Midlife Style – In Praise of the 50+ woman

midlife style

Women in the prime of life

Over the last few months several of my clients have been over 50 – a time of life associated with the menopause, being stuck in the sandwich of aging parents and dependent children and a time when we often start to question if this is all there is to life and what there is to look forward to.

However, having worked with this age women recently I have come to the conclusion that being in your 50’s may be the best time of your life and could certainly be your most stylish era yet!!!   

 

Time

  • The kids have flown the nest or are the most independent they’ve ever been – so having enough time to consider what to wear and to take your time dressing, instead of jumping into the nearest item before rushing off for the school run and then the commute to work, is back on the agenda. Also, you have more time to browse for clothing and accessories for hours online or on the high street.. a pleasure probably long forgotten! 

More disposable income 

  • As the kids no longer need you to ferry them around and can be left alone all day if necessary (if they’re still around) or are fully independent then you are probably working more than at any time since having kids. You’ve built up seniority in your role so your salary is also at it’s highest point to date. Finally, you have some money to spend on yourself!

Higher awareness of perimenopause/menopause  

  • Instead of suffering in silence with the multitude of peri-menopausal symptoms that 80% of us will go through – we are far more clued up as to why we are feeling flat, depressed, anxious, tired etc etc from our mid 40’s onwards. We are likely to seek advice and move onto HRT or other non-medical remedies. This allows us to boost our energy and mood levels and see the peri-menopause stage as just another stage of life. This in turn means instead of wanting to hide away in a track suit in front of the TV because we feel tired, fat and sad – we are embracing the years of our 6th decade…. raring to go and looking forward to being more than just a mother and wife as we might have been for the previous two decades..  

At peace with our bodies  

  • After having been through the ravages of pregnancy, child birth, child rearing and possibly the menopause we are more focused on having a strong and healthy body. Whilst it’s true that we may not have the slim and lithe figure we had in our 20’s we understand that our bodies have been through a journey and that the paunch tummy, caesarian scar, bingo wings and crepey neck bear testament to the life we have lived and the experiences we have been through. We understand that weight is distributed in a slightly different way as we move into our 50’s and are at peace with this. What we want to know is how best to dress to show off our assets and disguise the less good parts of our bodies. We all have great parts to flaunt and less good bits to hide!

More time for socialising and taking up new or existing hobbies  

  • As we have more time and disposable income and feel at peace with our physical appearance we are more likely to be keen to socialise with friends both local and more far flung and take up hobbies during which we will interact with a variety of people.

 

With this increased time, money, desire to go out and about and acceptance of our physical appearance and experiences we have been through  –   the only piece of the puzzle that may be missing is the perfect wardrobe that matches the 50 something woman you are now.

Time to call in the expert!  It’s not about throwing out all the items in your wardrobe (although there will be some of that) but more about getting the understanding of what colours suit you and why and what colours to avoid and why. Also, what style clothing makes the most of your body shape and why and also matches your current lifestyle…the one you are leading now – not the one you led in your 20’s and 30’s.   You need a wardrobe that mirrors your colouring, bodyshape, lifestyle, budget and interests. You will then have the clothing that you need for all elements of your life, that makes you feel great and boosts your confidence so that when you look in the mirror you feel fantastic and ready to embrace everything that being in your 50’s has to offer! 

There will be some throwing away of items…. either to charity or to sell on ebay or other resell sites. Some items could be given away or taken to a local clothes swapping party. Some items will be mended, dyed or altered to give them a second life. Possibly a short-ish shopping list will be drawn up with suggestions of clothing that you could benefit from buying to enhance your current wardrobe.

We all have too many items stuffed in our wardrobes. Streamlining what we have to wear makes life simpler, dressing feels effortless and we are happy with how we feel on the inside and our appearance on the outside. Also, a happy by-product of the process of de-cluttering is that we feel lighter and more in control.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to take the first step in your wardrobe de-clutter by calling in the experts. You won’t regret it as you’ll feel more self-confident knowing that you know exactly what to wear for any eventuality without having to wade through tons of clothes you no longer like nor do anything for you. You’ll feel fantastic and ready to enjoy every second of you 50’s and beyond! 

Follow up

For any questions about this blog or to contact me to find out how I could help you dress well call 07500 443974. If you like this blog please share with your friends and/or comment and to get regular updates on  what to buy and how to wear it please like my facebook business page and subscribe to my regular newsletter on my homepage.

For details on my services go to  http://www.thomasinnewtonimageconsultant.com/personal-stylist-services/

Previous article

Nude Tights – A Yay or a Nay!