whitelogo whitelogo
Age-Wise Style: How to Choose the Right Hemline
  • Subscribe
  • Fashion
    • Clothing
    • Accessories
    • Street Style
    • Who Won Fashion Today?
    • Look Of The Day
    • Fashion Week
  • Celebrity
    • Awards & Events
    • Celebrity Transformations
    • TV Shows
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Beauty
    • Makeup
    • Best Beauty Buys
    • Health & Fitness
    • Hollywood Makeover
  • Hair
    • Celeb Hairstyles
    • Color Ideas
    • Long Hairstyles
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Short Hairstyles
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Weddings
    • Books
    • Food & Drink
    • Home & Decorating
    • Entertaining
  • Shop
    • Celebrity Looks
    • Clothing
    • Accessories
    • Editor's Obsessions
    • Beauty
    • Home & Decor
  • In The Mag
    • Current Issue
    • Subscribe
  • How-To
    • Look Your Best
  • Video
  • Subscribe
  • Fashion
    • Clothing
    • Accessories
    • Street Style
    • Who Won Fashion Today?
    • Look Of The Day
    • Fashion Week
  • Celebrity
    • Awards & Events
    • Celebrity Transformations
    • TV Shows
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Beauty
    • Makeup
    • Best Beauty Buys
    • Health & Fitness
    • Hollywood Makeover
  • Hair
    • Celeb Hairstyles
    • Color Ideas
    • Long Hairstyles
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Short Hairstyles
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Weddings
    • Books
    • Food & Drink
    • Home & Decorating
    • Entertaining
  • Shop
    • Celebrity Looks
    • Clothing
    • Accessories
    • Editor's Obsessions
    • Beauty
    • Home & Decor
  • In The Mag
    • Current Issue
    • Subscribe
  • How-To
    • Look Your Best
  • Video
  • Subscribe
  • Give a Gift
  • Get our Newsletter
  1. Home
  2. Celebrity

Age-Wise Style: How to Choose the Right Hemline

Venturelli/WireImage
Cindy Weber-Cleary
Jul 22, 2014 @ 4:10 pm

InStyle’s Fashion Director Cindy Weber Cleary has been a fashion editor for the past 20+ years. Needless to say, she's picked up some tricks along the way. Catch her column here each week for how-to tips and style secrets on her favorite, timeless styles.

I recently saw a picture of a very attractive, 50-something-year-old fashion executive wearing a tight “bandage” mini-dress at a cocktail party and I thought, “Oops! Even style icons slip up on occasion.” Her body looked amazing, but the overall effect was a little Real Housewives, as one of my editors put it—surely not what she was going for.

Personally, as a woman who is over 50, I would not wear a mini. Even if I were a marathon runner or Pilates instructor, I still wouldn’t be wearing a thigh-revealing skirt or dress anywhere except on the tennis court or by the side of a pool. Longer lengths are so much chicer. And they actually create a more youthful, flattering look.

But for the last few years, I have had a hard time finding chic skirts and dresses with age-appropriate hemlines, by which I mean an inch or two above the knee, like Julianne Moore’s (above), or longer. Almost everything in stores seemed to hit a good 4 to 8 inches above the knee, with the exception of maxi-dresses, which I just don’t get, except for lounging or for formal evenings.

The good news is, there is a wide variety of hemlines being shown for fall 2014. Here is a preview of some of my favorite looks for us Baby Boomers (or for younger women who may not want to show a lot of leg) from the fall 2014 runway:

From left: Hermès, Michael Kors, Hugo Boss

If you are looking for something to wear now into fall, try shopping online. There are great sales happening as I write! You may score something for as much as 70 percent off, but sizes are limited. Many sites let you search dresses and skirts by length as well as size: Saks, Shopbop, Matches, etc. Choose “knee,” “pencil,” or “midi.” Net-a-Porter lets you search by length, size, and whether or not you are looking for sleeves. But that’s a whole other subject.

Here are some styles currently available (from top): 0 2nd dress, $395, hampdenclothing; Maiyet dress, $895, net-a-porter; Max Mara skirt, $575, saksfifthavenue; Theory skirt, $190, saksfifthavenue; Peter Pilotto skirt, $811, matchesfashion

To see how celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett pulled off the look, click through the gallery.

1 of 7 Venturelli/WireImage

Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore, 53, attended the International Rome Film Festival in a ladylike Lanvin ensemble. Moore’s bold color combo and smart proportions made for a smart yet stylish look.
Advertisement
2 of 7 API/Fame Pictures

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker, 49, dressed up her cobalt blue double-slit skirt with glittering Charlotte Olympia platform pumps. To add interest to her look, Parker paired her calf-grazing bottom with a color-blocked, fine-knit sweater.
3 of 7 Franziska Krug/Getty Images

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock, 49, took an edgier route to create her mid-length look when she opted for a leather number from Asos. Bullock teamed her too-cool skirt with a Michael Kors button-front blouse and Tabitha Simmons strappy sandals.
Advertisement
4 of 7 Splash News

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman, 47, epitomized that timeless, classic look when she stepped out in head-to-toe Michael Kors. To balance her look, the actress paired her anything-but-basic skirt with a simple sweater and bow-topped pumps.
Advertisement
5 of 7 Jesse Grant/WireImage

Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer, 56, hit the New York City Hairspray photocall in a chic black skirt suit. The hem of Pfieffer’s high-waisted pencil skirt hit at just the right place. We especially admire how she choose a peep-toe pump versus a closed-toe shoe-showing just that much more skin makes her look a bit less conservative.
Advertisement
6 of 7 Rebecca Sapp/WireImage

Viola Davis

Viola Davis, 48, wore a matching set from HampM’s Conscious Collection to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The conservative cut served as a platform for the bright, look-at-me color.
Advertisement
7 of 7 Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett, 45, was glowing when she hit the How to Train Your Dragon 2 premiere in Australia wearing a short-sleeved Chanel dress. The actress accented her below-the-knee hem with sleek, pointy-toe pumps.

You May Like

Read More

Let's Make It Newsletter-Official

Never have InStyle FOMO again! Get the best fashion, beauty, celebrity exclusives and shopping advice straight to your inbox.
I'm in!
Tags
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Julianne Moore

Subscribe to InStyle

Subscribe today for less than $1 an issue!
GET IT NOW

Let's Make It Newsletter-Official

Never have InStyle FOMO again! Get the best fashion, beauty, celebrity exclusives and shopping advice straight to your inbox.
I'm in!
whitelogo
InStyle.com
  • HOME
  • FASHION
  • CELEBRITY
  • HAIR
  • WHAT'S RIGHT NOW
  • HOLLYWOOD MAKEOVER
  • INSIDE INSTYLE
Help & Information
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • GIVE A GIFT
  • CUSTOMER SERVICE
  • CONTACT US
  • HELP
  • CAREERS
  • SITEMAP
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS
  • AD CHOICES
  • ADVERTISING
InStyle Digital
  • RSS FEEDS
  • NEWSLETTER
INSTYLE.COM IS PART OF THE TIME INC. STYLE COLLECTION AND THE TIME INC. LIFESTYLE NETWORK. COPYRIGHT © 2017 TIME INC. INSTYLE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF TIME INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
INSTYLE MAY RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR SOME LINKS TO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ON THIS WEBSITE. OFFERS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.