Summer outfits for women over 40 – 13 chic ideas

13 outfits to wear for everything, from a garden party to traveling

Summer is upon us. It is officially the season for garden parties, BBQs, and outdoor concerts. Or, you know, just chilling in the hammock. Summer is fantastic, but often you get an invitation and you wonder what to wear. What is the perfect outfit for this occasion? You wish someone could just tell you. No need to wonder anymore; in this article, I show you all the best summer outfits for women over 40.

Picking up fresh fruit at the farmers market or having a cappuccino in a coffee shop enjoying the sunshine and people watching, what outfit is truly the best?

Combine different light nuances

First of all, running errands is all about being comfortable, so I choose either a pair of shorts or a pair of pants with an elastic waistband.

Summer is all about light colors. Nothing looks fresher or more modern than combining white, off-white, and beige. Throw on a linen shirt and you are good to go. If you need to cover up against air conditioning, a denim jacket is the perfect way to give contrast to your outfit.

Museums can be a bit cold, even at the height of summer. So layers are necessary. A nice linen blazer will give you that grown-up elegance that we all try to achieve in our 40s. A printed midi skirt is a good way to tackle both heat and air conditioning.

Just add white

Don’t think you are ever too old for white Converse. To look fresh in the summer, a white fitted T-shirt is the best way to go.

This is an outfit that will work in many different situations. The blazer helps you look more dressed up. If you want to look more casual, just add a matching cardigan instead of the blazer. Pick a printed skirt in your favorite color.

I love a good shirt dress in the summer. You look both preppy and, dare I say it; sexy.

A shirt dress is a great opportunity to show off your favorite necklace. The only thing I love more is when you combine your shirt dress with a leather jacket. Since a late evening can get cold, you will thank yourself for being smart enough to bring a jacket.

Keep it elegant

A shirtdress looks dressed up enough for almost any situation. (Maybe not a wedding.) It’s also a grown-up look, suitable for someone in their 40s. And yes, you should still wear your leather jacket.

If black looks too harsh against your skin, consider buying a leather jacket in another color.

In some situations, pants are just more comfortable than a skirt. If the concert is fancy; I would pick a pair of light-colored pants. If the concert is casual, it’s a good opportunity to wear a pair of jeans. Light denim looks summer-chic.

Get noticed

A printed blouse is such a fun way to dress up. I especially like to combine them with a more casual bottom, for an outfit with edgy balance.

I added a metallic blazer to give the outfit a bit of a jazzy feeling. This is truly one of the best summer outfits for women over 40.

For a BBQ, you want your outfit to be both practical and cute.

A silky slip-skirt is one of summer’s biggest trends. I especially like them combined with a simple T-shirt. Or, like in my example, with a T-shirt with an interesting twist detail.

Embrace trends

A pair of dad sneakers offers a nice counterpart to the boudoir feeling of the skirt. Don’t be afraid to try different trends, you want to keep up with modern life, right?

I would also make sure to add a piece of jewelry. Those pieces are always a great conversation starter.

I love soft pants for traveling. I cannot (anymore) sit for 5 hours in anything with a button, so yes, I did choose a pair of yoga-esque pants for this outfit.

Keep it classy on the top

Nowadays, those pants (if you choose ponte fabric) are sturdy enough to look like normal pants. Or at least, that’s what I tell myself.

But here is the smart styling trick; to dress up the pants I choose a top with structure and a cardigan that looks like business. You will look formal enough for the queues at the airport.

For summer, I often wear a combination of a white blouse and a pair of jeans (or sometimes denim shorts). This outfit is the essence of summer for me.

Here, I wanted to take the same principle and make it date-ready. A longer denim skirt is another big trend this summer, don’t miss out. Add a nice tweed jacket, gold hopes, and strappy sandals. You will look effortlessly irresistible.

Even if you usually prefer dressing in black and grey, summertime is the opportunity to wear colors. And nothing is more summer than having a picnic, so grab a cute colorful top and match it with a pair of sharp shorts.

I especially like to wear a bohemian top in the summertime and match it with rafia accessories to get the perfect summer look.

This outfit combination is suitable for many different occasions, for example, a children’s party. A pair of shorts make it easy to run around.

No summer is complete without spending time by the beach. I especially like long lazy beach walks. Sure, wear your bikini, but if you want to cover up a bit more, I recommend a colorful skirt combined with a white shirt.

This outfit is all about a romantic summer moment. Read a novel at a beachside café, collect seashells, and eat ice cream. All while looking joyful, like summer itself.

When it comes to creating the best summer outfits for women over 40, I love a knitted polo shirt. A short-sleeved one, like in the picture above, will have you looking elegant. I especially like to combine it with a linen blazer and white jeans.

Pearl earrings tie the look together.

If white feels too pristine for your life, just use this outfit formula in another color.

Dressing for a party is so difficult. You want to feel comfortable, but it still looks like you made an effort.

Here I present you with the answer; wear something green. Green is such an unexpected color that you instantly look stylish.

Wearing green is also a homage to summer itself. If you are not sure that green is a color that flatters you, wear a green skirt. The thing that we wear on the bottom does not have to be in a color that flatters our skin tone.

Having that said, green looks good on most people.

When you meet a friend for brunch, you want to look a little bit trendy. You certainly don’t want to look like you spent the last week caring for your sick children.

The solution is surprisingly easy; wear a maxi skirt. This item is both comfortable and practical, but always on trend for summer. A maxi skirt looks especially good when combined with gladiator sandals. Another epic styling trick is a maxi skirt and an asymmetric top.

Now that you got your maxi skirt, make sure you read my article Maxi skirt outfits to wear all summer long.

Summer is all about watching sports. Regardless if it’s Wimbledon or your kid playing soccer, you need a cute outfit. A college sweater in a fun color combined with a pair of chic denim shorts is the way to go.

What I especially like about this outfit is the chunky sandals; they will give your outfit a punk vibe. Don’t forget your cap and plenty of sunscreen.

A final note on Summer outfits for women over 40

As we get older we like to cover up a but more, we also like classic outfits that are both chic and comfortable. I hope you found your new favorite outfit in this roundup. Also, check out my article Summer Outfits for Women over 50.

All the clothes I have shown in this article could be collected and together make an excellent summer capsule wardrobe. If you are interested in this concept, make sure you check out my article Creating a classic summer capsule wardrobe – 5 different examples.

Creating an amazing outfit is all about feeling good in the clothes and adding some cute accessories.