August 4, 2025 • 40 mins
Navigating Menopausal Fashion with Expert Tracy GoldIn this episode of the Silver Disobedience Perception Dynamics podcast, host Dian Griesel sits down with menopause style expert Tracy Gold to discuss how fashion choices might change as women age, particularly after menopause. Tracy shares her experiences and insights into the specific challenges faced by women over 40 when it comes to fashion and style. She outlines her journey in the fashion industry, the importance of having clothing that adapts to changing bodies, and how to maintain a confident and stylish appearance despite the physical changes brought about by menopause. Tracy also provides valuable tips on choosing breathable fabrics, versatile clothing, and pieces that offer shape without being too tight. The episode wraps up with Tracy's emphasis on the importance of personal style as a form of self-expression and confidence.
Learn more about Tracy at any of these links:
web: http://tracygoldfashiontips.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tracygoldfashiontips
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracy_gold_fashion_tips/?hl=en
Please SUBSCRIBE! I’m Dian Griesel, Ph.D. aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here: https://diangriesel.com
But for starters…I am a perception analyst, hypnotherapist, author of 16 books and a Wilhelmina model. For 30 years I have helped my clients to achieve greater understanding as to how perceptions impact everything we do whether personally or professionally.
This episode was recorded in collaboration with The Manhattan Center, New York City, New York.
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Spotify PodcastShow Run:
00:00 Introduction and Key Questions00:20 Meet Tracy Gold: Menopause Style Expert00:35 Tracy's Journey to Focusing on Women Over 4002:16 The Impact of Menopause on Body and Style04:42 Adapting Style to Menopausal Changes07:34 The Role of Shame in Fashion Choices12:26 Designing Clothes for Changing Bodies13:54 Challenges in the Fashion Industry21:17 Exploring Dress Silhouettes21:22 The Pencil Dress Dilemma22:15 The Wrap Dress Evolution23:06 Creating the Perfect Wrap Dress23:48 Consumer Power and Brand Awareness26:59 The Importance of Adaptable Clothing27:33 Five Essential Clothing Rules33:11 The Indie Designer Experience35:04 Customizable and Versatile Fashion38:58 Final Thoughts on Personal Style
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello everybody, I have a question.
Have you wondered if your style should change as you get older?
What about when you pass menopause, enter menopause and
you're hot? That's the hair up today.
What do you do? Can you wear the same things you
wore when you were younger? Do you have to change them?
(00:20):
Well, today I am with menopause style expert Tracy Gold, and
she's going to tell us all abouthow fashion changes and doesn't
change with age. Thank you, Tracy.
Hi, Di, It's so wonderful to be here.
So, Tracy, how did you come to focus on the middle-aged woman
and our style and how we might want to dress?
(00:43):
Well, I've been styling and designing for women for over 20
years. I'm 51 years old.
So one of the things I remember actually when I started learning
how to work YouTube and there was this, you know, the coach
was telling us we need to niche down or niche down, whichever,
however you want to say it. And I remember I was in my late
30s at the time, and it suddenlycame to me.
(01:06):
I was in dance class. I was like going for it.
And suddenly it almost hit me between the eyes.
Speak to women over 40. And I was like, no, I don't want
to do that. I don't want to niche down.
I don't want people to know how old I am.
People often thought I was younger, and then I realized,
no, actually, that's what you should do.
And so I started shifting to women over 40 and.
(01:28):
But why? But because because I wanted to
speak to an audience. And one of the things I realized
in marketing is that if you try to speak to everybody, you speak
to nobody. And as soon as I started
focusing on women over 40, my channel blew up.
And I was like, wow, there's something to this.
And I really loved it. And I didn't really mind because
(01:49):
if I looked at who I was serving, who I was styling, who
were, who was buying my collection, it was predominantly
women over 40. So it was a really good
transition, but there was something about naming it as
such that felt, I felt the resistance.
Anyway, I was fine with that. I got a little bit older.
(02:11):
I was over 40, and that was cool.
And then I turned 50, Diane and I hit perimenopause.
And I was like, whoa, this is really a thing.
I mean, I listen, I had spoken to women during COVID as we all
did, had interviews. And every single woman I spoke
(02:32):
to over 40 would talk about menopause.
I mean, we could be talking about hair and it would be
coming down to menopause. And I'm like, what is with this
menopause thing? Can we stop talking about it?
It was getting on my nerves actually until I hit and I was
like, oh, now I get it. And, and at the time I was on
QVC, so I was having to go in front of seven cameras and have
(02:55):
everybody looking at, I mean, seeing myself from all different
angles. And Diana was selling handbags
and handbags. You know, you're standing and
you're putting the bag right by the belly.
And so the cameras were coming from all these different angles.
And I I'm not exaggerating because I do have a measuring
tape and I know how to measure. I gained like 3 inches around my
(03:20):
belly almost overnight and I wasbloated everywhere and I felt
horrible like I would. Relate that to your reaction to
menopause. Well, it was because I woke.
I remember the first the first thing that happened was these
rolling heat waves while I was sleeping.
I mean, I couldn't it kept on making me super hot.
It was a couple of different things.
(03:41):
So it wasn't it wasn't all of a sudden and I hadn't changed my
exercise. I had live a very health focused
life. I'm plant based Whole Foods
eater. I drink plenty of water like I
do all the things. And I had never gained weight
like that so fast. And so I realized like, Oh my
goodness, this is what it is. And at the time I had to wear
(04:02):
solid color clothing because thebrand required that because they
didn't want me to clash with a Prince And everything in my
closet had prints on it. And there's a reason for that
because it covers a multitude ofthings.
So I, we really started understanding first hand that A,
this is real. B, we don't always have the time
(04:23):
to figure the style thing out while we've got to get on with
our lives and deal with other things.
I mean, there are so many challenges.
There's the sleep problems, there's the heat waves that
happen, there's the hot flashes,there's the brain fog.
And to add style to that, like what are we going to wear?
We don't have time to figure that out.
So how? How would I'll differ for
(04:45):
someone that you think is perimenopausal or menopausal
versus someone who's not? Well, let me just say to you
that being perimenopausal and speaking to many of my clients
who are your body is different every day.
So the things that I used to, I'll just so you don't.
Think your body's different every day as a 20 year old?
No, not to the same degree. Not to the same degree.
(05:08):
It's like I went from. Well, degrees are what we hear
people talk about once you get into the menopausal.
Degree and there's so there's you know what let me actually
say to you I worked out so because you know because I was
on QVC at the time, I had to figure this out and I had to
figure it out really quickly because I needed to go on with
confidence. I need to be able to feel good
(05:31):
about myself. I mean, I would decide what I
was going to wear the day beforebecause the studios are in
Pennsylvania, so I live in New York City and I need to get
there. But the time I got there, the
outfit that I had chosen to wear, I'm now bloated and it
doesn't look the same. That's how fast it was happening
for me. That's how intense it was.
And so I was like, I have got tofigure this thing out.
(05:55):
And so I started figuring it outand I realized that there are
five things that shift for us. So, and five things that we
absolutely have to have in our clothing.
The one is we need clothing thatadapts to our bodies on any
given day #2 we need shape. One of the big things that I
find we do as women is we, we goto one of two extremes.
(06:16):
We either go really big and baggy and black.
OK, so we wear the big SAC and think that hopefully no one will
notice. And we often, there's often
quite a lot of shame that goes with that.
My body is shameful. I don't fit into my clothes any
longer. I'm not feeling good about
myself. And so I'm just going to try and
wear black and big and baggy to cover it up.
(06:38):
The other extreme is I am determined to wear the clothes
that I used to wear, and so I'm going to squeeze myself into
them. I'm going to put on the shape
where I'm going to do. Maybe I'll go appasize, but the
styles and the fits are now different to what actually
works. And in both cases, we have
shame. In both cases, we're berating
(07:00):
our bodies. And I was like, but what about
in between? Like there's a lot in between.
There's a lot between big and baggy and super tight and
doesn't suit your shape. So I was like, what is that in
between? And how can I discover that?
And how can I offer that to women and then teach women that
there is an alternative to thosetwo extremes?
And there's definitely an alternative to hating the bodies
(07:21):
that we have. So we need things that we have
shape. We need things that have
breathability like on these hot days.
I mean, that is huge. We need.
And I gotta, I gotta stop you and ask you a question.
Why would you tie shame into this?
