Ever since I crossed 40 and hit my perimenopausal years, while raging hormones played havoc in my body I realized it was getting harder for me to keep my waist in check. The tight jeans were getting impossible to come around and meet in the middle, as if suddenly two sides have declared a war and decided never to come any closer than three inches. I missed the days when they were friends together. I would just tug and pull and they would meet calmly in the center and not let go until I unfastened them. In order to get that golden era back I would lay down, suck in my stomach and hold my breath, but, no use.

 If somehow I won the battle of buttoning the jeans, It punished me by riding up the places no one should be riding up to, definitely not without my permission and definitely not at the places and locations I could not even reach out and correct it's obscene intrusion. So my mind would be more into finding the place to pull down the unruly pants or jeans rather than the sweet conversation of my friends or family. The muffin top bulging out would remind me constantly to not touch another muffin. I tried to tell myself many times that if I just start eating less and less all this will change and my jeans and I will have the same relationship we had before, where when I put it on it made me look sexy and oh my, so sensual. But now that my hair were getting thinner my waist was getting wider.  I did try to survive on water and no carb but when I climbed that weighing scale it almost winked at me, like saying, well better luck next time.

To give my jeans a little time out, I decided to pull out those sexy black or white tight fitted dress and see if they would cooperate and show my beautiful curves that I know I have. Well, good news, the dress obeyed me better because spandex has been a friend to us women for the longest time, for me, now more than ever.  So I put on the dress made of polyester and spandex and felt like a million bucks, it hugged me tightly and sucked in all little bulges right into its place. That is until I ate a sandwich at the restaurant. The gas that never was seen as a pregnancy of four months was suddenly out to let everyone know that form the time I sat to eat and finished that yummy lunch I not only conceived but somehow was almost midterm pregnant. If I stood up someone is sure to ask me when is the big date? The spandex was doing its best yet there was a battle between gas and spandex but gas seemed to be winning the war. I sucked in my tummy paid my side of the bill and walked out as if nothing uncomfortable is going on at all.

I wanted to just reach my car quickly and let go of my tummy that was hurting form being held so tight. I was so uncomfortable that I did not pay attention to how clunky my heels were sounding and how unnaturally I was walking, as actually anyone will walk in these kind of heels if they were not making an extra effort to walk normally. So, clunky, clunk I reached my car while almost dragging my heels and as I sat down in my car I let go my breath, ahhh. it felt so good. However from restaurant to the car my loving spandex was full of sweat from the blazing sun. I could feel the bead of sweat running down my back but there was no quick way of drying them with spandex and polyester dress on. 

I don't remember noticing the heat in the weather as much as I do now. The hot flashes were the constant reminder of things changing rapidly. Sweat and uneasy feeling of tight dress or jeans hugging tighter and not letting the sweat dry off was the sign that unless and until I can fit into those tight fitting denim, woolen or polyester pants or dresses it might be a time a look at my fashion sense and perhaps tweak it a bit into more practical yet fashionable clothing.  So I decided to go through my closet. 

This is when I realized for last thirty years ever since the gothic era of 80s hit, black, brown, greys and light steel blue has become the color of the century. Well, OK, but it should have died out last century. No matter what our age we all seem to want to wear those shades and if an outfit did not involve two hole to slide our legs into it was not an outfit like shorts, capris, pants or jeans with of course a brown, black, white or grey top. That was the majority of the American women and girls. I was no exception. This was the first time I did the thorough check up of my walk in closet and found a tremendous deficit of colors, happiness and cute sun dresses. What happened to the times when we were comfortable with colors? Colors were meant for us to be happy with, enjoy our life with, and be playful with. Who sucked all the colors out of our closets? Where have those turquoise, coral, blue jewelry and clothes gone? they just made our complexion glow with warmth of colors. The right shades of bright color can even eliminate the need of artificial blush for ladies with clear complexions.  I must find some bright colors and cool clothing. I am not giving up on my jeans and spandex dresses entirely, but while it may be a slow process I want to be comfortable, cool and trendy. Hence, I started my search.

It was a tougher process than I thought.  In some parts of United States wearing colorful clothes is like wearing scarlet letter.   What fuchsia top! Really? You want to be seen in the public with that color on? It was amazing to see how taboo colorful clothing is viewed in the states specially where it gets cold in the winters. Women there are doomed to wearing monotone colors. They can look at beautiful colors, admire them but not wear them from the fear of being viewed as awkward one. So the choices for someone like me who was maturing was, buying  jeans or shorts with elastic and choices of subtle monotone color or prints in a bigger size . Same material and fabric and the same choices of silver or gold jewelry. How about vibrant colors with real trendy styles and colorful jewelry that our news broadcasters wear so beautifully. As far as clothes are concern if I found the color, I could not find the fabric, If I found the fabric I could not find the colors. There has to be way of incorporating both. I could find nothing. 

I was fortunate enough to be living in Florida, where color is more acceptable even on human beings. People are happy in sunny Florida and it reflects in the clothing. We are happy in sun dresses and bright tops. Yet some people keep themselves from colors as they have begun to view it as taboo and wild. Colors are never wild, styles could be. If they complement your color they are beautiful.

 I had been the process of looking to buy a business. However; once this was my experience and realization that we need colors back in our lives, especially in our clothing,  I opened a boutique geared more towards colorful, trendy and comfortable clothing that is casual yet elegant, colorful yet classy and comfortable yet fashionable. It is one happy place for the customers. It has been welcomed by ladies with open arms. It is called Cotton Daze is located in Fort Myers, FL.  It is at its third year of business and fashionable side. after seeing the love and happiness we just opened out website www.cottondaze.com. Slowly and progressively, we are adding more and more to the website. If you are located in SW Florida you are welcome to stop by.  Call us at 239 437 4555 if you have any question. Let's start the new era of colorful, friendly and comfortable clothing without giving up your fashionable side.

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