Gracefully Aging: Models 60+ Changing the Fashion Game

Proverbs 20:29b: "...gray hair the splendor of the old."

Last Friday, the Guardian published an article that I knew was revolutionary. In the article, writer Anne Karpf covers models, but not just any models, but all 60 years old or older.

And Karpf isn't alone.

The Huffington Post recently posted two different articles featuring older models, one featuring American Apparel's newest model, Jacky O'Shaughnessy who is 62 and the other 70 year old Catherine Deneuve fronting the latest Louis Vuitton campaign. 

Beauty companies are also taking note. Marc Jacobs beauty just announced their new face of beauty, the 64 year old stunning Jessica Lange while NARS released their new face, 68 year old Charlotte Rampling. 

Then you have the amazing Daphne Selfe (85) and Jenni Rhodes (82), both of whom originally modeled in their 20's but left fashion to have families, now modeling and are more fierce in their photos than their 18 year old counterparts. Even my beloved Refinery 29 shouted out mature fashionistas such as Lauren Hutton and Carmen Dell'Orefice still holding the fashion scene captive.

So why is this revolutionary? Think about it. The current industry uses mostly smooth skin teenage models (whose bodies have barely developed past childhood) and hold that up as the standard of beauty, the image of perfection. This image implies that, well, once you hit the ripe old age of 25, then it's all down hill from there, just baking cookies and knitting sweaters in a rocking chair at that point.

When you are surrounded by constant streams of television, print media and social media that push youth instead of beauty, skinny instead of healthy, and looking good as opposed to feeling good, these images projected become imbedded within your psyche. Suddenly you're looking at your figure, your face, your clothes. And then you feel like you're never young looking enough, or thin enough, or wear what's right. It makes you feel at the your very essence not good enough.

And...then you have these, and many other stunning women who continue to be lovely, not despite their ages, but wholeheartedly embracing their well earned years and platinum hair, laugh lines and wisdom. They stand up, glamorous, graceful, and stunning as they were 40+ years ago and it's downright inspiring. It says to us as younger women that we don't lose our beauty just because we get older. It says that just because we don't look like we did when we were 18 doesn't make us any less gorgeous, it makes us gorgeous in a different way. You simply cannot look at these photos and deny the sweet loveliness of these ladies. Beverly Johnson, Marisa Berenson, and Pat Cleveland along with so many others are very, very much as radiant as they have been all their lives. 

These women are full of vitality, passion, and drive. These are the representations of what we can all hope to achieve, to be active, spunky, and yes, even beautiful, as we get older. Older does NOT equate to ugly. Older does NOT equate to dead. 

Kampf says "...in the face of all the noise about "the battle against ageing", there are many others who struggle to accept their changing bodies even while they celebrate their growing contentment. For them, the arrival of older models matters." I agree.

Girls...we have a lot to learn.