Episode 4: Fashionably Late, Unpacking Style and Fashion in our 30s and 40s

In this heartwarming and hilarious episode of Andi & Mich, two sisters from two generations unpack their evolving relationship with fashion—and how it reflects self-worth, confidence, and personal growth through the decades. From glitter jellies and layaway shopping to boho dresses and bold accessories, Andi and Mich share real talk on rediscovering your style in your 30s and 40s, navigating body changes, breaking outdated fashion rules, and using style as a tool for self-expression and silent rebellion.

Whether you’re rocking a white sneaker and jeans combo or figuring out how to feel sexy in a changing body, this episode will leave you feeling seen, inspired, and ready to glow up your wardrobe—without losing yourself in trends. They explore the emotional side of style, how cultural roots and childhood shape fashion identity, and why dressing for joy is the real flex at any age.

Perfect for women over 30, fashion lovers (or fashion avoiders), and anyone who’s ever stood in front of their closet wondering who they are now—this conversation is a funny, tender, and powerful reminder that style isn’t about what you wear. It’s about how you feel in your skin.

💬 “Fashion is a silent rebellion. Especially in your second adolescence.”

Two Sisters. Two Generations. Lots of Laughs.

If you liked this episode please like and follow our podcast, leave us a comment, and share it with a friend. Your support helps us to keep the conversations going. <3

-Andi and Mich

The Andi and Mich Podcast: Two Sisters, Two Generations, Unique Perspectives, Lots of Laughs

Transcript

0:46

Welcome back to Andy and Mitch, the podcast where two sisters from two generations. Keep it real, keep it warm and keep it at least a little stylish. Here's the thing, while we may not be style influencers, we are women in our thirties and forties learning how to dress these evolving bodies and busy lives. In this episode, we are talking about how our relationship with fashion has changed the joy of rediscovering our style and the little ways we are glowing up our wardrobes. One boho tea and comfy pair of jeans at a time. Let's get into it. So when we first made. Our episode list when we decided to do the podcast and we're coming up with ideas on things that we wanted to talk about, fashion was on it. Mm-hmm. And we immediately laughed but then I was thinking about it. After we had done some editing and recorded other things and we were talking and I thought, why not us? I think we're the perfect people to talk about it because we're the busy woman who's in her thirties and forties trying to figure it out. Right. And I think just people in general could probably relate to this. Not just women, but we go through this evolution through each decade of our lives. So just in that train of thought, I came back to Mitch and I said, I think we need to do this topic. I still wasn't sold, but I'm here. So I don't think she, I don't think you're still sold now, but this is the exact kind of conversation that women need to have. Yeah, I agree. Especially women like us. Like I think we see a lot of the idealistic fashion and style out there a lot in the magazines and pop culture and tv, but the reality of that, it doesn't line up, right? Like you kind of have to figure out how style comes to play in your life as you grow and evolve. Mm-hmm. And age gracefully. I agree with that. And I think that we also have to remember that fashion has been depicted in mainstream ways. That feels unattainable, but it actually started with real people, people just walking around the streets. Mm-hmm. You know, other people took notice that they were trying to express themselves in unique ways. And then it was monopolized. Right. And like they started making money off of it. Yeah. And in a lot of ways fashion was used, in revolutionary ways. Yeah. European women used to wear red lipstick? In support of like women's rights and things like that. Fashion has its roots in prehistoric times when humans began using clothing for practical purposes, but it evolved into this form of self, expression and societal status on one end. And on the other spectrum, it did become this revolutionary way of expressing yourself and so there's, there's some fun, funky elements to fashion that I feel like it, if we look at it with the right set of goggles, it can actually be pretty wonderful. So for our fun middle aged selves, which I don't know if we're middle aged or we're still technically kind of young. It depends on who you're talking to, you know? Yeah. Like, because if you're talking to a young person, you've already died, you're a dinosaur. We're, yeah. But if you're talking to an old person, they're like, dude you're just a baby. So I think really fashion there, like we have to approach fashion with perspective that it is really just about expressing yourself. When you think about fashion or you talk about fashion, if you don't consider yourself to be a fashionista, and that hasn't always been your thing, you really shy away from it and you kind of fall in line to these, predetermined clothing stereotypes. I do wanna dive into this a little bit more when we think about this idea of like this fashion disconnect that happens from when we're young and how that disconnect exists as we move through these different generations of life. I mean. When did we even stop feeling cool in our clothes? For the record, I never felt cool in my clothes, I think