I’d never really thought about it before, living in a house with two boys and no females. Whilst I was growing up there was always two other women in my household to outweigh the male testosterone, to seek advice, approval, reassurance or just the odd confidence boost.

Now however I find myself with two boys and it has made me realize how effortlessly they get ready for ANY occasion. My husband even has a 7 minute target / rule for his ‘getting ready’ routine which I find amazing, as I can probably count on one hand how many times, I have got ready that quickly. It also doesn’t help that I am definitely not a morning person, never have been and I am doubtful EVER will be!!!

Boys just seem to make cool look so easy and carefree, chuck on a white t-shirt and a pair of nicely fitted jeans and they are pretty much ready to go & go in style too. I on the other hand can spend hrs deciding on what outfit goes with what shoes, what top I should wear with what jeans…or skirt…or leggings… OMG the choice is endless, and then chuck in the weather factor for good measure and it can send my brain into a frenzied mass of ‘WTF’, it’s almost like being in Costa trying to decide what type of coffee to have or a Cocktail Bar trying to decide which cocktail to try (or for a child in a pick & mix shop with only one bag to fill!!)!!! The point is, or rather my point is that It’s an endless list of facts / decisions I have to consider to choose my outfit. Yet in that time I can still spend hours choosing what to wear, to STILL end up being the only one who’s cold!!! How is that possible?!?!?!

The two men in my life definitely have the knack of looking cool and chic without putting an ounce of effort into it. They can slip on a pair of joggers and make it look trendy, I definitely WAS NOT that cool at 12 / 18 or probably even 22 to be fair…….

I can’t take credit for being the ‘cool’ or ‘trendy’ one out of the three of us, I’ll leave that to the boys, but I think it’s safe to say that I can maybe take credit for putting a splash of color into the picture!! Color is something I now absolutely love and have grown ever fonder of the older I’ve got, but something I would not have agreed with during my teenage years. I suppose with all the hormones flying around you don’t always want to stand out in a crowd, I certainly didn’t, but as I’ve got older, I’ve suddenly realized I don’t really care about that I just wear what I like and what I feel comfortable in. Or maybe you get past caring………

The one difference I have noticed as I’ve hit the big 40 is the slight worry of looking like ‘mutton dressed as lamb’. I definitely feel that there is a certain stigma around middle aged women where people suddenly start thinking am, I told old to wear a skirt, am I too old to wear something that tight, that colorful, that short / low cut or that provocative and to be perfectly blunt…what’s the harm in it?!?!? Is what I choose to wear really going to drastically affect someone else’s life?!?! Will me wearing a skirt above my knee really be that bad?!!??! Will wearing a bright pink flower dress really cause eye strain!?!? (My dad has joked before that ‘I should of told him I was wearing a coat that bright as he would of worn sunglasses…. but at least he won’t lose me in a crowded street!!) Will having a low-cut top be that bad?!!!? I think in the grand scheme of life and the dilemmas / problems we face daily probably not.

Obviously, everything in reason, but maybe just maybe we shouldn’t worry about that too much, but instead just embrace our bodies and wear what makes us happy?!?!? After all that’s what makes us individual and unique!!! On the flip side of this defiant stand…...I say this and yet I still love a good compliment, so maybe yes everything in reason!!!!!!! Although I will defiantly keep embracing the bold and colorful and maybe ignore the ‘am I too old’ idea / theory!! Let’s abolish this myth, who’s with me……. L 😉