How Ottawa Women Over 45 Are Reinventing Their Style

Lately, we've been seeing younger ladies coming into the boutique 
and I can't help but smile while writing that, because when I say 
younger ladies, I'm talking about women in their 40s.

I remember when my own style started to shift. And it's always changing, 
don't get me wrong, but there's something about going through perimenopause
and menopause that's a real kick in the pants for your wardrobe.

Here's what happened for me. In my mid-to-late 40s, I had my kids, my husband, 
my job, Three Wild Women hadn't happened yet, that came in my next decade - 
but my body was changing and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I gained 
weight around my tummy, and if I were shopping in our boutique today, here's 
exactly what I'd reach for.

Pure Essence Dresses: Your New Best Friend for Hot Flashes

These dresses are everything. They're made from bamboo, they're Canadian-made, 
and they're cut just slightly higher at the waist so they skim over the tummy 
and create a pretty, feminine silhouette. They're also a gift during hot flashes, bamboo is naturally breathable and temperature-regulating, so you won't feel 
like you're melting.

Wear them with sandals on the weekend or dress them up with a loafer for work. 
Either way, you can stop thinking about your tummy entirely.

Another Pure Essence piece I love is their dark navy two-piece set. 
The top fits beautifully over your bust and then just falls. 
You do need a good bra to keep everything where it belongs — 
but beyond that, it's the perfect summer set. Comfortable, 
pulled-together, and effortlessly chic.

Linen Luv — Because Polyester and Hot Flashes Do Not Mix

Something I started taking seriously in my 40s was natural fibres. 
I've always loved colour and print — that part of me hasn't changed — 
but I simply couldn't do polyester anymore. The hot flashes made it 
unbearable. When we discovered Linen Luv, I talked to my team and 
we brought in their full line. I have to say, the light green floral 
tunic has been my personal favourite this season.

It covers the bits I'm not as happy with, but I'm not hiding in a 
tent of fabric either. I'm in my 70s, and that does not mean I intend 
to fade into the background — and if you're in your 40s reading this, 
the same goes for you. Your body changing does not mean you need to disappear. 
You are allowed to take up space. I personally demand it. Do it for 
every woman who was ever told to shrink herself.

Just don't be hot doing it.

The Linen Luv hot pink set is exactly how you pull that off. Wear it with a 
great necklace and heels, or throw on a little denim jacket and some sneakers. 
Either way, you'll be the most interesting person in the room.

The Permission You Didn't Know You Needed

Now that we're this far into the conversation, I'm going to share something 
my mother would be absolutely mortified to hear me say in public — 
but it's my shop, so here we are.

I was so bi*chy with my husband during this time of my life. I'm genuinely 
not sure how he put up with me. But I do know that wearing clothes I was just 
"dealing with" did not help.

Here's the thing about your 40s: you start to get this beautiful shift in perspective. 
And I'm hoping you're already in the headspace of "who cares?" — because when you see 
something that's genuinely beautiful, that's your sign to wear it.

Take the Sterling Styles jackets. They're gorgeous. Are they a little dressed up 
for the grocery store? Maybe.

But I would rather catch my reflection in the grocery store window and smile than 
dress for people I've never met and will never see again. And if someone stops me 
in the produce aisle to tell me they love my jacket — well, that's just a bonus.

You Come Out the Other Side

Hitting 45 feels like a milestone because it is one. But just know — 
you come out the other side. The hot flashes stop. The moodiness levels out. 
The weight stabilizes. And your style will evolve again, just like it always has. 
The key is finding the shops that grow with you through every stage of it.

If you're here, I'm hoping Three Wild Women is one of those shops for you.

And one last thing — the three wild women in our name? That's me at 30, me at 50, 
and me now at 70. Let your own wild women tell their stories. Your clothes are 
just one way of speaking without having to say a word.