Fear less: Style, strength, and joy with Manny Martins Carmen
This week, we sit down with the joyful and unapologetically bold influencer Manny Martins Carmen—a 61-year-old model, weightlifter, painter, and accidental content creator who encourages her followers to “age like a rebel.” What started as a creative outlet during COVID has become a movement of radical self-expression, vibrant style, and fearless aging.We talk about dressing up for joy (even if you're just going to the optometrist), the healing power of movement, and how style can shift your mood and the energy of a whole room. Manny also opens up about recovering from a cancer diagnosis, competing in powerlifting, and applying for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue at 60+. Her message? Your joy is contagious—and it's never too late to be fully, loudly, you.Topics We Cover:Why dressing up when you don’t feel like it is a powerful moveHow creative disciplines (like graphic design and abstract art) can shape personal styleUsing fashion as a form of emotional regulationWhat powerlifting taught Manny after cancer and injuryMidlife confidence, visibility, and pushing back against patriarchal beauty standardsThe design principles behind good outfits—and good paintingsThe real reason she applied to the Sports Illustrated model searchWhy wearing a bigger size might be the most liberating thing you do all yearFollow Manny:Instagram: @mannyfashionstylistArt account: @mannymartinscarmenTikTok & YouTube: @mannymartinscarmen💌 Subscribe to our Substack for deeper dives, style essays, and behind-the-scenes content!#ClosetPhilosophy #AgeLikeARebel #MannyMartinsCarmen #MidlifeStyle #PowerLiftingOver60 #StyleIsNotNeutral #AgingOutLoud #StyleAsJoy #NotYourDaughterStyle #WearTheSequins
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Is personal style ever truly personal? A deep dive with author and Elle editor Véronique Hyland
In this mind-opening conversation, Véronique Hyland—features director at Elle magazine and author of the acclaimed book Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink—helps us unpack the hidden forces shaping how we dress. From the myth of the “female gaze” to the politics of effortlessness, this episode asks big questions about power, gender, class, and whether we can ever truly dress just for ourselves.We explore fashion as communication, resistance, and identity—and why “I don’t care what I wear” is almost always a lie. Plus, we get personal about aging, influence, cringe, and what it means to keep evolving your style in a culture that worships youth.If you've ever stood in front of your closet wondering who you're getting dressed for—this one’s for you.Topics We Cover:How she coined the term “Millennial pink”The commercialization of the female gazeWhy effortlessness is its own kind of performanceHow personal style can be armor—and storytellingThe privilege of “not caring” about fashionWhy influencers burn out—and what’s changing in that worldWhat fashion can learn from sportsThe difference between authentic style and aesthetic conformityHer journey from Juicy Couture to ELLE editor—and everything in betweenFollow Véronique:Instagram: @veroniquehylandColumn: Style Points on ELLE.comBook: Dress Code (available now)💌 Subscribe to our Substack for deeper dives, style essays, and behind-the-scenes content.#ClosetPhilosophy #DressCodeBook #VeroniqueHyland #PersonalStyle #FashionPolitics #FemaleGaze #EffortlessStyle #MidlifeFashion #NotInvisible #AgingOutLoud #StyleAsResistance
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Ep. 6: Authenticity as armor: Style, confidence, and career with marketing maven Erin Wallace
In this deeply honest and empowering episode, we talk to Erin Wallace, head of marketing at ModeSens, and formerly of ThredUp and Crossroads Trading. She’s a fashion marketing powerhouse, creative leader, and style icon in her own right. Erin shares how her personal style became her superpower in the workplace, why she didn’t truly find “her look” until her late 30s, and how fashion helped her step into leadership after a major life transition.We also get real about what happens when your body changes in midlife, why some outfits feel like home and others feel like costumes, and what it means to truly feel like yourself in your clothes.If you’ve ever questioned whether you can be taken seriously while dressing boldly—or felt like your closet was full of pieces for someone you used to be—this one’s for you.We talk about:How style can be a “positive weapon” in your careerThe link between confidence, clothing, and authenticityWhat to do when your go-to jeans stop fitting during peri- and post- menopauseThe internal feeling of knowing when an outfit is “you”Erin’s advice for anyone second-guessing their bold style in a boardroomHer go-to styling tricks (hint: it starts with rolling up your sleeves)Why you should find your own pink plaid suit💌 Subscribe to our Substack for deeper dives, style essays, and behind-the-scenes content.#ClosetPhilosophy #AuthenticStyle #MidlifeStyle #FashionAndLeadership #MenopauseStyle #SustainableStyle #AgingOutLoud
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Ep. 5: Shira Gill on minimalist style, body changes, and the power of now
Bestselling author and organizing expert Shira Gill joins us this week. Her work goes far beyond decluttering—Shira believes that organizing is not about perfection, it's about creating space for what actually matters.We talk about:Why most people don’t have an organizing problem—they have a volume problemWhat to do with clothes that no longer fit but are hard to let go ofHow to make getting dressed easy and empoweringThe emotional cost of hanging on to “someday” clothesWhy dressing with intention is a form of self-trust and self-respectThe myth of “effortless” style—and how to find your own version of itPlus, Shira shares her go-to closet edit tip, how she broke up with uncomfortable jeans, and why your clothes might be saying more than you think.🎧 Tune in and learn how editing your closet can help you edit your life!
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Ep 4: Making good with Sophia Hall — Thrifting, style, and taking up space
In this episode of Closet Philosophy, we meet Sophia Hall, the vibrant force behind @makegood on Instagram. Sophia is a secondhand style expert who turned childhood thrift store adventures into a thriving online business serving women of all sizes—especially those who often feel ignored by the fashion industry.We talk about:Growing up as the youngest of eight and learning to dress for survival, identity, and joyWhy the fashion industry still isn’t cutting it for plus-size folks—and how secondhand can offer freedom and powerSophia’s honest, empathetic approach to styling clients, from measurements to mindset shiftsThe magic of her Instagram Live sales, where community, confidence, and clothes come togetherHow women of all ages and sizes can reclaim comfort, color, and self-expression—even in a world that tells us to shrinkPlus: unexpected styling hacks, Billie Eilish shoutouts, the secret weapon of the men’s section, and why one of her customers once watched a live sale from the front row of a Botticelli concert (yes, really).✨ Subscribe now so you don’t miss next week’s episode—because we’re just getting started unpacking what style can really do.💚 Find Sophia on Instagram: @makegood💚 Follow us on Substack: Closet Philosophy💚 Join the conversation on Instagram: @closet.philosophy
Think it doesn’t matter what you wear? Hosts Jennine Jacob and Kristen Philipkoski uncover the ways your personal style is not just personal. What you choose to wear every day is a political act, whether you’re aware of it or not. And putting thought into your personal style is not superficial, unintelligent, or a waste of time. Along with guests including bestselling authors, scientists, entrepreneurs, and more, the Closet Philosophy podcast explores how what we wear influences and reveals what’s within.
Ireland