What do you what do you think shame has to do with?
That's such a great question, because when?
(07:41):
When and I know you're not a psychologist or a psychiatrist,
so let's be very clear about that I.
Am not a psychologist but I'm just.
Curious from a personal point ofview.
I only want to hear your personal.
Point of view, sure. So what I have found, I can
speak from my own perspective and from the clients that I've
worked with because I work with women on this.
What I find is that when, and, and I have experienced this too,
(08:04):
when our bodies go through changes, there is a lot of
societal pressure that that is unacceptable.
And when there is, I mean for meit was.
I think that's a very personal statement.
I think that's a very personal statement, OK.
Why do you think? Because I know plenty of women
(08:25):
who've, let's say, had a child and they're like, you know, I
got some new curse here. And it's great because I got
this thing that I'm holding now.So I think that's a very
personal I don't like to make those general sweeping
statements about women because Ithink those are actually shaming
statements. Yeah, that's an interesting way
of saying it. I, I think that probably the
perspective that I have is because the women that come to
(08:47):
me are wanting an alternative. And sometimes it's not about,
it's not this. So let me give you an example.
One of my clients came, she started, she, she started
working with me and she had justhad a baby in her late 30s and
she's, and she had gained weightfrom having her baby, which is
(09:07):
natural, right? She'd also gone through a whole
bunch of IVF's and things like that, which changes your
hormones. It does crazy things to your
hormones. And as she started wearing
clothes that really suited the body she has now today, she said
to me, Tracy, I've, I've actually lost weight since that
because I'm not stressed about what I'm what I need to wear and
(09:28):
I'm not stress eating. So it's not about just sitting
on the couch and doing nothing and saying, oh, well, I'm just
going to wear Tracy's clothes and I'm going to feel so
fabulous. I'm going to lose the weight.
OK. So wait a second, did you just
say so wearing Tracy's clothes is a new diet?
I'm not saying that I'm saying that is not the what I'm saying.
I am not saying that wearing my clothes is the new guy.
(09:51):
Absolutely not what I am saying and this is OK.
So this is the power from this was the power for me, Diane, is
that when I figured out what I needed to wear to suit the body
that I have today and would adjust with me even in solid
clothing, even going on 7 different cameras and nothing
(10:15):
had changed. I was still going through this
crazy thing. I felt so much better about
myself. Well, one point to make.
There is definitely physiological and biological
proof that if you're wearing clothes that are too tight,
either 1 you can't eat enough ortwo you're stalling your
digestion. So you actually.
(10:35):
Could. Be gaining weight because if
your if your buckle is too tight, you know you just can't
digest properly. Well, so for for.
So it's kind of funny what you're talking about.
It is so for this client, it wasreally around accepting.
So I think that what it's about is it's about like recognizing
(10:55):
when that feeling comes and if you don't have it fantastic.
Like I do not believe we. One of the things I really can't
stand about the fashion industryis that it is about making a
woman feel like she's not enough.
She's not, she's not tall enough, she doesn't.
(11:16):
Her boobs are too big, her boobsare too small, her butt's too
big, butt's too small. And of course, depending on
fashion is what the IT style or whether it body shape is.
And I have always had a problem with the fashion industry
because the fashion industry prize on our insecurities as
women to try and sell to us. I believe that fashion has the
(11:38):
power and I have seen this in both of myself and in my
clients. I have seen the power that it
has to shift how we feel about ourselves.
Because when we are dressing ourbodies to cover up the things
that we don't like, that we findshameful or we just do not like,
we often end up making them lookbigger.
And when we look in the mirror, that's what we notice.
(11:59):
However, when we shift our focusand say, hey, OK, I'm going
through body changes, so be it. I'm still going to rock this
look. I'm going to look amazing.
I'm going to feel amazing and I'm going to wear clothes that
actually come alongside me in myjourney.
It makes it so much easier to feel better about ourselves and
(12:20):
that is what I have seen and I've seen in my clients and I
definitely felt it in myself. What?
What do those kind of clothes look like?
Or is it a general style someoneshould be looking for?
Is it something in particular? You mentioned a list of a few
things earlier. Yes.
So I look, I mean, I work in twodifferent capacities.
(12:41):
So I work as a stylist. So I work with people who don't
necessarily want to buy my clothes.
That's fine, right? And then I have women who love
my aesthetic and love the clothing and that kind of thing.
But what I did is I designed a collection that does adapt to
body shape, that does work with color imprints.
Because also as we get a little bit older, we lose color in our
hair, we lose color in our skin.It's not all beige.
(13:06):
So it does, you know, would really appeal to somebody who is
ready to bring color and and print into their closet it they
are breathable fabrics. They're sustainable fabrics, but
they have shape, right? And they're designed to disguise
the menopause, baby. Because of all the women that
(13:26):
I've spoken to, that is one of the biggest things.
I mean, I kind of felt bloated everywhere, but I especially
felt bloated around my belly. And, and I find that sometimes
that's the area that we feel. There's a lot of emotion there,
right? Like it's the part of our body
where we feel a lot of emotion. You know, when we talk about
(13:46):
that gut feeling, it's that it'sthat thing, right?
And I just feel like it's time for the fashion industry to
start speaking to us. And I, I, I go to, I go to
stores, Diane and I try on clothes and I don't see myself
as AI, don't see my body as a difficult body to dress.
And I struggle to find clothes that actually flatter.
(14:08):
There's a lot of rubbish out there.
Why do you think that is? I think that most of the styles
are made for younger bodies. I think the styles, a lot of
them are produced in Asian countries and you know, sample
rooms are using fit models that have very different shapes to to
(14:31):
the average American woman as anexample.
Well, I mean in the fit modelingindustry, don't you think each
fashion brand chooses the fit model that they want to scale up
or down for that they perceive their customers?
Perceive correct? I think what I'm finding
interesting is that I think thatI don't.
(14:54):
So this is one of the frustrations that I feel right
now is that there is so much conversation about menopause and
perimenopause and what's happening to our bodies, what's
happening to our brains. HRT, no, HRT, those
conversations. I go to a lot of those events
and conferences and things. We're not talking about style.
(15:16):
We're not talking about how do we get up in the morning and get
out the door and feel good aboutourselves and get about our day.
Even when we're having a really blow today, those conversations
are not really being had. And it's interesting because
when I speak to those organizersand I'm like, hey, why don't we
do a style workshop or a style event or something like that,
(15:38):
they're like, yeah, great idea. And then it never happened.
It's like it hasn't happened yet.
It's still. And so I think if the
conversations are not even beinghad, how are the fashion like?
How's the fashion industry goingto going to catch up to us?
Do you know what I'm saying? How do you think the How do you
think the conversation should happen?
(16:01):
I think that brands. I mean, because I think every
brand appeals to a certain type.I mean, I'm not going to walk
into Brandy Melville and think I'm going to fit into their size
0 no matter how slim I am. Because to your point, body
shift and you know, what was my size 4 10 years ago is not the
(16:23):
same as a, you know, the size 4Ican, you know, pull my legs.
And if I find one of those pairsof pants, you know, they just
don't pull on the same way even though I weigh the same.
There's definitely been changes.So, but I think there are brands
that I don't think any brand canbe all the end all to anyone.
(16:45):
I agree. Or to everyone, more so.
I agree. They they just can't, they can't
afford it. Listen, I think that is such a
such a good point, Diane, because I think even as a small
brand, I feel pressured to be say, inclusive in sizing to a
certain point. As a small brand I can only go
to like. A certain size correct because.
(17:07):
I'm a small brand and I also am a niche market that I know what
my customers want. What I'm finding interesting
though is that women over 40 have the money to spend and I
feel like a lot of brands are still trying to reach the
younger customer. So I'm like, where are the
(17:29):
emerging brands that are more speaking to to us as women?
And where are the brands who arelooking at what fits our body
shapes because it has changed? Are you wondering where those
brands are or do you? Want.
Yes, because I. Noticed that you're focused on
it. No, no, I like, I'm wondering
where the brands are because I've been looking for them.
(17:50):
I mean, I find them like sometimes I'll find and I can
see that. I can see the intentionality.
I can see the way in which the things are cut, the the type of
lines. And I'm like, yes, there's
somebody that understands this, You know, I mean, there's, but
there's. Eileen Fisher, Donna Karen.