the shift is associated for me personally when my body started to shift and change in different ways. As I aged, I started to like feel a little bit disconnected from what was socially acceptable at certain, pivotal points. But then I realized I've always kind of lived in this rebel world, where I was really into Doc Martens and I was like, grunge was really big. Mm-hmm. We shopped at Miller to Outpost if we were really lucky. You know, we come from like a lower class family,....I didn't know that people didn't buy their clothes on layaway. I know you've mentioned that too....and a lot of times it was the discounted items that were available to you growing up. Now I look back at it and I'm like, man, we were actually really fashionable....but in the suburbs or the suburbs of Los Angeles,......it wasn't socially acceptable and we were kind of that outcast. I didn't have that experience. So I think it depends on like what the dynamics of your social circle are. Yeah. But I definitely relate to the, like growing up. You know, fashion was something you had to create. I felt like it was just a creative venture that we would go on to just piece things from the thrift store, from layaway at Kmart, which was always like the end of season stuff cause we could get it at a cheaper price. So we were not like on trend in that way and fashionable in that way, but we were still fashionable'cause we would create it and make it work for ourselves. And. I feel like a lot of times I would feel really proud of like the clothes I was wearing just because it meant something to me.'cause I worked hard to put it together. And one of our aunts from Puerto Rico, I always felt she was super fashionable.'cause she was just super cool. She still is But she would help me see things and put things together and be like, Miha, we don't need to spend$200 on an outfit for you to feel good. Like, let's put this together. Let's piece that together and let's switch this. And that was probably one of the first times I ever felt like I had any sense or idea around style. Yeah. Like how to style yourself.'cause before I would just wear whatever because it was, I didn't have a choice. I didn't get to pick out everything. And so I, I didn't feel like I leaned into fashion or style. I wasn't a fashionist in anyway. I would see things and it'd be like, that's really cool. I really want that. But we never could afford it, so I didn't allow myself the opportunity to like dive deep into it. But with Artia, I feel like that's probably one of the first times that I felt like, oh, I can create something and make a statement for myself as a young teenager and feel happy with it. And feel content with what I was wearing and not be embarrassed cause it wasn't like super name brand or super on trend. Yeah. I didn't even know name brands. So there's that. Yeah. That's a thing. I mean like how you grow up really, has a direct impact in how you think about style and fashion. When you think back was there any outfit or any article of clothing, that you had that made you feel just amazing or confident or unstoppable? Like back in the day. My glitter jellies. Oh my god. Fricking glitter jellies. You had so many glitter jellies. I was in love with them. Mom threw some away at one point. She did? Yeah. They were amazing. They made me feel magical. I could literally climb trees in them. We had this little like tree in the back and then we lived like in this area that had like a lot of wood in the back'cause it was like a construction company up front. And so, um, I would climb the wood in the back and like jump around with the boys and I could do everything in my glitter jellies. I was safe, I was content. I never got hurt. And I looked cute as heck. You gotta love glitter jellies. How about you? I think I have two. At first I was like, no, I didn't have one when I was younger, but I did when I was really little. This is before your existence. Okay. Our abuela, our grandma. On our father's side bought me red cowboy boots from Mexico. I have seen pictures. Yes. I was obsessed with those freaking cowboy boots and I wore them everywhere, for everything. Grandma, used to also buy these like big poofy Mexican dresses and she would like want us to get all dressed up and they'd come with shiny shoes. Yeah. And I would not put on the shiny shoes and I would put the boots on underneath. Yeah. And these were warm boots. Y'all like, I love these boots so much. They were, they had lived a life already lived. And I remember grandma would get so mad and she'd be like, you need to put on the shiny shoes. I'd be like, no, I reject your shiny shoes. I am only here for the boots. Yeah. And I wore those things. So they practically started falling apart. And I think at one point our mom probably had to sneak them away and throw them away because Yeah. They just weren't usable anymore. But I, as a kid, wearing those, I felt so confident. I just felt real cool, you know? Yeah. And different, and that's probably reflecting back one of the first times that I really embraced, like my own unique sense of style That I wouldn't embrace again yet until I was in my twenties. My early twenties is when I started to kind of lean into style and fashion a little bit more and feed my little boho heart. And I had my own job, my own money, so I started buying more things for myself and learning things that felt good to have on And there's something with the color red. Okay. I just, I just realized this in this moment that both of my