5 Ways To Look Chic In Summer When You’re Over 40

In this guide, I’m going to share my secrets to feeling cool and effortlessly chic in Summer, even when you don’t feel comfortable showing off the same parts of your body that you used to.

In my forties, I became a little self conscious about my legs and arms, which meant that I struggled to feel comfortable, let alone fashionable, come Summer time.

Dressing for Summer days became a real challenge because the typical Summer outfits I would usually wear didn’t suit me, or my body anymore.

I felt exhausted trying to find Summer outfit combinations that covered up the parts I didn’t like, whilst keeping me cool throughout the day.

But once I ‘cracked the code of MidLife summer dressing’ I felt calmer, happier and more confident in my dressing. I understood what items to look for, how to create fabulous (and breathable) outfits and dressing became a breeze!

The secret to looking chic in Summer when you’re over 40 is to build a capsule wardrobe; a collection of pieces that mix and match in a multitude of combinations.

This is what I do for my clients; I find and curate a combination of key capsule pieces you can style time and time again, that feel great and look sensational.

We can work together to build your Summer Capsule wardrobe, but to get you started, here are my TOP 5 TIPS to look chic in Summer when you’re over 40.

1: Pick your midlife summer color palette

To take the stress out of summer dressing I like to think about the colors I am looking for in my capsule wardrobe.  

Having a starting point with a palette helps you to stay on track. 

My choices this summer are black ( yes, it can be a summer color), white (we will talk about which whites are best in an upcoming blog post), naturals ( light linen colors), and 2 feature colors, I choose bright green and royal blue. 

I like to choose a neutral palette because it feels cool to me.  

Then I choose to add a POP with these blues and greens because they are bright colors that are right for my skin tone.  Here is my Summer palette (this makes shopping a BREEZE when you have this saved on your phone).

Want a little insight into your best summer colors?  Click HERE.

2: Pick breathable, natural fabrics.

Summer is the time to wear natural, breathable fabrics. 

It is especially important during midlife because it helps with the unregulated temperature that our body may have (Oh hot flash, how I really loathe you during summer!)

Let’s check out some amazing options for breathable fabrics: 

• Linen – so breathable but not for you if you will obsess about the wrinkles!

• Cotton- A natural, sustainable cotton is a beautiful choice for summer because of it’s breathability and it really helps to keep you cool

• Cotton poplin- this is a blend ( and is honestly my favorite!)   It doesn’t wrinkle as easily as linen but has a refinement to it that makes it chic.
• Tencel- This super environmentally sustainable fiber is super soft and is some of the cleanest fiber out there.  While it can be pricey it is cool and perfect for the environmentally conscious. 

3: Add More Dresses

There are so many amazing dresses out there and one of the on-trend choices that also happens to hide legs well is the maxi dress. 

This powerhouse has everything:

• Coverage if you aren’t feeling like exposing skin 
• Length to cover up when we don’t feel like showing off our legs
• Airflow; The maxi is sweeping and therefore can be cool on a hot summer day.

Pick a maxi dress ( or a midi if you want the same idea but a bit shorter) that has a bit of flow to it.

Make sure to accessorize the dress. Add a necklace, earrings or belt to give it your style.  We want to focus on being cool and styled, not cool and dressed!

4: Understand Your Body Shape

If you still love wearing shorts but want to make sure you’ve picked the right ones, my advice is to make sure you pick a cool, breathable light fabric and that you understand what lengths flatters your silhouette.

Want my shorts guide..HOW TO PICK THE PERFECT SHORT ?  Click HERE

However, if you are like me and don’t want to wear shorts you have some great options in pants. When it comes to longer pants, the right pair can be a midlife woman’s best friend in summer!

Pants in a breathable fabric and the right shape are a lifesaver, and I’ll tell you why:

• My knees aren’t that great- as we age our skin starts to lose its elasticity and sometimes I am just not feeling it, so a great pair of pants will quickly solve the problem.
• Pants are appropriate everywhere, shorts are not. Plus, there are so many great lightweight trousers, especially wider legs, which are on trend available right now that are perfect for those hot days. 

Look for a flowey pair of palazzo pants or a great pair of trousers you can wear with all the other pieces in your capsule wardrobe.

Your biggest consideration, other than the cut, is the length. You don’t want pants to unbalance your proportions, so it’s important to know what shape you have and how to optically balance it with the right length of pants. Interested in learning about your body shape?  Click HERE for an exclusive offer for The Everyday Woman’s Style Blueprint.

5: Try Short & Long Sleeved Blouses

Nope, I’m not crazy! I did just tell you to consider a long sleeve blouse for summer! Whether it’s short, elbow length or long, blouses can hide the parts we don’t love whilst still feeling cool and chic in Summer.

Short sleeve blouses are a great alternative to sleeveless tops.

Look for short sleeves that hit at the elbow to create a chic yet cool look.

Elevate your T-Shirt game with modern details, quality fabrics and the right cut for your body shape. Remember, we want to be styled, not just dressed.

Long sleeve blouses in gauzy cotton or thin cotton are amazing to add to our wardrobe.  

They help to keep us cool in the heat but also take the chill off in a store or restaurant.  

A great look is this white blouse with a pair of great trousers, but don’t forget your summer bag, sunglasses and a great pair of shoes.  Check out my blog post about my 5 must-have summer shoes to get inspired.

Here is my Summer Capsule: (You can click to buy these products if you like them too!)

We know that clothes can’t stop the hot flashes, but we can help ourselves stay cool while looking chic in Summer with these simple styling tricks.    

Want your own customized, shoppable Summer moodboard? Click HERE

Want to shop more of my suggested Summer items? CLICK HERE