(18:10):
Norma Kamali. I mean, I've worn Norma Kamali
bathing suits since the 1980s and I still buy the same.
People probably think I'm wearing the exact same bathing
suit since the 1980s because I have bought that exact same
bathing suit in three years, youknow, yes, yes, or three times,
(18:30):
yes. But you know, those are very
adaptable. They're flowing.
I think that is OK. That is my point though, OK.
You see, for me, a lot of the clothes that I have seen are
very flowing with very little shape.
And what I find, and this is in the experience that I've had
(18:52):
styling women for 20 years, is that shape is far more
flattering than no shape. And So what I've done in my, I
mean, it took a long time. It wasn't a simple process.
I had to go through lots of samples to get shapes right so
that they could either be soft and flowing or belted and
(19:15):
cinched in. Could they be, could they be
worn multiple different ways? How can they be adjustable?
The fabrics, when I choose the fabrics, if they're in a solid
color, it needs to be breathable, but it also needs to
have hold because if the fabric is the wrong fabric, it doesn't
matter how baggy that shape is, it's going to catch you on the
wrong and it's going to, it's going to show.
(19:37):
Then you have to have, you know,and it's going to show all the
panty lines and it's going to show.
I mean, I just did a video the other day where I went into, I
won't say the retailer. I was like, OK, I'm just going
to look for bad clothes. I found bad clothes in 5
minutes. A whole bunch of them.
Now what made them bad? Well, they.
(19:58):
I have. I wish I could actually show you
the in fact, if you want to share it, you're welcome to.
I took a solid color dress that was the wrong shape with the
same body that I have. And I'm telling you, Diane, it
made my stomach look like it wasenormous.
So it's not that the clothes were bad, it's they didn't fit
on your body. No, the clothes were bad.
(20:20):
The shape of the shape was so bad, the fabric clung to every
place and it actually made my whole body.
I mean, and I didn't even try hard like it.
Just also what I find, and I know we're doing a podcast, so
it's difficult. I'm a very visual person.
What I've, what I have discovered is that when women
wear things that are more slightly nipped into the waist
(20:43):
and then flare out, it's a much more flattering silhouette.
A lot of things that we see nowadays are very straight up
and down. OK.
And if they're made in the wrongfabric and they cling, they show
everything. So these clothes was
interesting. Like the one was this the solid
(21:03):
color dress. And I mean, even when my husband
saw me, it was like, whoa, like that's and then I went and I
filmed it on exactly the same day because my body changes,
right? So I filmed it in with a printed
more fitted wrap dress and it was like a completely different
silhouette, same body, two different dresses.
I then took another dress that was more of a pencil.
(21:26):
So it was fitted in the in the hips and then narrowed to the
bottom. Very classical.
To hear a lot of stylists say, oh, a pencil is the perfect for
everybody. Everybody can wear it.
Well, actually. When they can wear it, they just
can't walk in it. Yeah, they can't walk in it.
But what it also does is that when it's narrowed at the
bottom, it makes everything above it look wider.
(21:47):
So it's all about proportions, it's learning proportions.
And so if you shift that and youhave things that fit a little
bit and then flare out and that the what the hem is the widest
point, it actually makes everything above it look
narrower. I don't see a lot of that
around. I don't see a lot of that
around. So I'll see.
(22:08):
Oh, we make clothes for the women over 40, but they're very
straight up and down. There's no real shape.
There's no real and and I what Ifind also.
Well, Diane von Furstenberg madea career on her wrap dress.
She that is such a great example.
That is such a great example of how she introduced print and she
introduced a wrap. I mean, the wrap dress is
(22:29):
fantastic. The wrap dresses that she has
today are very much like pencilsand they are very small.
Cuts. They don't still have the A line
bottom. They don't they don't have very
much of an A line. They're very much more like I
even took a top and I, and I don't want to disrespect because
she did amazing things, but likeI don't have a big bust.
(22:53):
I can't get coverage from her from her top.
Like I have to wear something underneath it.
I've heard countless women say to me, I love her dresses.
I would love to I put them on. They just don't work for me.
So what I did is I created a wrap dress that is more a line
that has a lot of wrap to it that's made in a fair.
It's so it has a lot of flexibility.
(23:16):
So that way if you tie it, if you need to tie it looser one
day, it's OK. If you need to tie it tighter
another day, that's OK. And the Prince disguise, even if
I'm having a blow today, even ifmy clients are having a blow
today. So that is what I have
discovered. Where do you think these things
(23:39):
could shift? I love that.
I think part of me, yeah, that'san interesting question.
I think part of me feels that weas the customer have more power
than we think. And then sometimes I wonder if
(24:01):
let me think about this. This has got me because part of
me thinks that the brands need to lead and and speak to women
but. Which is what you're trying to
do with. Your brand, which is what I'm
trying to do. My challenge, however, is that
women sometimes don't realize that there's an option.
(24:21):
And so I understand from a brand's perspective, it's a long
way around because it's about creating awareness.
I'll give you an example of a brand that's done that
incredibly well, Pepper Bras. They are a bra company that is
specifically made for small cupswomen.
And they have spent a time, they've have got adverts going
(24:44):
all over platforms. Why?
Because women who have small cups wouldn't necessarily be
going and looking for a bra specifically for small cups,
right? So they don't realize that
they're just struggling with thebras that they had.
They never quite fit. It doesn't really work.
Their bras are phenomenal, like that's all that I ever wear now,
(25:04):
but I wouldn't have known that Ineeded that until I saw the
advert. So I think you have to, I think
if you are a brand, and that is one of my challenges, is that I
am trying from a thought leader perspective to grow awareness
and help women realize that, hey, there is an alternative and
there is there are alternatives.And whether it's my brand or
it's somebody else's, that's OK.I just want you to love the body
(25:27):
you have and I think you deserveto.
Well, you know it. You're really pioneering in you.
You found your niche market, you're pioneering into it.
It's really not whether other people do it, it's it's
awareness of what you're doing. It's kind of like when the shirt
company on Tuckett started, which was designed for men who
(25:49):
were shorter and, you know, didn't want, you know, if they
wore a regular shirt, you know, they were tucking it in and.
It was too long. The shirt was all the way down
to their above their knees. You know, whereas Untuck it
said, well we're going to take the exact same shirt, but we're
going to make the length of it from shoulder to whatever you
would call a hem you would now shorter.
(26:12):
Yes. So that worked very successfully
for them. You.
Know in that area, just like there's the suit company, you
know, big and tall men, you know, I can't imagine if I'm
Shaq O'Neal where I'm going to go get my, you know, or a
professional boxer, you know, inthe heavyweight genre, you're
(26:33):
going to need to go to a big andtall men shop.
So you're focusing on, you know,an interest.
Interesting opportunity, yes. That's you see, that's what I
saw when I experienced. I thought to myself, OK, so I
understand that most women are not going to be in front of
seven cameras. Like I get that right.
I know that that story is uniqueto probably me or people who are
(26:55):
on camera. However, I do know women and I
do know that we want to be able to throw something on and know
that we look good and get about our day.
And if that is harder with all the other challenges that we
face, it makes a big difference.And so I thought, if I can
figure this out, hey, then maybeI can help other women too.
(27:20):
Like maybe I can because I'm so attuned to that, and I also know
what I'm looking at and I have experience as both a designer
and a stylist, and I use my community to get feedback.
Let's go back to You mentioned 5things before.
Yes, let's break them down. OK, I love that.
(27:40):
So first of all, we need clothesthat adapt to our bodies.
So we need things that are not so perfectly tight on one day
and then don't fit the next. OK, so adaptable.
Adaptable #2 We need items that have shape to them.
Shape is not tight. So I think women get very
(28:00):
nervous when I say shape. They're like, oh, I don't want
tight. I'm like no, no, no.
There's a big difference betweenbaggy and and shape, and there's
a big difference between shape and type.
So something that is that gives you shape, right number #3 we
need items that are going to be super like super breathable.
(28:22):
We need fabrics that are breathable.
What are examples of breathable fabrics?
Well, this is the wonderful thing is that fabric technology
has grown immensely. So the so I am finding it much
easier as the designer to find breathable fabrics where I I
wasn't able to before. So I use a lot of stretch
fabrics and before I was like, yeah, bring me an alternative
(28:46):
please. What would?
What would the compositions for example?
So the composition is normally there is there have been fabrics
called what I call viscose lycra.
