The Only 5 Trends We're Interested In This Year As Over-40 Women Who Are Very Tired
Welp, we caved. And we regret to inform you that we have never dressed better.
by The Candidly Team
We’re not really “trend” people.
Most trends are hideous and not designed for real humans, so when we try them, we feel hideous and then think there’s something wrong with us and slink back into our sweats.
But something is happening with trends lately. A handful of them anyway. The ones we chose for this very list.
They’re classic. Flattering. Desirable. Which is why they work for us over-35 year olds.
We’ve honed in on 5 of our favorites, the ones that are making getting dressed a little more joyful. And making us look like we know exactly what we’re doing when it comes to clothes. Even though in secret, we’re making next to no effort.
So, here are those trends…along with the essential pieces that are making them come to life on our laziest of days.
#1: THE RETURN OF RED
Remember when red was kind of like white or black? Brighter obviously but still a safe, go-to staple. We wore red sweaters in fall and red dresses to parties and red lipstick with our jeans and Doc Martens. But then red became…scary. We started to bury ourselves in beiges and grays, and while we do love a neutral, there’s something freeing about reclaiming red as a color we can wear in classic ways but that makes our outfits just a little bolder, more exciting.
There are 4 specific ways we’re liking red right now that still feel understated and true to who we are at our core - which we figure is some combination of Sally in When Harry Met Sally and Daisy in Mystic Pizza and maybe just a dash of Natalie asking “where the fuck is her fucking coat” in Love Actually. Basically, we wear red again, guys. And we’re sort of loving it.
The Avery Pleated Wide-Leg Trousers by Maeve
OK, so before we even get to the color, we have to tell you that we’ve been raving about these being the most flattering, drapey, wide-leg, tailored trousers we’ve found. And we’ve tried a lot of drapey, wide-leg, tailored trousers. See one of us wearing this very pair in black HERE. But because the fit is classic and lengthening, it makes wearing them in a color other than black feel less daring. They’re high-waisted so we pair them with a fitted black sweater like THIS and a chic loafer like THIS. The proportions it creates are incredible, and we don’t feel like we’re in some snoozy work outfit.
Price: $104
J. Crew Cashmere shrunken cable-knit crewneck sweater
There’s something about the way Meg Ryan’s red cableknit in When Harry Met Sally looks deeply cozy but still sort of fitted that makes it the quintessentially chic fall outfit we’ve been holding in our collective dreams. This one from J. Crew comes in a creamy cashmere, so we can invest once and pull it out every fall for the rest of our lives - maybe just maybe with a short black skirt and tights.
Price: $178
Norma Kamali Diana Gown
When will a red dress not be a thrilling option for a holiday party or an evening wedding? This particular dress has the most flattering ruching that we’ve been raving about for a loooong time. It’s just so rare to find a dress that looks this good on every shape. We know, we’ve tried it. And the way it holds us in while still feeling stretchy and comfortable is sort of magic.
Price: $215
Boden The Marylebone Cord Blazer
If a sleek, tailored blazer is your go-to, red is a really fun way to elevate it. This one is just fitted enough to be waist nipping but with room to layer a sweater or a pretty turtleneck underneath.
Price: $180
#2: OVERSIZED OUTERWEAR
We’ve spent too many years constricting the space between our shoulder blades and the front of our arms to not appreciate the way relaxed-fitting outerwear has made its way into the fashion zeitgeist. We still love crisp, clean lines and smart tailoring, because it makes us look put together simply by throwing on a jacket. But having these pieces also be spacious and comfortable is critical. These are our favorites.
Everlane The TENCEL™ Oversized Blazer
We hate A LOT of blazers. Most are either tight and constricting or shapeless sacks. But not this blazer. It’s oversized enough to be a layering piece but also structured enough to make everything we wear under it look styled and intentional. Which is all we really want. Well, that and to be completely comfortable. So ✔️ and ✔️.
Price: $178
Marcella Elizabeth Coat
Behold. We found our dream coat. The one we won’t shut up about. It’s a creamy, luxe Italian wool, leaves room for all our sweaters and scarves, and comes in every color under the winter sky. And while it’s certainly an investment, many coats of this quality cost 2-3x as much. Oh and it sizes up to XXXL.
Price: $325
Summersalt The Warmest Wool Cocoon Coat
One ludicrously long scarf away from manifesting our coziest “quiet luxury” look of all time. The camel feels extremely luxe, but the slate miraculously ties together a million things in our closet. Again, a lifetime piece in warm wool. And for a pretty fair price, we’d say.
Price: $185
#3: BLOCKY SHOES THAT BALANCE OUR OUTFITS
Whenever we wear something loose up top, be it an oversized blazer, a billowing sweater, or a relaxed button-down, we can feel somewhat out of balance on the bottom - sort of like an upside down triangle or Cru from Despicable Me. Having a chunky(ish) shoe takes care of two problems for us: 1) It balances out our airier tops and drapey bottoms and 2) It’s soooooo much more comfortable. Our feet need support and cushioning and to be able to walk more than 3 blocks without pain. So, we consider these shoes not just gorgeous, but pretty necessary.
