Once upon a time, we were able to wear bikinis, minis, and sleeveless dresses. Now that we are older, you know, over 40 or 50, we like to cover our flabby arms. Hey, not all women have personal trainers and plastic surgeons. And, there are so many cute, sleeveless summer dresses that require all Baby Boomers to stock their arsenals with sheer or lacey cardigans and shrugs.
Even if you are a toned, perfectly proportional 30-something, you should always be on the lookout for a good sheer cardi or top because gauzy coverups are perfect for travel; gauze weighs nothing and sheer tops magically transform any sleeveless outfit.
How to Find Cute Sheer Tops
It seems like every website has a different name for these magical toppers. Try variations of these terms when searching online:
- Sheer cardigan sweater;
- Lace cardigan;
- Gauze tie-front cardigan;
- Whisper-weight cardigan;
- Lightweight lace shrug;
- Open-knit coverup;
- Sheer wrap cardigan; and
- Lace bolero.
Sheer Printed Cardigans for Bohemian Women
There are great featherweight print cardigans online. Remember that the trend right now is all about mixing and matching prints. So, wear these pieces over plain or printed tops and dresses.
Nic + Zoe Textured Print Cardy comes in a fun white, brown, turquoise, and pink pattern. It’s like a sheer shirt. You can button it, leave it open, or tie it in front if your middle isn’t too big. I have a black Nic + Zoe sheer burnout tie-front top. Actually, I love it so much I have two.
Catherine Malandrino 111TW04 sheer top in “Sky Print” is gorgeous. This designer top is expensive ($300 on sale at Zappos) but I have something similar that I wear over my cheap Travel Smith dresses and it hides my tummy. Well, nothing can hide my tummy, but this type of top distracts the eye. And, it’s so much better if I throw my top on than if I were to wear my too-small-but-beautiful clingy dresses without a bit of trompe l’oeil.
Black Stretch Lace Tunic at venus.com is perfect as a coverup over a swimsuit or a dark dress. I would buy this piece if I thought it would fit. Actually, I might try it. I have dresses in my closet from size small (Travel Smith “Indispensible” dresses) through size 1X (Rachel Pally caftans) and I wear them all. You can almost ignore the stated size (with some brands) if the dress or top has enough stretch.
Gauzy Cardigans for Travel
I refuse to board a plane without a gauze wrap cardigan. For one thing, I like to cover my arms and, sometimes, I get too hot with long sleeved dresses. Secondly, if my suitcase ends up going east when I’m going west, it’s always easy to find a sleeveless tank top and a skirt at my destination. Unless it’s snowing and blowing, I can manage quite well with one tank dress, one lightweight sheer sweater, and one reversible Mycra Pac raincoat.
Check out these simple cardies:
The Nic + Zoe Pointelle Cardy in almond is a perfect neutral sweater that can be tossed over any outfit. I may have to get this. It’s nice and long. Wear this with jeans, with a sundress, or with a slinky dress and pearls. You could wear this cardigan as a swimsuit coverup in a pinch.
The Brigitte Bailey Jezebella Cardigan is a black sheer knit sweater. It will go with everything; however, this shorter topper will look better on thin, pear-shaped, or hourglass-shaped women. If you are an apple shape as I am, this style might draw attention to you your tummy unless you wear it over a dark color.
I prefer extremely lightweight cardigans that can be tied in front or left open. After years of experimenting, I have found a style that works with my bo. Since each individual has a unique body shape, it can be helpful to experiment with several styles and send back any sheer top that doesn’t complement your body.
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Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
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