Look, the terminology in the US may be different to what I know
because I'm from South Africa, but viscose lycra.
Viscose is made out of a tree pulp.
But the traditional viscose lycra loses its shape.
(29:06):
It pulls very easily. It's not a great quality.
I happen to find at the New Yorkfabric Show just a few months
ago, a amazing supplier that brings in, in fact, I'm wearing
it now. This is viscose lycra.
It is breathable. It's made with 50% less carbon
emissions. It will actually compost if it's
(29:28):
left somewhere forever, you know, So it's really great, but
it's a much better quality. It holds really well.
It washes and wears really well.It isn't super thin, but it's
breathable and it's cool. Got it.
So that's possible. So anything that has fat natural
fibers, so your cotton's silks or natural fibers, but silks can
be quite complicated for women because we sweat more, more and
(29:52):
that's going to leave marks. So that can be somewhat
problematic. But anything too polyester
driven, anything with that's going to make you hotter just is
this. The fourth thing is we need
items that are versatile. What I do find is that when you
start finding things that you really work for, your body
shape, that usually body shape and personal style and all that,
(30:16):
it usually has a little bit of ahigher price tag.
So my suggestion with my clientsis you can have a good capsule
wardrobe and still have plenty to wear.
You can even have a capsule wardrobe of really bright and
colorful things and still have plenty to wear.
What do you count as a capsule wardrobe?
Just and it it's not a number ofitems, it's just simply that you
(30:40):
have pieces in your, you have less rather than a whole bunch
of stuff. So like a lot of.
Women have staple items. It's what you want.
Staple items. It's often what women have is
they have a closet full of clothing and nothing to wear
right. We have 10 pairs of jeans and
maybe 2 fit right. Or we have tons of the same
things and we wear maybe maybe 20% of what we have in our
(31:05):
closet. My thing is, if you're going to
spend a little more, rather buy good pieces that you can mix and
match and dress up and dress down.
You can wear it multiple different ways.
You can dress it up for a party.You can dress it down for the
weekend. You can do all these kind of
things. And if you're going to spend
more, you want to make sure thatyou're going to have wear that
you're going to be able to wear it.
What happens is that often when you buy cheaper stuff, if it's
(31:27):
if it's lower quality, higher price doesn't necessarily mean
higher quality. But if it is a lower quality
item and it is a cheaper item, you're going to wear it for a
short period of time and then you're going to have to Chuck it
because it looks so bad. And then you're going to have to
shop again for it. And if that shopping process
isn't fun for you, that's a lot of time you're spending on
trying to replace those items, right?
(31:49):
So rather buy quality that really works with your body
shape, discover your brands thatdo work.
That helps a lot. It cuts down the shopping time.
And then make sure that it's versatile.
And then the last, the fifth oneis your coverage.
And that is completely dependenton you.
So there are women who are like,nothing you're going to say is
(32:12):
going to make me show my upper arms.
I'm like, OK, let's make sure wehave clothes that cover your
upper arms. Some women are like, I don't
mind showing my upper arms. I'm OK with some women want to
show their legs. Some women don't want.
So whatever coverage means for you, make sure your clothing
does that. Those are the five things.
(32:33):
Those sound like good 5 rules. Well, I hate, I hate fashion
rules. You know me.
You know me, Diane, and you hatefashion rules too.
I know you hate fashion rules. So for me it's really a rule.
I don't hate fashion rules, I just don't know what they are.
So I don't know if I'm breaking the rule or not, you know?
I don't think you care to. I think you care about the rule.
I don't. Yeah, I don't think, and I think
(32:56):
everyone, this is the wonderful thing is that we are all
individual and I think we can claim that we don't all have to
look the same. We don't all have to be the
same. Now tell me, let's talk about
you are a we won't use the word budding designer, but an early
designer. Oh, I am an indie designer.
OK, so you're an indie designer.What's that look like to you?
(33:18):
What's what's it like being an indie designer trying to break
in and established A niche market?
Well, the interesting thing. For that is a very large medium
yes market if you can tap it. Yes, if you can tap it.
What is interesting for me, Diane, is that I'm not just a
designer. So I am also a content creator.
(33:39):
I have a YouTube channel. I create 3 videos a week on
different topics relating to women over 40 from a fashion
perspective. I love building community.
I'm also a on air guest for QVC.I do a lot of like, like I do a
lot of of shows and that type ofthing.
I also really love working with women individually.
(34:01):
I love helping them shop. I love helping them create looks
that do represent who they are. My collection is a tool that I
use, so I'm not really interested in creating a big
brand with my collection unless there's somebody who can help me
do that. That would be fine, but I don't
want to have to touch it, right?Like I want to be able to use it
(34:24):
as a tool because I do find it frustrating.
Even as a stylist, even as somebody who knows how to shop,
I find it hard to find clothes. And so I want to make.
So it really helps me. It also helps me when I do
workshops and I'm just, and I'm showing this is the kind of
thing that you can try versus that thing.
(34:45):
It really helps when I have thatas a tool to to give examples
and if people resonate, great. If they don't, that's OK too.
How would you? Obviously your clothing line
hits on many of the points you outlined before.
How else would you describe it or define it?
Yes, it is fun, it is bold, it is colorful, and it is also
(35:08):
customizable and that is a big difference.
So my clients get to choose. The first of all, if you're
petite, you can have it cut to your size, to your length, which
of course is a huge pain point you and I have spoken about many
times before. You can also choose, you can
say, well, I like, you know, this is what my clients do.
I like that style, but I want itin this fabric or I want this
(35:30):
fabric, you know, and I help them build their wardrobes so
that it's, and it's customizableand it arrives and it fits you.
And if it, if there are tweaks that need to be made, the cost
includes A1 time free alteration.
So if sometimes because we are individuals, that's my whole
thing is that because we are individuals, sometimes we need
(35:52):
tweaks. And so we've made sure I've made
sure to include that in in what they get.
You know, that alteration is such an interesting point.
It's expensive. It's very expensive to go buy
something and then go have it altered.
But you know, I think I, I, it wasn't until maybe I was 40 that
someone said to me, did you everconsider altering?
(36:13):
What did someone watch you wear?And I was like, well, that's
probably a good idea. And I remember the difference in
having, as you said, just certain tweaks, you know, that
tweak into the waist that, you know, my kids are very aware of
it, the adjustment of where the fold is on your pants with your
(36:34):
pants leg, you know, where the brake they call, you know, I
guess it's called. So it's interesting to think
about that you're offering that as a feature within your sale.
Yes. That's very, that's high.
That's a high lined feature to be offering your clients.
Yes, and that's what makes it unique.
See, so I think, you know, I have styles that I know will
(36:56):
work for pretty much everybody. Like I have a wear three ways
dress. It can adjust.
It's, I mean it comes out to here and but yes, it's an extra
small to medium and it cinches in with a with a drawstring at
the top and it is made in a triangle shape so that it has a
little bit of a way definition and then flares out.
Is that A1 size fits all? It is.
(37:16):
It is quite remarkable. It does an extra small to medium
and large to 3X and you can beltit.
You can wear it on its own. You can layer it with other
things. If you need to cover bra straps
because you have bigger girls and A and a strapless bra is
just not on the cards for you. You can adjust it completely so
that it covers the bra straps. It is you can adjust it higher
(37:39):
lower and then of course, if youdo want upper arm coverage,
there is a top that comes. You can get it in exactly the
same fabric. My clients call it the magic,
the magic blouse. It cinches and even, you know,
helps to disguise the belly and its censures into the waist and
gives you a really nice to find shape.
(38:00):
So you know everything and and then I create these capsule
wardrobes. So for fall, I'm creating three
different capsules where there are pieces that mix and match
and you can either wear them crazy together and wear the
prints together and they work well.
Or if you're more of a classic girl but you like just that
statement piece, you wear your classics and then you have your
statement piece and you can wearthem individually and they all
(38:23):
mix and match and dress up and dress down so you don't have to
think about it. Are you doing all this
manufacturing yourself, getting these things sourced?
Yes, yeah, yeah. So I have a seamstress.
She is in Pennsylvania, so I have to ship things to her.
She's fantastic. But I do all the sourcing, I do
all the design. I do the patterns, I cut, I sew.
I have to, I'm very. I have to work with the fabric.
(38:46):
I have to feel it on my skin. I have to make sure that I am
going to be completely happy that when when she gets at home,
she's going to feel amazing in it.
