Fashion expert reveals the secrets to looking fabulous when you marry later in life – after Jemima Goldsmith, 52, stunned in sheer Oscar De La Renta gown
Forget trying to look like a 25-year-old bride. The secret to looking fabulous when you marry later in life is simple: look like the best-dressed version of yourself.
Just ask Jemima Goldsmith, who looked ravishing in a tasteful Oscar de la Renta gown when she married multimillionaire financier Cameron O’Reilly last weekend.
The 52-year-old, who was marrying for the second time, wisely avoided looking like a princess bride on a mission. Nor did she attempt to look artificially youthful in a slip of a dress. Instead, her choice was sophisticated, confident and fashion-forward, proving that glamour has no age limit.
Now fashion expert Caroline Baxter has revealed to The Daily Mail the ultimate guide to wedding dresses when you’re a midlife bride.
She said of Jemima’s gown: ‘The key thing is the elegant cut and tailoring which is so flattering but not too tight or figure hugging.
‘Jemima has gone for the style that she knows suits her body best and made it wedding. She is also friends with the stylist Martha Ward whose client is Gillian Anderson, so no doubt she has the best advice on being the quietly luxurious older bride.’
And Jemima is not alone. A growing number of older brides are opting for genuinely glamorous bridal-wear rather than the slightly starchy ‘older woman gets married’ uniform of hat and blazer.
Jemima Goldsmith’s exquisite Oscar de la Renta dress worked because of the elegant cut which wasn’t too figure hugging, says fashion expert Caroline Baxter
Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, 52, wore an elegant Victoria Beckham gown for her summer wedding to Chris Dingwall.
As one fifth of the most successful girl groups of all time, the singer, who has a 17-year-old daughter, Scarlet, admits she was so career-focused as a young woman that she never dreamed about her wedding dress.
Victoria later designed her old Spice Girl chum a gown inspired by one of her signature lace camisoles, which Mel had borrowed for the couple’s low-key wedding celebration in Dingwall’s native Australia ahead of their bigger celebration in Britain.
And the singer’s description of Victoria’s designs could serve as the perfect template for the older bride.
‘There’s just something about her clothes, they have a real simplicity, especially the slip dresses. They’re really feminine, but in a way that feels comfortable.’
One of Victoria’s biggest breakthroughs as a designer has been creating clothes for older women who want to look sexy, stylish and sophisticated, without veering into ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ territory.
The same rules apply when it comes to bridalwear.
When NHS nurse Harriet Sperling, 45, married into the royal family at her Cotswolds wedding to Peter Phillips in July, her lace-sleeved gown, reminiscent of the dress worn by the Princess of Wales in 2011, was undeniably elegant.
For the civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, Queen Camilla picked an ivory silk chiffon dress designed by Anna Valentine, complete with a scalloped trim, tailored coat and Philip Treacy hat
Some critics felt that Harriet Sperling’s dress was rather overcooked for a bride with a teenage daughter
But some critics felt her elaborate lace veil was rather overcooked for a woman with a teenage daughter. Its youthful associations seemingly at odds with her own life experience.
So how should the older bride get it right? Fashion expert Caroline shares her rules for bridal dressing later in life…
Don’t dress for your age: dress for your shape
‘One of the mistakes older brides make is thinking they have to cover up and wear a frumpy trouser suit because they’re older,’ says Baxter. ‘In fact, a good cut and the right proportions matter even more as we age.’
Ask yourself: Which necklines flatter mature skin?
‘Is a strapless gown really off limit? Which fabrics photograph beautifully? And don’t automatically reach for ivory.
‘Ask a colour expert which tone of white if any works best with your skin. You don’t want to look like a sacrificial lamb in your fifties.’
It ain’t always all white on the night..
‘Choose the colour that makes you look your absolute best. This could be a pale pastel colour, or even do Paula Yates who married Bob Geldof in bright red.’
Know your style and find your match
‘When we get to midlife we have an idea of the styles and shapes that suit us best. There’s no need to go overboard with expensive “bridal wear” the best thing is to find a style of dress you love and make it wedding.’
