHITE





WHITE DRESSES
I can't tell you the last time I wore a white dress. I like these two a lot, however.

Pure Linen Safari Dress

Pure Linen Safari Dress




Bonheur

Bonheur

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Spring Dresses for Women Over 50

Photo Credit: William Werber

Editor's Note: This post was updated in March 2014. For the latest sales on dresses and other garments, visit On Sale.


Did you see any of the live streaming of runway shows during Fashion Week in New York City this month? I watched a few and got a kick out of "the scene." The thing that really struck me was the variety of designs, not only from designer to designer, but even within a single designer's collection. When I read the fashion magazines, I'm led to believe that there are definitive trends dictating the season's fashion. I think fashion editors focus on certain trends because there's no way they can cover the collections of all designers--there are way too many. But the truth is, there are lots of different styles each season. That's good news for women over 50 who are looking for fashions to flatter their age and body shape. Here's a sample of dress trends for Spring 2014.

STRUCTURED DRESSES 
Structured dresses, such as wraps or sheaths, are often a flattering choice for women over 50 because it defines the female shape. Here's one of my over 50 girlfriends modeling a navy and white floral sheath. Navy and all shades of blue are very "hot" this spring.





Here's a  Women's Regular Sleeveless Pattern Ponté Welt Pocket Dress - Navy Storm Floral, 6 ($79) from Land's End. it's a sleeveless floral sheath like my girlfriends, available in Regular, Petite, Tall, and Plus sizes. The bright cardigan offers the perfect coverage for over 50 arms.




Women's Regular Sleeveless Pattern Ponté Welt Pocket  Dress - Navy Storm Floral, 6



It's impossible to talk about spring 2014 without addressing stripes. In New York, stripes have been huge this past year and they're still going strong. Here's a great  Anne Klein Belted Dress ($99) that captures both the stripes and colorblocking trends.



Anne Klein Belted Dress




I'm loving all the lace sheaths, like this Adrianna Papell Lace Overlay Sheath Dress (Regular & Petite) ($138). Dress Length: 39".







THE FIT AND FLARE DRESS




This spring's "fit and flared" dresses are a comfortable choice for over 50 women, especially those with a "pear-shaped" body like mine (above).  These dresses are fitted around the torso, where the "pear" is thinnest, and then fan out over the hips and bottom.


Land's End ~ I'm loving this new Women's Regular Elbow Sleeve Pattern Cotton Modal Fit and Flare Dress - Blue Indigo Floral, XS ($59) for spring. Vintage prints are very much in vogue. The regular hem is 38". It's available Sizes XS to XL, as well as in Petite and Plus sizes.


Women's Regular Elbow Sleeve Pattern Cotton Modal Fit and Flare Dress - Blue Indigo Floral, XS






PRINT DRESS

3/4 sleeve wrap dress for women over 50


Dresses with prints--stripes, polka dots, color splashes, geometric designs--are everywhere this spring. I'm a huge fan of prints because they hide our little lumps and bumps.  In the photo above, I'm wearing a print wrap dress from Coldwater Creek, which I got last year. Wrap dresses, which are a flattering choices for most body shapes, are everywhere. Just about every clothing company offers one or two wrap styles. I love this Long Sleeve Shapely Anywhere Dress - EMERALD ($94.95). By the by, emerald green is a "hot color" this spring.


Long Sleeve Shapely Anywhere Dress  - EMERALD

 


Orange is also making a comeback this spring. Here's a very comfortable print dress with 3/4 sleeves. The tie front on the Jones New York Print Jersey Sheath Dress ($98) (below) offers a bit of tummy distraction.


Jones New York Print Jersey Sheath Dress






Happy Spring!