It's so important to me. This has been such an
interesting conversation that we've covered so many different
topics. It's really been a pleasure to
(39:07):
have you here. Do you have any closing thing
you'd like the audience to know about their personal style and
the importance of finding it in your 40s and beyond?
Yeah, I think like decide on whoyou want to be in the world and
then make sure you're look represents that and reflects who
you are just like you would, youknow, perception, what
(39:29):
perception do you want to what do you want to send out into the
world and make sure that it's the packaging reflects that
because you are the packaging. That's it.
Yeah, your clothes are the packaging, shall I say.
Well, thank you very much. Thank you.
Everybody, I am Diane Grissell. We have been in Manhattan
(39:51):
Center, the iconic Manhattan center on West 34th St. in New
York City. This is the Silver Despedience
Perception Dynamics podcast. I really hope you subscribe and
do follow Tracy Gold. You can find her on all
different social media platformsand her website and there will
also be information down below this podcast where you can
(40:12):
follow her. Thanks for watching.
Thanks, Tracy. Thank you.
Hello everybody, I have a question.
Have you wondered if your style should change as you get older?
What about when you pass menopause, enter menopause and
you're hot? That's the hair up today.
What do you do? Can you wear the same things you
wore when you were younger? Do you have to change them?
(00:20):
Well, today I am with menopause style expert Tracy Gold, and
she's going to tell us all abouthow fashion changes and doesn't
change with age. Thank you, Tracy.
Hi, Di, It's so wonderful to be here.
So, Tracy, how did you come to focus on the middle-aged woman
and our style and how we might want to dress?
(00:43):
Well, I've been styling and designing for women for over 20
years. I'm 51 years old.
So one of the things I remember actually when I started learning
how to work YouTube and there was this, you know, the coach
was telling us we need to niche down or niche down, whichever,
however you want to say it. And I remember I was in my late
30s at the time, and it suddenlycame to me.
(01:06):
I was in dance class. I was like going for it.
And suddenly it almost hit me between the eyes.
Speak to women over 40. And I was like, no, I don't want
to do that. I don't want to niche down.
I don't want people to know how old I am.
People often thought I was younger, and then I realized,
no, actually, that's what you should do.
And so I started shifting to women over 40 and.
(01:28):
But why? But because because I wanted to
speak to an audience. And one of the things I realized
in marketing is that if you try to speak to everybody, you speak
to nobody. And as soon as I started
focusing on women over 40, my channel blew up.
And I was like, wow, there's something to this.
And I really loved it. And I didn't really mind because
(01:49):
if I looked at who I was serving, who I was styling, who
were, who was buying my collection, it was predominantly
women over 40. So it was a really good
transition, but there was something about naming it as
such that felt, I felt the resistance.
Anyway, I was fine with that. I got a little bit older.
(02:11):
I was over 40, and that was cool.
And then I turned 50, Diane and I hit perimenopause.
And I was like, whoa, this is really a thing.
I mean, I listen, I had spoken to women during COVID as we all
did, had interviews. And every single woman I spoke
(02:32):
to over 40 would talk about menopause.
I mean, we could be talking about hair and it would be
coming down to menopause. And I'm like, what is with this
menopause thing? Can we stop talking about it?
It was getting on my nerves actually until I hit and I was
like, oh, now I get it. And, and at the time I was on
QVC, so I was having to go in front of seven cameras and have
(02:55):
everybody looking at, I mean, seeing myself from all different
angles. And Diana was selling handbags
and handbags. You know, you're standing and
you're putting the bag right by the belly.
And so the cameras were coming from all these different angles.
And I I'm not exaggerating because I do have a measuring
tape and I know how to measure. I gained like 3 inches around my
(03:20):
belly almost overnight and I wasbloated everywhere and I felt
horrible like I would. Relate that to your reaction to
menopause. Well, it was because I woke.
I remember the first the first thing that happened was these
rolling heat waves while I was sleeping.
I mean, I couldn't it kept on making me super hot.
It was a couple of different things.
(03:41):
So it wasn't it wasn't all of a sudden and I hadn't changed my
exercise. I had live a very health focused
life. I'm plant based Whole Foods
eater. I drink plenty of water like I
do all the things. And I had never gained weight
like that so fast. And so I realized like, Oh my
goodness, this is what it is. And at the time I had to wear
(04:02):
solid color clothing because thebrand required that because they
didn't want me to clash with a Prince And everything in my
closet had prints on it. And there's a reason for that
because it covers a multitude ofthings.
So I, we really started understanding first hand that A,
this is real. B, we don't always have the time
(04:23):
to figure the style thing out while we've got to get on with
our lives and deal with other things.
I mean, there are so many challenges.
There's the sleep problems, there's the heat waves that
happen, there's the hot flashes,there's the brain fog.
And to add style to that, like what are we going to wear?
We don't have time to figure that out.
So how? How would I'll differ for
(04:45):
someone that you think is perimenopausal or menopausal
versus someone who's not? Well, let me just say to you
that being perimenopausal and speaking to many of my clients
who are your body is different every day.
So the things that I used to, I'll just so you don't.
Think your body's different every day as a 20 year old?
No, not to the same degree. Not to the same degree.
(05:08):
It's like I went from. Well, degrees are what we hear
people talk about once you get into the menopausal.
Degree and there's so there's you know what let me actually
say to you I worked out so because you know because I was
on QVC at the time, I had to figure this out and I had to
figure it out really quickly because I needed to go on with
confidence. I need to be able to feel good
(05:31):
about myself. I mean, I would decide what I
was going to wear the day beforebecause the studios are in
Pennsylvania, so I live in New York City and I need to get
there. But the time I got there, the
outfit that I had chosen to wear, I'm now bloated and it
doesn't look the same. That's how fast it was happening
for me. That's how intense it was.
And so I was like, I have got tofigure this thing out.
(05:55):
And so I started figuring it outand I realized that there are
five things that shift for us. So, and five things that we
absolutely have to have in our clothing.
The one is we need clothing thatadapts to our bodies on any
given day #2 we need shape. One of the big things that I
find we do as women is we, we goto one of two extremes.
(06:16):
We either go really big and baggy and black.
OK, so we wear the big SAC and think that hopefully no one will
notice. And we often, there's often
quite a lot of shame that goes with that.
My body is shameful. I don't fit into my clothes any
longer. I'm not feeling good about
myself. And so I'm just going to try and
wear black and big and baggy to cover it up.
(06:38):
The other extreme is I am determined to wear the clothes
that I used to wear, and so I'm going to squeeze myself into
them. I'm going to put on the shape
where I'm going to do. Maybe I'll go appasize, but the
styles and the fits are now different to what actually
works. And in both cases, we have
shame. In both cases, we're berating
(07:00):
our bodies. And I was like, but what about
in between? Like there's a lot in between.
There's a lot between big and baggy and super tight and
doesn't suit your shape. So I was like, what is that in
between? And how can I discover that?
And how can I offer that to women and then teach women that
there is an alternative to thosetwo extremes?
And there's definitely an alternative to hating the bodies
(07:21):
that we have. So we need things that we have
shape. We need things that have
breathability like on these hot days.
I mean, that is huge. We need.
And I gotta, I gotta stop you and ask you a question.
Why would you tie shame into this?
What do you what do you think shame has to do with?
That's such a great question, because when?
(07:41):
When and I know you're not a psychologist or a psychiatrist,
so let's be very clear about that I.
Am not a psychologist but I'm just.
Curious from a personal point ofview.
I only want to hear your personal.
Point of view, sure. So what I have found, I can
speak from my own perspective and from the clients that I've
worked with because I work with women on this.
What I find is that when, and, and I have experienced this too,
(08:04):
when our bodies go through changes, there is a lot of
societal pressure that that is unacceptable.
And when there is, I mean for meit was.
I think that's a very personal statement.
I think that's a very personal statement, OK.
Why do you think? Because I know plenty of women
(08:25):
who've, let's say, had a child and they're like, you know, I
got some new curse here. And it's great because I got
this thing that I'm holding now.So I think that's a very
personal I don't like to make those general sweeping
statements about women because Ithink those are actually shaming
statements. Yeah, that's an interesting way
of saying it. I, I think that probably the
perspective that I have is because the women that come to
(08:47):
me are wanting an alternative. And sometimes it's not about,
it's not this. So let me give you an example.
