Women Over 50 Fashion: 7 Trends for Spring & Summer, 5 Good & 2 Bad

• By Tina-Boomerina
• Clothing Over 40 Current Trends Fashion
• 2 years ago

I’m looking at trends for spring and summer that you can wear if you’re a chic, hip, trendy chick over 50, 60, or 70. A few of the trends feel like 60s Mod, such as bold graphic flower prints, polka dots, slickers, and fishnet tights. Others are just frivolous fun, like sequins and sparkles.

Women Over 50 Fashion

Yes, there are a ton of groovy new styles that I really like, but some of them... well... I don't know if they're apropos for "older" women with "mature" bodies. But, never fear, I contacted Jessica, the fashion stylist in Beverly Hills, to get her opinion on the trends that have me equivocating.

British Mod & More

No Boring Shoes

If you remember the happy days of British Mod, I know you're going to be smiling and humming Herman's Hermit's songs all year. And, even if you don't think you can run your tired old body through another retro trend, I'm sure there are other ways for you to find your groove thang... without doing The Freddie.

Who's Jessica?

Jessica is a younger babe who dresses lots of older women with lots of money, but Jessica is not filthy rich like the socialites and movie stars, so she knows how to prioritize her cash (and our cash) to get the best look within her (and our) budget(s).

And, if Jess doesn't look current, she's out of a job.

Start With White Ankle Boots

Jessica says if you want to be cutting-edge hip, the first thing you need is a pair of white ankle boots to wear right now, in WINTER. So, try some on... but... don’t freak when you look down at your tootsies and see Go Go boots. No one will know you're having a Timothy Leary flashback unless you run screaming out of the store and forget your keys in your bag on the armrest of the chair where you were sitting when the SalesStud helped you ease your big honking feet into some trial booties.

So, be cool. Your feet may be in 1967, but everything else is still in 20017.

And, if you're at home looking at your white boots (or pumps or ballet flats or brogues or Doc Martins), I'm going to help you understand your new Go Go boots. Just answer these three questions:

• 1. Do you have a pair of white sneakers?
• 2. Have you ever worn your white sneakers with a dark sweater and a pair of jeans?
• 3. Did you feel odd wearing your white sneakers with your dark outfit?

I'm pretty sure you answered, "No, no, and no." If you answered anything else, I'm going to write a prescription for a fashion therapist... and maybe some valium. I'm fairly sure you did NOT feel compelled to add a white shoulder bag or a white anorak or a white belt to your dark jeans outfit.

It's the same with white ankle boots. Just pretend you can wear them with anything... just like your white Nikes.

Note: Jessica's advice will be in quotes. Anything else is from me.

7 Trends for Spring That You Can Wear Now

Now that you have white boots (or shoes), you're ready to move on to some of the other cool trends for spring and summer. However, you don’t need to wait until the stores are stocked to the sky with goodies for next season. There are lots of winter items that you can scrounge around for now... and wear now... and continue wearing in spring and summer and fall and on and on.

So, some of the clothes and accessories in this article are in stores and online right now. And, some of the fall fashions may be running low (though not all of them), but when things get to that point, you might get lucky and find some fabulous stuff at a discount. Several of the styles on here won't be available until it's closer to springtime. I'll do my best to tell you which goodies will not be available until SS18.

Here are 5 trends you’ll like and 2 to avoid.

Big Floral Prints Retro 60s Trend

Trend #1. Big 60s Style Floral Prints

There are a million ways to add large floral prints to your outfits. If you’re over 60, I'm sure you remember things like big daisies and bold graphic florals from your mod childhood or your groovy teenage-hood. Think "Laugh In". Think Marimekko. I do hope you remember Marimekko. I'll put a photo below for those of you who weren't alive in the 60s... or for those of you who don't remember the 60s because... you were there.

