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.
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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.
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 don’t 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 30’s) only wears pointed toe.
Oval and squared off toes are also popular. I can’t 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. It’s 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 … 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. 🤗 I’ve looked at that dress before and wasn’t 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 “dress up” 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 🙂 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!!