Lately, I’ve started playing a game I like to call:
“What exactly do they think women in their 40s are doing?”
I scroll through collections, browse stores, open newsletters and apparently, I’m either:
- Dancing on yachts in sequins and stilettos
- Doing pilates in teenie tiny matching bra and tights
- Or… vanishing entirely, somewhere between 35 and 65
But here’s the thing: I’m not sitting around bored, and I’m not waiting to shine on my husbands arm.
I’m running companies. Walking into boardrooms. Recording podcasts. Speaking on stages and then sweating it out in CrossFit12 hours later.
And I want to look like me doing all of it:
Elegant. Sharp. Stylish. Unapologetically on.
But fashion? Fashion seems confused.
The cuts don’t fit. The colors are… pastel therapy. The collections? Either 22-year-old party girl or 62-year-old wedding guest.
Where is the clothing for women who are the main character?
Not the girlfriend. Not the assistant. Not the overly botoxed side villain.
The woman who leads the room.
I walked into BOSS again this week, a brand that’s been with me since childhood. I’ve spoken on stages in their suits. My Linkedin profile picture? Yep, that’s BOSS too.
But now? I walk out empty-handed.
I don’t see myself anymore.
Not as a woman. Not as a leader. Not as a global powerhouse building her own damn empire.
So here’s the question I’m asking this week:
Have we — the ambitious, stylish, self-made women — become fashion’s forgotten species?
Because I refuse to believe that “polished and powerful” has to mean “boring and beige.”
And I’m done apologizing for wanting a little fashion edge with my executive presence.
Fashion might not see us right now.
But we see each other and we’re rewriting the rules.
Because being 40+ doesn’t mean fading away.
It means stepping into your prime with killer tailoring, excellent luggage, and zero tolerance for clothes that don’t keep up.
See you next week,
Dr. Kerstin
Want to Know How You’re Really Doing?
Here’s the part they don’t tell you in wellness blogs: you can’t optimise what you haven’t diagnosed.
That’s why at The Leadership Clinic™, we start with a Work-Life Longevity Diagnostic. It’s a 45-minute session where we identify what’s really draining your performance, then build a precise action plan around energy, leadership clarity, and long-term career health.
📍 This is for people who want real results, not more information.
👉 Book your session here. Your future self will thank you. With better sleep, stronger muscles, and far fewer meetings that make you want to scream.
