While having a pedicure last week I stumbled across a quote by Elle Macpherson in People magazine. I enjoyed the 52 year old supermodel’s thoughts on aging. She suggests that you learn to love change, and went further to say:
“I don’t prance around in a bikini anymore, or a one-piece, or cutoff shorts, or very short dresses. It’s just not what I do. I’ll leave that to my 16- and 18-year-old stepdaughters. At this point I like to keep it simple and not adhere to any trends. That’s the secret—the beauty of a woman as she matures is not how she tries to look younger but how she adapts to her newfound maturity.”
When it comes to bikinis, my thought process is different. Regardless of your age and so called body flaws, if wearing a bikini floats your boat – I vote wear it as long as you are mindful of harmful sun exposure.
I also believe that you cannot separate fashion from style. You don’t need to be a trendy, avant-garde, arty, creative or fashion-forward person to have a great sense of style. Not at all. But a certain amount of “trendy now” is key to a stylish appearance because a current look is always better than a dated one. And you can be stylish and enjoy fashion at any age.
It’s Elle’s final sentence that truly resonated with me. Accepting the way we look as we age requires soul searching, discipline, and a commitment to be kind to ourselves. Staying confident and upbeat about our appearance as we grow older is ultimately what makes us shine. Aging is merely moving into a new phase of beauty. The sooner we embrace this, the sooner we can stop fighting the aging process and start celebrating the miraculous journey that is your life.
