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.
you have a really good figure and almost all the dresses enhance your shape
That’s 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 you’re shopping for a dress to wear to the Oscars! I vote for the long sleeved navy dress…..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 it’s 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. Today’s 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 can’t wear sleeveless dresses. Any help for us grandmas who want to look and feel good for our new graduate’s 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 guests😀
It’s 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.