What to Wear During Menopause: Layers, Waistbands and Confidence

What to wear during menopause is mostly a question of a few changes to how outfits are put together, rather than a new wardrobe. Light layers that come off easily, waistbands with some give and pieces that pull on all help, as do comfortable clothes that still have shape and polish.

Our founder, Hayley Thomas, hears the same question from customers again and again, and talks through each of these changes in her film on dressing through menopause. Her starting point is a reassuring one: “you really don't need special menopause clothes”. If you have few symptoms or none at all, most of what follows is still simply good dressing.

What to wear for hot flushes

A hot flush comes on quickly and rarely at a convenient moment. The most useful approach is to think first about what sits against your skin, and then about how quickly a layer can come off.

Cotton is the most comfortable fabric to have next to the skin for many women, which makes a good T Shirt the place to start. The Skylar Shoulder Pad T-Shirt is cut from a soft cotton jersey with an underarm panel. Because the shoulder holds its shape, it still looks like a finished outfit when it is the last layer left on. There is more on wearing one in our guide to the shoulder pad T Shirt.

One thick jumper is an all or nothing choice, so two or three lighter layers are easier to manage, because one can come off and the outfit still looks considered. A chunky knit such as the Blythe Funnel Neck Cropped Jumper works well with the lighter Iggy Sheer Rib Jumper underneath. The Iggy also shows a little texture at the wrist when the sleeves are pushed up. Our guide to the art of layering covers how to build layers that look intentional.

Many women tell us that wool and cashmere they have worn for years has started to feel itchy, and that every scratchy seam suddenly becomes noticeable. A jersey T Shirt under knitwear stops the knit sitting right against the skin, and The Perfect Boyfriend T Shirt works particularly well because its sleeve is a little longer. A roomy cotton shirt does the same job, and the Olivia Oversized Poplin Shirt is cut to stand away from the body. On colder mornings, The Perfect Shirt in a heavier brushed cotton is the warmer choice.

The layer underneath is worth choosing with care. Taking a jumper off should reveal something you are happy to be seen in, rather than an old vest from the back of the drawer. The Elodie Long Sleeve Lace Top is a light layer that sits easily under everything, and its lace trim looks pretty at the neckline of a V neck jumper.

On warmer days an open collar or a V neck is easier to wear than anything high at the throat. If you love a roll neck, the yarn makes the difference. The Gwyneth Fine Merino Roll Neck is a featherlight merino knitted without side seams up to a size 14, so there is very little to rub. A little white at the neckline helps too, because it reflects light onto the face whatever colour you wear over it. A white T Shirt under a navy Alex Cashmere Blend Jumper is a simple way to do it.

Waistbands with some give

A change in shape, often around the middle, is the conversation Hayley has most often with customers going through menopause. A waistband that fits on Monday may not feel the same by the end of the week. The answer is give built into the waistband, ideally without losing the clean line of good tailoring.

Where a trouser is not fully elasticated, we have started to elasticate the back, where it is hidden, and keep the front flat and clean. The Dora Wide Leg Trousers in navy pinstripe are proper tailoring from the front, with the comfort of a secret elasticated back. The Hazel Wide Leg Satin Trousers do the same for evenings with a part-elasticated waist. The Hazel was designed as a co-ord with the Skylar Satin Shoulder Pad T Shirt, which adds structure at the shoulder.

For days when you would rather not think about a waistband at all, fully elasticated pieces are the most comfortable. The Elsie Modal Wide Leg Joggers have a fully elasticated tie waist, and the Mel Merino Blend Rib Skirt has a fully elasticated waistband.

Bra size often changes at this stage too, and it changes how every top sits, so a proper bra fitting is worth booking before buying anything new.

How to tuck a top in when you feel bloated

Many women tell us they would never tuck anything in, which is understandable. A full tuck into a fitted waistband is the least forgiving option on a bloated day. Leaving everything out tends to lose the shape of the whole outfit, though, so a partial tuck is usually the better answer.

Tucking in just the front shows where your waist is and draws the eye there. A half tuck at the side or a tuck on the diagonal breaks up the horizontal line across the tummy. A diagonal tuck is easier with a T Shirt than with a crisp shirt, and it keeps a waistline without turning the outfit into one long rectangle.

Another option is to skip the tuck with a top cut a little shorter and boxier, such as the Robyn Modal Open Neck Sweatshirt or the Blythe. A blazer worn open over everything, such as the Josephine Wool Blend Blazer, adds one long vertical line from shoulder to hem. Our guide to dressing for your body shape explains why lines like these work.

