Midlife Reinvention And The Outfits That Get Us There

Midlife Reinvention And The Outfits That Get Us There

Angie Weihs Featured July 2020

Fashion, Kuel Category Expert: Angie Weihs

“Are we there yet?”

Nikita, my Tibetan Terrier, sulked in the corner of the dressing room.

“Nope, not there yet.”

My dog, always putting her nose into open doors, had pulled me into a second hand clothing store. I slipped into the next outfit I had grabbed from a surprising diversity of contemporary designer and mainstream clothes displayed in a huge loft-like space. There was nobody over 30 in this millennial temple of creative styling but my excitement wiped away the worry that my wrinkles would clash. Nikita told me to stop bitching about being invisible.

I stared at myself in a plastic fantastic faux snake mini dress. It was tight, strapless and a tad, gosh – slutty.



I could never… Maybe I should… This was naughty…..
“Over 60 is sexy,” said the snake dress and became one of my first fashion pictures on social media three years ago.
“You’re desperately trying to look like 21,” complained a woman in a styling group.
“Yes.”
l laughed. I didn’t feel desperate; I finally felt empowered.

I Deserve To Look Hot

Stepping into the shoes of other women, literally and psychologically reveals our judgments, fears and desires.”

I deserved to look hot after two decades of casual mom jeans and a corporate job with dull sexless business uniforms. My outfit explorations revived my curious twenty something writer self. She drove to her journalist stories in a purple convertible and cowgirl boots, real snake at that time.

Mini skirts, body suits, plunging necklines and funky faux everything became my rebel tools against “old.” Stilettos, flats, and sneakers stirred up new feelings when writing my memoir in LA coffee shops.

Stepping into the shoes of other women, literally and psychologically reveals our judgments, fears and desires. How do we relate to the yuppie, diva or kitty cat, the tomboy, super girly or punk and rockn’ roll chick? Feeling them on our skin helps to understand other women; underneath our fashionable facades our desires are not that different.

This Is Not Me

Our styling is our art.”

How often did we hear midlife women exclaim when facing wrinkles in the mirror, “this is not me”? Reinvention calls us in times of challenges like “old age”; illness; loss of jobs; safety; loved ones; or the loss of self in society’s demands. It’s a fight or flight situation where we hold on to the past or jump into something brave and new. The worldwide challenge of the pandemic nailed our doors shut and made us “sit in it.” What went wrong, globally and personally? What did we do and especially what or who did we not listen to?

We’re not reinventing the wheel; because the wheel, is already there. It might just be hidden under decades of clutter. Michelangelo said that the art already is in the granite, he just chiseled it free. Reinvention means to recover lost dreams and hidden knowing; the blue print of our very own passion and purpose. Our styling is our art. 

Statement outfits are perfect sidekicks for our intentions.

Wearing our truth is contagious.”

Fashion is often ignored or obsessively adapted. It is sometimes despised as manipulating or happily played with. Its power as a tool for conscious living though is mostly overlooked. Fashion awareness can be life changing. When we discover and wear our truth and intentions on our sleeves, we connect to likeminded people who help us to reach our goals.

Wearing our truth is contagious. We can change the world simply by embodying the truth within us and expressing it.

Seven Steps To Get More Clarity, If You Like To Play Wardrobe Adventures

  1. Colors have power. Wear a white outfit, the vibe of clarity and new beginnings.
  2. Look at your clothes like a casting director; who is the person who would wear your outfits? What are the stories, mandates, memories; your mindset behind it?
  3. Is that really you?
  4. Make a list of what you don’t have and desire. What’s the reason you don’t own the style you adore on others? Because….? Who’s voices do you hear?
  5. If your walk-in closet overflows, what stories does it tell?
  6. Who would you be – and wear – if you forgot everything you thought you knew?
  7. Choose a challenge outfit; wear it at home, maybe dare it in the world. How does it feel? Let it guide you to see more. Example: I sent a casual comfort clothes wearing client a silver, faux leather pencil skirt, size twelve. She braved it. Taking pictures at the ruins of an old castle she felt her strong woman warrior power and even stories of her ancient lineage came up.

I recently let my eyes wander over forms and colors in my styling studio containing my fashion past; the good, bad, adored or blah. Like emerging from a guided outfit meditation, I found myself in a soft, pastel and feather light style. “I love you,” said the little princess I never wanted to be. The rebel I had revived against ageism helped me to find my feminine essence in a fantastic journey of two years. They’re my sidekicks for my next reinvention, back to the world-exploring adventure girl.

“I’m not there yet, Nikita, but every step up is a mini arrival.”

Outfits talk when we listen.

Not thinking about our clothes but dressing our feelings gives us the authenticity everybody loves.

 

Like the T’s Angie’s ROCKING? You can get yours right here at AgeLessRebelMagic.

Did you enjoy this article? Become a Kuel Life Member today to support our ad-free Community. Sign-up for our Sunday newsletter and get your expert content delivered straight to your inbox.

About the Author:

Angie Weihs is a fashion forward Instagram influencer. In nearly three years of outfit explorations, fashion evolved as a tool for awareness and empowerment. Women who embarked on a styling journey with her found confidence by discovering their ”real.”

Her upcoming memoir, “Maybe you should wear pink,” lets outfits talk and shows how to wear our souls on our sleeves so that the Universe can have our back. Reinventing ourselves during a worldwide pandemic is an unprecedented challenge. Angie’s goal is to let our style help us rethink, redefine, and re-feel our lives. And, provide the clarity and power we need to reinvent a broken world. You can follow Angie on Instagram at agelessrebelmagic.

3 Comments

  • Michele Fieldson

    I can literally feel the joy and playfulness come through in this article. I must draw the line at body suits, however. Let’s just say my sister and I fell through the dressing room door laughing hysterically when I tried one on – in 9th grade. But thanks for reigniting that memory 😂😂😂

  • Thank you, Lorraine. I am so happy to be here at Kuel and meet other women who are empowered or on the path to all they can be like me. I intend to share entertaining and inspiring fashion stories and let my outfit talk:)

  • Lorraine Miano

    Bravo Angie! You are gorgeous, bold and empowered! XO

Comments are closed.