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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
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.
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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