Can you wear beige over 40? (or will it kill you)

Beige as a color has always been quite controversial. It can be linked to being boring, drab and fabulous fashionista Sue Kreitzman even proclaimed: “Don’t wear beige. It might kill you!”

I recently received this email from Aileen:

“… I have often heard people saying that older women should avoid wearing ‘beige’ as it is an ‘old lady’ colour, too safe and boring and also very draining on the complexion. What I noticed in a recent catalogue is a lot of ‘beige’ but hiding behind words such as: Toffee, Vanilla Pink, Toast, Iced Mocha, Putty, Toasted Almond, Pale Oyster, Almond Cream, Desert Sand, Heather Silver Sand, Heather Stone, Pale Oyster. What do you think about beige as a suitable colour for older women?”.

Great question Aileen!

Let’s first examine what beige is

According to wiki beige is a very pale brown color, variously described as a pale sandy fawn color, a grayish tan, a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow.

It can indeed be a tough color to wear depending on your specific skin color, but it can also look very chic, provided it is worn in the right way.

Wear it away from your face

One of the easiest ways to wear beige is as a bottom as you can see from the images below. That is also how I wore my beige / camel trousers and jacket a while ago with a cream top. I would probably add more color when I wear this again.

Get a more vibrant or shimmering beige

Beige is also easier to wear when it has a bit of shimmer. My golden top for example falls in the beige color range, but it’s shimmery and more golden which brightens up the complexion and is therefore easier to wear. It also helps to wear it with a vibrant color and red lipstick.

Wear it with color

Beige is a really good neutral to combine with color. Wear it with a colorful jacket, cardigan, top or use accessories like scarves, necklaces and bags. This is how I wore my beige pants a while ago with red and here is a beige skirt worn with orange.

In general, I would say to stay away from an all-beige outfit as shown by the models at the top. The color does tend to wash out many women (over 40) including me.

If you like the look and feel of wearing a neutral all over, then cream or white may be a better option. They are brighter colors and don’t have that ‘drab’ feel about them. I actually really love an all-cream or all-white outfit.

That said, beige can be a great base for adding colors.

Choose colors that suit your complexion well or that make you happy. Play with various colors and young & hip accessories like contemporary jewelry or a funky bag and use beige as your canvas. Below are just a few examples of how you can look stunning and chic with beige.

What do you think about beige? Will you wear beige this season?

All runway images by style.com

Collage created with Polyvore

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