Stylist Advice: Age Appropriate Shorts And What Leggings To Wear To A Wedding

Rebecca Taylor - Sequin Tuxedo Shorts at Saks.com

For our first round at Talk Thursday full of expert stylist’s advice, our new weekly installment of style & lifestyle questions from YOU for us to contemplate, comes TWO questions that everyone could learn a thing or two from

Q:

 From Lisa-   ‘I like the shorts with platform heel look. I am not talking short shorts but at least a 5″ inseam. What I am wondering is what age is too “old” to be wearing this? I am not looking for a cougar look. I do like this look, it looks good on me but when am I not age appropriate?’ (via fashion advice)

 

A:

 We agree, shorts paired with platform heels can be quite a killer look as they can highlight assets, offer a plethora of options and keep you cool and comfy. Making them one trend worth at least giving a try. Consider the look above as inspiration as the outfits fluid shape could suit just about any age range.

>> READ: The Ultimate Shorts Trends Shopping Guide

And cougar or not, this isn’t really about an age-approriate issue, its more a matter of body type and the kind of shorts you choose. While heels of any kind make your legs look leaner, if you are bottom heavy we suggest wider hemmed shorts to keep your proportion intact. Shorts and heels will always remain in style and work on aged person. Just keep in mind that by each decade passed your shorts need to become wider and longer in the leg and your heels need to get shorter & shorter. Why?

>>MORE: Shorts

Because nothing could be any more age-INappropriate than a woman trying to look overtly sexy in the wrong shape keep in mind the age notes we’ve featured below as a simple shorts Style 101.

  • 20’s & under- From denim to chino paired with bustiers and you name it, now’s your time to go wild as you can conveniently have your moment to be risk-taking and still make it work. Just remember to keep it elegant as you don’t want to look too young in shorts too short.
  • 30’s- We suggest keeping shorts at least mid-thigh length while looking for slightly wider styles and avoiding anything too casual paired with heels.
  • 40’s+- As you get older, look for shorts that sit away from the body. We think you should consider looking at recent Chanel shorts suits that pair a slightly boxier yet none the less elegant pair of pleated bermuda shorts with an abbreviated double-breasted jacket. Think of the Bermuda and its many iterations as your go to shape no matter what your bodytype. -Now that’s exactly the kind of classic, yet eye-catching look that will keep you far away from any kind of cougar association.

Shorts for every age…

 

 

ROUND TWO…

The now ubiquitous LEGGINGS, the life-saver that’s comfortable to boot -what styles work best at weddings?

Q:

 From Bernie- ‘My son is getting married Labor Day weekend in Maine. I am a Southern Californian. The bride’s mother is wearing a simple short dress. I never wear short dresses as I do not have beautiful legs. Anyway, I found a cute short ivory lace dress that looks flattering, and I also bought a blush pink lacy scarf (wedding color). These look fine together as I am wanting to look artsy. I want to wear leggings and some cute sandals.

What color leggings and sandals should I be looking for and would lace leggings be overkill? I’m also going to add a blush pink ribbon or belt to the waistline of the dress…’ (via fashion advice)

 

A:

 Leggings, the die-hard trend that works to your advantage, can at times also become a safety net that you should learn how to work around. Why? Because while they are easily attainable, affordable and most of all comfortable, often, we forget that there are also plenty of genius, easy to pull off alternatives out there.

In Bernie’s case, although she has alternatives that we’ll get to, family weddings often call for both formality and practicality as she’s a major part of the big event. So leggings do make for a smart choice, as they’ll also be fuss-free.

>> NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO WEAR? WANT SOME FASHION ADVICE? ASK SHARON & NAVEED!

We suggest going for a black strappy sandal that offers a break in the skin paired with plain (only) leggings in the same blush pink shade as her scarf as they will tie the look together and add balance. Although she could easily elongate her look with lace leggings in the same shade and lace as her dress for a very chic update to pinnacle 20’s era looks. We’d finish the later look with a pair of black velvet platform sandals to punctuate it with some graphic weight.

Now for the alternatives…

When considering Bernie pairing her ivory dress with matching it has us thinking of other smart alternatives ways that she could conceal herself appropriately with.

For one, the pant and dress look is very elegant when you find a beautifully tailored slim trouser like those seen at the recent Dior Couture Show. And if tailored doesn’t make sense for a warm weather wedding, what about hitting the semi-sheer pants trend. This way, she could feel confident and the volume would make for a beautiful silhouette while navigating her event.

Some “dressy” leggings…

Photo:Rebecca Taylor shorts

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