One of my clients came, she started, she, she started
working with me and she had justhad a baby in her late 30s and
she's, and she had gained weightfrom having her baby, which is
(09:07):
natural, right? She'd also gone through a whole
bunch of IVF's and things like that, which changes your
hormones. It does crazy things to your
hormones. And as she started wearing
clothes that really suited the body she has now today, she said
to me, Tracy, I've, I've actually lost weight since that
because I'm not stressed about what I'm what I need to wear and
(09:28):
I'm not stress eating. So it's not about just sitting
on the couch and doing nothing and saying, oh, well, I'm just
going to wear Tracy's clothes and I'm going to feel so
fabulous. I'm going to lose the weight.
OK. So wait a second, did you just
say so wearing Tracy's clothes is a new diet?
I'm not saying that I'm saying that is not the what I'm saying.
I am not saying that wearing my clothes is the new guy.
(09:51):
Absolutely not what I am saying and this is OK.
So this is the power from this was the power for me, Diane, is
that when I figured out what I needed to wear to suit the body
that I have today and would adjust with me even in solid
clothing, even going on 7 different cameras and nothing
(10:15):
had changed. I was still going through this
crazy thing. I felt so much better about
myself. Well, one point to make.
There is definitely physiological and biological
proof that if you're wearing clothes that are too tight,
either 1 you can't eat enough ortwo you're stalling your
digestion. So you actually.
(10:35):
Could. Be gaining weight because if
your if your buckle is too tight, you know you just can't
digest properly. Well, so for for.
So it's kind of funny what you're talking about.
It is so for this client, it wasreally around accepting.
So I think that what it's about is it's about like recognizing
(10:55):
when that feeling comes and if you don't have it fantastic.
Like I do not believe we. One of the things I really can't
stand about the fashion industryis that it is about making a
woman feel like she's not enough.
She's not, she's not tall enough, she doesn't.
(11:16):
Her boobs are too big, her boobsare too small, her butt's too
big, butt's too small. And of course, depending on
fashion is what the IT style or whether it body shape is.
And I have always had a problem with the fashion industry
because the fashion industry prize on our insecurities as
women to try and sell to us. I believe that fashion has the
(11:38):
power and I have seen this in both of myself and in my
clients. I have seen the power that it
has to shift how we feel about ourselves.
Because when we are dressing ourbodies to cover up the things
that we don't like, that we findshameful or we just do not like,
we often end up making them lookbigger.
And when we look in the mirror, that's what we notice.
(11:59):
However, when we shift our focusand say, hey, OK, I'm going
through body changes, so be it. I'm still going to rock this
look. I'm going to look amazing.
I'm going to feel amazing and I'm going to wear clothes that
actually come alongside me in myjourney.
It makes it so much easier to feel better about ourselves and
(12:20):
that is what I have seen and I've seen in my clients and I
definitely felt it in myself. What?
What do those kind of clothes look like?
Or is it a general style someoneshould be looking for?
Is it something in particular? You mentioned a list of a few
things earlier. Yes.
So I look, I mean, I work in twodifferent capacities.
(12:41):
So I work as a stylist. So I work with people who don't
necessarily want to buy my clothes.
That's fine, right? And then I have women who love
my aesthetic and love the clothing and that kind of thing.
But what I did is I designed a collection that does adapt to
body shape, that does work with color imprints.
Because also as we get a little bit older, we lose color in our
hair, we lose color in our skin.It's not all beige.
(13:06):
So it does, you know, would really appeal to somebody who is
ready to bring color and and print into their closet it they
are breathable fabrics. They're sustainable fabrics, but
they have shape, right? And they're designed to disguise
the menopause, baby. Because of all the women that
(13:26):
I've spoken to, that is one of the biggest things.
I mean, I kind of felt bloated everywhere, but I especially
felt bloated around my belly. And, and I find that sometimes
that's the area that we feel. There's a lot of emotion there,
right? Like it's the part of our body
where we feel a lot of emotion. You know, when we talk about
(13:46):
that gut feeling, it's that it'sthat thing, right?
And I just feel like it's time for the fashion industry to
start speaking to us. And I, I, I go to, I go to
stores, Diane and I try on clothes and I don't see myself
as AI, don't see my body as a difficult body to dress.
And I struggle to find clothes that actually flatter.
(14:08):
There's a lot of rubbish out there.
Why do you think that is? I think that most of the styles
are made for younger bodies. I think the styles, a lot of
them are produced in Asian countries and you know, sample
rooms are using fit models that have very different shapes to to
(14:31):
the average American woman as anexample.
Well, I mean in the fit modelingindustry, don't you think each
fashion brand chooses the fit model that they want to scale up
or down for that they perceive their customers?
Perceive correct? I think what I'm finding
interesting is that I think thatI don't.
(14:54):
So this is one of the frustrations that I feel right
now is that there is so much conversation about menopause and
perimenopause and what's happening to our bodies, what's
happening to our brains. HRT, no, HRT, those
conversations. I go to a lot of those events
and conferences and things. We're not talking about style.
(15:16):
We're not talking about how do we get up in the morning and get
out the door and feel good aboutourselves and get about our day.
Even when we're having a really blow today, those conversations
are not really being had. And it's interesting because
when I speak to those organizersand I'm like, hey, why don't we
do a style workshop or a style event or something like that,
(15:38):
they're like, yeah, great idea. And then it never happened.
It's like it hasn't happened yet.
It's still. And so I think if the
conversations are not even beinghad, how are the fashion like?
How's the fashion industry goingto going to catch up to us?
Do you know what I'm saying? How do you think the How do you
think the conversation should happen?
(16:01):
I think that brands. I mean, because I think every
brand appeals to a certain type.I mean, I'm not going to walk
into Brandy Melville and think I'm going to fit into their size
0 no matter how slim I am. Because to your point, body
shift and you know, what was my size 4 10 years ago is not the
(16:23):
same as a, you know, the size 4Ican, you know, pull my legs.
And if I find one of those pairsof pants, you know, they just
don't pull on the same way even though I weigh the same.
There's definitely been changes.So, but I think there are brands
that I don't think any brand canbe all the end all to anyone.
(16:45):
I agree. Or to everyone, more so.
I agree. They they just can't, they can't
afford it. Listen, I think that is such a
such a good point, Diane, because I think even as a small
brand, I feel pressured to be say, inclusive in sizing to a
certain point. As a small brand I can only go
to like. A certain size correct because.
(17:07):
I'm a small brand and I also am a niche market that I know what
my customers want. What I'm finding interesting
though is that women over 40 have the money to spend and I
feel like a lot of brands are still trying to reach the
younger customer. So I'm like, where are the
(17:29):
emerging brands that are more speaking to to us as women?
And where are the brands who arelooking at what fits our body
shapes because it has changed? Are you wondering where those
brands are or do you? Want.
Yes, because I. Noticed that you're focused on
it. No, no, I like, I'm wondering
where the brands are because I've been looking for them.
(17:50):
I mean, I find them like sometimes I'll find and I can
see that. I can see the intentionality.
I can see the way in which the things are cut, the the type of
lines. And I'm like, yes, there's
somebody that understands this, You know, I mean, there's, but
there's. Eileen Fisher, Donna Karen.
(18:10):
Norma Kamali. I mean, I've worn Norma Kamali
bathing suits since the 1980s and I still buy the same.
People probably think I'm wearing the exact same bathing
suit since the 1980s because I have bought that exact same
bathing suit in three years, youknow, yes, yes, or three times,
(18:30):
yes. But you know, those are very
adaptable. They're flowing.
I think that is OK. That is my point though, OK.
You see, for me, a lot of the clothes that I have seen are
very flowing with very little shape.
And what I find, and this is in the experience that I've had
(18:52):
styling women for 20 years, is that shape is far more
flattering than no shape. And So what I've done in my, I
mean, it took a long time. It wasn't a simple process.
I had to go through lots of samples to get shapes right so
that they could either be soft and flowing or belted and
(19:15):
cinched in. Could they be, could they be
worn multiple different ways? How can they be adjustable?
The fabrics, when I choose the fabrics, if they're in a solid
color, it needs to be breathable, but it also needs to
have hold because if the fabric is the wrong fabric, it doesn't
matter how baggy that shape is, it's going to catch you on the
wrong and it's going to, it's going to show.
