Women 50+ No More Status Quo
Deciding for ourselves
We are oblivious to stereotypical norms of society that dictate what is appropriate to do and to wear in our fifties, whether our hair should be long or short, natural gray or colored. We won't be told what to do. It is our life and we are living it.
The woman who started it all
Former supermodel and feminist Paulina Porizkova opened the discussion about aging and self-love a few short years after her famous husband rock star Rick Ocasek who passed in 2019, completely cut her out of his will.
At age 58, Porizkova doesn't want to just age well, as so many ex-supermodels are expected to. No colored hair, Botox or fillers. No plastic surgery!
“Outside, I have changed. I’m told by society – for the worse. Inside, I have also changed. I’m told by those who matter- for the better. When I close my eyes, I have never felt so desirable or beautiful.”
Older and bolder
Porizkova, once considered as one of the most beautiful women in the world, was the face of Estee Lauder for close to a decade. Of her modelling days, she said:
“I was used to sell products. Photos and videos of me were invariably retouched to best portray what I was selling. In the public eye, I was a manufactured image, not a real person (...). But I felt like an object in a still life. My real self had no say in the matter."
#oldandugly
In this Social Media era, even if it is sometimes a thankless job, Porizkova is finding her own voice. Last year, at age 57, she posted a picture of herself in a bikini. A man commented that she was "old and ugly". Instead of telling the troll off, she simply rose to the occasion and asked women on Twitter to post old and ugly pictures of themselves. Needless to say, these women look great and confident. Old and ugly? Not!
We are 50+ and proud
She must have been on to something as thousands of women responded to the call on Twitter; saying we are here. We matter.
Paulina, in her brave journey, has given us a voice. Many more celebrities are following in her footsteps such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Andie MacDowell, Sharon Stone and Pamela Anderson; all choosing to age naturally, long gray hair, wrinkles, no make-up and all.
This is the start of something I really like. Be yourself, you've earned it. Your wrinkles are telling the story.
Here's to being old and ugly. Here's to women 50+