stories have to do with something red. Okay. So I had to look that up. If you're intuitive, just drop me a message and tell me what that means. The boots were red and then one of my close friends who's still a close friend of mine to this day bought me a red dress at Windsor or some shit like that. Oh, I do remember this. And it was like a knitted, it was really beautiful, like a very intricately knitted, strapless dress. It was red, straight down, two slits on the side. It had like a tie belt on it. Yes. And I freaking loved that dress. I don't know why. It just really spoke to me. It was kind of boho, it was kind of classic to like a classic vibe, but it was red and every time I put that dress on, I felt like a million bucks. I just felt beautiful and I felt confident, which, you know, growing up as a young woman, I rarely felt that way. I had a really hard time with confidence growing up and being very curvy. It's still a work in progress. But I loved that dress so much. There's a picture of you by yourself. I'm gonna find it. Yeah. And you're wearing that dress and you have your hair down and it's all red and stuff. And when we were little, we were like, she's like a Barbie. So like you, to us, you look like a Barbie. it's interesting to hear that you, you didn't see the same thing. I didn't. And you know, like looking back now, it's like, man, there's so many lessons that I'd like to instill in that young brain of mine back then. But in the dress, I did feel confident. I did feel beautiful. And I think it's really cool that make that connection that the dress was red and the boots were red. Yeah. So your girl has like real style, you know what I mean? We go through these metamorphosis over and over again. And sometimes we can feel invisible or uncertain about our body or how clothes fit on our body, or how to even style ourselves so that we can be comfortable, but also feel confident. What's your experience with that? I just wanna point out, a lot of people's outer perceptions of us, sometimes they're like, you haven't changed that much. Mm-hmm. But what we see is different. And so I wanna just acknowledge that for a lot of. Listeners for myself, maybe for my sister, how that might be a reality, right? Mm-hmm. Like other people might see us and be like, you didn't change at all. Or say you look really pretty in that, or you look really beautiful, or that fits you really well. Yeah. And it doesn't feel like it fits me well. Yeah. And I think it's a combination of our bodies changing and also our self image changing. The person we see in the mirror changes I also think it's because our taste is changing, our values are changing, the way that we think of ourselves in different eras of our life shifts and molds. But I did feel invisible. We can all relate to that. I know it certainly had a lot of moments where I felt invisible in my clothes. And I think especially for me, I became a mom in my late twenties, early thirties. And shifting into motherhood is a..Jarring experience because so much of your life and your persona changes as you embrace motherhood. The expectations that people have of you also change. And so I struggled with how do I express myself with style and fashion and also embrace being a mom without being judged or shamed. Yeah. And I was young still I was not ready to be a mom. I was like, I can't take a human home and raise it. But I did it. I think we're okay. And you did wonderful. Learning how to dress my body. I remember like going to the store and, and thinking like, what do moms wear? Like, I had no idea. I was like, oh my gosh, am I supposed to wear sweatpants now? Am I supposed to wear button-ups? Can I still be sexy? Am I allowed to feel sexy as a mom? And it is just like, it's part of this journey that you go through as you transition into taking on this additional part of yourself. And the answer is, yeah, you can wear whatever the hell you want. But you have to kind of figure that out for yourself. And that was probably one of the times where I maybe felt most invisible when I would go out dressed because I didn't, I didn't feel comfortable because I also didn't know how to embrace that new version of myself. Were there any like fashion icons that you grew up with or people that you saw and you thought, wow, they dress really cool and I would like to dress like that. Like for me, a big one was friend dresher from the nanny. Mm-hmm. I thought she was incredible. And I was like, man, if I could just look like that I never felt confident enough to dress like that. Has that ever been a thing for you? I'm trying to remember because it was so long ago, but um, in the nineties, like a lot of fashion icons, the style was like stick skinny, no curves. Non-ethnic. That's all there really was in pop culture. And in the movies and on tv. Friends became real big too friends, the TV show with Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox. Yeah. Also very thin. Yeah. Very non-ethnic. Um, and so I would see things like they would wear on the show and I'd be like, oh, that's really nice, but I could never wear that. Got it. Because I was a young Latina, I was very curvy. Right. And I just couldn't relate to the visuals that I was seeing. And so I never really had anybody that I was like just captivated by, in that sense. Got it. As far as like fashion and style goes, and that probably contributed to my confusion'cause I couldn't find somebody who looked like me. That I could relate to. Yeah. I think with me, I would