Is Silhouette-Driven Fashion Making a Return?

I’ll be turning thirty-seven this year, and for the first time, I’ve found myself standing in front of my closet thinking, I don’t know what to wear. Not because I lack a sense of style, but because I can feel an internal shift happening, from girl to woman. And maybe, if you’re reading this, you feel it too.

I’ve been blessed with a slim figure and the ability to wear almost anything I choose. But does having the body for something mean I should still wear it? A crop top, for example, my body says yes, but my mind quietly resists. Not out of insecurity, but awareness. The idea of “age appropriateness” suddenly carries more weight. Am I getting older? Or am I simply becoming more conscious of who I am?

This feels like the first time I’ve truly noticed my age, and it’s a strangely emotional realization. Lately, I’ve been experiencing a kind of outfit fatigue, questioning what feels right now. One moment I think, I’m not old at all, I should enjoy my body while I can. And yet, mirroring the trends of teenagers feels… disconnected. Slightly off.

Naturally, I’ve been reaching for cardigans and oversized sweaters. They’re everywhere, after all. But despite their popularity, and perhaps their perceived maturity, I don’t quite feel like myself in them. I admire how trousers and oversized mock-neck sweaters look on other women. On me, at 5’3, they feel overwhelming, as if I’m disappearing into my clothes.

Recently, I read a piece about silhouette-driven fashion making a return, and it felt like a quiet sigh of relief. We nourish our bodies, care for them, maintain our health, only to hide our shape entirely? That never quite sat right with me. There’s something powerful about clothing that honors the natural curves of a woman. Fashion once did this so beautifully. Perhaps that’s part of our quiet superpower.

Moving forward, I want to dress for how I want to feel in my body, guided by intuition rather than trends or arbitrary rules about age. We are only young once, after all. I’ll save “age-appropriate” dressing for my sixties… or maybe whenever gravity truly decides to take the lead.

So here’s to cinched cardigans, off-the-shoulder knits, and softly fitted tops. I’m stepping into this next chapter of my wardrobe with intention and excitement—and I can’t wait to share it with you.