Q. Are leggings still acceptable? I am 40-something with quite a few dresses that I think are too short for someone my age to wear without pants or leggings. Love the dresses, but not sure how to wear them.
-Leg Wear
A. Why do you own so many short dresses? Are they from several years ago when you felt more confident sporting a view of your legs above the knees? It’s fine to wear leggings once in a while with dresses, but not as a routine. So keep only your absolute favorite short styles and donate the rest to consignment, a younger friend or a charity run thrift shop. And start buying dresses that don’t require leg coverage all the time.
Or check out the latest in hosiery designs.
hosiery_king69@yahoo.ca
I think her question is how does someone over 40 wear the short styles that she likes. Your answer is: You don't and to give-away those clothes. Nice.
questioning why someone owns what you assume are "so many" dresses, and then suggesting that she give some away to a "younger friend" sounds insulting to me. age appropriateness is in the eye of the wearer. alison -- forgive me, but your response sounds a bit immature.
it's not like 40 is this magic number, and then all of a sudden women needs to start seriously reconsidering their wardrobe.
if you are in shape (and this applies to women of ALL ages) you can wear leggings with the right kinds of dresses (they don't look good with everything). talk to a trusted sales associate at your favorite department store or a friend whose style you admire to help show you which dresses work with leggings, and which do not. you could also check out nordstroms online (or any other major department store) for the looks that work as well.
May I offer up a little suggestion to the gals over 40 who love the look of leggings? It'd be well worth their while to try the ones made by Sassybax. They lift and shape the derriere, trim the thighs and are completely opaque.
Perhaps I need to clarify. If you love the dresses and have the great legs and confidence to wear the short dresses-then go for it. 40 years old does not mean she can't wear short dresses. 40 is still young. It seemed that while the reader still loved her dresses she was feeling less confident at wearing them alone and was relying on leggings. I didn't want her to get stuck in a routine of always wearing leggings with the dresses when perhaps she could choose a few that look best on her to sport with leggings or opaque tights. Plus leggings do not look great with every dress and tend to make the look more trendy or casual. And on her next shopping spree I'd suggest she look for dresses that hit just above or below the knees so she can have the choice of bare legs, hosiery or leggings. Most of our readers know that I am a dress fiend and the best shopper is one that can incorporate variety.