look and I would see like friend rusher and I would see from the nanny and then I'd see Cher and I'd be like, man, they're so cool. They're gorgeous. Her style was like very loud and very colorful. Yeah. And I'm a little bit shy, reserved when I don't know people. Mm-hmm. I think that's partially why like I idolized that kind of style.'cause it was so loud and fun and I felt like that on the inside, but I couldn't really express that on the outside. That wasn't natural to me. That's probably why I have the like, really close friend that I do because she is so loud and fun and she dresses like that quite often, so I admire that. I think it's really wonderful when people embrace fashion and use it as an extension of self-expression. I'm slowly starting to now, as my fashion has evolved into this like very eclectic style. embrace that in little ways. Yeah. Right. Like, I wear fun, funky socks when I have to wear really traditional outfits for professional settings. I always try to do something fun, funky. Mm-hmm. Jewelry if I feel comfortable. I'm not really the big jewelry person. I know you and mom are jewelry people. I love jewelry. Yeah. Yeah. And then like cardigans have always been my thing. I've always loved grunge. And I think that's another thing too that's really cool about fashion, and maybe you can kind of chime in here, is like the things that you admired and the different cultures and music and influences that trickled in the little best parts or the little parts that you felt kind of spoke to you. Like for me, it's always been cardigans, right? Nirvana was a big thing for me. So like, I just kind of kept cardigans. It's like my thing forever. I used to have this cool pair of boots. They were like these chunky kind of cognac colored boots that came all the way up to my knee. And I spent a lot of money on them, it was a big deal,'cause I was like, I can't really afford these, but I really want them. Yeah. And I wore those things like nobody's business. Yeah. And they're like back in style now, which is crazy. It's like the little pieces that I hold onto. I, I look for things that make me feel connected to my identity and my culture. I like patterns, intricate patterns or detailed stitching, or like that red dress that I love so much. It had that intricate kind of woven design on it, because I felt like it hinted to like my history and my culture, but also to like modern day. Yeah. So whenever I can bring that in, that, that makes me feel really good. I love a good long car cardigan and I'm a short person, I know it's a no-no. I feel really comfortable in that. And then jewelry, I think probably because of my experiences growing up and the relationship that I've had to build, thinking about style and fashion. I leaned more into. The importance of accessories. So I really would rather spend hundreds of dollars on jewelry than hundreds of dollars on clothes. Yeah, that's fair. I think it's starting to shift a little bit now. What about fashion fail moments? Have you had a fashion fail recently with, trying to follow a trend that just went hilariously wrong or just didn't work out? No. You think the fail is that I'm not trying to follow any trends. For me, it's overalls. I used to love overalls. I used to wear overalls all the freaking time in my twenties. Yeah. With the cute little crop top underneath. Like just how it's come back.'cause all the stuff we used to wear is like now back. And they were so comfortable and I was like super cool on my overalls. Okay. Okay. And they came back and I was like, overalls are back. Yeah. And I bought myself a pair of overalls. I think I gave them to mom at some point for gardening? Because I put them on and I looked like a literal farmer. I did not look cool, I did not look cute, I look like a farmer. This is where where the extension of fashion, like doing your hair in a cute way, you gotta also bring the style when you're incorporating something like overalls. I think I showed you and mom and you were like, yeah, you do look like a farmer. They're so cute on everyone else. But you know, I'm curvier now I'm older and it just didn't hit, you know? I thought for sure. I'm totally gonna rock these overalls. I was so excited. I was like, I'm gonna wear these everywhere. And I put them on and I was like, wah, wah wa. No, they gotta go back. Well, at least you're trying, I think at the end of the day, as long as you're giving it a shot. There was one thing that fashion failed crop top. I'm not a fan of crop top and it didn't fashion fail. I just don't have the confidence to wear a crop. You need confidence for a crop top. Yeah. You need, you need to be carefree. Okay. And I'm not one of those people. I care a lot, I'm not carefree crop top girl. And I'm okay. I had to accept that and I'm okay with it. Yeah. I, I dig a good crop top. I appreciate now that they're making them, a little less croppy and a little more toppy, a little more toppy. Because you know, with age, I have a bigger bust and, I don't need my boobs falling out the bottom of my crop top if I put my hands up. I could wear a cute high waisted pant with a nice, appropriately length cropped top. But yeah, so funny how in our heads we're like, yeah, I could totally do this. I rock this. You put it on and you're like, what? I'm like a toddler. It's not a thing. I appreciate that we can reflect on it and have fun with it. Let's talk about fashion and style as a joyful act, learning to have fun with it. it really changes how you see yourself