My daughter and I spent two weeks in New York City. If you’d like to read about our first week there, click here! In that blog post, I share what we did in New York.
Here, I’d like to share some ideas for summer outfits for over 40.
The weather in New York was unpredictable during our time there in June. It was forecast to rain for only a couple of days. It ended up raining for about a week off and on in the two weeks we were there.
When I turned 40, I noticed it was getting a little bit harder for me to figure out what to pack/wear during vacation. My body was changing, my taste was changing, and what I used to get away with in my 30s was not going to pass in my 40s (to me).
I know I can wear whatever I want, but my style shifted, and I needed to find what made me feel confident again.
In my 20s and 30s, shorts, tanks, mini skirts, and dresses were my go-to when vacationing somewhere hot. However, wearing short-shorts and mini-skirts no longer appeals to me. It made me feel quite the opposite, uncomfortable and self-conscious.
Again, my style was shifting. It took a couple of trips to hot locations to figure out how to pack summer outfits for over 40.
This post is all about summer outfits for over 40 women.
Material
I cannot stress enough how this is a priority for me now. I need fabric that can breathe and feel comfortable when it touches my skin so intimately in hot weather.
In the summer, I look for natural fibers like linen, cotton, and silk (silk may be controversial, because some say silk sticks to skin in hot weather, but it hasn’t happened to me yet). If I’m not wearing 100% natural fibers, then I’ll opt for active wear that’s made of synthetic fiber that is moisture-wicking and lightweight.
Fit
Alongside material, fit is also important to me. I used to feel most confident in tight-fitting clothes. Now, wearing something tight in hot weather makes me feel uncomfortable. I opt for something more flowy and movable now.
However (just because we’re getting older and possibly opting for more loose-fitting attire), I don’t necessarily want to dress “older” and fall under the stereotypical frumpy fashion genre. I still want to keep my style fun, youthful, and updated. Fit can make all the difference between put-together and frumpy.
We can still follow trends if we like. Just be mindful of the fit.
For instance, large oversized tees were trending. I remember my girlfriend was so happy that this was in style because to her it was comfortable. However, large oversized tees did not look good on either of us.
I found that for me to take part in this trend, I needed to find tees a little bit shorter and a little bit more fitted. This way, I was still able to participate in the trend but needed to find a fit that suited my body better.
Bottoms
I have been really into flowy pants, more specifically, flowy linen pants. When looking into summer outfits for over 40, I nailed down the fit of flowy pants that work best for my body type. I’m 5’3 and currently 170lbs (I gained 20lbs this past two years, but currently on the path to lose weight).
Flowy pants that work best for me are more fitted at the hips and thighs with a little flair at the bottom or straight leg. I’ve tried wide-leg linen pants, and that cut is not flattering on me at all. It’s wide all over (hips and thighs included) and makes me look short, stumpy, and frumpy. It looks like I’m wearing pajamas.
Flowy pants that are a bit fitted at the hips and flow out at the bottom flatter my body type much better. It helps me look longer and leaner.
One of my favorite pants to bring with me when I travel is actually not flowy pants. They’re my hiking pants. My favorite hiking pants to travel with are the Prana Halle Pants in black.
These pants are great for both the city and nature. The material is comfortable, perfect for hot weather (and cold), and waterproof as well. They were great to wear when it rained in New York.
I’ve also brought them on my trips to Hawaii because they’re great for hiking. The one minor thing I don’t like about them is that they are low-waisted. I need to wear a top that is long enough to cover my stomach. Not a huge deal breaker, just something to keep in mind. The waist on these pants sits right below my belly button.
However, I love that they are waterproof and have a lot of pockets. One of the most used pockets is zippered and is located on the front of my right thigh. It’s long enough to hold my Samsung Galaxy S23.
It also has a drawstring, which is convenient when walking around because it holds me in place all day. My pants don’t feel like they’re being stretched or sagging. The bottom can also be rolled up and snapped in place to make them shorter.
Dresses
My taste in dresses has significantly changed as well. Before, I used to look for short, form-fitting dresses.
Now, like my pants, I want them long and flowy. I noticed in New York, a lot of women wore dresses that looked like two pieces, but were one-piece dresses. I believe they can be described as fit and flare dresses.
Thankfully, I found two dresses (one in black and the other in khaki) in this particular style at my local TJ Maxx. I wore both in New York.
Tops
Most of the tops I brought with me to New York were either silk, linen, or 100% cotton. One of the tops I brought with me was a synthetic material, but it was made to be worn in hot weather.
A lot of my tops and Arizona Love sandals were bought from Poshmark or thrift stores. It’s helpful to know your measurements when looking at used clothing merchants.
When I go on Poshmark or Mercari, I usually will first do a general look-up of silk tops, etc. I search based on the type of material I want, like cashmere, silk, or linen. Then the type of item, like pants or tops.
My shopping hack is to look for expensive materials second-hand. Or name brands like Arizona Love, and then the specific clothing item, like sandals, on these online reseller platforms, because they’re easier to look up and not feel overwhelmed.
Check out my blog post where I share tips on how to buy on Poshmark by clicking here!
Shoes
I brought 4 pairs of shoes with me to New York. Shoes are hard to pack for me because I want a pair for every possible situation. I want one for going out, like to a fancy dinner. One for running (I’ve only gone running once, all my times traveling). One for hiking, and one for trekking the city streets.
This trip, the four shoes I decided on were two sandals from Arizona Love. One of my Arizona Love sandals was a platform. A pair of walking shoes, which were my Salomons, and a pair of red flats from H&M, which unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of when we went out for Omakase.
My Arizona Love sandals, I would describe as being very similar to the Tevas Women’s Original Universal Sandals. The Arizona Love sandals are just as comfortable. The only difference is that the straps are a lot cooler than the Tevas because the sandals come in a variety of prints like leopard and bandana, which I have in both.
My current favorite pair of “walking” shoes is my Salomons. The first time I wore them was in New York during my trip back in March. I didn’t have time to break them in, but I was able to walk all day in them without any issues or discomfort.
These are one of the first pairs of shoes where I can walk 15K plus steps without having lower back issues (another pair are my hiking shoes, but they’re not as cute).
I say “walking” because when I originally bought them, they were supposed to be for hiking. Then I found out you can also run in them since they were originally used by ultra runners. So far, I’ve only been able to test them out as walking shoes. Hence, why I put them in quotes if you’re curious.
I also love how neutral and versatile the color I have is. It goes with pretty much everything, and they have served me well.
The only thing I wish I had done differently was purchase the waterproof version of these shoes. However, the color and price would have been different. I believe the waterproof version is about $20 more.
The red flats I brought with me were from H&M. These are just a cute, simple pair of flats. Although comfortable, I cannot see myself walking around New York City in them all day. There were days my daughter and I walked 25k steps plus!
What I’ve learned is that a lot of clothes I deemed just for hiking are actually pretty interchangeable between the city and nature. Because at the end of the day, living in a major city or hiking in nature, you are spending a lot of time outdoors. And you need clothes that are durable enough to withstand both conditions in the heat of summer or the cold of winter.
Hopefully, some of the things I wrote can help inspire you on summer outfits for over 40. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my previous post, Spend One Week In New York City With Me.
Also, be sure to check my picks below. As always, thanks for reading!
Love, Sutivi.
You look so good in all your outfits! Thank you for sharing <3
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Thank you for stopping by and reading!