We are thrilled to share that A Fashionating Life was featured in one of our favorite publications, InFluential Magazine. To view the article, click here or read below.
“Do women of age become less and less of value? Of course! If you’re talking about the motion picture business, it’s hard for women in every arena, in every part of it. And it’s not getting exponentially better.” Sally Field, Multi-award winning actress
How many times do we hear some of the world’s best actresses and most striking models say that once they reach a certain age, often their 40’s but sometimes younger, the job offers start to dry up? These women say that they begin to feel invisible. Our question is this: If some of the world’s most beautiful and talented women feel invisible when they hit 40, how are the rest of us mere mortals supposed to feel when we reach the same age and the same thing starts happening to us? Over the course of our combined decades in the professional world, we have noticed the lack of middle age women in every industry we worked in, ranging from government to music. And most recently, we have been left feeling invisible in the blogsphere where, after endless hours of scrolling, we are left feeling invisible – yet again.
The mission of A Fashionating Life is helping women in their 40s feel empowered by fashion in their everyday lives, inspiring women of all ages to take control of their personal style and use clothes as a powerful tool in the story they tell the world. The feeling of invisibility is something shared by all women to some degree: the only woman in the C-suite at work; the mother who is struggling to see herself, let alone her style, as her life twists and turns on the motherhood journey; the woman who is juggling both; and all points in between. Whether you are just starting out or looking to redefine middle age and beyond, we want women to see themselves reflected in this blog regardless of age or station in life.
According to recent reports, the influencer space is a billion-dollar plus industry. Yet women of our demographic have a hard time finding themselves in this space. Forty something bloggers are out there, but they are not what permeates our feeds, let alone our Like To Know Its. But why? By this time in our lives, women not only have plenty of style, but we have the means to maintain that style and the confidence to pull off any look with aplomb. We do not think there is anything about either of our styles that says “40 something,” but we both feel left out of the conversation when looking to blogs and Instagram for style inspiration. We would like to see more 40 something women at the forefront of the influencer industry, with capsule collections at major retailers and innovative sponsorship deals that appeal to a group of women that embodies a large percentage of buying power – larger than many of our younger peers.
We are big believers in mixing modern and vintage pieces to find a style that is uniquely you. From thrifting to designer deals, we put an emphasis on slow fashion to express your personal style in a way that is healthy for your wallet and our planet. And since we understand that not everyone has the time or inclination to shop on the secondary market, we want to make sure that whatever you buy is an investment in your personal style. We love showing our fashion loving friends how to find the best deals on the items that best fit whatever your current lifestyle is. And we show you how to navigate those inevitable style changes that happen as your life changes. Between the two of us, we have worn the following hats: single career woman, DINK, single working mom, SAHM, and married career mom. We have the life experience to teach tried-and-true style tricks for all the above. Besides tips on how to take one pair of pants and style them five ways, we will share our decades of experiences in not only dressing for, but how to navigate everything from the boardroom to the classroom.
We are especially looking forward to highlighting those in our community and beyond who are living fashionating, even influential lives. Our Fashionator Series celebrates the modern woman or man who embraces life with impeccable style, with events that are both fun and inspirational. A Fashionator is one who lives fashionably through attitude, personal style, health, and beauty, whether they are a trend-setter, style maker, trailblazer, community leader, influencer, or boundary breaker. We have already had two events, one with Heather Willison, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Beautycounter and Shelley Mac, international recording artist. And, we look forward in the new year to honoring Influential Magazine founder, the ever stylish inside and out, Mr. William Jackson.
That is what we want this blog to represent – creating a sense of self through style; nurturing that outward expression of your innermost point of view – regardless of age or stage. We want women to take control of their narrative and wear whatever makes them feel brave, attractive, powerful, and even sexy, despite what society says about how a woman in her 40’s should dress. Rock that mini skirt, buy those black leather thigh-high boots, and remember that every woman’s body is a beach body. We want our blog to be a place where our peers come to see real women with real bodies, real jobs and real budgets. It is about more than providing links to multiple LBDs, it’s about building a community of diverse women united by a desire to support other women at a time when society makes it difficult to feel seen.
So please follow along on this journey. We are on Instagram and Facebook at @afashionatinglife and our blog is at www.afashionatinglife.com. Of course, we want the likes and follows and shares that show our blog’s message is resonating with women who are ready to be seen, heard and, most importantly, valued and emboldened to live beautifully, inside and out, building the life they want. More than that, we want to hear from you and what you would like to see on A Fashionating Life. Women in their 40’s, and beyond, have great stories and a wealth of life experiences to share. Let’s live a fashionating life together. #lifeisfashionating #afashionatinglife
Images by Breezy Ritter