(19:37):
Then you have to have, you know,and it's going to show all the
panty lines and it's going to show.
I mean, I just did a video the other day where I went into, I
won't say the retailer. I was like, OK, I'm just going
to look for bad clothes. I found bad clothes in 5
minutes. A whole bunch of them.
Now what made them bad? Well, they.
(19:58):
I have. I wish I could actually show you
the in fact, if you want to share it, you're welcome to.
I took a solid color dress that was the wrong shape with the
same body that I have. And I'm telling you, Diane, it
made my stomach look like it wasenormous.
So it's not that the clothes were bad, it's they didn't fit
on your body. No, the clothes were bad.
(20:20):
The shape of the shape was so bad, the fabric clung to every
place and it actually made my whole body.
I mean, and I didn't even try hard like it.
Just also what I find, and I know we're doing a podcast, so
it's difficult. I'm a very visual person.
What I've, what I have discovered is that when women
wear things that are more slightly nipped into the waist
(20:43):
and then flare out, it's a much more flattering silhouette.
A lot of things that we see nowadays are very straight up
and down. OK.
And if they're made in the wrongfabric and they cling, they show
everything. So these clothes was
interesting. Like the one was this the solid
(21:03):
color dress. And I mean, even when my husband
saw me, it was like, whoa, like that's and then I went and I
filmed it on exactly the same day because my body changes,
right? So I filmed it in with a printed
more fitted wrap dress and it was like a completely different
silhouette, same body, two different dresses.
I then took another dress that was more of a pencil.
(21:26):
So it was fitted in the in the hips and then narrowed to the
bottom. Very classical.
To hear a lot of stylists say, oh, a pencil is the perfect for
everybody. Everybody can wear it.
Well, actually. When they can wear it, they just
can't walk in it. Yeah, they can't walk in it.
But what it also does is that when it's narrowed at the
bottom, it makes everything above it look wider.
(21:47):
So it's all about proportions, it's learning proportions.
And so if you shift that and youhave things that fit a little
bit and then flare out and that the what the hem is the widest
point, it actually makes everything above it look
narrower. I don't see a lot of that
around. I don't see a lot of that
around. So I'll see.
(22:08):
Oh, we make clothes for the women over 40, but they're very
straight up and down. There's no real shape.
There's no real and and I what Ifind also.
Well, Diane von Furstenberg madea career on her wrap dress.
She that is such a great example.
That is such a great example of how she introduced print and she
introduced a wrap. I mean, the wrap dress is
(22:29):
fantastic. The wrap dresses that she has
today are very much like pencilsand they are very small.
Cuts. They don't still have the A line
bottom. They don't they don't have very
much of an A line. They're very much more like I
even took a top and I, and I don't want to disrespect because
she did amazing things, but likeI don't have a big bust.
(22:53):
I can't get coverage from her from her top.
Like I have to wear something underneath it.
I've heard countless women say to me, I love her dresses.
I would love to I put them on. They just don't work for me.
So what I did is I created a wrap dress that is more a line
that has a lot of wrap to it that's made in a fair.
It's so it has a lot of flexibility.
(23:16):
So that way if you tie it, if you need to tie it looser one
day, it's OK. If you need to tie it tighter
another day, that's OK. And the Prince disguise, even if
I'm having a blow today, even ifmy clients are having a blow
today. So that is what I have
discovered. Where do you think these things
(23:39):
could shift? I love that.
I think part of me, yeah, that'san interesting question.
I think part of me feels that weas the customer have more power
than we think. And then sometimes I wonder if
(24:01):
let me think about this. This has got me because part of
me thinks that the brands need to lead and and speak to women
but. Which is what you're trying to
do with. Your brand, which is what I'm
trying to do. My challenge, however, is that
women sometimes don't realize that there's an option.
(24:21):
And so I understand from a brand's perspective, it's a long
way around because it's about creating awareness.
I'll give you an example of a brand that's done that
incredibly well, Pepper Bras. They are a bra company that is
specifically made for small cupswomen.
And they have spent a time, they've have got adverts going
(24:44):
all over platforms. Why?
Because women who have small cups wouldn't necessarily be
going and looking for a bra specifically for small cups,
right? So they don't realize that
they're just struggling with thebras that they had.
They never quite fit. It doesn't really work.
Their bras are phenomenal, like that's all that I ever wear now,
(25:04):
but I wouldn't have known that Ineeded that until I saw the
advert. So I think you have to, I think
if you are a brand, and that is one of my challenges, is that I
am trying from a thought leader perspective to grow awareness
and help women realize that, hey, there is an alternative and
there is there are alternatives.And whether it's my brand or
it's somebody else's, that's OK.I just want you to love the body
(25:27):
you have and I think you deserveto.
Well, you know it. You're really pioneering in you.
You found your niche market, you're pioneering into it.
It's really not whether other people do it, it's it's
awareness of what you're doing. It's kind of like when the shirt
company on Tuckett started, which was designed for men who
(25:49):
were shorter and, you know, didn't want, you know, if they
wore a regular shirt, you know, they were tucking it in and.
It was too long. The shirt was all the way down
to their above their knees. You know, whereas Untuck it
said, well we're going to take the exact same shirt, but we're
going to make the length of it from shoulder to whatever you
would call a hem you would now shorter.
(26:12):
Yes. So that worked very successfully
for them. You.
Know in that area, just like there's the suit company, you
know, big and tall men, you know, I can't imagine if I'm
Shaq O'Neal where I'm going to go get my, you know, or a
professional boxer, you know, inthe heavyweight genre, you're
(26:33):
going to need to go to a big andtall men shop.
So you're focusing on, you know,an interest.
Interesting opportunity, yes. That's you see, that's what I
saw when I experienced. I thought to myself, OK, so I
understand that most women are not going to be in front of
seven cameras. Like I get that right.
I know that that story is uniqueto probably me or people who are
(26:55):
on camera. However, I do know women and I
do know that we want to be able to throw something on and know
that we look good and get about our day.
And if that is harder with all the other challenges that we
face, it makes a big difference.And so I thought, if I can
figure this out, hey, then maybeI can help other women too.
(27:20):
Like maybe I can because I'm so attuned to that, and I also know
what I'm looking at and I have experience as both a designer
and a stylist, and I use my community to get feedback.
Let's go back to You mentioned 5things before.
Yes, let's break them down. OK, I love that.
(27:40):
So first of all, we need clothesthat adapt to our bodies.
So we need things that are not so perfectly tight on one day
and then don't fit the next. OK, so adaptable.
Adaptable #2 We need items that have shape to them.
Shape is not tight. So I think women get very
(28:00):
nervous when I say shape. They're like, oh, I don't want
tight. I'm like no, no, no.
There's a big difference betweenbaggy and and shape, and there's
a big difference between shape and type.
So something that is that gives you shape, right number #3 we
need items that are going to be super like super breathable.
(28:22):
We need fabrics that are breathable.
What are examples of breathable fabrics?
Well, this is the wonderful thing is that fabric technology
has grown immensely. So the so I am finding it much
easier as the designer to find breathable fabrics where I I
wasn't able to before. So I use a lot of stretch
fabrics and before I was like, yeah, bring me an alternative
(28:46):
please. What would?
What would the compositions for example?
So the composition is normally there is there have been fabrics
called what I call viscose lycra.
Look, the terminology in the US may be different to what I know
because I'm from South Africa, but viscose lycra.
Viscose is made out of a tree pulp.
But the traditional viscose lycra loses its shape.
(29:06):
It pulls very easily. It's not a great quality.
I happen to find at the New Yorkfabric Show just a few months
ago, a amazing supplier that brings in, in fact, I'm wearing
it now. This is viscose lycra.
It is breathable. It's made with 50% less carbon
emissions. It will actually compost if it's
(29:28):
left somewhere forever, you know, So it's really great, but
it's a much better quality. It holds really well.
It washes and wears really well.It isn't super thin, but it's
breathable and it's cool. Got it.
So that's possible. So anything that has fat natural
fibers, so your cotton's silks or natural fibers, but silks can
be quite complicated for women because we sweat more, more and
(29:52):
that's going to leave marks. So that can be somewhat
problematic. But anything too polyester
driven, anything with that's going to make you hotter just is
this. The fourth thing is we need
items that are versatile. What I do find is that when you
start finding things that you really work for, your body
shape, that usually body shape and personal style and all that,
(30:16):
it usually has a little bit of ahigher price tag.
