Fall Style That Fits Your Curves, Not the Crowd: Plus-Size Looks for Women 60+
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Fall fashion has a way of showing up every year with a list of rules.
Wear this color.
Buy this jacket.
Apparently everybody needs the same pair of boots.
And somewhere along the way, if you’re plus-size and over 60, you’re supposed to become very excited about a closet full of beige.
Baby, no.
At 68, I don’t want to dress like everybody else. I want clothes that fit my body, my life and my personality.
And living in Arizona means my version of fall doesn’t necessarily start with a chunky sweater and knee-high boots. Sometimes fall means it’s finally cool enough to put on jeans without immediately regretting my life choices.
So this isn’t a list of things you have to buy for fall.
Think of it as inspiration for building a fall wardrobe that works for your curves—and still looks like you.
Start With the Top That Makes You Happy
I love a good top.
Especially one with color, movement, texture or a print that does some of the talking before I ever add accessories.
For fall, I’m looking at shades like rust, teal, wine, olive, mustard and deep blue—but I’m not limiting myself to a traditional fall palette.
If I find hot pink in October and I love it?
I’m wearing the damn pink.
For a plus-size body, I pay more attention to how a top hangs and moves than the number printed on the tag.
I want enough room through the bust and arms. I want fabric that moves instead of clings. And I want the hem to hit somewhere that works with my body instead of cutting me off at the widest point.
Gigi’s Fall Top Formula
Try:
Statement top + jeans + comfortable shoes + jewelry
That’s it.
You don’t need seventeen layers to make an outfit interesting.
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Amazon fall tops for women 60+
Your Summer Clothes Don’t Have to Disappear
One of the easiest ways to build a fall wardrobe without buying an entirely new closet is to look at what you’re already wearing.
That sleeveless maxi dress?
Add a denim jacket.
Your favorite lightweight blouse?
Wear it with jeans instead of linen pants.
The colorful dress you wore with sandals all summer?
Try ankle boots and a cardigan.
Especially here in Arizona, transitional dressing makes a lot more sense than pretending September suddenly means sweater weather.
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Good Jeans Do Half the Work
You know I love making jeans feel a little more boho.
And fall is when denim really earns its place in my closet again.
Straight-leg jeans are easy.
Bootcut jeans give you a beautiful line.
And yes, women over 60 can absolutely wear flare jeans.
There is no fashion police waiting outside your house.
The important part for me is stretch and comfort.
I want to sit down.
I want to eat lunch.
I want to breathe.
Those aren’t unreasonable expectations from a pair of pants.
Pair your jeans with a colorful blouse, funky jewelry and an ankle boot, and you’ve already got a fall outfit.
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The Third Piece Can Change Everything
Here’s one of the easiest styling tricks I use:
Add a third piece.
Top + jeans = outfit.
Top + jeans + cardigan = styled outfit.
But that third piece doesn’t have to be a heavy sweater.
Try a:
- Lightweight cardigan
- Kimono
- Denim jacket
- Soft vest
- Printed jacket
- Lightweight shacket
For plus-size women, I especially like layers that move vertically instead of stiff pieces that add bulk.
Leave the cardigan open.
Let the kimono move.
Push the sleeves up.
You don’t need to hide your body underneath your clothes.
You’re just adding another interesting layer.
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Don’t Retire the Dress Just Because Summer Ended
I love an easy dress because there’s very little thinking involved.
One piece.
Done.
And fall doesn’t mean the dresses have to go into storage.
Take a midi or maxi dress and add:
Denim jacket + ankle boots + layered jewelry
Or:
Cardigan + sneakers + crossbody bag
Now the summer dress looks completely different.
If you’re shopping specifically for fall dresses, look for pieces with movement through the stomach and hips rather than something designed to squeeze you into submission.
Your clothes work for you.
Not the other way around.
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Give Me the Easy Pants
Some days I don’t want jeans.
That’s where a good wide-leg or pull-on pant comes in.
And I don’t mean pants that look like you surrendered.
A beautiful wide-leg pant with a colorful blouse, long necklace and ankle boot can look incredibly pulled together while basically feeling like pajamas.
That’s a fashion compromise I can support.
Look for:
- Wide elastic waistbands
- Stretch
- Soft drape
- Enough rise to sit comfortably
- Pockets—because apparently we’re still celebrating when women’s clothing includes them
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Boots Without the Battle
Fall fashion always wants to sell us boots.
I’m fine with that.
But they better be comfortable.
At this point in my life, I’m not hobbling through Target because somebody decided a three-inch heel was necessary to complete my outfit.
Give me an ankle boot with cushioning and enough room for my foot.
And if you’re looking at taller boots, look specifically for wide-calf options rather than trying to force your leg into a boot that wasn’t designed for you.
That’s not your body’s problem.
That’s the boot’s problem.
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Your Jewelry Doesn’t Have to Get Quiet for Fall
You already know where I stand on this.
Stack the bracelets.
Layer the necklaces.
Wear the big earrings.
Put on the funky ring.
Accessories are one of the easiest ways to take simple fall basics and make them feel like your clothes instead of an outfit copied from a mannequin.
A plain top and jeans become something completely different once you add your jewelry, bag and shoes.
That’s where personality lives.
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Fall Doesn’t Mean You Have to Become Beige
Somewhere along the way, fall fashion became:
Beige.
Camel.
Brown.
More beige.
I like those colors.
I just don’t want an entire closet full of them.
Fall is actually one of the best seasons for women who love color.
Think:
Rust + turquoise
Olive + mustard
Burgundy + denim
Teal + camel
Deep purple + rust
Chocolate + hot pink
You can use a neutral as the base and then bring in the color.
Or ignore that advice completely and wear two colors together because they make you happy.
Fashion is supposed to be fun.
Fit Your Body—Not the Size Tag
This may be the most important thing I’ve learned about plus-size clothing.
The number on the tag is information.
It is not a grade.
One brand’s XXL fits me beautifully.
Another brand’s XXL might look like it was designed for somebody’s twelve-year-old niece.
If I need another size, I get another size.
I’m interested in:
Does it fit my shoulders?
Can I move my arms?
Can I sit comfortably?
Does it pull across my stomach?
Do I like what I see in the mirror?
That’s the test.
Not the tag.
Fall Style After 60 Should Still Look Like You
I spent enough years dressing for jobs, occasions, expectations and what I thought I was supposed to wear.
I’m not interested in doing that anymore.
My fall wardrobe doesn’t need to look like everybody else’s fall wardrobe.
Neither does yours.
Maybe you’re colorful.
Maybe you’re artistic.
Maybe you’re classic.
Maybe you’re boho.
Maybe you’re still wearing your favorite jeans from five years ago because they fit perfectly and you’re not giving them up until they fall apart.
Good.
The goal isn’t to dress younger.
And it isn’t to dress your age.
It’s to dress like yourself.
Find clothes that fit your curves.
Add the color.
Add the jewelry.
Put on the funky shoes.
And when somebody tells you women over 60 shouldn’t wear something?
Well…
They don’t have to wear it.
You do.
Tits up and be fierce, baby.
