Can You Wear Colored Jeans After 40?

Hi Deborah!

I  love your website and want to know if colored jeans are appropriate for a 50-something woman.

Bright, skinny jeans seem hard to wear unless you’re a size 2.  I love color, but I’m not sure if colored jeans scream I’m desperately clinging to youth or if they look chic and current. Can I wear colored jeans, and how do I pull off this look? Thanks! Trish ………..

Hi Trish,

If you want to wear colored jeans, go for them! Many women our age assume they’re just for young, skinny models when they can look great on women 40+. Colored jeans add a touch of fun to your wardrobe and make you look sporty, relaxed, and modern.

To wear colored jeans well, you need to: 1) find a pair that suits your body type, 2) know how to style them 3) own the look! Let’s dive in.

WILL COLORED JEANS MAKE ME LOOK FAT?

Do you worry that colored jeans are so bright they’ll make you look heavy? The colored jeans we see in magazines don’t always match reality.  Red-colored jeans are like a stop sign, drawing attention to your bottom half, even if you are slim.  So, how can you wear them and feel good? Try these tricks to look slim and feel confident in colored jeans.

1. Wear A Darker Shade

Darker colors have become famous for a good reason. Like oxblood (brown-red), a darker red is more slimming than bright cherry red, making colored jeans much easier to wear.

2. Try a Straight leg or Bootcut

Skinny jeans are tougher if you carry weight on your hips and thighs.  In this case, try wearing straight-leg or skinny-leg colored jeans. The slight flare leg helps balance out your hips and thighs.

3. Buy Colored Jeans with built-in Stretch

Remember that a little stretch goes a long way toward making your figure look fab.

4. Control the Amount of Color Shown

Wear a tunic, shawl, or long top that ends below the fullest part of your body, so you see less of the jeans. Don’t tuck in, as it will emphasize your bottom half.

5. Go Monochromatic

If you wear a top in the same color or similar color as your jeans, you create a long, continuous slimming brushstroke of color.

How to Wear Colored Jeans, so they are in Sync with Your Style Personality.

1. Neutrals to Look Sophisticated

Keep it classy by toning things down. Add a neutral top or jacket in ivory, white, black, tan, black, gray, or navy to colored jeans.

2. Mix Colors for a Fun Look

If you prefer a more playful look, wear a print top that includes the color of the jeans. Or, if you want to go even bolder, color block your outfit with a solid-colored top in a contrasting shade. For example, a yellow top with red jeans.  Note: you need the confidence to color block, or you will look like a clown. Please don’t force it. Here are some examples of colored jeans and colored tops styled well.

Here are some examples of colored jeans and colored tops styled well.

3. Try a Boyfriend Jacket for a Cool Look

Find a boyfriend jacket with turned-up sleeves in a neutral color, and pair it with colored jeans + a white/cream top for an elegant look.

4. Animal Prints for a Hint of Sexy

A touch of leopard print thrown into a black and red mix is edgy and sexy.

5. Stripes for a Sporty Look

Strips with colored jeans look modern and sporty. If the horizontal stripes make you look too full, add a cute jacket that nips in at the waist.

6. A Chambray Shirt for a Laid-Back Look

A soft chambray shirt + red jeans are a fashionable look.

7.  Showstopping Accessories for a Dramatic Look

Pair colored jeans with a neutral top and big, dazzling statement jewelry for a head-turning outfit.

Please watch how 40+ Instagrammers wear their colored jeans and watch my video on wearing colored denim jeans for women.