So my suggestion with my clientsis you can have a good capsule
wardrobe and still have plenty to wear.
You can even have a capsule wardrobe of really bright and
colorful things and still have plenty to wear.
What do you count as a capsule wardrobe?
Just and it it's not a number ofitems, it's just simply that you
(30:40):
have pieces in your, you have less rather than a whole bunch
of stuff. So like a lot of.
Women have staple items. It's what you want.
Staple items. It's often what women have is
they have a closet full of clothing and nothing to wear
right. We have 10 pairs of jeans and
maybe 2 fit right. Or we have tons of the same
things and we wear maybe maybe 20% of what we have in our
(31:05):
closet. My thing is, if you're going to
spend a little more, rather buy good pieces that you can mix and
match and dress up and dress down.
You can wear it multiple different ways.
You can dress it up for a party.You can dress it down for the
weekend. You can do all these kind of
things. And if you're going to spend
more, you want to make sure thatyou're going to have wear that
you're going to be able to wear it.
What happens is that often when you buy cheaper stuff, if it's
(31:27):
if it's lower quality, higher price doesn't necessarily mean
higher quality. But if it is a lower quality
item and it is a cheaper item, you're going to wear it for a
short period of time and then you're going to have to Chuck it
because it looks so bad. And then you're going to have to
shop again for it. And if that shopping process
isn't fun for you, that's a lot of time you're spending on
trying to replace those items, right?
(31:49):
So rather buy quality that really works with your body
shape, discover your brands thatdo work.
That helps a lot. It cuts down the shopping time.
And then make sure that it's versatile.
And then the last, the fifth oneis your coverage.
And that is completely dependenton you.
So there are women who are like,nothing you're going to say is
(32:12):
going to make me show my upper arms.
I'm like, OK, let's make sure wehave clothes that cover your
upper arms. Some women are like, I don't
mind showing my upper arms. I'm OK with some women want to
show their legs. Some women don't want.
So whatever coverage means for you, make sure your clothing
does that. Those are the five things.
(32:33):
Those sound like good 5 rules. Well, I hate, I hate fashion
rules. You know me.
You know me, Diane, and you hatefashion rules too.
I know you hate fashion rules. So for me it's really a rule.
I don't hate fashion rules, I just don't know what they are.
So I don't know if I'm breaking the rule or not, you know?
I don't think you care to. I think you care about the rule.
I don't. Yeah, I don't think, and I think
(32:56):
everyone, this is the wonderful thing is that we are all
individual and I think we can claim that we don't all have to
look the same. We don't all have to be the
same. Now tell me, let's talk about
you are a we won't use the word budding designer, but an early
designer. Oh, I am an indie designer.
OK, so you're an indie designer.What's that look like to you?
(33:18):
What's what's it like being an indie designer trying to break
in and established A niche market?
Well, the interesting thing. For that is a very large medium
yes market if you can tap it. Yes, if you can tap it.
What is interesting for me, Diane, is that I'm not just a
designer. So I am also a content creator.
(33:39):
I have a YouTube channel. I create 3 videos a week on
different topics relating to women over 40 from a fashion
perspective. I love building community.
I'm also a on air guest for QVC.I do a lot of like, like I do a
lot of of shows and that type ofthing.
I also really love working with women individually.
(34:01):
I love helping them shop. I love helping them create looks
that do represent who they are. My collection is a tool that I
use, so I'm not really interested in creating a big
brand with my collection unless there's somebody who can help me
do that. That would be fine, but I don't
want to have to touch it, right?Like I want to be able to use it
(34:24):
as a tool because I do find it frustrating.
Even as a stylist, even as somebody who knows how to shop,
I find it hard to find clothes. And so I want to make.
So it really helps me. It also helps me when I do
workshops and I'm just, and I'm showing this is the kind of
thing that you can try versus that thing.
(34:45):
It really helps when I have thatas a tool to to give examples
and if people resonate, great. If they don't, that's OK too.
How would you? Obviously your clothing line
hits on many of the points you outlined before.
How else would you describe it or define it?
Yes, it is fun, it is bold, it is colorful, and it is also
(35:08):
customizable and that is a big difference.
So my clients get to choose. The first of all, if you're
petite, you can have it cut to your size, to your length, which
of course is a huge pain point you and I have spoken about many
times before. You can also choose, you can
say, well, I like, you know, this is what my clients do.
I like that style, but I want itin this fabric or I want this
(35:30):
fabric, you know, and I help them build their wardrobes so
that it's, and it's customizableand it arrives and it fits you.
And if it, if there are tweaks that need to be made, the cost
includes A1 time free alteration.
So if sometimes because we are individuals, that's my whole
thing is that because we are individuals, sometimes we need
(35:52):
tweaks. And so we've made sure I've made
sure to include that in in what they get.
You know, that alteration is such an interesting point.
It's expensive. It's very expensive to go buy
something and then go have it altered.
But you know, I think I, I, it wasn't until maybe I was 40 that
someone said to me, did you everconsider altering?
(36:13):
What did someone watch you wear?And I was like, well, that's
probably a good idea. And I remember the difference in
having, as you said, just certain tweaks, you know, that
tweak into the waist that, you know, my kids are very aware of
it, the adjustment of where the fold is on your pants with your
(36:34):
pants leg, you know, where the brake they call, you know, I
guess it's called. So it's interesting to think
about that you're offering that as a feature within your sale.
Yes. That's very, that's high.
That's a high lined feature to be offering your clients.
Yes, and that's what makes it unique.
See, so I think, you know, I have styles that I know will
(36:56):
work for pretty much everybody. Like I have a wear three ways
dress. It can adjust.
It's, I mean it comes out to here and but yes, it's an extra
small to medium and it cinches in with a with a drawstring at
the top and it is made in a triangle shape so that it has a
little bit of a way definition and then flares out.
Is that A1 size fits all? It is.
(37:16):
It is quite remarkable. It does an extra small to medium
and large to 3X and you can beltit.
You can wear it on its own. You can layer it with other
things. If you need to cover bra straps
because you have bigger girls and A and a strapless bra is
just not on the cards for you. You can adjust it completely so
that it covers the bra straps. It is you can adjust it higher
(37:39):
lower and then of course, if youdo want upper arm coverage,
there is a top that comes. You can get it in exactly the
same fabric. My clients call it the magic,
the magic blouse. It cinches and even, you know,
helps to disguise the belly and its censures into the waist and
gives you a really nice to find shape.
(38:00):
So you know everything and and then I create these capsule
wardrobes. So for fall, I'm creating three
different capsules where there are pieces that mix and match
and you can either wear them crazy together and wear the
prints together and they work well.
Or if you're more of a classic girl but you like just that
statement piece, you wear your classics and then you have your
statement piece and you can wearthem individually and they all
(38:23):
mix and match and dress up and dress down so you don't have to
think about it. Are you doing all this
manufacturing yourself, getting these things sourced?
Yes, yeah, yeah. So I have a seamstress.
She is in Pennsylvania, so I have to ship things to her.
She's fantastic. But I do all the sourcing, I do
all the design. I do the patterns, I cut, I sew.
I have to, I'm very. I have to work with the fabric.
(38:46):
I have to feel it on my skin. I have to make sure that I am
going to be completely happy that when when she gets at home,
she's going to feel amazing in it.
It's so important to me. This has been such an
interesting conversation that we've covered so many different
topics. It's really been a pleasure to
(39:07):
have you here. Do you have any closing thing
you'd like the audience to know about their personal style and
the importance of finding it in your 40s and beyond?
Yeah, I think like decide on whoyou want to be in the world and
then make sure you're look represents that and reflects who
you are just like you would, youknow, perception, what
(39:29):
perception do you want to what do you want to send out into the
world and make sure that it's the packaging reflects that
because you are the packaging. That's it.
Yeah, your clothes are the packaging, shall I say.
Well, thank you very much. Thank you.
Everybody, I am Diane Grissell. We have been in Manhattan
(39:51):
Center, the iconic Manhattan center on West 34th St. in New
York City. This is the Silver Despedience
Perception Dynamics podcast. I really hope you subscribe and
do follow Tracy Gold. You can find her on all
different social media platformsand her website and there will
also be information down below this podcast where you can
(40:12):
follow her. Thanks for watching.
Thanks, Tracy. Thank you.
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