Casual Dresses for Women Over 50

Dresses are a must-have in any women's wardrobe, be it a 20 something girl or a more mature and graceful 50 something women. Casual dresses are a breeze to style and all you need are the right accessories to make them look glamorous or effortless.

Unlike jeans and tops or skirts and top combos, where you need to coordinate both the top and the bottom of the outfit, a dress is something simpler to pick up. However as you age, your dresses, whether they are formal or casual should be more restrained and age appropriate.

This does not mean that you wear frumpy and matronly clothes that do not show off your shape. Ideally casual dresses should hide all body flaws, should be on trend and should be flattering.

The biggest mistake that older women make is that they do not change the silhouette of the dress to match their changing body shape. Wearing the same design of casual dresses that you used to wear in your teens is certainly not going to help. Squeezing yourself into a short dress that you used to wear in your 20s is not going to flatter you and it is in fact a fashion faux pax. On the other hand you should not hide yourself behind over-sized dresses too.

Choosing the right cut or silhouette of a dress is very important, if you want to look trendy and fashionable. Although a dress should be chosen according to your body shape and structure, your age also plays an important role in it. For women who are in their 50s, here are some casual dress styles that would flatter you.

Do not dismiss the shirt dress as being too preppy. A shirt dress in the right fabric and right length can look very stylish on a mature woman. Avoid shirt dresses that are too short or which have fussy detailings on the bust. A straight cut shirt dress whose hemline falls just above the knee is great for mature women. Choose shirt dresses in a gauzy material like chiffon and crepe and do experiment with snazzy patterns.

Shirt dresses that comes with a thin belt are ideal for emphasizing the waist and it gives the dress a more structured appearance. If you have flabby arms, then opt for shirt dresses that comes with three-fourth sleeves or full sleeves. Nowadays, there are shirt dresses that have a pussy bow which looks absolutely fabulous. Dress up in a casual shirt dress with a pair of platform heels and long pendant chains.

A casual dress pattern that looks absolutely stunning on mature women is the wrap dress. A wrap dress is perhaps the most versatile of all dresses and there are many designs of wrap dresses to choose from. A wrap dress is fitted at the top and then gently flares out at the bottom, creating an hourglass shape and hiding flaws like love handles and muffin top.

If you have toned arms, then you can opt for a sleeveless wrap dress. If you have issues like flabby arms, then choose a wrap dress with sleeves. You can also opt for the just in trend animal print in black and gray to look stylish and sophisticated.

It is all about finding the right balance between style and comfort. And a wrap dress strikes this balance beautifully.

If there is one dress that is appropriate for young as well as mature women it is the shift dress. A shift dress is essentially a form fitting dress that has no clear waistline.

Although shift dress have hemlines ranging from the just below the knee to mid thigh length, mature women over 50 should choose a shift dress with a demure hemline. Hemlines that fall just one to two inches above the knee look age appropriate as well as trendy. To remain on top of trends, choose a shift dress with side pockets and a square neckline.

These were some casual dress patterns that looks great on women over 50. Whenever you go shopping for casual dresses, make sure that you do not blindly follow the trends, but also pay attention to what patterns would suit you.