After creating my video for the Midlife Summit for Menopausal Women, I thought about the power of mindset in fashion. I made a list of notes to share and put it on my calendar to create.

Quote of the day: “The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.” Rita Mae Brown

There must be something in the air because in this same time period, my friend, Kay, wrote a similar article, and then an Instagram friend shared a snarky comment on her feed which gave me more fuel for my post.

Now Kay is much more conservative than I am in her style, while Tammy is bolder than I am. Every one of us is in a different stage of fashion evolution, but we can all learn and grow. What I loved about Kay’s article is how she “changed her mind” and I think we should all be open to change all the time.

Insider tip: As we are older women, I want you to think about the time when society deemed you (a woman) not able to do something. For my mother, she couldn’t have her own credit card for the longest time. And women were only supposed to have certain careers.
As a woman, I’m sure you did not agree with this mindset. This is the same shift we need to accomplish when it comes to mindset in fashion.
DO NOT be brainwashed into thinking that you can’t wear something because of your age, size, or anything else.
DO NOT keep your same ideas from ages ago in anything whether that’s women’s rights or fashion. We need to evolve.

You should definitely sign up for the emails below. Besides the free eBook, my email family gets personal tidbits of what’s going on in my life along with other happenings, sales, information, giveaways, extra photos, and interesting articles.

I believe our thoughts govern our style more than we think, and I have written about this subject.

• Perfectly Imperfect
• Change your closet, change your life-It seems extreme but it’s true
• Loving our bodies in swimsuit season

My History

As a quick aside, let me give you a bit of history of myself.

I am a stylist with a biology background. My first career was as a cosmetic dentist.

One of the factors I learned as a cosmetic dentist is that patients take better care of their mouths when they like how their smile looks.
It’s human nature.
Because of this, I would have people whiten their teeth before we did many procedures.

Once I sold my practice and became a stylist, I used my biology background to give a different perspective when it comes to style and fashion.

A traditional stylist will talk about if a clothing item is flattering. They discuss ways to wear things that make you look longer and leaner.
And having “a style.” The problem with having one type of style is it boxes you in. And Baby wasn’t the only one who didn’t like being put in a corner (who can name that movie?).

THIS IS HOGWASH.

Let me explain below.

My Fashion History

One reason I can speak to this mindset in fashion is I’ve been there.
As a dentist, I was immersed in a male-dominated career, and I felt pressure to wear manly outfits and to look professional.

When I retired it was hard to change my mindset in fashion. I believed there was only one “right” way to dress and all clothing needed to be flattering to our shape.

It’s stressful to think there are rights and wrongs when it comes to clothes. Instead, your clothing choices should reflect your moods and emotions. Enjoy the process and remember it’s just an outfit. The fashion police will not pull you over and arrest you.
You will have outfits that you like and some that you don’t.

No worries. No stress. It’s a learning process throughout your entire life.

Insider tip: Yes, there are times that an outfit will look better with a tweak here or there. That’s why it’s helpful to take daily photos of your outfits and analyze them.

Confidence

You’ve read a lot about having confidence and that’s not much different than the idea of mindset in fashion.

The problem is confidence means you feel happy with your body and clothes, yet mindset is the way to get you to feel confident.

Yet that’s the $64,000 dollar question. How do you feel more confident?

Biologically speaking, I believe it has to do with your mindset in fashion more than anything else.
Analyze, analyze, and analyze some more. Question your beliefs and be open to change.

Once you realize that your body does not define you, it will allow you to become more confident.

I want you to reread that. Your body does not define you.

Your body is the housing of your insides which are the essence of you.

Insider tip: While our insides are the key to a happy life, let’s not negate or diminish how our style affects us and others. The biggest reason is because we are visual animals and our clothing is meant to be a tool we can use.
It’s the perfect marriage of mindset in fashion.

Let’s Talk About Hogwash

Our entire life, we have been inundated with articles and others claiming that this or that will make us look slimmer.

I want you to stop and think about why looking slimmer is important.

Does it make you a better person? Will it make you happy?

Insider tip: On that note, I have known many overweight people who have lost weight, and yet they still struggle because their minds still see themselves as overweight.
I’m not saying it’s healthy to be overweight. Yet don’t expect that a change of the number on a scale will bring a miracle to your life.

