Fat, fearless and over 50. Thanks to my TikTok outfit posts, I feel powerful and seen | Jen Walshaw

Fri, 26 Dec 2025

After a debilitating illness, they’ve given me a reason to get out of bed – and I now have TikTokers who love me back

After spending a large proportion of this year in hospital and coming out with a feeding tube, life felt completely upside down. I’d gone from running a busy home, juggling work, family and the everyday chaos that comes with it, to suddenly being ripped out of normality and forced to slow down in ways I never expected. When I finally returned home, I felt fragile – physically and emotionally. Getting dressed felt like climbing a mountain some days, never mind feeling remotely like myself.

So I decided to try something small but surprisingly powerful: I started sharing my “fits of the day” on TikTok, which basically means I started sharing my outfits. My most-liked video is a simple one of me in an unremarkable cord skirt, oversized collar blouse and knee-high boots.

Jen Walshaw is founder of muminthemadhouse.com