Dressing on stiff mornings

On mornings when hands and shoulders feel stiff, buttons and back zips can feel like hard work, so pieces that simply pull on make getting dressed easier. The Perfect Side Stripe Joggers, the Elsie and the Mel all pull on. A top that fastens at the front is also far easier than one with a zip at the back.

Feeling like yourself

Midlife can knock confidence, and many women describe feeling a little invisible, while others find it is the moment they stop worrying about what anyone else thinks. Clothes will not solve everything, but liking the way you look can help, and the first step is to experiment at home rather than in public.

When you are tired and hot, comfortable clothes are the obvious answer, although comfort often means giving up on shape. The Robyn and the Elsie show comfort chosen with care, because the velvety modal feels as soft as loungewear. The Robyn still has a collar and a neat V, and the Elsie has a wide leg that drapes like a trouser.

If your favourite outfit is a sweatshirt and joggers, wearing them in one colour from head to toe makes them look far more deliberate. The Perfect Crew Neck Sweatshirt with the Perfect Side Stripe Joggers in navy is an easy example, and the satin stripe down the leg adds a little polish. Our guide to styling side stripe joggers has more ideas.

There is no age at which you have to stop looking modern. The shapes worth trying are the ones a little outside your comfort zone, such as a wide leg, a strong shoulder or a barrel leg. Customers often say they would never normally wear the Billie Barrel Leg Jeans or the Olivia shirt until they try them. One recently sent us a picture of herself in the Olivia with the Rebecca Ribbed Tank Top layered over it.

How to add colour if you usually wear neutrals

Colour does the most for you when it sits near your face, which makes the top half the easiest place to start. Keeping the neutrals you already own and adding one colour on top is a gentle first step, such as a cobalt top with chocolate trousers, or dark cherry with navy.

If that still feels like too much, a coloured necklace, a coloured shoe or a sweatshirt knotted around the shoulders adds a smaller pop of colour. Texture works in a similar way, since a semi-matt satin or a touch of metallic catches the light and adds polish without any colour at all.

Fewer decisions on tired mornings

After a bad night's sleep, every decision feels heavier, so it helps to take the thinking out of the morning. A wardrobe built from pieces that all work together does most of that, with one colour story alongside your neutrals. Our guide to wardrobe foundations is a good place to start.

Co-ords and suits go a step further, because the outfit is decided before you begin. On a casual day the Robyn and Elsie work as a set. On a work day a suit is the easiest fallback, such as the Josephine Blazer with the Eadie Pleat Front Trousers in taupe. The black Josephine also works with the new Tess Clean Cargo Trousers and a statement top underneath. There are more ideas in our co-ords and sets.

The good bit

There is a good side to this stage as well. Many women say midlife is when they stopped caring what anyone else thinks. That makes it a good time to look at a wardrobe properly and ask what you feel most like yourself in, and how you actually want to show up.

Age is just a number, and the idea that certain things stop being wearable at a certain age is an old-fashioned one. In short, dressing through menopause means dressing for your comfort, the body you have now and your personality, and then wearing what you like.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need special clothes for menopause?

Special menopause clothing is rarely necessary, because a few changes to how outfits are put together usually help more. Light layers that come off easily, cotton next to the skin, waistbands with some give and pieces that pull on all work with clothes already in your wardrobe.

What should I wear for hot flushes?

Two or three light layers are easier than one thick jumper, because one can come off and the outfit still looks finished. A cotton T Shirt next to the skin, an open collar or V neck on warmer days, and a last layer that looks good on its own all help.

What trousers are comfortable when you feel bloated?

Trousers with a flat front and an elasticated back, such as the Dora, keep the clean line of tailoring with some give at the back. Part-elasticated styles such as the Hazel, or fully elasticated ones such as the Elsie, are the most comfortable on bloated days.

Should I tuck my top in if I am conscious of my tummy?

A partial tuck usually works better than leaving everything out, since it still shows where your waist is. Tucking in just the front, a half tuck at the side or a diagonal tuck breaks up the horizontal line. A shorter, boxier top or an open blazer avoids tucking altogether.

How do I start wearing colour if I usually wear neutrals?

Keeping your neutrals and adding one colour on your top half is the easiest start, because colour does the most near your face. A cobalt top with chocolate trousers or dark cherry with navy both work well, and a coloured knit around the shoulders is an even smaller step.

Is there an age when you should stop wearing certain styles?

There is no age at which you have to stop looking modern, and customers of every age wear our wider and more modern shapes. The best guide is what you feel most like yourself in, rather than a rule about what is appropriate at a certain age.