What to Wear Over 50 for Special Occasions and Weddings this Spring Weddings
The emails started arriving in February. I have a wedding in April and nothing to wear. Then March brought more. Same panic, different event. A retirement dinner. A bat mitzvah. A graduation party that turned out fancier than anyone had mentioned.
I get it. Finding something dressy that actually fits your body right now, suits the occasion, and doesn’t make you feel like you’re playing dress-up in someone else’s clothes is genuinely hard.
So I went to Nordstrom and tried on a pile of dresses. Some I loved immediately, and a couple surprised me. I’ll tell you what I thought, how they fit, and what kind of event each one makes sense for, because an outdoor garden wedding and a formal dinner are very different problems to solve.
I’ve updated this post on what to wear over 50 for special occasions, with all-new options and links, because some styles have changed, and there are many new, fun options.
Let’s get into it.
The Dresses
I’m so tempted to just buy this Alex Evenings gown and wait for an event to wear it. It’s long and flowy with a dramatic collar, and the fabric is substantial enough that I wouldn’t require control garments. I felt glamorous and elegant in it without feeling trussed up or over-bejeweled. It has elegant covered buttons down the front and a fabric belt you can use to create a large, showy bow, or a small one with long tails, as I’m showing. And it has pockets, which not many gowns do.
This Pisarro mesh gown with its bolero jacket is the one that made me feel quietly elegant and sophisticated, which is harder to find than you’d think. The beading on both the gown and jacket is pretty without tipping into Christmas-tree territory. It’s fully lined, sleeveless, and has a back zip. I love the flowy skirt and the way the mesh and beads catch the light without screaming for attention. I’m wearing the blue, and it comes in six other colors.
This sleek, body-conscious gown comes in a beautiful Mallard blue that photographs even better than it looks on the hanger. The ruching at the waist is doing real work here, and the fabric has enough stretch that you can actually sit and move in it comfortably. It fits close to the body, which many of you will love, but it is sleeveless, so if you’re not comfortable with your arms, you’ll want to think about a wrap or shawl.
If you have an outdoor wedding, a garden party, or a shower on your calendar this spring, this Julia Jorgan dress is the one. The floral organza is lightweight and billowy without being flimsy, and it comes with a full slip so you’re not worrying about what the sun does to sheer fabric. The removable sash ties at the waist and gives you some shape without cinching.
This dress won’t cling anywhere you don’t want it to. Honestly, this feels like something you’d wear to a country club wedding or a garden party at a beautiful estate. If you’re a Kentucky Derby girl, this is your dress. And that skirt swishes when you walk with that delicious sound you only get from organza.
This Pisarro Nights Illusion gown is one size too small for me, and I tried it on anyway, which tells you something. The beading gives it some weight, substantial but not heavy, so if you’re sensitive to that, it’s worth knowing. In the right size, it would be comfortable, and I felt elegant in it, very much the mother of the bride in the best possible way. The godet bottom swishes beautifully when you move. It has a bateau neckline, 3/4 sleeves, and a flounced hem. I’m wearing Deep Mocha, and it also comes in Pale Blue.
This Alex Evenings Cocktail dress is hard to put into words, but I’ll try. It feels grown up and sophisticated in a way that a lot of cocktail dresses don’t. Modest without being matronly, which is a harder balance to strike than it sounds. If you’ve been frustrated by dresses that feel too young or too bare, this is worth a look. The Iced Aqua color is beautiful, and the attached lace jacket with 3/4 sleeves means your arms are covered without needing a separate wrap.
This navy dress fits close to the body and really shows your figure, which, depending on your comfort level, is either exactly what you want or exactly what you don’t. The bejeweled cuffs are a great detail, dressy without needing much other jewelry. It also comes in black and is designed to hit at the knee, though it runs a little longer on me. One honest note: I’d wear a slimming slip under this one and skip everything but earrings. I also like to wear these Thigh Society shorts to prevent leg chaffing, whether I wear a slip or not.
You may also enjoy Best Special Occasion Pant Suits for Weddings and Events
A few of these photos are from a few years ago. Different hair, different chapter, same great dresses, and they’re all still available.
