can a forty year old woman wear a maxi dress without looking muttony?

[fairfatand40]

I tried on a maxi dress for the hell of it today. To my utter amazement, I thought it was extremely flattering and gorgeous. But are maxi dresses the preserve of twenty somethings? FYI this is the dress

Be gentle with me mumsnetters!

Coo, get you! When you were planning on wearing the dress?

Yes of course you can!

Elle Mcpherson is pictured in one with long golden hair and a golden headband and a long gold hippy chain and gladiator sandals.

She looks fab to me and is 40 plus right?

I think for an occasion they are great. Pushing the trolley at Sainsburys, maybe a little OTT.

It's a lovely dress and not muttony at all!

No that's fine. It's legs out after 40 that's a mutton crime in my book.

Hi everyone.

Wow, thanks so much for these speedy responses!

Don't hate me - this is an expensive dress, so I really don't want to have it hanging in the wardrobe unworn. But maidamess has it exactly right - IMHO - when she says it should be for an occasion. Not necessarily a black tie event, but not for the playground or the supermarket, no, I agree. Like many of us no doubt, I don't get many occasions

LaurieFC - bless your heart, I laughed at your response. That Elle McPherson - yeah she wishes she could look as good as me! I think what she can get away with would be out of bounds for the fair and fat amongst us! But thank you anyway - and gladiator sandals are the way to go, I'm advised

Thanks very much to all

Looks good to me. And in any case, 40 really isn't very old.

I am 37 and I wore a maxi dress the other night, and i looked fab in it!

wellll, I look fab in mine !