in fashion and style, how you engage, how you dress, the things that you choose to put on. If I like put on an outfit and I'm like this outfit is basic and boring, but I'm just gonna wear it because this is what 40-year-old professionals wear and I don't feel good. It's gonna impact my day. Yeah. But if I can put something on that feels joyful, that makes me smile, that makes me maybe remember my childhood or my young adulthood when I could have fun with what I was putting on my body. So we can bring some of that joy back. It totally changes how you, it does show up in the world. I like to call it the Silent Rebellion. Once I put that on my own personal social media and a bunch of middle aged men loved it. They were reposting it. It was really interesting. Fashion is a silent rebellion when you get to your middle age. I've shared this with Andy, that I think that when you're in your thirties and forties and even into your fifties, you're in your second adolescence. There is a movement right now where there, is more visual representation of aging women than there used to be. Yeah. So a few people have told me for jeans, go to American Eagle. Mm-hmm. And I was like, wait, you know, I'm like a full on grownup. Right? isn't that high school clothes? And they're like, no. They're, they're catering to older markets now and they've expanded their sizes, they carry all the different lengths and they really have I would never even go into that store, unprovoked. I haven't bought jeans from there yet. I'm gonna try it. I'm gonna go outside my comfort zone. You should try it. I think. You have to try it with me. You know, we can go to the outlets. You know, I used to shop at American Eagle with that one high school friend who introduced me to them, that was actually one of the first, I think it was American Eagle and it was, uh, Hollister. Those were the name brands that I had never heard of prior to becoming friends with this person. And then they were like, let's go, they have models standing outside of their stores. Abercrombie and Fitch. And so did Hollister for a little while too. Yeah. And yeah, we would go to those stores. That was normal. So to hear that they have catered to a wider range of women, Bravo to them. I, I like can't even walk into a store. I have to go get my teenage daughter so that it's more appropriate for me to walk into the store. Like, are you buying something for your No, I'm shopping for myself. One of the critical things that we wanna just, I wanna point out too, women over 40 are critical to your brand success. This is a real statistic. There are 83 million women over 40 in this country. That's a full 25% of the US population. Mm-hmm. Put in another way. One in four Americans is a woman over 40. Yep. So. I'm almost there. I'm not there yet, but I'm almost there. And I wanna say like that that bracket between 35 to 45, 50 companies that aren't moving toward tailoring some of their fashion options to that bracket are seriously missing out, on major revenue streams. Have you noticed that, like, when you shop now, are there different things that bring you joy now? Things that like you're attracted to that you will buy for yourself now that maybe you wouldn't buy your for yourself before? So there's an interesting phenomena that's happening. I have a ton of dresses. I don't wear them very often, but I love wearing dresses. With a nice cardigan or a nice jacket. It's a big thing for me and I like wearing, shear tights. I like layers. I don't know what that says about me, but I think it means that I'm supposed to live in New York. I don't know. You gotta also buy the right size. Like Tan France says it's a fine line between finding the right size for your body and then picking something that you're just used to, or you might feel more comfortable in because you're self-conscious. I think that's where I find myself kind of struggling sometimes I have self-conscious moments. Growing into my body and being okay with my body and loving my body has become a staple. And understanding that my fashion choices, they don't have to be a thing of the past. Like I don't necessarily need to wear all the things that I wore when I was young, to feel confident. Mm-hmm. I felt a level of confidence in a lot of those things, and that's why I think I have those really reminiscent in associations. But it did take a moment and it also took a moment because my peer group looks different and like. I had to kind of accept that I have so many different beautiful people around me. I don't have to look like any particular person. Mm-hmm. I can just look like me. But you can make yourself feel really good and fashionable in a nice jogger set. Mm-hmm. Or in a nice pair of jeans and regular t-shirts and layer the way that you feel comfortable. Mm-hmm. Or long sleeve shirts have become a really big thing for me. Mm-hmm. So I am like dreading summer because then my fashion's gonna go straight out the door. In summer, that's when I struggle the most because I hate sweating. How about you? I think what brings me joy or things that I pick out now are like pops of color especially like a nice fuchsia pink. You do like that color. I do. I love it. It makes me so happy when I see it, and I'm very careful about like how I use it, but it tracks my attention right away. Again, very close to red. So I think we're discovering a new trend here. It's also like Reem embracing that part of femininity. Pink, I think growing up meant something different that we both