Making friends with the M-word

The M word…That’s right ladies, the menopause…NO FEAR….old age here we come! Six reasons to love your menopause!

As women of a certain age we cannot avoid seeing the ruddy M word everywhere. There are a gazillion articles coming at it from just about every angle but most of them just seem to say pretty much the same thing; “It’s inevitable crap! Deal with it like this….”

Well, for a lark I figured I’d be positive because it’s happening and I for one am not about to lose my sense of humour, or hopefully, my sense of style, over what essentially is a huge part of my womanhood.

Some funny things about the menopause:

1. I’ve drunk a LOT of wine and smoked some weird cigarettes in the past in order to achieve a feeling of light-headedness – these days it happens pretty regularly FREE of charge!

2. I seem to have my own built in central heating – halving my gas bill.

3. I have the perfect excuse for forgetting stuff & sobbing for no reason!

4. I can take an afternoon nap without feeling guilty or worrying I’m coming down with something (I’ve already GOT it).

5. My disappearing waistline is not (entirely) down to crisps!

6. My Mum is empathetic towards me for like the first time, ever!

I could continue and it may sound familiar to you, but there is a more serious side to all this, which is what prompted me to mention it.

Around the same time we begin to enter the menopause we are generally also entering another phase of our lives as women. Kids are more independent, we’ve maybe reached the pinnacle of our career ambitions, house & home may well be kitted out and comfortable and so now what the hell do we do?

Sometimes this period of life isn’t in the slightest bit amusing and more sodding raging hormones seemingly sent by Beelzebub doubly torment us poor women.

We may have more time on our hands and perhaps a little more cash to spend on ourselves but we just don’t know what to do with either.

Sadly, a lot of us lose almost all of our self-confidence. We dislike what we see in the mirror – find ourselves unrecognizable at times – physically & emotionally. And yet, evidence strongly suggests between 40 & 70 our cognitive ability actually improves and we are better able to manage our emotions! Anybody who wants to read more about this should take a looksee here.

So, deciding to put this ‘time’ to good use, I have developed a few coping strategies for those days when I’m having a ‘fat’ day, a ‘weepy’ day, a ‘don’t even look at me’ day & so on…. These help me to feel better about myself and able to face the day ahead.

View this as my menopause clothing battle plan!

• Knickers! Yes, knickers. You don’t need ‘those’ knickers any more so GET RID of them. I did and I went out and treated myself to some decent underwear. You don’t have to spend a fortune but a decent matching knickers and (properly fitting) bra set cheers me up no end! Melissa inBodenhams in town will help fit you with a decent bra too.

• OK, tits! So, aside from a decent fitting bra I’ve had to re-think shapes of tops a little bit. I’ve never really had much ‘equipment’ in the frontal dept but some ladies do and they get larger. The temptation is to put on a looser, more voluminous top. Be CAREFUL – Some end up giving you a veritable shelf! You won’t hide those puppies so don’t try to. Instead, find tops that suit your whole body shape rather than focusing on your breasts.

• The disappearing waistline is another temptation to cover up with a large, baggy top. Worn out over skirts, jeans, EVERYTHING….You’ll just end up looking like a weeble (Remember them?!) Give yourself a waist, with through acarefully chosen top or why not try a belt with one of your longer baggies if you must wear them. Divide it up into zones if you like…

TIP – low slung boobies need a SLIM belt and those with slightly longer bods and smaller boobs should try a wider belt. It defines your waistline and puts back some shape into that frame.

• Staying ‘up top’ – I’ve got a thing for cardigans and short square cut jackets. I don’t mind showing my rear as it hasn’t spread too badly yet & legs are passable 🙂 I like cotton fine knit cardis for layering up and box jackets really are classic, so I feel quite chic when wearing one. I prefer a narrow collar & single button but suggest you have a play/try out with what you like on you. Plus, layering up means easy peeling off when you have a moment..

• I avoid low waisted trousers nowadays and love elasticated waistbands. I feel like a frump saying this but LOTS of stylish troos and skirts have elasticated waists as designers do understand women’s tummies change size and shape throughout each day. Hell! – I wear jersey dresses – in fact anything that’s stretchy & comfy if I’m having a ‘bitch’ day (or week!)

This is by no means exhaustive and really only meant as a bit of fun but I feel like we’re kind of all in this one together so should attempt to make the best of things.

Let’s celebrate that we made it to the menopause which I reckon, effectively gives us free rein to live how we want, dress how we want and enjoy ourselves without a whole load of pressures that accompany us throughout most of our womanhood.