This Karen Kane dress is stunning. The scalloped illusion lace in navy or black is pretty and feminine, and yes, a little alluring, but in a ladylike way. The sweetheart neckline is covered with lace, so you get the shape without the exposure, which is a neat trick. And it’s comfortable enough to actually enjoy wearing. It comes in petite and regular. I’m wearing the regular, which gives it a little extra length.
This Alex Evenings Faux Two-Piece Cocktail Dress feels elegant and graceful in a way that works for a lot of occasions. I keep thinking it would be perfect for a formal night on a cruise, a wedding, or the mother of the groom. The bodice is stretch lace with sequins, and the skirt is floaty chiffon, so you get structure on top and movement on the bottom. And here’s the best part…it looks like a two-piece, but it’s actually one dress with a hidden back zipper. It comes in eight colors, so you can find your perfect color.
How you feel in a dress matters just as much as how you look in it. If you’re tugging, adjusting, or thinking about your dress all night instead of enjoying the moment, the dress has failed you, no matter how beautiful it is.
If you have questions about any of these or need help figuring out what works for your specific event, drop it in the comments. I’m happy to help you sort it out.
For fall weddings, read my post “Fall Wedding Guest Dresses for Women Over 50.”
Wow!!! Thank you SO MUCH for doing the “heavy lifting” for us in choosing the most flattering look. I’m always surprised by the difference “on the hanger” or the person makes!!!! I salute your showing the best and the worst.
Happiest Easter and Spring times to all of Jennifer’s happy followers.
Happy Easter Diane
Hands down, the Alex Evening gown is stunning on you. Suits your colouring so well, and looks like it would be comfortable for any length of an event. Very beautiful.
Love both the gray dresses on you. You look elegant and chic. So nice!
The two shirt dresses really appeal to me. I love a crisp white shirt with a popped collar so I would feel very comfortable in either. The jacquard one feels elegant and more formal whereas the floral one seems floaty. I just wish I had something coming up to wear them.
I wish I did too!
you have a really good figure and almost all the dresses enhance your shape
Thatās sweet of you to say. Thank you
The only one I like for you is the last one, the Alex Evenings blue dress. The rest all look too fussy make you look matronly which is not your style!
The Alex cocktail dress looks very, very nice on you.
I love it
Some of these look elegant, unlike some of those matronly “uniform” looks of the recent past.
I agree Kay
It looks like youāre shopping for a dress to wear to the Oscars! I vote for the long sleeved navy dressā¦..elegant, understated and flattering.
Wow! So many of these are fabulous on you–you need to find some events to attend!! I wholeheartedly agree about the Thigh Society shorts. I live in Florida and live in the cooling version during the summer months.
The Navy long sleeve and the long blue sleeveless dres are gorgeous! I will be on a cruise to Aladka in Aigust and dinner clothing is dressy. What would you suggest?
Some ladies go all out in sequins and others wear cocktail dresses so itās really your preference.
Funny, just minutes before reading this blog post I put together an outfit for an upcoming wedding that called for “Sunday Best” attire. I ended up deciding on a pretty floral maxi skirt. It has beautiful greens, yellows, reds and blues. I’m wearing it with a sky blue cotton eyelit blouse. My accessories are a small straw handbag that has gold running through it, straw wedge open toed shoes with a straw bow a the front and probably go with simple pearl or gold jewelry. I’m wearing a belt but haven’t decided on which one yet. It’s going to be either a white obi belt, a gold obi belt or a blue straw belt or a neutral straw belt to match the shoes. Thoughts?
I’d try to match the belt to the dress as closely as possible or it will draw the eye and cut you in half visually.
Thank you! I ended up wearing the cream obi belt since it was a good match for the background neutral color of the skirt. I was pleased with how it looked.
Thank you for showing all these options in different shapes and lengths! The Karen Kane scalloped navy lace cocktail dress looks SMASHING on you! If one can afford to show their shape, and feels comfortable doing so, that’s the way to go! Last spring while looking for a dress for my son’s wedding, a sales person had me try on a figure flattering dress that I would never have chosen because of my self consciousness about not being thin enough (size 12)! It taught me that trying something different has influence because I wound up with a not tight, but shapely dress! But you do have to wear what fits and is comfortable physically and emotionally!
Dang. You look awesome in all the dresses.
Love all the dresses on you, especially the Pisarro one!