rejected. In a lot of ways. Mm-hmm. And that was probably because of the time in the era. And now it's like I re-embraced it and I'm like, screw you. I'm gonna wear this and I'm gonna fricking enjoy it. I also really like the sheer like ways to use sheer sets. I always thought, I'm much more curvy now and that's really not a thing. But I will say I am following some people on social media who show you how to style your clothes differently. And there's so many cute outfits. And I think it's also a fun way to bring in this idea of feeling a little sexier without the stereotypical way of just showing all these parts of your body. Yeah. But having like a cute blazed run with a little tank top that has like a little sheer V-neck part in it. Yeah, I bought a shirt like that, but a long sleeve one that has the little, yeah. And they're super cute and I think you can feel sexy. I mean, when I was in my twenties, early twenties and going out dancing all the time, I didn't dress like a hoochie mama. I dressed pretty simple, kind of elevated but I felt really sexy in what I was wearing. So I think it has everything to do with how you feel and what you put on your body. When you're younger you get validation in different ways. So what you're wearing when you're younger, sometimes that validation comes with that. But as you get older you learn how to create that validation from yourself. There's a lot of people out there that are really, really well versed in this and things like TikTok and Instagram are really helpful tools. And Pinterest, I know Pinterest, girls love going on Pinterest.. Pinning, you know, look books basically. That's totally helpful because. It's like you have your own model. So I do appreciate that.'cause that's not something we had before. Right? But to see all different shapes of curvy women, women of different ages. Obviously the ones that I follow are thirties and above because I can relate more to that style and the pieces that they're choosing. Yeah. Although there are some that I'm like, that's not gonna happen. But it is so helpful. It's almost like a mirror where you can almost envision and picture yourself in that outfit. And with it comes a feeling. Like I can look at an outfit from one of the Instagram influencers that I follow and go, that's so cute. And I can imagine myself. Wearing it, doing something. Yeah. I could see that. I have some that are younger than me, some that are older than me. There's like a Silver Fox lady, she's wonderful. And then I also have, two curvaceous, 30 year olds. I have moments still though I'm very human. And I have moments where I'm really hard on myself. There's other times where I'll see, some of my peers are very free in a lot of their decisions that they make, I admire that, and I really want to emulate that to some degree, but in the lane of which I'm comfortable with, and that I find sexy and enjoyable. Ironically, even though I'm, I am pretty much a free spirit in a lot of ways, I'm conservative with how I dress. With the exception of the fact that I have tattoos all over my arms. Probably a little bit cultural, a little bit societal. My tattoos are like my own gifts to myself. I don't really share a lot of them. Sometimes I will, depending, on my environment and how comfortable I feel. So it's been an interesting journey for me to kind of figure out what feels good on my body at this age. And I think identifying what makes you joyful helps. You know what I think we should do is I think we should go buy some fancy ass dresses or like some super fur coats, like wild outfits and just go to the supermarket. Okay. Just faux fur though. But you know what I'm saying, something that just feels so wild and fun and and you have that, that child, innocent joy. You're just having a good time and you're just having a good time. Like getting that, and then going to home goods. Yeah. That's in a hot pink sparkly for coat. I know you mentioned your tattoos. Mm-hmm. Do you see your tattoos as part of how you style yourself now? Uh, yeah. There's only, one tattoo, that's a mistake, but everything else is great. I honestly think, my tattoos are an extension of my expression, of my love for life, and they're personal to me. I do love them. I will also say when I was younger, I used to idolize people on tv. I would, this is. There was a show called Jerry Springer. Oh my God. My dad used to watch it. There was a bunch of people, they used to have tattooed segments and my dad would say, oh my God, you better not get no tattoos. And I would be like, I want tattoos so bad. He'd be like under no circumstances will you get tattoos. And then I got them, and he was probably really disappointed. Did I ever tell you what he said to me about tattoos? Mind you, he also had tattoos. He had tattoos. Culturally, he grew up in, he grew up in an era where tattoos meant something, different, very different. And not as much of an artful expression as other movements. Yeah. But I will say I love my tattoos and, I don't feel ashamed of them. I do though wanna recognize that he was warning me that life is a little harder when you have tattoos. You can get stereotyped really easily. Right. And he just didn't know how to convey that. What do you think your style says about who you are today? Like Mitch, today in 2025? Mitch, today in 2025, postmodern grunge sprinkled in with a little, just like casual chill. That's another big thing buying retro sneakers I love'em because only being able to afford things off the clearance