Not Too Young But Not Too Matronly: Finding the Perfect Mature Cocktail Dress

Shopping for a cocktail dress is a cinch when you’re in your 20s and 30s. Department stores cater to this age group with their sequins, ruffles and curve-hugging silhouettes. But as you start hitting your 40s and 50s, these styles no longer seem age appropriate. Still, you don’t want to look matronly. There lies the rub. Recently, while helping my mother shop for a conservatively elegant dress, I discovered just how difficult it is to find the perfect medium.

After sifting through designs that were too young, too matronly, too fancy and too revealing, we finally discovered one that was just right by Carmen Marc Valvo.

I was reminded of the difficult shopping experience this week when two stars stepped out in cobalt blue dresses. The color of Kate Walsh’s Marchesa was gorgeous on the 42-year-old star but the babydoll style seemed better suited for someone like Selena Gomez.

Then there was Eva Longoria Parker, who wore an Ina Soltani dress that made her look more like she was 64 instead of just 34.

Since eDressMe is currently running a 15% off holiday dresses sale through 11/25, plus free shipping on all orders through 11/21, I figured I’d take a look to see what dresses they have that fall into this not too young but not too matronly medium. Here are some options I came up with:

Embellished Party Dress by Tracy Reese ($325), Brocade Print Cocktail Dress from Theia ($595), Raspberry Red Cocktail Dress by Carmen Marc Valvo ($595), Ruffle Cocktail Dress by Adrianna Papell ($174), Red Cocktail Dress by Jax ($175 $148.75)

Photo credit: Jill Johnson/JPI, Samuel Ettiene/Elevation