Too Old to Wear a Maxi Dress?

A few years ago when maxi dresses reappeared, it was the youngsters who were wearing them first. Long, printed maxi dresses were everywhere in the hot summer months. Then, slowly, older women started picking up on the trend and were donning these floor-sweeping styles.

Probably the biggest over-50 celebrity fan of the maxi would have to be Kirstie Alley. She could also be the poster girl for why maxi dresses don't really work on some mature women. Because instead of hiding anything, all that fabric simply makes you look that much larger.

The older we get, the easier it is to look dowdy. Showing a bit of skin – even if it's not wrinkle-free or perfectly firm – combats a frumpy look. A flash of a leg, a bare shoulder or arm all keep women over 40 from looking too matronly.

So when you cover up from head to toe – and especially if you have a lush figure to begin with – you'll simply look dowdier.

This isn't to say that no woman over 40 can't look great in a maxi dress. Remember how chic Hillary Clinton was at her daughter Chelsea's pre-wedding events in her long caftan?

You can pull off a maxi dress after 40. It's not the easiest look to wear, but if want to give it a go, here's how:

• Look for a maxi dress with some fit and construction (Hillary Clinton's had a deep V neckline and set-in waist that kept the dress from being too voluminous).
• Wear flats. The look is supposed to be breezy and casual. If you really need heels, opt for something chunky like a wedge.
• Don't layer pieces on top. The worst thing you can add to a maxi dress is a cardigan, jacket or shawl (it's too much fabric.)
• Scale the print to your frame. The key to carrying off a print of any kind is to choose a print that suits you. Smaller frames carry off small, ditsy florals. Larger women benefit from larger blooms (and from less background showing; the closer together the prints, the smaller you'll look.)
• Don't accessorize with boho pieces. A breezy cotton dress with a fringed bag, braids and a floppy hat? Cute 40 years ago, not so much now. Opt for sleek, modern accessories.

More Too Old to Wear Its?

• Top 10 Midlife Fashion Questions
• 7 Middle-Aged Rulebreakers
• Too Old to Be So Girlish?
• Top 10 Hairstyles You Might Be Too Old to Wear

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