Niki G will interview guests and hold discussions around what contributes to living a great mid-life.
Live at Festival of Cultures 2020, with Fraser Greig, Michelle Thomspon, and Greg Watson
Emma - Sisterhood of Style (Part 2/2) - Niki talks to EJ from Sisterhood of style to discuss what we can do at the beginning of the year to create a New Year, New You. | 1:54 – Niki asks if there is anything EJ encourages people to do at the beginning of the year regarding their wardrobe. They go onto discuss the pressure that comes with New Year to set goals and reinvent ones self. | 2:40 – EJ encourages us to have a No Spend January – because of the financial pressure that comes with Christmas and also to go easy on ourselves and use January to see what is going to unfold in the New Year. Janaury is a time to get back into the flow of things and figure out what is important. | 4:07 – EJ also goes on to say that New Year can be cleansing time because we often have that time in New Zealand because that is out big, summer holiday. | 6:01 – Is there a risk around sales that people buy things they don’t need and don’t wear, because they are cheap. EJ comments that she says it a lot. Bulky wardrobes where people only wear 20-30% of their clothes because they are overwhelmed with what they see. | 8:29 – A discussion around buying things that are ethically made. Is shopping ethically and sustainable harder? EJ goes on to encourage people to do their research regardless of whether they are buying high end or high street. Tearfund put out a list every year where they rate companies on how they are doing ethically. | 11:00 – Visible mending is a new thing where people make their old clothes bespoke by visibly mending them with a different colour thread or fabric. It is a step up from re-purposing. EJ also invites us to look after our clothes more so they last and to get away from using cheap washing products full of microbeads. | 14:05 – What do we need to think of as Midlife women? We are told that our waists will thicken and for many of us our body does change. Look at what you have rather than what you don’t. Accentuate the positives. Putting a line at a point you want to accentuate. eg – if you want to accentuate your waist then wear a belt. She also goes onto say to remember that others do not look at us with the critical eye we do in the mirror. We need to learn to be kinder to ourselves. Wrap dresses are great with thickened waists and A-line dresses to the knee | 18:19 – What are the common mistakes when it comes to style? 1) Holding onto a size that no longer fits because we do not want to go up a size and 2) buying too much. Sales can be good however there are some things to think about a) use them to buy those more expensive items that are going to last for years like handbags, lingerie. b) don’t go in with the idea of buying bulk of anything. | 23:55 – Lets challenge the idea that the smaller number the better we are. The perceptions we have about our size. There seems to be two types of women – those that think they are bigger than they are and those that think they are smaller. | 26:31 – So what do we do as we age to be that vibrant older women that doesn’t melt into the background and stands in their own individuality. Use colour and wear what makes you feel fabulous
Emma (Sisterhood of Style) | EJ talks about how she got into style consulting. How she noticed at 40 that she felt really confident however other women did not seem to feel the same way. | 4:47 – Emma makes a comment about how we use clothes to armour ourselves and also to help ourselves feel more confident. We wear how we feel whether we mean to or not. | 5:12 – Niki starts the discussion around menopause, our reluctance to talk about it and how we change that. She also talks about how women believe that when they turn 50 they feel invisible however they make it worse by wearing themselves into invisibility.’ | 6:55 – EJ states how she is not going to go into menopause quietly, It is finding peace with the changes that occur during this time. She talks about how she wants to style women as they are not -not how they were 10 years ago. She wants to help women redefine their style again and reignite their confidence. To help them show a bit more of their personality. | 8:28 – Niki poses the question where do we find real role models for ageing women? Women who have the thickened waist and the other changes that can come with mid-life. The everyday role models that make it ok to look a bit older. And do we need to get rid of terms like ‘frumpy’. | 9:29 – what does it mean to come to a personal stylist. EJ talks about her style parties, personal shopping, wardrobe edits. She goes on to say that she works on building on what they already have rather than getting stuck into the ‘I don’t have anything to wear’ | 11:13 – Niki praises EJ’s idea that rules are for breaking. Niki expresses her concern around style consulting because women do not need another set of rules. | 11:50 -EJ shares a story of a client she worked with on the day we recorded. How it was about helping this person find who she was again after she had lost a lot of weight. Also how we want change however can be resistant to it. | 14.00 – Women get stuck in a rut of sameness! Why does it happen? Does it we felt good at a particular age so we continue to look like that. | 16:20 – the importance of being inspired by the right people. Following the best people on Instagram and being influenced by the right things. Also does the Kiwi Tall Poppy syndrome come into play. | 17:48 – do we get into the habit of wearing the same thing because it was easy. Niki discusses the idea of minimizing decision making. EJ responds with the I have nothing to wear syndrome and the ideas that can reduce the morning angst that comes with deciding what to wear. She shares her tip of making sure you get what you are wearing out and ready the night before – right down to your underwear. | 20:29 – reducing the need to have seasonal based wardrobes. Do we make the mistake of buying a lot of clothes in the attempt to look good, or because it is on sale. Buying things for the wrong reasons. Simple rule of does it look great, does it enhance your body shape and does it make you feel good. | 22:12 – Niki asks the question what makes women look fantastic as they age. She goes on to share her ageing role models including the Queen who rocks with colour in her 90’s. EJ says it is about head to toe. Finding your style and feeling comfortable. Having great skin care so you enhance your healthy glow. Finishing off the outfit. Even down to the right bra. She encourages women to get a bra fitting in menopause.
Kenn Butler - Paradise Financial Advisors - Kenn shares his amazing story of having a heart attack young and living with health issues. Also his passion for all things insurance!
In this episode Niki answers the questions she poses to her guests. She talks about what she has learned as she has aged and lives a Middlcious midlife.
Aimee Stewart - Connect Plus (Part 1/2) | Aimee tells what it was like to grow up with 5 sisters in the south. She also talks about what led her from a Degree in Art History to a career in Fashion | 4:13 -A dream job of being a buyer with a fashion house. Niki laughs as for her, as someone who hates shopping, this would be a nightmare. The beauty of difference | 6:41 – A discussion around the challenges with retail and encouraging mid-lifers to be relevant and be ahead of the game. Aimee talks about the business she started with her business partner, Connect Plus and how they help by becoming involved with the business. There is also a discussion about overseas and how the move is going back toward boutique stores | 8:31 – the lost opportunity regarding marketing to midlifers. The Boutique stores are more targeting mid life women in particular. A discussion about how mid life shoppers differ to younger shoppers | 10:16 – Niki asks Aimee what has surprised her about getting older. How society does not value us. The surprise of being irrelevant and not being valued or invited to express an opinion. Niki shares an experience of ageism that while amusing is also very telling. | 12:03 – Is the journey of ageing tougher for women? What about our midlife white men who are the new hated | 12:37 – Is this what we thought life would be at this age? Aimee talk about the difference between 20 & 30. Focusing on the elements of her life now that are great. | 14:33 – the pressure we put on ourselves because of where we feel we should be. The judgement around motherhood. Niki talks about some beliefs around retirement and it being the last stage of life. | 17:08 – What advice would you give your 20 year old self? Not sweating the small stuff. Enjoy life. Don’t worry about what other people think. | 19:00 – a discussion about mental health, meditation and what does being mentally healthy look like. Niki talks about her concerns around mid life suicides. | 22:00 – Has social media been a game changer? And how we let technology invade our lives. The spoken word drifts past us and gives us an opportunity to consider and respond. | 27:50 – 3 life lessons. 1) Don’t worry about things that don’t matter. 2) let go of what others think 3) focus on what you need to do to achieve your goals
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