Navigating the process of aging as a woman can be challenging, often giving the impression that our value diminishes with each passing year. The scarce representation of older women in mainstream media exacerbates this sentiment.
Fortunately, a positive shift is happening with the emergence of beautiful and stylish older ladies on social media. Platforms like “Life in My 70s” are offering a refreshing counter-narrative, showcasing the grace and elegance that comes with age.
While everyone has their viewpoint, there are occasions when it’s wise to keep it to oneself. A style influencer at the age of 76 recently posted a picture of herself donning a sleeveless midi dress. Despite the multitude of comments the post received, not all of them were favorable.
“It’s not the first time this has happened, but this one surprised me,” Candace Cima said. “People have such outdated notions about age-appropriate fashion, and that needs to change.” Cima, a grandmother to 11 grandchildren, proudly displayed her fashion sense in a brown knit sleeveless dress paired with a sweater.
While numerous individuals praised the pro-aging influencer’s style, others voiced criticism in the comments
“From the side and back this dress does nothing for you. Form-fitting below the waist is not your friend. Celebrate everything else about your body!” one person wrote on Facebook. “The sweater on, not a fan of the dress,” someone else commented. “Not flattering at all. Would never wear alone. Too old to be showing all that skin,” another user dared to write. “Too old to have your arms showing,” another wrote.
“I think you’re a little too mature for that dress,” a third user commented. “You are thin and look nice but you shouldn’t expose your arms and your shoulders.” Even women around Cima’s age joined in giving her a hard time, and leaving comments about her body and skin. Some argued that she shouldn’t be wearing a fitted dress, deeming it more suitable for younger individuals.
“It’s perfectly appropriate to have wrinkled skin at 76, and I’m not ashamed of it,” Cima said. “Sometimes I want to respond, ‘Should I cover my face too, because I have wrinkles there?’”
Cima launched her fashion blog after recognizing a gap in the representation of older women within the fashion space
“We need to shift the way we think about age. We don’t need to adhere to these old ideas in a modern world.” She continued. Unfazed by the numerous rude remarks, Cima chose to ignore them and instead extended advice to her latest and younger followers. She encouraged them by saying, “Aging is great. Everything you have learned your entire life is now there for you. You are now the wisest that you are ever going to be. Embrace it and be proud.”
Among Cima’s most widely viewed posts is a video featuring her trying on a dress from Amazon, a routine she frequently engages in. Surpassing almost 700,000 views, the overwhelming response, particularly on her Facebook page, exceeded any expectations she might have had.
Fortunately, Cima appears to be resilient against the negativity, as the criticism hasn’t deterred her from maintaining her regular content schedule. She continues to share her posts consistently despite the presence of detractors.
Cima’s video drew the attention of another influencer who expressed sadness at witnessing what they referred to as ‘grandma on grandma violence.’
Maggie Anders (@LibertyAnders), a content creator with her own YouTube show, took to Twitter to address the criticism in Cima’s comment section regarding her body. Her tweet, which garnered over 13 million views, brought attention to Cima’s situation and sparked a wave of positivity in the comments.
“The grandma on grandma violence on Facebook is real,” Anders wrote, “This woman looks incredible in her 70s and all of the comments are older women tearing her apart for her body and outfit.” Disregarding the hurtful comments, people quickly flooded the comments section with positive messages instead.
“Came here from Twitter — YOU LOOK STUNNING!” one person commented. “Makes me so sad to see that many women don’t age out of being so nasty and bitter to other women,” another user wrote. “You look AMAZING and don’t let these jealous people let you think otherwise!”