rack usually meant you got those kind of shoes And it usually meant I had the loudest sneakers in the school. It brought a lot of attention and bullying. Mm-hmm. And so now rebranding that in a joyous way. I wear them with pride. Remember Payless? Oh, I love Payless. Shout out to anybody who remembers Payless. When you're in K through 12, payless is not, not it, right?'cause your friends had the cool Reebok with the glitter. Two different, two tone, two color tones, or the shoes with shoeless skates. And you didn't have that, right? You had the Payless brand sneaker. What do you think your style says about you, Andy? I think today, Andy, today, 2025. I'm still trying to figure it out in my new era, but I think what's interesting about where I am in life right now, and this is a gift of aging, is I'm almost going back and finding that same joy in the way I used to dress and the things I would pick out for myself when I was 2021. 22 now in my forties. So now I do still feel like I'm like this boho chill vibe. Like I dig a good boho matching flowy outfit. Yes. All day... I just feel so comfortable and free and it's just something very peaceful about that vibe. So I think it says like, chill, warm, but also there's parts of my style now that um, have a little bite to them, that maybe have a little more complexity to it that makes people go, okay, there's something special. There's something magical in there. As well. So it's kind of like this elevated version of that. Which I used to do back in the day, you know? Yeah. So all the versions of yourself. Coming together. Yeah. And it's just like this return home to self. There are some things like fun sneakers or like really bright, colorful tops under like a blazer. And having fun with the jewelry and things like that, that I really enjoy. I do still like a simple makeup style. I like it to be kind of classic clean. I think it says I'm warm, chill down to earth, but I also am fun. It's less about the trends now and it's more about intention and how we choose the things that make us feel like ourselves. And in order to feel like yourself, you also need to do the work to get to know who that is. Yeah. Like Bill Cunningham said, fashion is the armor to survive everyday life. And if you don't know who Bill Cunningham was, he was a great American fashion photographer. Beautiful quote. Thank you. All right, so we've talked about all these different intricacies as it relates to style and fashion. As women. Going through life, embracing ourselves differently, and really finding that confidence in ourselves. And loving ourselves really is kind of what it comes down to. This, intentional self-love that allows yourself to feel worthy and find joy. In what you pick and how you dress yourself. And it doesn't have to be high-end fashion or spending a boatload of money. It can be done very strategically. Let's talk about like leaning more into the fun side of it, you know? What's your, what's your go-to outfit that makes you feel good? I'm a Jeans girl, I love jeans and sneakers and fun t-shirts. But I love, elevating the simple. So, an outfit that I can wear that will always make me feel good no matter what I'm doing. Is like a cool pair of jeans, A fun sneaker. I love a good white sneaker. I know that dates me, but I don't care. The outfit for me that makes me feel good is gonna be a nice, they're called skater dresses, I guess, or they're pretty much like little summer dresses under a cardigan. Some sheer tights and some nice boots. So I'm all about that forever fall vibe. Are there any fashion rules you've gladly broken in your thirties and forties? Yeah, I dunno if there are rules. I, and it kind of, maybe they're unspoken rules or rules I made up. I don't know, but to actually lean into fashion trends a little bit more because as I've aged, I've almost felt like, oh, I'm too old for that. Okay. So I can't wear it even if I like it and so I would stay away from it. And then look at Chicos with sad eyes, like I guess it's just me and you. Because I think when you're in your thirties and forties, you're kind of stuck in the middle. It's like we're not in grandma era, but we're also not forever 21. I've leaned into breaking that myth. And some of those stereotypes of that if you're, if you're over a certain age, you can't wear certain things. I do very much believe like just because you can doesn't mean you should. So I'm not trying to rock things that don't work for my body. But I dig the fact that, the nineties have made such a comeback. Because it just reminds me of that youthful time where I used to have fun with my clothes and used to enjoy wearing them and I didn't have a massive wardrobe, but I had so much fun with it. So I'm really embracing that. Like I can take some of those trends that were trends in the nineties growing up, but are now cool again and incorporate them as like staple pieces. To create these outfits that I can say I love this outfit so much that I don't care if it's not in style because I feel so good wearing it. I'm gonna continue to wear it. What about you? Fashion rules that I gladly break. I love a nice skinny jean. I heard they're making it come back and it's making me so sad. I love them I bought one pair of relaxed fit jeans and I am comfortable in them sometimes, but I grew up in that like screamo emo phase, and skinny jeans were all the jams. So I don't like the super tight skinny jeans where it looks like you have to cut yourself out of them. But I like, like a nice fitted skinny jean. I'm all for it, but it also fits your body, right? I do have long, gangly legs. Yes, they're not gangly. She has beautiful long legs. What about the wear white rule? What do you mean? I like you're not supposed to wear white after Labor Day. I love a good white t-shirt and jean. I do enjoy a nice white button down shirt. Yeah. Or a nice white T crisp t-shirt. Yes. White tennis shoes. So maybe that is a rule that I'm breaking. That is a rule you're breaking. