Have you ever stood in front of your closet full of clothes and thought, what in the world do I wear? Not excited, not inspired, just stuck. In this conversation on Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriella Espinosa sits down with Christine Morrison, renowned journalist and author of Clothes Minded: Fashionable Essays About Finding Yourself, to explore how clothing becomes intertwined with the moments that shape us, from joy and ambition to grief, motherhood, and reinvention.

This episode explores what it means to open your closet not with pressure but with curiosity, how to dress for the woman you are becoming instead of the woman you used to be, and why style in midlife is about self-expression, not constraint.

Christine Morrison is a renowned journalist and the creator of writing in black and white, a newsletter and online platform that explores fashion and beauty through the lens of aging. Every day, she challenges conventional narratives about growing older. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and in campaigns for major fashion and beauty brands. A former Calvin Klein Vice President and current member of THE BOARD, Morrison brings sharp insight and personal perspective to Clothes Minded: Fashionable Essays About Finding Yourself, a collection of essays on style, identity and self-discovery.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Fashion is not frivolous
• The white crisp shirt as superhero cape
• Dismiss the "age appropriate" rules
• Certain clothes hold entire chapters of your life

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE MORRISON:

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Buy Clothes Minded on Amazon

CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

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Work with Gabriella!

Go to https://www.gabriellaespinosa.com/ to book a call.

Full episodes on YouTube.

The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.

Are you feeling lonely even though you are busy? Wondering where your friendships went when life got so full? This solo episode explores why friendship in midlife is not a luxury but essential to your health and longevity, and gives you five practical ways to build the connections that will carry you into the next chapter of your life.

In this deeply personal solo episode, Gabriella Espinosa shares the story of gathering friends from across the country at her home in Austin for South by Southwest to celebrate turning 60. That weekend reminded her that connection is everything, and sparked this research backed conversation about friendship, loneliness, and health in midlife. This episode is a reminder that friendship in midlife does not happen by accident. It is something we choose, tend to, and create with intention.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• The Harvard Study of Adult Development discovered how your relationships at age 50 can predict how healthy you will be at age 80.
• Recent AARP research shows that four in ten US adults age 45 and older report feeling lonely.
• Why nurturing relationships is as critical to health as eating well and exercising.
• Five practical approaches for building meaningful friendships in midlife.
• How some of Gabriella's most meaningful friendships today started on social media.

If this episode resonated with you, send it to one woman you care about. Not as a forward, but as an act of friendship. That is how we build community, one conversation at a time.

Resources Mentioned:

Harvard Study of Adult Development https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org

AARP Loneliness & Social Connections Study 2025 (primary) https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/social-leisure/relationships/loneliness-social-connections-2025/

AARP: Instagram | Website

The Riveter: Instagram: @theriveterco → theriveterco.com

Entreprenistas: Instagram @entreprenistas→ entreprenistas.com

Midlife Collective: Instagram @mlifecollective

Lizzie Bermudez Walk & Talk San Francisco: Instagram @lizziebtv

Katie Fogarty: Instagram @acertainagepod -> A Certain Age Podcast

CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Work with Gabriella!

Go to https://www.gabriellaespinosa.com/ to book a call.

Full episodes on YouTube.

The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.

Have you been told your weight is your problem and that weight loss is the solution? What if everything you have been taught about the number on the scale, diet, and exercise is not just wrong but actively keeping you from becoming weight healthy? In this conversation on Pleasure in the Pause, host Gabriella Espinosa sits down with Ashley Koff, registered dietitian and author of the new book Your Best Shot: The Personalized System for Optimal Weight Health, GLP-1 Shot or Not. Ashley shares her own weight health story, from being bullied as a child for her belly to discovering that her body did not have what it needed to run better, and how that revelation changed the entire trajectory of her life and career.

This conversation covers the four pillars of better nutrition (balance, quantity, timing, and quality), the pizza metaphor for building a personalized plan, and why digestion and hydration are the crust, not the sauce. Because weight health is not about restriction. It is about building a body that has what it needs.

Ashley Koff, RD, is the USA Today bestselling author of Your Best Shot (HarperOne), founder of The Better Nutrition Program (BNP), and a pioneering voice behind the emerging weight health movement. A practitioner and thought-leader with more than 25 years of experience, Ashley has helped redefine how we approach weight, shifting the conversation from weight loss to weight health, a science-based framework focused on metabolic function, hormonal regulation, and sustainable outcomes. Through her work with patients, clinicians, leading brands and companies, and health organizations, Ashley has developed practical systems that translate complex nutrition science into personalized strategies people can actually implement.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Total body weight tells us nothing about health.
• We all have weight health hormones.
• GLP-1 medications are hormone replacement therapy.
• Your body needs protein spaced throughout the day to actually use it.

If this conversation shifted the way you think about weight, health, and your body, please subscribe to Pleasure in the Pause for more empowering, evidence-based conversations about midlife health and wellness.

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY KOFF:

Website

Book

Substack

CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Work with Gabriella!

Go to https://www.gabriellaespinosa.com/ to book a call.

Full episodes on YouTube.

The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.