X-Pat Expert - Fiftysister

Gail McNeil FiftySister in Algarve

The trials and tribulations of renovating a property in Portugal.

“The process of Döstädning –Swedish death cleaning – set me on a path to minimalism.”

@fiftysister

Gail is a self-made social media star, vegan and mum of one growing older gracefully.

Style changes over the decades, through the different chapters of life..

Looking back on my years in the corporate world, I wore trouser suits and dark colours to blend in with the maledominated environment and workforce. I feel a little sad that I thought the only way be successful, was to not stand out visually.

Now I am living in southern Portugal, suits are long gone, replaced with an all-cotton casual wardrobe based on comfort rather than anyone else’s perception of me. Heels are no more, firstly due to the slippery caçada paving which adorns every pavement in Portugal, secondly, because my ankles now refuse to tolerate performing at such an acute angle, and thirdly, because they are useless in the mountains and at the beach, which is where I spend most of my time.

On my Instagram channel, I promote healthy, active and graceful ageing, a subject I am completely obsessed with. When I see women going under the knife, injecting botox, fillers and squeezing themselves into shapewear, I feel a sense of relief that I took another direction. Humans are strange creatures, we want to live a long life, but it seems nobody wants to get old. ‘You would get a facelift, if you could afford one’ is a message I’ve received more than once. Rather than offend me (which would be almost impossible), I thought of all the women longing for a facelift, desperate to earn the additional funds for surgery, in an effort to look affluent, as well as younger.

I don’t agree that looking younger should be our goal. Looking healthy, being active and finding peace and happiness is my only focus. As we move from mother to empty nester, we can feel lost as to our place in the world, let alone what one should wear. Too young to dress like a granny, too old for the latest fashion trends. I opt for lots of colour as this brightens my mood as well as my wardrobe. Colours, smells and sounds – especially music – can impact our mental state and set us up, or down, for the day.

My grandma’s favourite colour was yellow, and it’s become mine too. In my twenties I was drawn towards red, in my thirties orange, forties blue and now I’m in my yellow phase of life and perhaps this is where I will stay.

Companies promote their brands using women in their twenties, not realising that women over forty have time to shop and more money to spend. I am a little different, choosing to only buy essentials and the occasional item of clothing. After selling 99% of everything I owned five years’ ago, I’m reluctant to replenish that burden. The process of Döstädning

(Swedish death cleaning) set me on a path to minimalism, so my style is very simple but colourful, fun and comfortable with a little twist of funky. It’s easy to lose yourself in older age, harder to find your sense of style. Wear what you like, and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. They’re lost too!

Find out more about Gail’s place and follow her progress on loulehills.com