I’m 50+ with a belly & love showing off my cleavage – I found the perfect style of jeans to flatter a middle-aged figure
“HELP!” wrote a fed-up 50-year-old on Mumsnet recently, “What do fat, middle-aged women wear nowadays?”
She went on to explain how she had gained 2st during breast cancer treatment and now, at 5ft 2in and around 18st, was living in leggings, despite having a bursting wardrobe.
It was no surprise that she was inundated with responses.
Many women can relate to not feeling themselves as they battle the menopause, changing bodies and judgment about what they should and shouldn’t wear in mid-life.
The advice ranged from opting for classic clothes like the French to having a capsule wardrobe.
But the most common tip she was given was to look at Instagram accounts such as @rantsandbigpants,@fabfatand40plus and @dressedtothemax.
Maxine Sumner Woolley, the woman behind the latter, says on her bio she is “short, curvy and over 50 . . . making midlife magnificent”.
Her Instagram is full of bright, bold photos of herself embracing her size 16 frame and not being afraid to show off her chest.
But she has had her own battle with mid-life fashion, too.
The former City worker says: “I lost my way after turning 50 and I hit perimenopause hard.
“I used to watch younger women on Instagram, wondering where my tribe was.
“I thought that there must be more women out there that felt like me and I wanted to find myself again and help others do the same.”
Maxine, mum to Eleanor, 21, and step-mum to Meg, 29, and Tom, 26, has 33,500 followers but insists she has the same body hang-ups as everyone else.
Maxine, 5ft 2in, says: “I have to psych myself up to try on jeans in a hot changing room and dread going jean shopping, but I still love to help other women enjoy clothes.”
Here are her golden rules for dressing fabulous when you’re mid-size in mid-life . . .
NEVER HIDE YOUR CURVES
I HAVE taught myself to understand my shape and work with it. It’s important to celebrate yourself through clothes, as you’ll not only look good but you’ll feel good too.
Hiding your body under shapeless clothes will only make you look bigger, if this is something you’re conscious of.
A belted dress with a V-neck is flattering on a fuller bust and the belt means you can cinch in as much as you like.
The rest of the dress can still be free-flowing and comfortable, but by defining your waist you’re showing off your shape.
BALANCE PROPORTIONS
I’M bigger in my hips so tend to wear more fluid shapes on my bottom half, like wide-leg trousers and swishy skirts.
You can still wear high-waisted and hip-hugging trews to show off your curves, but the fluidity of a wider silhouette at the bottom of your body means you look taller and leaner.
I balance that width at the bottom of my shape with a more fitted top and a structured blazer with shoulder pads that gives the illusion of height. And vice versa. For example, if I’m in straight-leg trousers, I’ll wear a looser top.
BLACK ISN’T EVERYONE’S FRIEND
DON’T always assume that black is the answer to looking more, shall we say, svelte.
It does me no favours, and against my face it makes me look washed-out and older than I am. I only wear it with a colour I love, like green, and in a texture to give it some depth.
If on the rare occasion I wear a black jumper, I make sure I lift my look and complexion with some accessories teamed with a bright lipstick.
BUILD OUTFITS AROUND NAVY
AS we hit midlife, navy is kinder and more forgiving than black. It instantly makes an outfit look smart and expensive, plus it won’t drain you of colour.
It goes with lots of other colours, such as bright yellow, orange, pretty pastel pink and gold green.
SHOW OFF YOUR ASSETS
AS I’ve always had a fuller bust I’ve learned that a well-fitting bra can define your shape so you feel much more confident in your clothes.
I get myself fitted every year. Sizes vary a little between styles and brands too, so I don’t assume my usual size will fit every time.
INVEST IN BASICS
TIMELESS basic items are the backbone of my wardrobe. Always remember price per wear — if a jacket is £50 and you wear it 20 times, the price per wear is £2.50. Bargain, right?
My staples are items such as blazers, denim, jumpers and tailored trousers. Then I buy a few cheaper, trend-led items that I’ll wear loads for one or two seasons.
YES, YOU CAN WEAR SHORTS
MY rule is to make sure the leg shape is a little wider than your thigh, so at the hem there’s a gap between you and the fabric.
That way the shorts don’t dig into your thighs and are more comfortable to move around in. A style that’s almost A-line shape is even better. They have the added bonus of making your thighs appear slimmer if that bothers you.
NEVER FEAR COLOUR
SCIENCE has found wearing colour can boost your dopamine hormones, which make you feel happy.
I like to mix colour with neutrals and I love a tonal look — the same colour from top to toe — as it gives the illusion of height.
My go-to hues are green, blue and orange tones. But ultimately, colour will work for every skin tone.
LAYERING
IN perimenopause I discovered I could no longer wear man-made fabrics, as they make me hot and itchy and any flushes worse.
Now I wear cotton, linen and viscose. At my worst, when I could have a hot flush at any moment, I wore several thin layers that were easy to peel off, such as a vest, shirt and chunky knit.
DITCH THE SKINNY JEANS
I KNOW it can be daunting, but I always push myself to try on different shapes, and styles. For example, branching out to wide-leg jeans instead of skinnies has totally changed the way I see myself.
TWEAK AS YOUR BODY CHANGES
OUR bodies and our tastes change, so I do a complete wardrobe overhaul every year and never keep anything that’s just OK.
You should wear what you love and what makes you feel good.