I have a wedding in 3 weeks and I need help with shoes and purse. The dress is knee-length, solid Kelly green, a bit form fitting. Wearing black heels and a black clutch purse seems too predictable and a bit winter-y for late April in Connecticut. I have a beautiful modern gold beaded clutch that I love, but I feel buying gold heels will be “too much.” Would love to know what you think about possibly wearing nude patent slingback heels with the gold beaded clutch with the solid green dress. Thank you!!
Nude is always a great shoe and will go with the gold heels too. I think it will look great
That first dress is gorgeous — and could be altered to a tea dress after the event. The Pisarro dress comes across as almost gray on my monitor, and IMO is a color that looks good on almost nobody. Compare it on you to the other lovely colors you are wearing. Flat shoes are imperative for an outside wedding. The 30-somethings in spikey heels at my son’s wedding got stuck in the grass. A note to petite women who have not been through this process before: You will not find Petite sizes in any east coast stores and certainly not Nordstrom’s — so look online and order the dresses you want to try on. Both Nordstrom Rack and Macy’s were excellent about this. Maybe Dillard’s has Petites in the store, but I’d call ahead to find out. Boden currently has stunning event dresses!
I love that Karen Kane navy blue dress on you! That is my favorite!
I really like the brocade dress so classy. The Karen Kane is stunning on you.
These dresses are beautiful and they all look great on you. I’m kind of limited because I have to have a petite length dress but if any of these come in petite it would be wonderful.
Many do
Your posts are an inspiration, Jennifer, and they have really helped me work on my style choices as an almost-70-year-old. Todayās dresses are gorgeous! However, I was hoping your post today might help me with a dress choice for an upcoming high school graduation – late May, probably outdoors, but I canāt wear sleeveless dresses. Any help for us grandmas who want to look and feel good for our new graduateās big day? Thank you!
I have often shared dresses for more casual events and will do more soon
Gorgeous dresses! I have a wedding coming up in the fall in Texas. I love the navy Karen Kane. I think it will be perfect. I just have to wait to see if the bride is having a dress code for guestsš
Itās such a pretty dress.
My granddaughter is getting married on the beach at Hilton Head in October. Do you think the Marie Metallic Floral Tie Waist Organza Gown would be appropriate? The bride will be wearing a traditional wedding dress.
Congratulations! I think the organza would be lovely.
Thanks so much for the try-on of all types of special occasion dresses. It’s good to know what’s out there.
I find I usually wait until a bit late to go out and look for something like this due to uncertainty about what’s available, where to look, and pricing.
There are lots of beautiful options right now. The earlier you find your dress the sooner you can relax!
Good Morning Jennifer. That Karen Kane dress is stunning! And what a great price.
Thank you for this post and your insight!
The deeper blues are simply stunning on you! I really prefer the darker colors which bring out your hair and your lovely figure. My least favorite is the short, light blue and white. Yes, shoes are always a problem when we have bad feet. By the way, after many years of suffering with the arthritic toe and foot, and debating about surgery, I was thrilled to have a new DR tie my athletic shoes so they donāt hit the sore areas of my foot. What a relief! Try it!
Beautiful and I love the idea of navy for dress up instead of black!
You found some great dresses. I would have difficulty choosing one from the selection.
Love the dresses! Especially the dark blues. I need help with shoes to wear when dressed up. I need flats or a low chunky heel to feel comfortable and safe. Also, what toe style is in for this spring? I see lots of options but my daughter (in her late 30ās) only wears pointed toe.
Oval and squared off toes are also popular. I canāt wear pointed personally so I avoid them.
The Alex Evenings gown is absolutely stunning on you. In fact, the Nordstrom photos don’t even come close to showing the beauty of that gown the way you do!
I hope you purchase it! I love the Pisarro Nights Beaded Mesh Gown as well. The website shows it in New Mauve and I am tempted to purchase it … even though I have no where to wear it! Lovely, lovely choices.
I love the sound of Mauve.
I really like the faux wrap navy dress. What is the brand!
There is a red link under the image of the dress that will take you right to it.
Love the Alex evening cocktail dress. Itās so classy and feminine. But then, they all look gorgeous on you.
You look fabulous in the Alex evening cocktail dress, blue is wonderful on you, what a stunner!
