In general, style for women over 40, whether it be in the form of “advice” or available choices is meant for one purpose & one purpose only; to further dim our light…
THE MIDLIFE FEMALE DIMMER SWITCH
It’s a story as old as time. For whatever reason, at some point in history women outside of their childbearing years were deemed unworthy. Unworthy of contributing. Unworthy of having a voice. Unworthy of attention. Unworthy of being seen. Someone somewhere at some point, (most certainly some random dude and no, I’m not a man hater, it’s just an obvious fact) deemed it okay to turn down the dimmer switch on women of a certain age…to douse their light. To make them small. Invisible. Forgettable. Better to be not seen or heard. Before I go any further, I do want to clarify that some of us had our dimmer switches turned down at a very early age & it had nothing to do with middle age. That is for sure a topic for another day, but for today, I’m going to focus specifically on the women in midlife.
Regardless of when your light was dimmed, I say screw that noise…throw on the freakin’ spotlights my friends. Crank that dimmer switch up to the top & then rip it out of the wall! YOU”RE in control of your own light.
YOU’RE IN CONTROL OF YOUR OWN LIGHT
You are worthy of contributing, of being heard, of being seen, of shining your light as brightly as possible. You are worthy of being you. And never give anyone the power to make you feel differently. You’re in control of your own light.
In the last few years the visibility of midlife women has absolutely been changing. From J Lo to Jennifer Aniston to everyday women like us, there are examples everywhere of midlife women who are doing their own thing, vibin’ to their own vibes & shining their own spotlights on their fabulous selves.
There’s no doubt it isn’t easy & we have to be willing to break free of that comfort zone of smallness & quiet. We have to want & I mean really want our light to be seen. We have to make an effort & show up for ourselves every single day. We have to be an active participant in our own lives & not just a silent spectator. We have to use our voices, speak up & speak out. We have to be willing to take risks & do the things that excite us. We have to throw that energy out into the world.
USE STYLE AS YOUR PERSONAL SPOTLIGHT
One of the easiest ways to get started in the role of being your own lighting manager is to up level your personal style. And by “up level” I mean start wearing whatever you damn well please…whatever brings a smile to your face, a bounce to your step & a warm fuzzy feeling in your soul. Learn to listen to your own voice & your own feelings. Learn to give zero thought to if you’re not “dressing your age” or wearing what’s “appropriate”.
Two things that are guaranteed to give my soul all the warm fuzzy feels are ripped denim & a good kimono. And friends, nobody makes a good kimono quite like my friends at Caite & Kyla. And they nail it season after season. If you need proof check out this little lovely from a couple of spring ago or this this drool worthy piece in all the fall colors.
The kimono I’m wearing today is the Lola Kimono from their Spring/Summer 2021 collection. The colors, the flowiness & the mixed print…I’m in love! It’s perfect paired with my favorite denim cut offs, but looks equally as amazing layered over my red sundress.
Trust me on this, there’s no easier way to share your bright gorgeous light with the world than through your clothes. Whether it’s a kimono, the perfect dress or those neon pink paisley pants you’ve been lusting for, dress for yourself & crank up that dimmer switch.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more good reads & style ideas…
Kimono: c/o Caite & Kyla; Shorts: American Eagle (Similar); Cami: Nordstrom (Similar); Shoes: adidas (Similar)
*Kimono was received c/o Caite & Kyla. All opinions, as always, are my own.
