Trying to find the best workwear for women over 50? You’re not alone.
It’s hard to find good advice for dressing business casual for women over 50. You don’t want it to look like you’re trying too hard, but you want your style to reflect your success.
Plus, there are a lot of old-fashioned rules out there on what women “of a certain age” should wear. This can make finding your style even more difficult.
In the blog post below, I’m busting a few myths and sharing fashion strategies for over 50 business casual style.
Table of Contents
How To Dress at 50 Without Looking Frumpy
Let’s address the elephant in the room. With workwear outfits for women over 50, there’s always the fear that you’ll look frumpy or older than you are.
There are so many fashion mistakes that age you. From shopping at the same stores for over 20 years to limiting yourself to “old lady styles,” all of these things could make you look frumpy in a snap.
In fact, we run into this all the time when we’re styling clients. We’ve seen all the bad advice like:
- “You need to dress more conservatively.”
- “Trends are only for young people.”
- “Great style is only for young people.”
- “Style for older women is boring.”
Or heard our clients say things like:
“I can’t wear X because of my age!”
In our experience, this isn’t true in most cases.
Your age shouldn’t limit your style. Often we’ll have clients try on styles they “can’t” wear because it breaks a “style rule.” They’re usually shocked to see how good it looks on them!
To start your style journey, try creating a style Pinterest board. Pin anything and everything you like, especially inspo pics from your style role models.
There’s just one rule: you can’t stop yourself from pinning something because you don’t think it’ll work for your age or body.
This exercise will help you see what styles actually make you excited to dress yourself regardless of the “rules.”
What Do Women Over 50 Wear To Work
The short answer: what women of any age wear to work.
In reality, workwear for women of any age should correspond with the given dress code. For example, if you work in a formal environment like a law firm, you’ll likely need a well-tailored suit or modest and chic dress.
If you work in a “no dress code” such as a tech start-up, you may be able to wear elastic-waist trousers, sneakers, and a tucked-in tee.
Despite your age, you should still follow the same office rules as anyone else, but consider these three questions:
- What is your personal brand?
How do you want to be perceived? For example, do you want to convey authority, trust, innovation, or confidence? what your style says about your personal brand.
- How do you want to be perceived?
Start by pulling out paper and pen and write down the ways you want others to describe you when they meet you. Consider the emotional response you want to have, and how you want people to remember you.
This should help point you in the right direction for branding yourself and your business.
- What’s important to you?
Next, start building a professional capsule wardrobe. Why? Because it’ll streamline your decision-making and allow you to focus on what’s actually important to you.
We recommend focusing on the following:
- Investing in essentials
- Core colors
- Alterations
These three steps are the foundation of our Next Level Wardrobe Style System™. Following this system makes it easy to get dressed in the morning and still look put together.
How To Dress Business Casual for Women Over 50
So, what does business casual for 50-year-old women actually look like?
The answer depends on you.
The industry you work in, your goals, your location, and other factors will affect what is necessary for your closet.
But, generally speaking, this is what’s on our list for business casual: women over 50 edition:
- High-quality, soft T-shirts
- A few blouses
- Trousers
- Well-made sweaters for layering
- Blazers
- A low-maintenance dress
These form a foundation for a business casual (AKA power casual) closet for any woman, over 50 or not.
Workwear for Women Don’ts: What Not To Wear Over 50
You should avoid clothes that make you uncomfortable, don’t suit your lifestyle, and undercut your personal brand.
This is 100% up to you and your comfort level.
Whether you need workwear women’s clothing for a TED Talk or a normal day at the office, what’s “appropriate” depends on you. Furthermore, what might seem like a sure thing to one person, may not suit your style for the same dress code.
For example, if you don’t feel comfortable wearing a dress that shows your shoulders, then try a long-sleeve version.
Again, go back to that piece of paper where you wrote down what you envisioned your personal style to be. Look at your Pinterest board filled with outfits for women over 50 that actually excite you!
But if you’re unsure of where to start or what to do, go back to our style system. After you build up the basics in your closet, try integrating other colors, patterns, and bolder styles.
The photos in this blog post are proof that you can have great style and look fashionable at any age.
Work Outfits for Women Over 50 and Plus-Sized
We’ve spoken about work outfits for women over 50 in general terms. But does that advice change based on your size?
As personal stylists, we know this is something many women struggle with, but unfortunately, the advice online can be downright confusing and wrong.
Here’s the truth: whether you’re midsized, petite, plus, or straight-sized, you can follow our system.
Pay attention to fit, regardless of your size. Seek out clothing that doesn’t pucker, gap, or add pull lines.
Try on different brands, styles, and sizes to see what suits your body. Ignore the number on the tag if that’s a roadblock for you. Go with what fits.
Now let’s say you find something that fits the widest part of your body but is too baggy elsewhere. This is the time to call in a fit expert, aka, a tailor.
We know alterations sound like such a hassle and extra expense. But people of all sizes benefit from the work of a good tailor. They can help you shorten pants, bring the waist of your blazer, and ensure you get just the right fit.
If you’re unsure of where to start with styling yourself or finding a tailor, check out professional plus-size styling and consulting services.
Take Your Over 50 Business Casual Style to the Next Level
If there’s one lesson we hope you take from this, it’s that your size or age does not limit your style. Stylish, exciting, and professional workwear for women is possible for everybody.
At Next Level Wardrobe, we specialize in helping successful women create a work wardrobe they love. Apply for our women’s personal styling service.