Black is not your color, but I get you want to show the LBD to others as an option too
What a great idea for a post, to focus on special occasions, expand it to include cruise wear, travel abroad, and varying outfits would be nice
Every dress I’m wearing is blue, so the lighting must have made something appear darker
You look good in all of them! I think I prefer the A-line jersey dress because it would be more versatile. You could dress it up or down for different occasions by changing shoes, jewelry, bags, wraps. Regarding an Instagram reel you made the other day, I was unable to find the link to buy the flat white belt you used to hide the pants button under your shirt. Is the belt adjustable and does it come in different sizes? Would you please supply the link? The other day you asked for input about doing more Instagram reels and I like them when they provide good info such as the belt trick. Another I enjoyed was quite a while ago when you were showing how you did your hair. Thank you.
Always so nice to see these on someone who isn’t a 6 foot tall 20 year old! You look lovely, I especially like the first one.
Jennifer, you look lovely in all these dresses! Very pretty choices. That first one really is a stunner.
Very lovely dresses on you!
Having a very different body type than you have, none of them would work for me!
This category of special occasion dresses is always a dilemma. In fact, I need a dress for a New Year’s Eve wedding. I’m always looking for something that has sleeves for warmth, that’s not cut too low, comes in petite, is not black and no lace! A tall order, believe me. I’m looking for a plain shift kind of dress, that isn’t black or lace, and either has long sleeves or comes with a jacket. Any suggestions?
I do love the second dress you showed, even though the top is lace. The colors are beautiful, but where the lace top falls it would emphasize a full stomach too much.
Maybe you can do this again late summer when the fall/winter lines come in? That would be great!
All are fabulous on you. The shades of blue are my favorites!
Oh my goodness … you look amazing in all of these dresses! And, you are really ‘rocking it’ (as the saying goes) in that first dress.
I love the variety of styles here and I think all of them suit you. Depending the specific occasion each one is perfect.
Wouldn’t change a thing! Hope you kept all four!
Thanks Jennifer
I was one of the ladies needing mother of the groom ideas! I looked today in our small Canadian town and nothing to buy! I too need more of a pant look .
Think online is my best option. My wedding is in Amsterdam and wonder what summer chique looks like there. I am walking my son down the aisle to add more pressure. One thing is I have time as the wedding is not until August. Any help appreciated!!
You looked amazing and thanks ā¦ look forward to your other posts!
You look very “mother-of-the-bride” in the first two. Not my style. I had a terrible time finding dresses for my daughters’ weddings. I finally just said I’ll go as myself–not a mother. I had some fabulous boho -esque chiffon dresses and I felt good in them. The pictures turned out great, too.
That’s the very best way to dress, Kay…as you!! There’s no point in forcing a look on ourselves if it isn’t authentic.
You look beautiful and comfortable in all these dresses! I do have to say, you look more better in the Karen Kane dress than the model on the website. š¤ Iāve looked at that dress before and wasnāt the least bit tempted. But seeing it on you changed my mind.
I love you in the second outfit best, flattering in every area. Would you tan your legs and varnish your toe nails? I would…… Just a little extra polish.
My legs were self-tanned and I do have pale toe polish on. I intentionally chose pale toe polish so the eye isn’t drawn to my feet. Red toes would have been a beacon to draw the eye.,
Thank you for this blog. It really is fun to see some ādress upā clothes. I loved every dress except for the last one. I just did not like the wrap around look or the long length, or the sleeves. All the others and the accessories were right on and you looked fabulous!
Wow Jennifer you look amazing !! Stunning looks on you š l hope you had a celebratory event after the shoot, time for champagne. And thanks for the slip idea too. These are fantastic options; my gorgeous son is getting married this year and l am trying to plan ahead so brilliant. Happy weekend.
Happy Weekend!!
You look lovely in the chiffon dress. Thanks for the tips.
Such great choices! The first lace dress is so beautiful and sexy too. It would be perfect for a cruise. All of these look wonderful on you.
All of the dress are lovely on you. My favs are the two shorter blue dresses worn with the gold slingback heels.
I love the Karen Kane dress, very slimming. That brand always fits me well. The petites are sized right.
Gosh, that was a lot of fun!
I love that first one on you, other than it needs shortening.
