How does 'the older woman' wear these above the knee 'tunic' dresses...

[Erebus]

... that are everywhere this autumn?!

Thick black tights and high boots? Jeans? Leggings (and what?)

I cannot bear that 'too short a dress' look on a woman the wrong side of 40 unless she's really well preserved and willowy (and that ain't me!) so that's to be avoided BUT I do like the look of these 'dresses' and they are ubiquitous, but I don't want to look like mutton dressed as lamb!

Advice?!

Sorry, should change my name to DaughterPanda and run away...

45 here and yes, the leggings/skinny jeans thing. As long as you have reasonable legs then I don't think there's anything mutton about it, although it's possible I live in a bubble of denial.

Chrisine - I've lost count too! Glad it's not just me. Generally getting rather worried about my memory, and found myself doing an online dementia test recently (which crashed half way through, very irritating). Lets face it, who the hell cares if you're 43 or 48, it's all downhill...

Quite, maisie. Once you're over 40, who gives a fuck :(

Agree. I have a 12 year old DD who is becoming very beautiful (but doesn't know it) and DS1 who is 14 is currently admiring a gorgeous young thing from afar - I could weep at the unjustness of it all.

Blast. I'm wondering now if I have made a mistake in a new outfit I've bought for a work thing this week...... Lovely black and purple tunic form next, over black leggins and heeled boots.

I thought I looked ok Should I have gone for flat boots then??

I wish shops would help me out by displaying clothes according to age rather than size, so that I don't go to the same rail as my 80 yr old aunt. I'm a lost cause!

What's the difference between a legging and a tregging? I don't know what the hell's going on these days.

I'm clueless.....

I am 59 :-( and 5ft 2" I wear tunic dresses (knee length or a little above) over skinny jeans. On me they don't look good over leggings. Also on me these dresses look best with my favourite ever boots (pull-on, up to the knee, flat but very old and shabby) but also OK with pumps or high-ish chunky heels. Can't get away without the skinny jeans underneath, though.

Well, I'm 50, size 16 and 5'10", and I wear them with leggings or straight jeans and boots (sandals or flip-flops in summer.) I'll switch to thick woolly tights with my longer tunics when the weather gets colder.

Being tall, my "long tunics" are often "short dresses", so I have lots of choice!

Another possibility (esp for work) is to wear a smart-ish tunic dress with smart but fitted (we're thinking cigarette pants here) trousers underneath. That's a look that is very this season and saves you from the 'I've just wandered into White Stuff' look of skinny jeans and tunic.

For instance I have a pair of emerald green silk tapered trousers that I wear under contrasting colour (blue, black and white stripes for instance) tunic dresses. I think in this case you want shoes, not boots (I abhor ballet pumps but a pair of flat shoes shaped like old-fashioned men's velvet slippers would go with this look). Or ankle boots. But you are thinking elegant rather than funky in any case.

43 yr old mother ...

I wear with denim skinnies or very slim fit trousers to balance out the proportions. As i have large norkage I have to be careful not to look matronly with tunics , long body skimming tops suit me better.

ia ma 5ft 6, early 40s and a size 14.

I wear them with skinny jeans, ankle boots or knee boots, or ultra thick tights or leggings.
I have a couple of shorter tunics which I wear over flares. 70s look is still very in and flattering.

limetree - i'm with you on that - when I wear dresses, they have to be of the "fit-and-flare" type, to accentuate my waist to skim over my hips, and make my boobs look big enough.
shift dresses make me look like i've lost my boobs (and they've landed on my hips!)