Long White Dresses: Are They Age Appropriate for Us?

Three Keys for Wearing White If You Are Over 50

Long white dresses are a summer favorite and on-trend as the craze for white that started in 2011 continues strong

The question for mature women is how to make this look work for us.

Popular mythology suggests that long white dresses are reserved for prom gowns and weddings.

Can an older woman wear this look without looking like a bride past her prime or ingenue?

The answer is “yes and no.”

The Three Keys Are Cut, Color, and Accessories

Here's what you will want to consider when choosing figure-flattering clothes for mature women: Pick an age-appropriate style, add colorful accessories, and make sure this color does not wash out your skin tone.

A two-piece dress – otherwise known as a skirt and top – is another way to adapt the perennially favorite white summer dress to create a look that is completely your own.

For example, a white cotton gauze skirt and a peasant blouse with puff sleeves and a scoop neck is never going out of style. At once ethnic and classic, it is essence of the latest summer fashion now and for years to come.

Add Color to Make Your Look Sophisticated or Bohemian

A bit of colored embroidery around the neckline of a peasant-style blouse does a lot to dispel any lingering impression that you are striving for the look of a fresh-faced virgin.

Alternatively, add a colorful stone, silver, or chunky bead necklace.

Go Bohemian.

Red embroidered slippers ensure that your white summer dress will not be mistaken for a prom gown.

A tropical print handbag or a beaded belt to lift plain white from ingénue to right for you will complete the ensemble.

Avoid dresses that make you look like a princess with too much lace, fussy ruffles, or other embellishments. You are a queen and a goddess, not a school girl.

A Shawl or Bolero Jacket Covers Up If the Dress Is Too Bare

Many long white dresses are strapless or have only the tiniest filaments of spaghetti straps. If your arms are toned and buff, you can pull off this look.

Most of us cannot. Add a shawl or bolero sweater to camouflage flabby upper arms.

Even a sleeveless white summer dress puts too much skin in the game for some of us.

White Washes Out Pale Skin Tones and Hair

Any details that lessen the effect of stark, virginal white – such as tea-colored lace, colored ribbon, brass buttons, brilliant edging, or even a tone-on-tone print in the fabric – are desirable if you are over 50.

Darker skin tones can more readily wear white, including long white dresses, than paler women.

If you have white hair and very fair skin, you may wind up looking like a ghost the summer of past, rather than a vibrant spirit of summer present.

The Scoop On Long White Dresses In A Nutshell

selecting long white dresses that are age appropriate applies all the usual fashion guidelines to a particular look.

First, make sure the color is flattering.

Second, make sure the style hides imperfections and highlights your assets.

Last, break up the impression of too virginal white with any kind of colored detail, be it a simple bit of ribbon that’s part of the design or adding vibrantly colored accessories.

Alternatives to a Long White Dress

An alternative to a white dress is a womens white suit. Winter white is a slightly less brilliant white that may lean toward ivory and is classic for the colder months.

Black and white dresses offer yet another approach to wearing this color. Styles range from flirty polka dots to classic black-and-white sheaths with jackets that resemble suits.