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, because I don't, I don't really follow that whole, like, white after Labor Day says Who? Show me the receipts. A good white t-shirt, a nice white shoe. It never hurt nobody. I also like to break the rules because I think, again, it's like a rebellion without an explanation. Yeah. And you don't always have to explain yourself to other people. I think sometimes you could just break the rules, like if you feel like you wanna be extra feminine or you wanna challenge some of the feminine stereotypes or whatever it might be, there's ways to do it in fashion that are really tasteful. Yeah. And I think you have to figure out what your fashion style is.'cause is it feminine? Does it lead to be more masculine? And you could do it all like, you could literally be feminine on Tuesday, feel like you wanna be more masculine on a Wednesday. And that's okay. Yeah. I mean like Diane Keaton, diane Kean wears her suits and it's no big deal. That's a power move. If I've ever seen one as a woman, that is a power move. It just looks great. Yeah. Good pants suit with a nice white crisp tea, good band shirt, sign me up. Yeah. Again, it's like finding that comfort. Something that you feel good, powerful and sexy, and sometimes powerful looks can feel sexy. Mm-hmm. And it's not about being revealing and sometimes having those little nods to filling, revealing, or being fully revealing, if you're really comfortable with that, sexy. Yeah. So it's just, it's up to you and how you feel you wanna express yourself in that area. What's one tip you'd give your younger self about style? Wear what you want. Yeah. Like, just kind of reiterating what we were, what we've been talking about is if it makes you happy, wear it. If you feel good in it, wear it. If you feel like it's just compliments your personality, it compliments your body, your style, wear it. Like, don't be so hung up on what you think other people are gonna think about you based on your fashion sense and your style. Or even if you think you have a lack thereof. Just be yourself. Because there's something really powerful about embracing your authenticity in that. And people see it. So they look past the like, well, this person's a little eclectic in their dress. But they're like, it becomes part of your personality. They're like, no, that's, that's Mitch. She's super cool. That's how she dresses and it totally fits her vibe. Embrace it, and run with it and have as much fun with it as possible. Experiment with different styles. And really figure out what you love most about style and fashion and go with it. Very well said. What's one tip you would give your younger self about style? I'm gonna go more practical because you already covered all the bases with that one. Comfort isn't secondary. I think for me, a lot of times when I was younger, I would buy what looked the coolest and was the most affordable at the expense of my feet. You can find a middle ground there. You don't have to hurt your feet to go dancing. And I would say that dress yourself to feel confident in the person that you are not the person that other people want you to be. And being you and what makes you feel good as being you, is enough. Yes, you are worthy. And it's okay to look frumpy some days. Not every day is a makeup day. And listen, elastic waistbands are where it's at comfort. They're chill, man. Comfort is where it's at. You can incorporate all of that. It's just about finding the joy. There's not just one way to do something. And I think being okay with finding those things as you move along throughout your journey is natural. And if you're not feeling comfortable in your skin or you're not feeling, safe in the version of yourself that you're expressing to the world. It's okay to experiment, like Andy said. Thanks for coming along on that journey with us. It turns out we are cool enough to talk about fashion, just not in the way we thought. If you've been in a style rut, which I have, which Mitch has, then maybe this is your sign to try on something joyful, that dress, that shirt, that piece of jewelry that you've been eyeing and you've told yourself, Hmm, I don't deserve it. I'm not worthy enough for it. Or it's just gonna look silly. Just go for it. We're telling you, go for it. And as one of our favorite characters in that wonderful movie, Spanglish said"Just try it on". Fashion isn't about being trendy, it's about remembering who you are and dressing for that version of you. So perhaps we are not full on fashionistas, but we are cool enough to remind you that feeling good in your clothes is the real flex. Whether you're in your sweats, your Sunday best, or somewhere in between style is about feeling like you, again. If you love this episode, share it with a friend who's been rocking the same hoodie since 2017. And don't forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and follow us on Instagram for more chisme laughs and glow up energy. Until next time, stay comfy, stay stylish and stay you. Bye bye.