Fashion Tips for 50+ Dieters

So you’re on a diet? Join the club! Whether the motivation is fitting into last year’s jeans, an upcoming big event or a desire to be swimsuit-ready by June, it feels like everyone wants to be a loser. This situation is a toughie, especially when you’re shopping for new clothes. What will work at your present weight and still look good as you drop pounds ... and maybe long after? As we head into 2024, here’s my guide for women age 50-plus on the most flexible and flattering buys for every dieter, regardless of size and weight goal.

Clockwise from bottom left: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in Pinky Promise ($24, ulta.com); Revlon Insta-Blush in Candy Kiss ($16, cvs.com); Soma Embraceable Perfect Coverage Bra in Adobe Rose ($49, soma.com); Warner’s This Is Not a Bra Cushioned Underwire Lightly Lined T-Shirt Bra 1593 in Toasted Almond ($20, macys.com)

Ulta Beauty; CVS; Soma; Macy's

1. Revise your bra and blush.

The scale may not show a big difference, but your face and breasts say otherwise. This is where mature women often notice weight loss first. Everyone gains and loses weight differently, but aging faces and breasts are not exactly strangers to the effects of gravity. Dieters often notice droopy cheeks and a change in the way their bra band or cups fit. Kick off your diet proactively by buying a new body-boosting T-shirt bra and applying cream blush higher on the cheeks — two moves that elevate more than your attitude. Here’s why: Any bra that pulls your breasts up and off your midriff to expose a couple of extra inches of upper torso is a dieter’s best friend. It creates body-lengthening space between your chest and waist/belly area for a trimmer-looking torso. (As weight loss continues, monitor the fit of your bras.) The blush switch — moving application high on the cheekbones instead of on your “apples” — not only counteracts sag (those apple cheeks drop the minute you stop smiling) but creates a slightly chiseled look of “bone structure” and adds a healthy radiant glow.

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Left to right: Banana Republic Factory Volume Sleeve Blouse in Bright Pink Dahlia ($55, bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com); H&M Women Wrap Dress in Black/Beige Patterned ($45, hm.com/en_us); Gibsonlook Rib Tunic Sweater in Jet Black ($55, nordstrom.com)

Banana Republic Factory; H&M; Nordstrom

2. Use color and prints to highlight and hide.

Wearing head-to-toe black is a tried-and-true strategy for anyone on a diet. It works. But don’t stop at black. Any color worn monochromatically creates a similar sleek chic effect, such as a navy top and medium wash blue jeans. That doesn’t mean you should never wear color or prints. One of the toughest parts about dieting is deprivation — and that often includes clothes. Give tonal tactics a break by swapping in white or a bright color where you want attention and wearing dark colors (including black) where you don’t. For example, you might wear a black tunic sweater with white jeans if you’re top-heavy, or a bright pink or fuchsia shirt with wide-leg black pants if your lower body is the issue. Prints are another way to play this game since the patterns optically blur away bulges. This works especially well in dresses with a combo of voluminous fit (a wrap or fit-and-flare silhouette) and allover pattern that attracts the eye but keeps your diet under wraps.