@lifeinmy70s Fashion is for everyone! Reinventing yourself as you age isn’t changing who you are, it just means finding things that work with who you are now. #aginggracefully #aging #aginggracefullyover50 ♬ original sound – 🙁
Aging is a natural part of life, yet it has long been stigmatized. Luckily, many people are speaking up to change that. Even better, some are having a lot of fun and liberating themselves while doing so. Candace Leslie Cima is a 76-year-old fashion and lifestyle influencer working to change the attitudes regarding aging for both her generation and the ones following hers. Whether she’s sharing her favorite outfits of the week or speaking candidly about how to face the passage of time, Cima has become an advocate for the visibility of older women via her social media presence, an ongoing documentation aptly called Life in My 70s.
Cima’s story as an influencer began at 72, when she first got an Instagram account. Curious about what influencers were, she took a deep dive, only to find that there weren’t that many voices in her age group. Determined to send a message out, she began a fashion-dedicated account and from there built a following on multiple platforms, including TikTok, to speak about what was mostly on her mind—aging. “I remember being on the checkout line at a supermarket and looking at the headlines on those magazines. They would always have headlines like ‘How to look your best at 20, 30, and 40.’ Never did they mention 50, 60, and 70,” she recalls in a video about her wish to understand the stigma around aging.
So what easier way to initiate a conversation than by openly being yourself? In one of her most popular videos, Cima appears to respond to someone criticizing her choice to wear sleeveless tops. “You’re 60, you shouldn’t wear that,” she quotes a detractor before replying, “I am actually 75,” and walking up and down her kitchen like it was a high-fashion runway. In other videos, we can see her confidently walking by a pool deck in a bathing suit, giving styling tips, or showcasing her strength by climbing a tree.
In addition to her videos, Cima also has a blog where she speaks at length about aging and fashion, making it as accessible as possible for women of all walks of life. After all, everyone ages, so we all as a society should normalize these changes and learn to see them positively. For her, age is not just a number, it’s a badge of honor to wear proudly. “The only way that view is going to change is if we as older women show them that aging is a gift, something to be embraced, valued and shared,” she writes. “A culmination of years of discovery and learning that allows us to be the best version of ourselves. Then when and where we can, helping other women to do the same.”
Candace Leslie Cima is a 76-year-old fashion and lifestyle influencer working to change the attitudes regarding aging for both her generation and the ones on the way.
@lifeinmy70s With the right attitude, aging can be so fun! #womenover70 #aginggracefully #thoughtsonaging #aging #proaging ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design
Whether she’s sharing her favorite outfits of the week or speaking candidly about how to face the passage of time, Cima has become an advocate for the visibility of older women via her account, aptly called Life in My 70s.
@lifeinmy70s Which one is your favorite? #valentinesday #valentinesdayoutfitideas #fashionover70 #aginggracefully #fashionforolderwomen #womenover70 ♬ its a wrap sped up – xxtristanxo
For her, age is not just a number, it’s a badge of honor to wear proudly. She says, “The only way that view is going to change is if we as older women show them that aging is a gift, something to be embraced, valued and shared.”
@lifeinmy70s See more outfits & other amazing products for Holiday 2022 in my Holiday gift guide! #womenover70 #holidayoufits #holidaygiftguide #holiday2022 #fashionover70 ♬ Sirtaki (Zorba the Geek) – LucasGitanoFamily
Life in My 70s: Website | Instagram | TikTok
h/t: [Bored Panda]
Related Articles:
Two 81-Year-Old Women Set Out on Epic Trip to See the World in 80 Days
Seniors Recreate Rihanna’s Super Bowl Performance, Get Roses From the Pop Superstar
Woman Becomes a Fashion Model at 68 Years Old, Proving Age Doesn’t Define Beauty
75-Year-Old Grandpa Dresses Like Stylish Celebrities Proving Fashion Has No Age Limit