Has anyone had a complete change of image?

[Crocusgarden]

Just interested in hearing about others experience of this - I'm now in my mid 40's and thinking of a complete change. After a lifetime of sensible conservative styles, worrying what people think (style wise and general people pleasing!) I am thinking of a complete change of style, perhaps getting a change of hair colour, tattoos and generally dressing for myself and caring less about what others think! Has anyone had a complete image change? If yes did you change gradually or just change your wardrobe/hair/make up etc overnight? And what was the reaction from those around you?

Yes. DH died and I lost a ton of weight. DH liked a me to wear certain colours and commented negatively on some styles. Needed new clothes, loved some of my old clothes. Went out and bought only what made me smile. My ‘new’ style has been called eccentric and weird. Don’t care! Apart form work uniform, I wear what I feel comfortable and happy in. Also ditched make up and change my hair as often as I want with both style and colour.

Not a major change but I did start getting tattoos last year in my late thirties. I had always wanted them but was too indecisive and thought they had to be really meaningful. I began to notice the culture changing and people getting all sorts of random tattoos, so I started thinking why the hell not?! I've got 3 now.

Thanks everyone, so interesting hearing about your transformations (big and small!) I was standing behind an elderly lady at the supermarket yesterday, she was wearing 3 different clashing patterns but it somehow worked! I wanted to ask her about her style inspirations!

I did a complete change of wardrobe at about your age. I went from dressy at work and slob at home, to a vibrant all around casual and comfortable style that's as good for being at home on the sofa as it is for me to go to a dinner out or to work. I'll never know if someone thought I was having a mid life crisis, for me, it marked a healthy mix of having more time/headspace, more money and more self esteem to dress how I want.

Most midlife crises are actually much closer to a midlife epiphany, in my opinion. It’s not because people become silly in middle age, it’s because they realise life is too short to be miserable.

Enjoy your look and feel happy every time you look in the mirror!

At age 12 after having long hair and glasses all my life I got my hair chopped into a Lady Di layered bob and ditched my glasses on the advice of my eye specialist.

I love chatting to people about their clothes. I had my colours done years ago and then some years later a lady was running a course with WEA on personal style and I learnt ever so much from her. I am retired now and am able to wear a lot more casually styled clothes. I have kept a few jackets in case they are needed .I find if I compliment someone over their clothes they will chat away about colours and style.

Loving the idea of the mid life epiphany @BauhausOfEliott - I may have to use that as comeback if anyone mentions a mid life crisis!

To a degree, yes, but only because I had a premature menopause, breast cancer/a double mastectomy without reconstruction, and lost my hair due to chemotherapy. During treatment, I very much had to have a complete style overhaul partly because much of my clothing no longer fitted me. Am now I'm almost two years into my recovery, am still making changes. I sold my pre-cancer wardrobe and that has funded all new purchases.

As I'm no longer the same person I was pre-cancer (or pre-menopause) for that matter, the change was a necessity, and probably the best thing I could have done for my own sanity.

This sounds like a friend of mine who is in her 80s. All bright and clashing colours and mountains of silver and turquoise jewellery. She looks terrific.

And so what? This is such basic bullshit.

OP, I did it. In my 30s I had little kids and got fat and had no clue who I was any more.

When I turned 40 I had a tummy tuck and lipo, lost 5 stone, and now I have a completely different looking involving many many tattoos 😁

Everything about my life is different now actually, and my look has been a huge part of the changes that came along, in work and relationships. I think my confidence just shot through the roof and I started to take chances I would have shied away from before.

If anyone things you’re having a midlife crisis…who fucking cares? Midlife is the perfect time to reassess and evolve and change and grow and become a version of yourself that you love.

Where did you get it done? I really need to sort my look out and I would love something like this.

I think I know my colours but would be interested in this too.

Sorry, but this. Maybe if you didn’t do it suddenly it’d look less like a mid-life crisis. Tattoos are very much part of someone’s identify and most people have got them gradually over many years. I’m covered in them but I’ve been getting them slowly since I was 16 and have thought hard about everything I’ve had. If you just got a bunch overnight it wouldn’t seem genuine (if that’s the right word) or like it really meant anything to you. It’d basically look like a mid-life crisis or an attempt to ‘look cool’ or something. Maybe start with something small and see how you feel.

Yep, look completely different to 10 years ago. Masses of colour, like an art teacher gone crazy. Loud prints, huge sleeves, every type of clothing. Being well over 50 has freed me.

Who did you use?

Oh give over. OP do what the fuck YOU want.

People are weirdly snobby about tattoos, including some tattooed people.

I got six in one year because gasp I wanted to and they are all cool as fuck. That’s all that matters.

Misogynistic bull shit

Yes! Lost a LOT of weight and started dressing like the wannabee indie/goth I was in the 80s.
People have commented but mostly inappropriately about the weightloss - seems to have eclipsed the image change.

Lol how is what I said misogynistic? I’d have exactly the same opinion about a man who did this!

You were agreeing with a post that said that people would think it was a midlife crisis. Why can a woman not change her appearance? Why can she not get the tattoos that she's always wanted? Maybe she doesn't give a shit if she looks cool. She just wants some tattoos, but youre gatekeeping it and making her feel bad for wanting them.

That's why it's misogynistic

So what would I be if I said it’d look a bit ridiculous if a man did it? A misandrist? So I’m a misogynist and a misandrist for advising the OP to exercise a bit of caution on getting permanent changes to her body overnight. Ok

At nearly 50, my style is somewhat reverting back to my late teens/twenties style! I was definitely pretty alternative back then. It felt very 'me'. But over the decade I spent having my babies, the old story happened of losing my way/weight gain. I still loved clothes, but was dressing more for comfort and trying to disguise weight gain. Now I'm finally back to my pre-baby weight, and my old style is resurfacing, but in a slightly more grown-up and up-to-date way. I've even found a suitcase of clothes from my 20s, and many of them fit again. Some my teenage daughter has taken, but I'm wearing some old favourites again.

I've wanted to get my nose pierced for decades, and never done it. Maybe now is the time!

Oh you sound just like me @Somethingsnappedans now is definitely the time to get a piercing!

I think you're right! 😀