The navy rhinestone dress is very simple and yet wonderful. That would be a great dress if you needed a fancy dress while traveling.
I also really like the two piece lace top and solid skirt outfit. It look like it moves really well.
I, too, would have foot problems with any heel, so I would be looking for a full-length gown. I really thank you for the work you put into on this.
These are some really nice dress choices, but Iām in the camp with the ladies with foot issues. I think it will be dressy pants for me, since I need flats, or the tiniest of heels and no pointy toes.
I really love the way you look in the two shorter dresses! I especially feel the a -line skirt is very much You! Very pretty!
Thank you for sharing advice!
Jennifer you look lovely in each of these! Glad to see some really pretty semi formal looks!
Thank you! I found a dress for my high school reunion, but wasn’t sure about my shoes. Because of foot surgery I shop for comfort first and found a very plain nude pair. My heart yearned for a glamorous sequined pair. After seeing your first few photos I realized my new shoes aren’t just nude, but nearly invisible! I don’t feel over 50, but this will be our 50th reunion.
Love the V-Neck Lace number on you! Stunning.
I am going to join the camp of ladies who love the navy dress! I also agree with Kim, that due to issues with my feet and balance, itās difficult to wear this style of dress. The shoe becomes a most important detail of the total look.
Regardless, this was a wonderful post that shows us all a gorgeous display of dresses that so many of us would love to wear. For me, itās still so much fun to dress up! You inspire me to do so!
I love to dress up too. I’ll be doing more showing flat shoe options
As one who has been looking for occassion dresses for awhile, I appreciate your inspiration. I do believe this fashion creates a challenge for older women, not wanting to look restricted to a mother of the bride image. Your choices are wonderful!
I’m so glad you liked them
Great post on some lovely dress choices! Jennifer, the first navy blue dress is absolutely stunning on you! The style of it is perfect with your figure. My problem with dressing up for an occasion is the footwear. I can only wear about a one inch heel at most because of feet issues, and I can’t picture in my mind how a 1″ heel could possibly look right with a dress similar to the 1st or 2nd one in the post.
I’m going to do another post showing options with flatter shoes because you are not alone wanting flat shoe options.
I look forward to your daily posts. You are point on for my lifestyle and age. Classy, not too trendy from head to toe! You have given me many ideas. Looking forward to many more.
Thanks so much for styling dresses! It’s so hard to find some that are age appropriate and suitable for religious services.
You look beautiful in all these picks. Iāve been looking for a post like this, but with pants as I donāt wear dresses or jumpsuits. I have black dress pants but could use ideas for tops that would fit a semi-formal event. Any ideas?
I will see what I can put together for you, Kate because you’re not alone in wanting to wear pants.
Thank you!
I’ve had good luck over the years combining black pants with dressy kimonos, especially those made by designer Spencer Alexis (Google the name for a peek at the styles to see if they appeal to you). Most of the colors and designs work well with dark bottoms, and they’re made in a variety of sizes. I have to confess that I’ve never had to buy one new as they tend to be readily available through eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, etc. and are generally in A+ condition because women tend to wear them for special occasions only š I’d bet Jennifer knows where to get that label! Just a thought…
You looked fabulous in those two dressy dresses! Beautiful choices for how to look elegant!
Julie
Thanks Julie
You look lovely, Jennifer, and you must have put in some time to find them. It often seems the Special Occasion dresses fall into two categories: 1) super bare for very young ladies or 2) what I call Golden Girls outfits with heavy beaded jackets.
Well done for an elegant, stylish look.
You look lovely in all the dresses. But I see many/most mother of the bride and grooms and wedding guests wearing the same or similar dark blue lace dresses. I wish there were more to choose from. Look at the over fifty members in any wedding album and most are wearing a similar dress.
That seems to be what designers have in mind for us.
LOL, that does seem to be the two categories I see most often too. I will do this again with some more options
Very helpful post for dresses and shoes. Wish there were more options like this Alex evenings with a length of 44ā
Thanks so much!
WOW!!! is an understatement of how gorgeous you look in all of the styles. And navy blue looks so pretty on you. Great post.
Thank you Leslie
You look stunning in those dresses Jennifer!
I second Jenniferās comment! Absolutely stunning!