Marimekko Floral Prints

I love those big, bold prints from the 60s. They were so happy and colorful. However, older women should not try to recreate their favorite outfits from their early years. I'm going to write a whole article about how to finesse these prints. I think I will put big florals at the top of my to-do list, so I don't forget it.

In general, I think you need to keep most of your print hidden (like under a jacket) or layer your graphic florals with other complementary prints. If you follow one of these two ideas, you won't look like you're an Alzheimer patient who's living in her Own Private Idaho. Note: I'll check with Jessica for other tips when I do my next article.

Polka Dots n Spots for Women Over 40 50 60 70 spring 2018

Trend #2. Black n White Polka Dots

Boomers were big into spots back in the 60s. Bright polka dots were terribly fun, and designers loved to mix and match dots with Marimekko-style florals. Most dot patterns play well with other dot patterns in a different size and/or in different colors.

Black and white spots work with almost all bright prints. So, you should keep an eye out for items in monochrome polka dots, however, dots in other colors should also be on your horizon.

Note: To my friends, I was unable to finish this article. I got right to here... and... well, it's a long story. So, I'm fairly sure most of the fashions are still available in some sizes. If not, the stores will probably have something similar.

Casual Sequins Spring Summer Women Over 50

Trend #3. Casual Sequins for Daytime

This trend is from Jessica.

"YES, Sequins! If you are over 50, sequins for the day are totally fine and fun, especially if you’re out shopping and doing cool stuff. The key is you want to make your look casual. Try something like a white sequin tank with navy trim and jeans. I love sequins with jeans. That look is great for day or night, but during the day, you want to dress down. The best shoes for casual sequins are flats or wedges. Not a dressy shoe. I've done sequins with Birkenstocks before. I also love some of the sequin bags. Some of them are so gorgeous. I would say it’s preferable to do one sequin piece at a time."

Cold Shoulders & Bardot Tops are Hot for Spring

Trend #4. Cold Shoulder and Bardot Off-Shoulder Necklines

Someone asked me if cold shoulder cutouts were still trendy. I was going to ask Jess, but she answered my question inadvertently when she sent the inspiration photo (above left) of the woman in the black dress with the infinity scarf and said, "For some women (who don't have huge upper arms), this is a very flattering outfit."

Jessica continues, "See how her shoulders are open. If you don't have fat granny arms, this cutout-shoulder outfit makes you look slimmer. And, the same thing with the scarf. See how the scarf is not bulky. It's like a long thin line that grabs your attention. But, it's not too thin. A line that's too thin would make the woman look big. This is just right. That scarf is good for travel, too, because you could do the scarf for different outfits and wear the dress with great accessories to give you different outfits.

"Notice how the dress goes right over her knee. That’s not a coincidence. That’s done on purpose. For some older women, it’s better just to cover the knee. Women often get longer dresses and have their people pin the hem to just this length. Or, with better dresses, there's often enough fabric to lower the hem to the bottom of the knee. Getting the hemline just right is one of the best Beverly Hill's stylist's secrets."

Note: This is Tina. If you can't see the photos on your phone, I'll try to put them on my top Pinterest boards. I might also make a watercolor sketch of that dress and scarf so you can see the proportions.

Dark Denim Tailored Over 50

Trend #5. Dark Denim

I remember dark denim from the 70s trend. There are always a ton of different ways we can wear denim, but the best ideas seem to be dark denim jumpsuits, trench coats, tailored two-piece suits, jackets, dresses, and tops with interesting sleeves. Trendy details include: studs, pleats, raw edges, ruffles, and top stitching.

Fishnet Stockings for Older Women Over 50

Trend #6. Fishnet Stockings & Tights

This is one of the bad trends for those of us over 40, 50, 60, 70. It's not that you can NEVER wear fishnets. It's just that you have to be careful when trying this trend.

Let's ask Jessica.

