for REAL LIFE
Claire Hall and Nina Ambrose became an instant internet sensation when they hit on a new body confidence idea…
Looking through my phone at the positive comments, I couldn’t help but smile.
‘I can’t believe how fabulous you both look,’ one lady wrote. ‘You make clothes shopping exceptionally less depressing, I’m adding these items to my basket as we speak!’ another quickly added.
It was July 2023, and my friend and co-creator, Nina Ambrose – known as Neens – and I were celebrating the first anniversary of our Size by Side concept, showing women that you can wear whatever you want regardless of your dress size, just as long as you are comfortable.
Neens, then 51, was a size 18, while I was two years younger and a size 10. Both standing at 5ft 5in, we wore the same outfits (styled by myself ) standing side-by-side, to prove that even in midlife you can be as fashionable as ever.
Since then, we’ve built up an amazing following of women who want to look and feel good, and we’ve both never been happier!
Two years after I hit Fourty, back in 2015, I had an identity crisis. My two children had reached their teens and I found I had more time on my hands. Like most women, I’d also noticed my body change – lumps, and bumps in places where there hadn’t been any before. Losing weight had become less easy. Then there was the menopause, the brain fog, the hot flushes…
I’d always been fashion-forward and loved wearing bold prints and colours. My friends would joke, ‘If you’re wearing it now Claire, we’ll be wearing it in a year.’ With my kids older, I also found I had a bit more disposable income at the end of the month. But upon reaching midlife, I started to wonder how I should dress. Was I too old for bright colours? How short was too short?
Alternatively, I didn’t want to just blend into the background with baggy jumpers and dark colours. At that time, there were no bloggers for women my age to draw inspiration from. To make matters harder, the few retailers that were for my age group were dubbed ‘granny shops’ – by my kids, although they used younger models to advertise their ranges.
‘I think I may start a fashion blog for women my age,’ I told my husband, Justin, while we were having dinner one evening.
I wanted to put myself first and encourage other women my age to do the same. Within a year, I started my blog Club 40 and built up a loyal following of women organically. They loved my posts about styling, what staple pieces to have in your wardrobe, and how to find your perfect fit.
Six months later, I started my Instagram @clubforty.claire, (w
