Have you ever seen a short dress in the shops that you would love to wear but the dress is just way too short?
You may still be able to buy it! Instead of wearing it as a dress on its own, you can wear your dress over pants instead.
On certain occasions you can wear it as is, but on others there is just so much you can do with a wonderful short dress.
Here is older striped dress from Cos that I wore in different ways.
It’s worn with my bootcut Paige jeans. The belt gives the dress structure and I like this new silhouette that goes in and out.
When I come across an item I like and I see countless ways that I can wear the piece, it makes for an easy buying decision.
That was the case with this striped dress.
It’s made out of a stretchy material which makes it very comfortable to wear.
The dress is short and came without a belt but I instantly saw its opportunities as a tunic.
Since it has sleeves, it can be worn for warmer and cooler weather situations.
It can also be worn as a dress on its own, but since I’m one of those women who doesn’t particularly like to show the knees, I don’t think I will wear it much in this way unless I’m heading for a beach resort. I do like the look of the dress with these fuchsia kitten heels though.
I’m much more likely to wear this over pants. And I particularly like it with my bootcut Paige jeans. The belt gives the dress structure and I like this new silhouette that goes in and out.
Wearing it over skinnies is another no-brainer for this dress. These are cropped skinny jeans from Uniqlo. Super comfortable and very easy to combine with your longer tops in spring and summer. The fuchsia accessories give the look some extra color which is good for my complexion.
These whiter jeans are even wider but I really like this wide over wide silhouette at the moment.
Of course it’s important to give your look structure which I’m doing with the belt. The heels help to give me some height and compared with the belt (which I belt quite high) it gives the appearance of nice long legs.
This dress is a great example of how one new items can instantly refresh your wardrobe. All other pieces in on this page are at least one year old.
Some of the best short dresses in stores now
Here are just a few of the versatile short dresses I’ve spotted in stores now.
If you’re having a day when you love your legs and you feel confident, you may wish to wear them as they are. But, they’re also very flexible options for wearing over pants and leggings.
Tunic dress
A versatile dress that you can belt to create a different look.
Long sleeve dress
A wrap dress is always flattering. While this one is short, it does have long sleeves so won’t leave you feeling too “exposed”.
Speechless long sleeve wrap dress
Red dress
Leopard print is always a style staple and this dress has an unusual take on the trend because of the red background.
Tips for wearing your short dresses
To sum up, here are a few more tips on what you can put under your dresses as well as some more general thoughts on wearing short dresses.
Wear them with opaque tights
If you aren’t so confident about your legs anymore or don’t like your knees, you could wear them with opaque tights and booties.
Deborah (above) wears a front draped tunic with cashmere tights.
With leggings
Another option is to wear your short dresses with leggings.
With pants
The dresses over pants outfit is particularly on trend for winter and fall 2019 with lots of designers opting to showcase this look.
This gives you so much more versatility when it comes to your closet because you can wear your dresses over skinny or wide pants or over jeans.
Dayle (above) wears a pair of cropped blue jeans over a button-down printed dress and finishes off her look with statement accessories.
Think about your sleeves
If you aren’t wearing your short dress with leggings or pants, but feel confident enough to wear it as it is and show off your legs, you might want to think about covering up your arms so that you still feel you have enough coverage on your body and you keep your look classy.
Don’t throw those short dresses out just yet
If you have just pushed your short dresses to the back of your closet, don’t consign them just yet. Why don’t you have a bit of a play around with styling them over pants? You never know, you might just discover some new outfit combinations that you love.
Diana (above) looks gorgeous on this all red and black outfit.
Don’t follow the rules
I’m sure you’ve read plenty of articles and heard plenty of people say that you shouldn’t wear a short dress after a certain age. But who says? If you feel fabulous in it, you should go ahead and wear it however you want.
Do you still wear a short dress?
