Meet Sherry Dryja of Petite Over 40

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherry Dryja.

Sherry, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Petite Over 40 is a blog that explores the world of fashion through fashion history and the lens of middle age.

My name is Sherry Dryja. When I turned 45 I began a quest in search of my signature style. I started Petite Over 40 as a way of connecting with others who were on a similar quest. Seeing the work of other bloggers and chatting with fellow mid-life fashionistas inspired me to try new things and pushed my creativity and artistic style even more. In January of 2018, I celebrated two years on my quest for a signature style and I’m happy to say I have discovered a lot along the way.

The quest–and the fun–continue! While I explore the industry through fashion designers, artists, and local boutiques, I seek out vintage and thrifted treasures as a way of creating a look all my own. I continue to find inspiration from other artistic, creative women and I study iconic fashion elements from decades past as a way of fueling my creative work on Petite Over 40.

When I’m not blogging about fashion, I write about food for Beer Connoisseur Magazine. I also model for stock photos and marketing campaigns from time to time. To learn more about that, have a look at my portfolios at SherryDryja.com.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the biggest challenges in this work is coming to terms with the money-making aspects of it (or, the lack of money-making aspects, I should say). It takes a long time to build a name that businesses and advertisers want to invest in. Throughout the time I’ve spent blogging I have learned what I really want from blogging about fashion and I have grown more patient as well.

What started out as a desire to make “big bucks” has shifted. Sure, I’d love to make the big bucks, but I’ve come to realize I don’t want to sell myself out to do that. I want to be successful through writing and photography and other artistic endeavors. There is something deeply satisfying in creating something all my own, without influence from big companies. It would be a great honor, of course, to collaborate with a big company willing to pay me for my work, but I am content to work with local shops to build up their business, to connect to the community, and through art I create with fashion. All that feeds me on a different level.

Petite Over 40 – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Petite Over 40 is a fashion blog focused on my journey as a mid-life petite woman seeking a way out of the ruts and invisibility that can come with age.

To break out of these ruts and discover my signature style, I started exploring iconic fashion trends from history–things like Coco Chanel’s Little Black Dress or Audrey Hepburn’s simple staples (capris, white shirt, flats). I try the different trends and ideas using both modern clothing and vintage pieces.

Most of my items come from thrift shops or vintage resellers. I also seek out ways to support local boutiques and eco-shops. I play with styles, new and old, to see how they feel on my body and I ask whether they fit my personality. Is it something I would wear regularly? Is it practical for Phoenix or Seattle? Often, I include a photo of the original historic outfit that inspired the blog post alongside a photo of my modern-day version.

For 2018, I’m planning to turn up the volume on the creative part of my blog. Petite Over 40 will be inspired by musicians, artists, and actresses or actors, such as Prince, David Bowie, and famous outfits from The Oscars. My hope is to harness the spirit of these fashion gurus while creating styles authentic to my own spirit.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I used to define success as how much money I make. Money is a very tangible measurement. These days I define it as how authentic I am to my work and to myself.

I have a list of projects I want to achieve each year because it’s easy for me to get distracted, get pulled in different directions. As long as I’m working on the list, I’m achieving something, I’m successful.

My list includes things like learning more about photography so my photos on Petite Over 40 are more professional, finishing a fashion art project in the spirit of designer Elsa Schiaparelli, and completing sewing projects that will contribute to the blog. The list keeps me from getting distracted when other fun ideas come to mind–and I keep another list of those ideas for future projects.

The beautiful thing is that success isn’t an end game. It’s an ongoing pursuit and each step I take toward my goals is a step toward success.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.petiteover40.com
• Email: sherry@dryja.com
• Instagram: @PetiteOver40
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetiteOver40
• Twitter: @PetiteOver40
• Other: http://www.sherrydryja.com

Image Credit:
Suzanne Carillo

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