After years of sharing cruise fashion photos on my Facebook profile, many of you have asked me to write more about cruise wear for over 50 women, over 60 and even over 70. This is the first of a series of articles about what to wear on a cruise, especially luxury cruises, which is what I know best.
I encourage you to think of my ideas as a template for using what you already own to dress well on a luxury cruise. While I usually purchase a couple of new pieces, most of what I wear has been hanging in my closet for a few years. And I love the challenge of mixing and matching items to create new outfits.
Also, the photos on this article are not the latest styles. Instead, use these photos as a guide to mixing and matching. The goal is to create your own cruise wear for women style guide that works well for new or old pieces.
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My cruise wear tips for boomer women
I wore this outfit to dinner on a Seabourn expedition cruise through the Northwest Passage. It also works well as an elegant casual night outfit on a classic luxury cruise.
One of the reasons that I enjoy luxury cruising is that I get to dress up. For most of my days in Montana, I wear exercise pants and a sweatshirt (or t-shirt in the summer). When it’s time to go out to dinner, I change into blue jeans, nice shirt and boots. Boring!
A cruise changes that dynamic. It’s my time to dress up and be girly. Alan appreciates it.
And I like that dressing up for a cruise is the push that I need to stay healthy and fit. Feeling good about myself is the end result. And that’s an important component to boomer health, whether you’re in your fifties, sixties or seventy-four like me.
What’s my secret? Picking a clothing line like Chico’s or J.Jill (take a look) where the items easily mix and match to create many variations of an outfit. I don’t claim to pack light, but I do plan an efficient cruise wardrobe.
My rule of thumb: wear an item at least twice during the cruise or put it back in the closet.
How do I accomplish this? On a 21-day cruise, I’ll pack about 3 to 4 pair of pants for evenings, with a color scheme that allows me to mix and match the tops to create different looks.
Who wants to wear the same thing each night? Not me! I might as well be back at home in Montana dressed in sweatshirt and warmup pants.
In this article, I’m showing ways that I combine pieces of clothing to dress for a cruise. Look for more articles on formal nights, tropical cruise gear, cold weather cruise wear, adventure cruise dressing, and packing strategies soon.
For now, let’s take a look at how I create my outfits. And sorry about the lighting. I like to take these photos as I’m about to go out the door to dinner. Rather than being posed in a beautiful setting in the best light, I aim for a more authentic photo.
Cruise wear for women over 50 begins with separates
After moving to Tucson many years ago, I discovered Chico’s separates. The clothes fit me, they’re easy to mix and match—especially with the knowledgeable help of a Chico’s associate—and pieces carry over from one season to another, with the addition of one or two items to freshen things up.
Once I figured out my style, for me that’s pants that are slimming and long tops with a classic look, dressed up with fun accessories, it was easy to pack for a cruise. And, by the way, Chico’s doesn’t pay me to write about them. Now on to cruise outfits.
How I mix and match outfits for a two-week cruise
I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of these black narrow leg pants. I will sometimes substitute black travelers pants, which makes the outfit look a little dressier. Although wide leg pants are all the rage in 2024, they are not that flattering for most older women so I haven’t purchased any.
In the first photo, I’m dressed for elegant casual night with a black and peach silk jacket worn over a high-neck tank top, shell necklace and pewter casual flats.
In the second photo, I’ve paired the same black pants with a black and gray cowl-neck tunic top, and black flats. I especially like the flattering neckline.
The third photo shows the black pants combined with a gray silk jacket worn over the same high neck black tank and glitzy pewter flats. The jewelry I’m wearing also dresses it up. One pair of pants…three different looks!
Now let’s switch to white pants.
In the first photo, I took the black and peach silk jacket you saw with the black pants, layered it over a peach lightweight sweater, and completed the look with the same shell necklace and pewter flats.
The center photo showcases the same white pants with a blue tunic, a topaz necklace, and pewter flats.
The third photo features the white pants with a peach and gold top, gold jewelry and glitzy flats. For a dressier look, I would have worn gold dress shoes.
But who wants to wear black and white ALL the time? Let’s add in a third color. In this instance, I’m adding gray pants.
In the first photo, I’ve combined gray pants with a peach lightweight sweater, scarf, and pewter flats. You’ve already seen the peach sweater layered underneath a silk jacket and worn with white pants. It could also be worn with the black pants. Hey, that’s three outfits from one sweater and jacket!
The second photo highlights gray pants worn with the black and gray tunic that I also wore with black pants, and pewter flats. I love this look!
The last photo is an outfit that I would wear for the first or last night of a cruise when I want to be extra casual. The gray pants go well with the blue tunic and pewter flats. The same tunic can be worn with white or black pants. Another three outfit top!
So let’s tally up the outfits: three pairs of pants, two silk jackets, two tunics, sleeveless black tank top, a peach dressy blouse, and peach lightweight sweater. From these pieces, I can make 13 or possibly 14 outfits—enough for a two-week cruise. Of course I haven’t shown you any daywear, or that all important formal night outfit.
How one blouse equals two different looks
This black and white geometric blouse goes from dressy to casual on a Crystal cruise in the South Pacific.
And here’s an example of how versatile a top can be. Worn loose over black pants with a long, sparkly necklace, the top looks somewhat dressy. Tie it at the waist, over a pair of slim white pants, change out the jewelry and the look becomes more casual. And, you’ll notice that the sleeves have slits in them, which adds a little fun.
Do I wear short dresses?
While short dresses, especially short cocktail dresses, have become very popular, they are not my style so I don’t wear them. I find that as I shrink, yes boomer women shrink in height, short dresses make me look dumpy. If you look great in a short dress, or simply enjoy wearing the latest styles, I recommend choosing solid color dresses that can be dressed up or down with accessories like scarves, shawls, silk jackets, or a fabulous piece of jewelry.
Also, I think short dresses look best with heels. More power to those of you who can still wear stilettos. Wear them while you can. Unfortunately, my back says, “no, you can’t.”
Are shoes your downfall?
So many women confess to loading up their luggage with shoes, like a pair of shoes for every dress or outfit. Don’t do that! I have found that pewter colored shoes—flats or heels—go with almost every color.
What about formal night?
When Alan and I began luxury cruising in 2001, formal nights were formal. Women wore long gowns and men wore tuxedos or dinner jackets. Unfortunately for those of us who like to dress formally, the times are changing.
In 2024, formal dress has become optional on luxury cruise line formal nights. While tuxedos and dinner jackets for men are still appreciated, the dress code usually states that men only have to wear a jacket, dress shirt, and trousers. Even ties are optional. Women will see more cocktail dresses and glitzy separates rather than formal gowns.
But if you still enjoy dressing formally, go for it! That’s what we do.
I’m planning to write several posts on dressing for formal night. For now, here’s how I mixed and matched clothes to create a formal night outfit on a Crystal holiday cruise.
More cruise fashion for boomer women
Knowing what to pack, no matter the trip or weather, makes for a more enjoyable trip:
- Are you traveling to Alaska on a cruise? You’ll need my tips for what to pack for an Alaska cruise.
- Are you planning a cold weather adventure? Check out cold weather gear for women that packs light.
- Going on a warm weather trip? Read about the tropical cruise gear that I recommend.
Do you have questions about dressing for a cruise? I’ll try to answer them or turn your questions into a future article. Email me here.
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