Madewell The Bradley Lugsole Loafer in Leather
We’re not sure there’s a shoe that works as well with everything we wear than a loafer. It’s classic and comfy. But adding a lug-sole makes it less of a slipper and more of a statement. This pair with a cropped wide-leg jean or long trouser is perfection.
Price: $140 - $158
Dolce Vita Moana H2
A Chelsea boot is not a trend. It is a lasting necessity that instantly makes us look world-conquering. But get a pair in cream instead of black, and whoosh, it’s something else altogether. Elevated. Lustworthy. Chic. All the things we pretend to be while we’re strutting down the street when really we’re just happy that our feet feel like they’re bundled in supportive cushioning.
Price: $66 - $125
Margaux The Platform Sandal
Honest to god, we’ve never put a heeled shoe on our feet that felt this good. The dream, dance-all-night-at-a-party shoe. And possibly the only party shoe we’ll be willing to wear for the foreseeable future.
Price: $345
UGG Classic Ultra Mini Platform Boots
When you’re scrambling to get out the door on a frigid day and you just want something unquestionably cozy to slip onto your foot and be off, this is the shoe. Obviously, it’s UGG, so it feels amazing but the platform gives it a more-styled-less-slipper effect. And it gives us a couple extra precious inches of height.
Price: $160
#4: WIDE-LEG PANTS
There have been honest-to-god moments in our day when we’ve stared off into space and just thought about how grateful we are that high-waisted, non-skinny pants have come into fashion. They’re flattering, skimming, lengthening, curve-complementing, and they feel good on our actual bodies. We do embarrassing amounts of research on pants just to crown our favorites and, of course, to create a staple wardrobe we can stand. And these 3 pairs have been standing atop our leaderboard with no looming threats.
Madewell The Harlow Wide-Leg Pant
These are Madewell’s best-selling pants. And there is one reason why. The fit. They’re very flattering on lower bellies, because the pleating is subtle and doesn’t puff out. They button at small of the waist then fall into a draping wide-leg. They’re the kind of pants you want in 4 of the 9 colors they come in. They also size in plus, tall, and petite so you can be sure to find your ideal fit.
Price: $118
Everlane The Way-High® Sailor Jean
If finding jeans that glide over the curves on your hips and butt then smoothly fasten gap-free at your waist has proven impossible, these jeans will change your life. Daily. Because that’s how often you’ll want to reach for them.
Price: $128
#5: HOUNDSTOOTH AND PLAIDS
One of the principles we hear a lot around dressing “timeless” or '“luxury” is to avoid loud prints and bold colors. But obviously it can get boring sticking to black blazers and white tees. Which is why houndstooth and plaid prints feel like a solution as opposed to just another pretty thing we wear. They’re subtle and neutral, but miles more interesting. And because they incorporate more than one color, they tie so many of our looks together in ways a solid never quite can. We therefore choose these prints predominantly for outerwear and pants, so we can use them on repeat to elevate all the neutrals we live in.
Everlane The TENCEL™ Oversized Blazer
This is actually the exact blazer Katie Holmes is wearing in the above pic. And the very same one we told you fits better than any other blazer earlier in this article. However, this one is wildly on sale. And it has the plaid that makes our jeans and tee outfits look like cloth symphonies. Add the above lug-sole loafer, and you’ll spend your day completing tasks and collecting compliments. It’s just that empowering.
Price: $79
Boden Chelsea Check Pants
The shape of this trouser is wildly flattering. Plus, they size up to 22 and are perfection curves. The print makes our laziest t-shirt looks suddenly appear more polished, more elegant, and more … British. In the best way.
Price: $120
Tuckernuck Houndstooth Wool Tweed Kensington Blazer
And here it is. The tweed houndstooth blazer we’ve always dreamed of owning. The one that makes us feel like we could write a book on a typewriter set in front of the window to our lakehouse but also like we’ll be taking tea at Harrod’s at 4 and also like we’re finally the wise, chic adult we always hoped we would grow into, and turns out, all we had to do was locate this blazer.
Price: $378
BONUS: BOWS!
It felt fitting to wrap this up with a big shiny bow. Bows are lovely, Simple. Chic. Sentimental. And they’re one of those teeny, tiny things that completely transforms your outfit. Here’s how we love to wear them.
Boden Fluffy Bow Back Sweater
If you’re not experiencing the holidays in this very sweater whilst stirring a sprig of rosemary into your cider, are you really even experiencing the holidays at all?
Price: $130
Hill House The Ribbon Ellie Nap Dress
There’s not much that looks prettier round our waistline than smocking. But add in a full skirt and two billowing bows on the shoulder, and you may have given us our prettiest dress all-around.
Price: $228
Reformation Joelle Top
If every flattering shirt in your closet is starting to feel blaringly boring, especially when it comes to getting dressed up to go out, then this top could be an answer to your prayers. Tuck it into jeans or a wide-leg pant, and you’ll be all wrapped up in a perfect silhouette…and with a cute little bow to boot.
Price: $148
Hill House Ashley Bow
Alternately, you can ignore every single thing we just said, throw on whatever you like, and just add this. Poof! You’re chic!
Price: $38
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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