Everyone’s got opinions, but sometimes it’s better to keep them to ourselves. A 76-year-old style influencer recently posted a picture of herself rocking a sleeveless midi dress. While the comments poured in, not all of them were positive.
“This isn’t the first time it’s happened, but this one caught me off guard,” shared Candace Cima with TODAY. “People still have old-fashioned ideas about age-appropriate fashion, and that needs to change.”
Cima, a grandmother of 11, flaunted a brown knit sleeveless dress paired with a sweater. While many praised the pro-aging influencer’s style, others used the comments to criticize her appearance.
“One person on Facebook commented, ‘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!'”
“Someone else expressed their opinion, saying, ‘Not a fan of the dress with the sweater on.'”
“Another daring user wrote, ‘Not flattering at all. Would never wear alone. Too old to be showing all that skin.'”
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“It’s completely okay to have wrinkled skin at 76, and I’m not ashamed of it,” Cima declared. “There are times when I contemplate responding, ‘Should I also conceal my face because I have wrinkles there?'”
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In 2019, Cima launched her fashion blog, recognizing a gap for older women in the fashion space.
“I identified an opportunity to discuss dressing as you age. Women have been conditioned to believe they should cover up because that’s what their mothers and grandmothers did.”
“We must change our perspective on age. In a modern world, we don’t have to conform to outdated ideas.”
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Despite the mean comments, Cima didn’t let them bother her. Instead, she gave advice to her younger followers: “Getting older is great. You’ve learned a lot in life, and now you’re the wisest you’ll ever be. Embrace it and be proud.”