8 Tops That Aren’t Too Young And Aren’t Too Mature … And Are All Wildly Flattering On 40+ Women.
With try-on photos of every single one.
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by The Candidly Team
We don’t really own a lot of tops we love. Most of them are just … okay.
It’s odd because tops are the focal point of an outfit, and finding a good one means we barely need to think about the rest of what we’re wearing, and we’ll still look good. Not just good … but styled. Put together. Chic!
The reason we’re writing this entire article is because we recently discovered a sort of treasure trove for tops. They’re from a brand called Nation, a brand that almost seems to specialize in tops.
Now before we go any further, we should say, we’re not being sponsored to say what we’re about to say. Nation was kind enough to send us a bunch of tops to try on and take non-model photos of, a process we go through so we can give you an honest review straight from the horse’s mouth. In this case, the horse was our 42-year-old Managing Editor, Carolyn, who expected to maaaaaaybe get one top she loved enough to write about in the lot, and instead had the shocking experience of loving every single one, which we all know is NOT normal when it comes to tops.
Nation’s tops are a rare collection of things. Singular in style. Elegant but also modern. Interesting but very, very easy to wear. And now for the thing we all care about the most: they’re deeply, deeeeeeply flattering. On bloated bellies. Thicker arms. Broader shoulders. All of it.
And lastly, they’re comfortable - the kind of feel and quality that makes you look forward to wearing that particular top.
We didn’t realize we’d be writing a whole article focusing on tops that look great on our mid-aged, mid-sized bodies. But here we are. And here they are:
1. Geni Cowl Top
See? An outfit all by itself! The drape is simply unreal. The fabric is soft and buttery but not flimsy so it keeps it shape and adds enough drama to make it a gorgeous going-out top. And even though you feel covered up and comfy, you look ethereal and alluring.
Price: $61
2. Charlotte Long Sleeve
The way this tops gently gathers and ruches is a stroke of genius. It make you feel held in and covered up at the same time, so you don’t mind that it’s fitted and therefore works with every single pant, pair of jeans, and skirt you own.
Price: $106
3. Sandra Boatneck Top
If you hate showing your arms, this will be your new favorite t-shirt. If you get bloated everyday at 3pm for no apparent reason, this will be your new favorite t-shirt. It’s a play on a French marinière, the striped boatneck top made famous by Coco Chanel, so no matter what you look chic, chic, chic.
Price: $85
4. Neda Pleated Top
Did we mention that the quality of these tops is exceptional? This one is another pleated fantasy top, but this time with ribbing that slims and skims and a softness that makes you pluck this shirt out every time it’s not in the hamper.
Price: $160
5. Loren Tee
And here we have another tee that works incredibly on a thicker arm and feels amazing to those of us who love a t-shirt but hate short sleeves digging into our flesh.
Price: $103
6. Stevie Top
There is weight to this tee - and we mean this in the best way. It isn’t some dumb $10 fast fashion tee that falls apart after 2 washed. This is the white tee we keep forever, tucking it into all our high-waisted things and feeling both edgy and understated at the same time.
Price: $132
7. Deana Tee
A 2/4 sleeve is the single most flattering. Between the sleeve and the stripe, this top makes all our jeans and tee outfits look 5x chicer.
Price: $99
8. Alejandra Long Sleeve Tee
We are smoothed by this top in ways we deeply appreciate. It’s amazing on a belly pooch, and the autumnal color makes us weak.
Price: $170
BONUS: THE SWEATERS WE WEAR AS TOPS
6. Willow Sweater
We could write a whole article on Nation’s knits, which absolutely can be worn as tops on cooler days. We really hope the softness comes through in the photos. Along with that singular sleeve that means you can wear baggy jeans and a baseball cap and still look sophisticated.
Also works as a great tie-over-your-shoulders sweater, because we run hot to cold and back 27x a day.
Price: $298
10. Tommie Mock Neck Sweater
Once again, an example of how adding a stripe is like hiring a stylist. Just quiet luxury in an instant.
Price: $288
Tessa Ombre Cardigan
This rich cardigan sort of magically matches and elevates all the black, gray, beige, tan and denim bottoms in your closet at this moment.
Price: $348
BONUS #2: THE DRESS WE’RE WEARING TO EVERYTHING
11. Milley Raglan Midi
If you have a belly pooch, this dress is beyond flattering. If you have wider hips, this dress is beyond flattering. If you’re straight as an arrow, this dress is beyond flattering. Once again, we dire for the arm coverage, and the skimming fit makes us want to wear it to every holiday thing we’re invited to this year.
p.s. These block Mary Jane heels are so comfortable, we could walk/ dance/ leap in them all night with zero foot pain, so just in case you’re looking for something like that, you can find them HERE*.
Price: $71
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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