How To Dress When You’re Over 50 And Overweight | Stylish Tips!

By Monica Liang

Don’t limit your fashion just because of your age and weight.

Fashion is for everyone–no matter what age or body size. It’s about expressing yourself through what you wear.

However, societal pressure to dress a certain way can affect how you dress yourself. Not to mention the fact that stylish options may feel limited if you’re plus size.

That’s no fun at all and it makes me deeply sad as someone who adores fashion. I vow to show you that dressing up can still be fun–no matter what age or body size,

Keep reading to find stylish ways on how to dress when you’re over 50 and overweight!

Disclosure: Vain Affair is reader-supported. When you buy through affiliate links on our website, we’ll make a small commission, without impacting your price. Thank you. Learn more.

In This Post ➜

How Should A Woman Over 50 And Overweight Dress?
Outfit Ideas For Women Over 50 And Overweight

Casual Outfit
Date Outfit
Summer Outfit
Winter Outfit
Office Wear
Party Outfit
Formalwear
Beach Outfit

Slimming Outfit Tips For Over 50
Clothes That Flatter A Plus Size Figure
Prints & Colors For Over 50 & Overweight

Casual Outfit

Whether you’re about to head out to brunch with friends or go shopping, here’s how to dress for a casual outing.

Wear a wrap top and pair that with high-waisted, straight-leg jeans. The wrap top helps define the waistline, but the wrap design is loose enough so that it doesn’t accentuate your curves.

Moreover, the high-waisted pants define the waist and the straight leg fit helps elongate the legs. This is one of the easiest slimming outfits for over 50.

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Woman Within – Femme Fatale Faux Wrap Top

Date Outfit

Are you heading out on a date and dressing to impress (yourself, obviously! 😉)? It’s time to wear a cute dress, but it needs to complement your body.

In this case, try an empire waist dress. These dresses have a built-in waistline that is higher than the natural waistline.

Since they have a higher waistline, it will raise the eye and help hide lower belly fat.

Don’t forget to complete this date outfit with block heel sandals.

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Summer Outfit

It’s summer and you don’t need to show lots of skin to keep cool and look age-appropriate. Here’s how to dress for hot summer days.

For this summer look, wear a V-neck blouse. The V-neckline helps direct attention upwards and away from a heavier lower half.

Pair this with linen bootcut pants. Linen fabric is very breathable and the curved bootcut hem helps balance out the curvy silhouette. Plus, it’s a great slimming outfit for over 50!

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Woman Within – V-Neck Tie-Front Blouse

Winter Outfit

Winter is the perfect time to rock stylish sweaters. Look for a sweater with Dolman sleeves.

The voluminous Dolman sleeves add volume to the arms and shoulders. The volume is perfect if your lower half is wider than your top half.

Pair this with high-waisted pants, which will help define the waist.

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Office Wear

Office wear doesn’t always have to be your typical button-up dress shirt. Instead, try a dressy peplum top the next time you’re heading to work.

The peplum top has a built-in waist that flows outward and helps hide unwanted curves near the waist. This is a great top for those who have a less defined waist.

Pair this with bootcut pants to further balance out the curvy silhouette.

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Party Outfit

A party outfit is the perfect time to wear a pretty dress and have fun. For this occasion, wear an off-the-shoulder dress.

This type of dress will show off your collarbone and shoulders. This will naturally draw more attention to those lovely shoulders. It’s a great way to draw attention upwards away from a heavier bottom half.

Pair this with some heels and you’re ready to go out!

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Formalwear

If you’re heading out to a formal event, here’s a simple and elegant outfit that is perfect for those over 50.

A wrap dress is perfect for creating a flattering waistline and is more forgiving if you want to hide any unwanted curves.

Don’t forget to wear heels or dressy flats to complete this polished outfit for formal occasions.

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Beach Outfit

A beach outfit doesn’t have to show off tons of skin. A long maxi dress is the perfect swimsuit cover-up. They’re stylish and breathable for hot beach days.

