As someone who has always enjoyed keeping up with fashion since I was young, I’ve learned a thing or two throughout the seasons. Spring/Summer. Fall/Winter. They happen as regularly as my period…used to! Cozying up to a stack of magazines and thumbing through the editorials of haves and have-nots is a fun seasonal ritual. Even if I’m belly-laughing at the latest “rule,” I still find myself intrigued and amused by all the ways clothes allow us to express ourselves.
Nowadays, it’s hard to turn the page on these so-called rules, mostly because they’re no longer on pages at all! Print magazines have been infamously replaced by online campaigns making it easy to inundate us on any platform we open. On our phones, our laptops, even our TVs… No doubt, all the mixed messaging, and sponsored advertisements are inescapable as they are pervasive. I mean reel after reel telling us how to dress younger, how not to look 40, how to dress our age, how to age gracefully, what not to wear, what can’t be worn together. Captions shouting at us, “Just because you’re in your midlife years does NOT mean you are dead! Get Up! Get Dressed! Let’s Go!” Then there are the taglines… ageless, age-appropriate, clever-dressing, responsible style. Yikes! Not all of these are ill-intentioned, but it can feel overwhelming to sort out what direction to take. When it comes to midlife style, we’re no longer just looking for a new, hot thing. We are the new, hot thing (flashing hot!) which means finding clothes that are also lightweight and can be layered is an important function of any fit.
Still, where to start?? Many accessible brands these days that appear midlife-friendly can feel like we’re being served someone else’s reheated goods. These clothes are perfectly fine, yet many women admit not feeling like themselves or “put together” with these items, spiraling into buyer’s remorse clothes hurdling all around.
These storefronts, or midlife-crisis markets, rarely claim us menopausal midlife women as their true demographic. Instead, they market to an obscure and non-specific– “ageless”– crowd. That may sound reassuring, but the truth is, they’re not looking to get into our minds. They’re looking to get in our wallets! More and more representation around midlife fashion is emerging from the menopausal woodwork and– thankfully– with midlife women leading the way! A perfect fit… no sizing measurement is needed without sacrificing style!
Whatever you choose, it should feel unequivocally you! The most stylish women aren’t wearing one thing. There’s no one size fits all for menopause, and there’s no one size fits all for midlife fashion. What makes the most fashionable women stylish is that they dress exclusively for themselves in pieces they identify with and make them feel FF (F–king Fabulous). They don’t negotiate their confidence or comfort for the approval of others.
Throw the self-hatred away along with those midlife fashion rules. Both are hand-me-downs that no longer serve us. Fashion is meant to be FUN and expressive… not oppressive! If you’re struggling to find your sense of style during menopause, remember you make your own rules.
My Motto: Suffering in silence is OUT! Reaching out is IN!
If you want to educate your employees, colleagues, or friends about menopause, look no further! Book Ellen for your next event.
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