Lady dress: Fall 2011 Dresses Over 50: Bold and Beautiful

Photo credit: William Werber

If I had to sum up Fall 2011 dresses in one word, it would be: bold. This season's standout dresses feature rich colors, dramatic patterns and textures, longer hemlines and more. Fall’s not-so-typical neutrals—white, stone and sand—are making an equally strong showing. There seems to be a dress for every woman's taste. Whimsical dresses made of sexy sheer fabrics and fall floral prints should appeal to women over 50 looking for feminine styling. And for women who favor classic tailoring, the new menswear-inspired dresses should satisfy their desire. For this post, I’ve gathered some of my favorite fall 2011 dresses for older women. I've already written a post about the fall floral dresses, so I haven't included any here. And you'll find a few more bold colored dresses in my recent primary colors post. In this post, you'll find a range of prices, from higher-end designer dresses to dresses under $100.

NEUTRALS
I love the dresses in neutral shades this fall. They look so crisp and clean, don't you think? Pair a sand-tone dress with sand-tone suede pumps for a knock-out fall look. This first style is from Shopbop, a designer collection site.

Nanette Lepore Ambrosia Lace Dress ($428.00)

Here are two choices from Anne Klein...

Anne Klein Wrap Skirt Sheath Dress (Brown) ($119)

Anne Klein Solid Ponte, Ships 9/15 (Brown) ($119)

And here's a well-priced choice from the Beall's Department store...

Connected Apparel® Sleeveless Dress (was $60, now $36)

THE COLOR CRAZE
Bright colors are de rigueur this fall. Expect to see dresses in beautiful rich hues, as well as garments that mix colors. Just be careful with mixing; I'd hate for anyone to look like a scary old clown. Texture is also a trend as you can see with this Anne Klein Textured Draped Sheath Dress, Ships 9/15 (Red) ($550). It's bound to turn heads.

Anne Klein Textured Draped Sheath Dress, Ships 9/15 (Red)

I love the rich blues and greens that are in vogue for fall.

Diane von Furstenberg Metador Two Dress ($395)

Belted-Ponte-Di-Roma-Dress ($138)

Upper East Side ($72)

Gathered-Detail-Jersey-Dress ($98)

There are also bright colored prints like this Perceptions 2-pc. Ruffled Dress & Shrug Set (was $80, now $48) in deep purple and black. It's a great value with a removable shrug sweater that you can wear with other dresses.

HOUNDSTOOTH, PLAID, PINSTRIPE, TWEED--OH MY!
Traditional patterns--houndstooth, plaids, pinstripes, tweeds, argyles--are all the rage this fall. Designers are daring women to mix them with other patterned accessories (ie, houndstooth dress with a plaid sweaters, shoes and handbags). Here are a few classic designs that would look fabulous on women over 50. Click on any of the pictures for a zoom-in view of the patterns.

Anne Klein Glen Plaid Shift Dress, Ships 9/15 (Black) ($139)

Printed-Silk-Shift-Dress ($184)

Jones New York Asymmetric Seam Sheath Dress, ($129)

Jones New York Ruffle Tweed Sheath Dress, ($129)

Or this Jones New York Asymmetric Seam Sheath Dress ($139.00) available in Women's Plus sizes only.

And a houndstooth print dress with a full skirt from Shabby Apple...

Madison Ave ($92)

GRAPHIC BLACK AND WHITE
Graphic prints--polka dots, geometric designs, stripes, confetti, etc.--are again in the fashion mainstream. I've focused on the mostly black and white ones because there are just too many wonderful graphic dresses for older women.

Jones New York V-Neck Faux Wrap Dress ($159.00)

Jones New York Matte Jersey Shirred Neck Chemise Dress ($134.00)

Printed-Silk-Fixed-Wrap-Dress ($284)

Here's another dress-and-shrug combo from Beall's...

R & M Richards Pleated Empire Waist Dress & Shrug (was $80, now $56)

LONGER HEMLINES
The long, romantic dresses of summer are giving way to long, elegant fall dresses for women. The just-below-the-knee length can make a short woman's leg look a bit stumpy. Personally, I'm going to wait for tall boot weather before I try any below-the-knee dresses and skirts.

Karina Grimaldi Biscot Long Sleeve Dress ($196)

Jones New York Sleeveless Dress ($129)

SHEER FEMININE
If you've been following the fashion magazines these past six months, you've probably seen some wild applications of sheer (ie, mini dresses with a layering of sheer fabric down to the ankles). However, there's also more subtle sheer dress styles that are feminine and sophisticated for the over 50 woman. Here are two examples...