If you’re going to wear a swimsuit, look for one with a high-waisted bottom. The higher waist helps define the waistline. It’s a slimming outfit idea for over 50!

In terms of color, you can never go wrong with a timeless black bathing suit. This color is slimming and works well as a one-piece or bikini.

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Plus Size India Flair Maxi Dress - How To Dress Over 50 And Overweight — SHOP NOW:
Kiyonna Plus Size India Flair Maxi Dress

How Should A Woman Over 50 And Overweight Dress?

If you’re over 50 and overweight, don’t be discouraged! It may seem like your fashion options are limited, but in reality, there are still many stylish choices out there.

One of the most important things to do is to get acquainted with your body shape. Some of the most common body shapes for plus-sized women are the apple, hourglass, straight, and pear body shapes.

Learn how to dress these body shapes in this article that explores the 5 different body shapes and how to dress each one.

Slimming Outfit Tips For Over 50

You don’t have to diet or lose weight for these outfits to instantly visually slim you down. It’s all about knowing what to emphasize on your body and what’s flattering.

Here are a few tips you should know so that you look thinner no matter what outfit you choose. If you’re wondering how to dress when you’re overweight, this will make you look thinner in no time!

Don’t exclusively wear tops that are loose and baggy. You want to go for tops that skim areas of your body that you want to hide but fit nicely in other places. A peplum top is a great example. They hide lower body fat because the built-in skirt skims over the belly area, while still emphasizing the waist nicely.
High-waisted pants are your best friend. They help define the waist and draw the eyes lower.
Wrap tops and dresses flow nicely over the body while emphasizing the waistline without accentuating unwanted curves.
Pay attention to your hemline. Don’t wear shorts, skirts, or dresses that stop at the widest part of your legs. This will only bring attention to that area of your body. Instead, wear clothes with a hemline that stops at the smallest part of your legs.
Have your pants’ and jeans’ hemlines stop at your ankles. This works especially well if you have thinner ankles. It makes your legs appear longer.

Clothes That Flatter A Plus Size Figure

The outfits I outlined above gave you ideas of the best clothes to wear that’ll flatter a plus-size figure. However, there’s more flattering clothes too!

Here are some pieces that you can incorporate into your outfits. Include these pieces into your outfits to create stunning slimming outfits for over 50!

Corset belt – These belts can help you visually create an hourglass figure. Their structure holds all your curves in the right places.
Peplum top – They cinch in the waistline and hide tummy fat. What’s not to love?
Color block dresses – When color blocking is used correctly, it can slim down a figure visually. Dresses that have S-shaped color blocking or a color block stripe across the waistline direct attention from any unwanted curves.
Midi dress – The longer hemline will draw attention away from your calves and make your legs appear slimmer.
Waterfall cardigans – A long-line cardigan will make you appear slimmer and flatter your body.
Asymmetrical dress – The asymmetrical hemline will visually elongate your legs.
H-line skirts – These skirts are slightly less fitted than pencil skirts and are more slimming than A-line skirts.

Prints & Colors For Over 50 & Overweight

Use colors and prints to your advantage. They can be flattering and help visually slim you down. Be careful though! Colors and prints can also be unflattering if used incorrectly.

Here are a few ways to bring color and prints tastefully into your outfits.

Monochrome outfits – Wearing a single color throughout will make your entire figure homogenous. This creates a slimming and elongating effect. You can experiment with similar shades or the same color and different fabric textures to make the outfit interesting.
Wear prints with a solid color. Prints can be overwhelming if you wear them from head to toe. Less is more in this instance. For example, you can wear a printed top, but pair it with a solid neutral color such as black. This makes prints more wearable.

Never let your age and weight limit how you express yourself through fashion and make you feel good. I hope this helps you figure out how to dress when you’re over 50 and overweight.

Disclosure: Vain Affair is reader-supported. When you buy through affiliate links on our website, we’ll make a small commission, without impacting your price. Thank you. Learn more.

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