The Cool Girls of Instagram
Ask any teenager and they’ll tell you Facebook is for old people (i.e. anyone over 35). But we’ve got news for you youngins. Surprise! The coolest women over 50 are some of the hottest influencers on Instagram.
And why shouldn't we be? As mothers, entrepreneurs, executives and trailblazers, women over 50 are the OG influencers. These girls gone 50, 60, and 70 are drawing on years of experience to break and remake the rules of style while staying true to themselves at any age.
Debra Bourne, 53, co-founder and director of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, lobbies for increased diversity in the fashion industry. In Fashion Wakes up to the Older Woman she says, “It’s exciting to see a whole generation of older self-selected ambassadors who have become digitally literate, with a lot to say.
By the age of 50, we have lived for a sizeable amount of time and most of us have had some incredible and interesting experiences, which mean so much more than sublimely coiffed grey hair.”
In fact, Instagram may be one of our greatest platforms in kicking ageism to the curb.
As 20-something writer, Georgia Murray, observes in 7 Older Women on their Personal Style, “One scroll through our Instagram feed and we're looking as much to women twice our age as we are to 20-something influencers for styling tricks, body confidence advice, and shopping tips... it's time to follow the real women repping style through the ages — we've a lot to learn from them."
Here are four of our favorites:
Alyson Walsh @thatsnotmyage - London, England
"Social media has had a massive influence on diversity and the increased visibility of older women. But there is still a way to go. Brands use a gray-haired, 70-year-old model and think they’ve ticked the ‘age box,’ but there are many different ways of aging — many different decades, body shapes, ethnicities, and sizes. I would just like to see more diversity, a more nuanced version of aging.”
Yasmin Furmie @yasminfurmie South Africa
"My pet peeve is the advice for dressing for particular ages. I wear what I like. If I like something a 20 year old likes, so what? There’s no formula, no prescription any longer. Women look great any age wearing what they feel comfortable and confident in.”
Grece Ghanem @greceghanem Montreal, Quebec
"I choose luxe fabrics and sophisticated prints and try to look like a lady of leisure — and try not to be one! I lay the foundation of a look by starting off with one piece, whether it's an awesome pair of shoes or a great blouse, then I make sure that everything is quiet and subtle around it; my centerpiece must speak for itself."
Linda Rodin @lindaandwinks New York, NY
With 222K followers, this Instagram icon, street-style star and beauty maven whose eponymous cosmetic line Rodin Olio Lusso was recently acquired by Estee Lauder, has 20-year-olds stopping her in the street to take a selfie with her.
In Linda Rodin: The most fashionable 60-something shares the secrets of enduring style she says, “I think they like the fact that I’m older. They’d like their mothers or grandmothers to dress a bit more boldly.”
Do you have a favorite Instagram fashionista? Give us the scoop in the comments section below!
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