You have amassed kudos and credibility at your work. They know what you are worth after all these years, given your experience and knowledge. But younger colleagues look more on trend and feminine. For a presentation, you put on that same black blazer you have already worn so often. It makes you feel like a boring, average, middle-aged woman. No shine or radiance. There is so much more to you. And when a nice, new project suddenly goes to a younger colleague, you are disappointed and wonder whether it might have something to do with how you present yourself? Your clothes no longer reflect your qualities and how you feel.

You’re standing in the fitting room with that awful artificial light and cannot wait to take off those pants that that are way too tight around the thighs and look strange. You went shopping in good spirits but now you just want to go home and make yourself a cup of tea. Bah! Once again, you didn’t find anything nice. You feel you look the same every day: boring and unremarkable. It isn’t good for your confidence level. Shopping used to be fun and easy. You chose what you liked and everything looked good. That is different now that your hair is going grey, your face is ageing and your body has changed.

You are already stressed about what to wear to that party next weekend. You want to look good and glow in front of colleagues. But you feel you have nothing to wear. Nothing makes you feel beautiful except that one top. So is it clean? That top is always ok, but you wear it a lot and now you want something different, something new, something special. Where on earth will you find it?

You proudly wear your new blouse today and wonder whether your partner will see it. “Do you see anything different about me?” you ask. He looks surprised and asks, ‘Why, what’s wrong? Have you been to the hairdresser?’ ‘No, I am wearing a new blouse.’ ‘Huh? I thought you already had something like that?’ In earlier years, he used to compliment you. You’re sad he no longer gives you admiring glances these days and sometimes you reminisce. If only you could have that body you had years ago with the mindset of today…

You have a lovely day out with your daughter. She is so beautiful and you notice how people look at her. She shines! You suddenly see yourself,  in a shop window, walking next to her, and think: ‘Jeez is that me?. I look like my mother, she also walked a bit like that.’ And suddenly you feel old and boring. You wonder what happened, they used to look at me too.