Related articles:
- How to wear tunics or short dresses with pants
- How to wear a short dress over 40
- The best tunics in stores right now
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Even those so called acceptable dresses above are too short regardless the woman’s age!!!! They need to be an inch or 2 longer. Above the knee is still too short. Knees should be somewhat covered to have an attractive look. The designs have been very bad these five years. So hard to find a decent skirt that is not too patterned and made from good quality material – not this thin stretchy leggings material. Dresses are designed really badly- too wide necklines, too tight bodices and of course too short. It’s like they were made for some alien type of bodies. Where has the sense gone from these manufacturers? What happens? It takes long to sell those crappy dresses/skirts that they end up in clearance.
Hi Sylvia, I just love your style section here and like coming back for ideas! I feel quite comfortable wearing short dresses and skirts and I guess thats what tells you if its right or not. Maybe you would like to check out my post here with about that little bacl (short;-)) dress. Sabina
For sure Sabine. You look smashing in your short dress!
Sylvia, thanks so nice of you to say! You know I posted our Radiant Orchid Coll. with a reference to your blog, right? Have a great day, Sabina
Hi Silvia
It is my fist time in your blog and I think it is really great with useful tips and ideas relevant to me.
You look great in the dress and the red accessories. It looks you feel very comfortable and natural in it.
I encounter the question of “too short” many times as I am tall and have many short dresses.
To keep a “dressy look״ my solution to this is to wear a combinezon-like dress under the dress, so I gain the extra length and the nice twist. There are many nice ones with interesting prints or laces that do not look like the old fasioned ones.
I like best your combination with the black skirt.
Thanks for your feedback Habit! Yes, you can come up with very creative solutions. I often combine short dresses with pants with is still a favorite and you can find many more examples in the what i wore section (under style tab) on this site.
Thanks Greetje! As you know I will still wear some short dresses in my summer holidays!
Love the dress in every way you have shown it. I think a woman over 40 can certainly carry this look if she carries herself with pride in it. Your legs are toned so that helps with the look… I’m nearing 60 so doubt I would try this… unless with the black skirt or a pair of slacks as you have shown it. Very nice!
Thanks Diane. I think that the dress / tunic over pants (or other skirt) look is great for women over 50. Have fun experimenting with the look!
The dress is pretty fun. I just cringe at the above pictures now…. Yes, it’s better as tunic and best with colour accessories too. I think it would look great in the outfit you suggest. I’m still looking out for a great red skirt!
Another home run in the hot-weather-fashion blog series!!! I love all of these iterations and would incorporate them all into my wardrobe. Watch and behold…I feel my fingers itching to start sewing. Thank you so much. You look incredible.
Thanks Jean. You’re very lucky that you can sew. You will be able to create the most original creations!
You look fine in just the dress. I don’t think it’s the years that matter, but the actualy appearance. Some girls at 15 wouldn’t be able to pull it off.
Thanks Irina! That is true, but I still prefer my skirts and dresses a bit longer these days….
I thought you look fab in the dress alone!
Found your blog from +40 list from the Citizen Rosebud.
Hi Jeannie, Thanks for stepping by and commenting. I visited your blog as well. You have great style! Also cannot believe you are already 50, you look so young. Wanted to leave a comment but couldn’t. Have you disabled comments for your blog?
I like the third look too. The colors blend better and the shoes tie it all together. Well done!
Thanks Vicky!
I love the way your pair dresses with pants and was wondering if you have any suggestions for a cold weather version. What kind of top layer do you think might work – would a short cardi look too choppy? How about shoes, would boots work with a dress over pants? Thanks, love the blog!
Hi Acorn! There are actually quite a few nice dresses in the shops now with long sleeves and if they have a bit of an A-line, they would be perfect with wider pants as in option 3. Another option is to wear the dress (especially more straight dresses) with leggings or thick tights. Combined with boots, that would be a very hip look. The top middle look in this post https://40plusstyle.com/how-to-dress-the-rectangle-body-shape/ is a good example of that. Another idea is to pair a dress with a longer cardigan (like almost the same length as the dress), but in many cases a short cardigan will work as well. I think you can have a lot of fun with dresses and layering in winter. I’ll try and show some examples later some time.