Women over 50 with style and class

Fundamentals For Alternative To Shorts & Capris

I appreciate each and every share. Thank you!

Our Ageless Style group came up with the idea to showcase an alternative to shorts so I had the crew give you what I consider are the 3 easiest options.

Quote of the day: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all be a little more gentle with each other.” Judy Garland

While one of the options could be capri pants, I decided to forgo capris because that topic is so controversial.

Personally, I have reintroduced shorts back into my wardrobe and I wear them all year long (in the winter with tights and boots). Just because I call an item “shorts” doesn’t mean they have to be the Daisy Duke variety of shorts.
I love how the longer and more voluminous shorts are making a comeback.

Yet I realize many older women have written off any clothing item that would be translated to mean “shorts”, so let’s explore the 3 easiest options as alternatives to shorts.
1-Pants (but make them flowy)
2-Skirts (if you love separates)
3-Dresses (one and done)

The three of us know how to stay cool in the hot summer weather, and we have worn a variety of items. Here are more outfits if you need ideas.

Woman over 80 with fashionable clothing

Charlotte-Coverage with Flowy Pants

The next step, similar to shorts (besides capri pants), is to wear long pants. However, in the summer, the last thing you want is material hugging your body, so it’s better to choose wide legs and flowy pants.
That’s why I included flowy pants as a great option for an alternative to shorts.

There are many versions of this kind of pants including palazzo pants. And you don’t have to spend a lot of money on them if you aren’t sure how they will work in your wardrobe.

Charlotte found this pair while thrifting and I love how they look like a skirt. She’s worn them with basically the same type of outfit in the past.

I know my mom has taken to wearing capri pants most days here in the Arizona heat. It’s the common “uniform” of the women in her independent living community.
In fact, I borrowed one of her “sets” in the past to give examples of ways to switch it up.

While I believe we can modernize any clothing item, I know we get into ruts with what we wear. That’s why checking out influencers who style clothes in different ways and pairings can be good for us.

Insider tip: Did you notice my mom is mixing her metals? Her belt is a mixture by itself and then she’s wearing silver shoes.
Mix it all up. It’s much more modern than matching everything.

Striped vest worn as top

Jodie-Mix & Match with a Skirt Instead of Shorts

If you are someone who likes separates as part of your closet for the variety of options, then skirts are perfect as an alternative to shorts.

In fact, I think skirts can be the most underappreciated clothing item for many women. They are cool in the summer and with the variety of silhouettes and styles, there is something for everyone.

I styled this asymmetrical skirt with a menswear vest. Since this vest buttons up in the front, I was able to wear it as a top with no flashing issues.
The vest is still available although it’s not on sale as much as when I purchased it.

Can you tell that I’m print mixing? The striped vest and polka dot skirt go marvelously together even though they are different colors.

I thought the pop of turquoise with my shoes, purse, and jewelry was the perfect finishing touch.

Shift dress for zucchini shaped woman

Lesley-A Dress as an Alternative to Shorts

The important thing to remember when you hear the word “dress” is that it doesn’t mean you have to be dressed up. Wearing a dress can be for the most casual days as well as important events.

Insider tip: We have casualized dresses many times on this site. The latest being with our yellow dresses. Footwear and accessories can transform your dress into an everyday look.

In Lesley’s words: “For a look that’s cool and a bit dressier than shorts I like to wear an unstructured dress and let the breeze have its way with me. I usually wear a pair of pettipants under my dresses to avoid ‘chub rub’.”

Insider tip: There are many shorts made to counteract chub rub as well as glide on products. Most chub rub shorts are tight fitting and that’s the last thing you want in the heat. So you might check out looser ones for comfort.

Options for alternative to shorts

You should definitely sign up for the emails below. Besides the free eBook, my email family gets personal tidbits of what’s going on in my life along with other happenings, sales, information, giveaways, extra photos, and interesting articles.

Ageless style

Ageless Style Group

Welcome to the Ageless Style group. We all have very different styles, so I hope you check out other ideas for alternatives to shorts.
And we don’t all post at the same time, so make sure to check back if their post isn’t up yet.

Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
TAKING A SUMMER BREAK-Bo ~ Bo’s Bodacious Blog
Blog / Instagram /Pinterest / Bloglovin’

Joanne ~ My Slice of Life
Blog
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style
Blog | Instagram | Facebook |
Leslie ~ Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle
Blog /Instagram
Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
TAKING A SUMMER BREAK– Rosemary ~ Distinctly Southern Style
Blog / Instagram / Pinterest / Facebook

Beat the heat with alternative to shorts ideas

Photo credit: Rob Filogomo

Thank you

If you’ve enjoyed this, I hope you will look around the site and…

  • find out more about the blog here. Including behind-the-scenes of our relationship here.
  • you can see all the categories of past posts here
  • feel free to use any discounts or deals that I share here.
  • make sure to sign up for emails to enjoy fun features in every email PLUS get my recent eBook here.
  • follow me on InstagramFacebookYouTube, and Pinterest.
  • and if you ever want to reach out or have any requests, feel free to email me at JTouchofStyle@gmail.com

If you enjoyed any of this information, I would appreciate it if you would share, share, and share wherever you can!! You can do this by saving an image to your Pinterest board or sharing this post on Facebook. Or send this post to your friends, and make sure they sign up for the emails.

Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.

It’s not just about me on this blog, but also my mother and friend. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Scroll to Top