I believe there is only 1 correct answer to will looking slimmer make you better, and it’s NO.

Instead, being grateful for your body will bring you peace and acceptance. With this, you will be less judgemental of your own bodies and others around you.

There are other mindsets in fashion ideas that I hear older women talking about.

Lumps and Bumps

Women are constantly trying to cover up their lumps and bumps.

Stop and analyze the fact that you have lumps and bumps. It’s not a bad thing.
Here are things to consider:

• Babies have chubby legs and we think it’s the cutest thing. We pinch them and exclaim how wonderful they are.
• We are meant to have a shape. If you ever watch Family Feud, many of the African American women will be showing off their generous shape and they have the most untroubled attitude. I think we should all learn from that.
• Why are some lumps better than others? They are all part of our body, so stop being prejudiced against certain parts of your body.

Insider tip: Luckily, the younger generation is showcasing their mindset in fashion that size isn’t a deterrent from looking great. I share many of these women’s social channels in my emails. I believe they are paving the way for everyone.

Showing Skin

The reason I’m including these photos is because they are outfits I would have NEVER worn years ago. Showing skin was not something I thought was appropriate for a professional woman, especially at my age.

Many women will tell me I can wear something because I am thin.

PLEASE, reevaluate that comment. Again…your size does not dictate you. Any woman can wear what I am wearing sure with some modifications because the clothing is a different size. Yet your size does not negate wearing certain styles.

Society has us worried about how our skin ages. Wrinkles, scars, discolorations. They are all things that happen to us, and in no way do they change our ability to be a good person.

If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this article, it’s that our bodies are amazing. Any wrinkles, scars, or discolorations are the things that make you unique and need no hiding.

Insider tip: In fact, if we needed to hide all of our scars, I would be wearing a sack over my face. Because I have a cleft lip scar. This has taught me to embrace my imperfections.

Looking Big

Here’s another pet peeve comment I hear all the time.
“I can’t wear that, it makes me look big.”

Since when is “big” bad? Texans have the right attitude that bigger is better. Right?

But seriously, we need to reconsider our mindset in fashion that smaller is preferred. It’s part of the brainwashing that has been amplified over and over.
Change your thinking, and you will change your life.

Body Changes

It’s no secret that our bodies change throughout the years. Everything in life changes and that’s an understatement.

It’s a challenge to learn a different “way” to clothe our bodies when our weight changes or redistributes.

Heck, it’s a challenge when our Lifestyle changes and we live in a different place or don’t need to wear a uniform to work every day.

But these are good changes.

Every time you challenge yourself and create a “new” outfit or style, you’ve created a new brain pathway. That’s a biological fact.
And our brain is the foundation for our mindset in fashion and everything.

My Challenge To You

So here’s my challenge for you. Starting today.
Embrace change.

How?

If you always wear a certain color, try a different one.
Do you always match colors in your outfits? Introduce a new color.
Do you usually wear pants? Try a dress or skirt.
CHANGE IT UP.

Insider tip: Staying in the same channel of style and fashion from years ago will create a frumpy look. If there’s one thing that style and fashion is all about, it’s change. So it’s time to be open to change.

If you feel this type of change of mindset in fashion will be too hard or expensive, then might I suggest thrifting or a clothing rental service? Both are great ways to try new items.

Insider detail: Your Revolving Closet has a 30-day free trial and is easy to cancel. It is a great risk-free way to try clothes you might not normally wear. This 30-day free trial will only be around for the 2024 year, so take advantage of it now.

Photo credit: Rob Filogomo

Thank you

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Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.

It’s not just about me on this blog, but also my mother and friend. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.

The post The Power of Mindset In Fashion To Make You Better appeared first on Jodie’s Touch of Style.

Jodie Filogomo Fashion Stylist

Jodie's Touch of Style showcases how it's never too late to look great including other older women and myself talking about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle issues.

As a retired dentist, Jodie takes her love of clothing and shopping and has come to find her superpowers in styling the same item in many ways. She is also a huge advocate for embracing our age and bodies. Getting old is a wonderful thing and learning to love ourselves while it happens is very freeing.

Looking great can happen no matter what age, shape or budget, as we show on Jodie's Touch of Style.