Fashion what to wear now

What to NOWwear

By Emma Reed, Styling you well

Night sweats, hot flushes, a bloated stomach, expanding waistline, diminishing confidence and low energy levels are just some of the symptoms we have to deal with during perimenopause and menopause. I’m in the throes of menopause myself and experiencing all of the above symptoms and more.

As a personal stylist, I feel pressure to look the part and want to dress well to represent my personal brand. However, lately, my weight has ballooned and I’m two stone heavier and a dress size up from my norm. The impact of this on my wardrobe is that I can only fit into a few items, vastly limiting my outfit options.

This is a problem I’ve seen many times over the years working with mid-life menopausal women, struggling with confidence and what to wear. So often their default wardrobe becomes mostly black and oversized items. The thinking behind this go-to style for midlife women is that oversized hides body shape and black blends, rather than standing out. However, what really happens is that oversized styles add volume whilst eliminating shape. Wearing only black can add to a low mood and make us feel unseen.

Sort out your wardrobe

One solution I’ve found that helps is separating the clothes you can still wear from those you can’t, to make it easier and quicker to plan your outfits. If you have the space, I suggest putting the ‘can’t wear’ clothes in another wardrobe or box them up and store them, for now. I am optimistic this weight gain isn’t permanent and feel hopeful my boxed up items will see the light of day again once I’ve got ‘control’ of my menopause….

The Flat Lay Method to create outfits

The next step is finding ways to create more outfits with your ‘new’ smaller capsule wardrobe, by mixing them together differently. A fun and effective way to do this is using the flat lay method.

Lay the items on the floor arranged as an outfit, including shoes and bags. Take a photo of this look, and mentally label it outfit number one. Now create five more looks using the same base pieces and only changing up the top or bottom half of the outfit, or if it’s a dress, style up new looks using different shoes and accessories. Then move on to the next outfit idea with the same approach.

Accessorising your looks

Using shoes and accessories is a great way to mix up looks and add personality to your outfits. If you don’t have many accessories to choose from, create your flat lays using the items you do have and take photos of each outfit you create. Then write a wish list of the accessories you would like to add. This is more costeffective and planet-friendly than buying more clothes. Size is not relevant for accessories - except for belts - which makes it a longer-lasting investment should your dress size change

again. For belts, I recommend buying a longer waist size than needed, as holes can be added accordingly, whether your waist size goes up or down.

A statement necklace or colourful earrings are a perfect way to draw the eye away from the belly area. A lightweight scarf is also a great way to add colour or pattern and loosely ‘cover’ a bloated belly.

Photo showing one dress accessorised differently to create new outfits.

Tuck in your tops

The most effective way to dress to enhance your shape is by using lines to create your ideal silhouette. When wearing skirts, trousers or jeans, try tucking in your tops, this may feel counterintuitive, especially if you usually ‘hide’ your tummy with loose fabric worn over it. By tucking in your tops, you actually enhance your shape. It lengthens your leg proportions and nips in your waistline. If you feel self-conscious side on with tucked-in tops, add a lightweight shacket or kimonostyle item, this is an effective way to minimise the volume of your side silhouette by creating a line down each side.

Fabrics to choose from

Fabric choices are key for your menopause wardrobe, to cope with the fluctuation in body temperature and hot flushes, even more so during summer or overseas in a hot climate. Check your labels and choose breathable fabrics, made of natural fibres which most of us recognise as cotton, linen and silk.

Avoid synthetic fabrics like polyester, which is basically plastic and not breathable. Nowadays technological advances mean there are labels with fabric names we may never have heard of or don’t know what they are made of. Viscose, also known as rayon is a semi-synthetic fibre, it’s generally a better alternative to polyester as it’s made from a cellulose plant base and has breathable silk-like qualities. Other materials to consider are Modal, Bamboo, Hemp and Lyocell (sometimes known as TencelTM).

The key to confidence is wearing what you love and what feels like you. And a final note to share is to try adding colour to your wardrobe if it’s mainly dark or black. Colour is scientifically proven to be a mood enhancer and put the spring in your step.