"Older women could do a nude fishnet if it was like with one of those outfits for, you know... it’s like the perfect holiday dinner where you're all sitting around waiting for her... and she's got like the pot roast and she's in that perfect midi-length, A-line skirt. And, then, when she takes her apron off, she's wearing that kind of sexy look. Another look that's good is something like nude fishnets, but only if you’re showing no more than a couple of inches. I wouldn’t do fishnets in a sexy look."

Jessica came back and said she thought we were talking about women over 70. Then, when I asked about fishnets for women over 50, she said, "Maybe. Women over 50 should only be wearing fishnets if they're rocker chic and even then it’s still really hard to pull off. Other than that, no fishnets over that age. I don’t like them. Maybe if they are worn under trousers."

Over Knee Boots for Spring n Summer 2018

Trend #7. High Heel Over-Knee & Knee Boots

No, no, no. It's very difficult to wear over-knee boots if you're over 50.

I showed Jessica some cute flowered over-the-knee boots and various other high boots from the Spring Summer 2018 RTW collections. She answered, "NO high flowered boots. Those are perfect for someone who thinks Pretty Woman is a plausible story. Otherwise, boots like that should be worn at the club only, if at all."

You can, however, wear other types of boots in spring and summer. I do it all the time. The photo above shows models wearing warm weather outfits with boots, just in case you don't think I'm enough of an authority.

Main Photo for Cell Phone Viewers

Photo Credits: Prshots.com, Marimekko.com, and Pinterest. (I don't get paid by these companies to show you these fashions.)

• Main Photo - New Fashion Trends Spring 2018 Over 50: Denim jumpsuit La Redoute, dress Monsoon, top Asos.
• Women Over 50 Fashion: JD Williams.
• No Boring Shoes: Debenhams.
• Big Floral Prints Retro 60s Trend: Pinterest inspiration photo Kenzo spring 2018 RTW, (top row) La Redoute, White Stuff, Debenhams, (bottom row) La Redoute, Debenhams, Debenhams.
• Marimekko Floral Prints: Marimekko.com and Pinterest.
• Polka Dots n Spots for Women Over 40 50 60 70 spring 2018: Inspiration photo Milan Fashion Week ss/18 Pinterest, sequin top Asos, plus size jumpsuit (on bottom) River Island, both spot dresses JD Williams.
• Casual Sequins Spring Summer Women Over 50: Inspiration photo Miss Selfridge, sequin skirt Asos, sequin kimono Simply Be, sequin top Simply Be.
• Cold Shoulders & Bardot Tops are Hot for Spring: Inspiration photo sent from Jessica (Instagram or Pinterest), River Island, Wallis, M&Co. I made a small watercolor of the inspiration photo because it was very small. This link shows my version of the cold shoulder dress with scarf.
• Dark Denim Tailored Over 50: Inspiration photo Frame ss18 Pinterest, New Look, Navabi (plus), Simply Be (plus).
• Fishnet Stockings for Older Women Over 50: New Look.
• Over Knee Boots for Spring n Summer 2018: Inspiration photo Balmain ss18 Pinterest, Dorothy Perkins, M&S, New Look.

I hope these new fashion trends for spring and summer get you started on weeding out the things in your closet you've outgrown (physically and mentally) and get you thinking about affordable ways to update your look for spring and summer 2018.

More Fashion Articles for Boomer Women & Friends:

Some of these are older articles, but the ideas are still current.

Classic Tailored Fashion Over 40: Interview With The Style MD for Women, Jennifer Connolly

9 Tips for 70s-Style Retro Fashions for Women 0ver 40, 50, 60

7 Wearable Trends for Spring & Summer: Women Over 50, 60, 70 or Younger Chicks

Daytime Cruise Wear for Women With Style

Goodbye Diet Coke: I love you but not the Extra 30 Pounds

Trendy Plus Size Clothing Stores Online: 29 Boutiques & Designers Worldwide With US Delivery

Wrinkle-Free Jersey Clothing for Travel: Women Over 40

Leave a message at the bottom of the page if you have any fashion questions for Jessica or for me. Hugs, Tina

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