5 minute read

At every stage in life, women need role models. In our middle years, we need women who we can look to; those who have emerged from their midlife journey looking and feeling better than ever, embracing opportunities and living their lives with vigour and candour.

I find Instagram is saturated with women of a certain age who defy any stereotypical notions of what a woman should look or behave like in the latter decades of her life, and they’re a constant source of inspiration and solace to me when I become bogged down by the challenges and fears that present themselves in my 40s.

I only wish these women had a greater presence in mainstream media because there are so many incredible older women doing, saying and showing fascinating things. And they’re not just an inspiration to midlifers like me. Many of the influencers below have devoted followers who are young enough to be their granddaughters. That’s because great style and inspiring ideas have no expiry date. If social media has done anything for women, it’s made them visible again, whatever their age, shape, size, colour or creed.

@Bagandaberet

The energy, style and fun of this account is captivating. Created by Vancouver-based artist Mel Kobayashi, it chronicles the 55-year-old’s eclectic and fearless love of fashion. As a style lover and fashion editor, this is one of the few accounts I can find with outfits that really intrigue and excite me. I’ve little interest in those Scandi influencers who wear nothing but denim and trench coats. I want to see freshness, individuality and new style ideas. Kobayashi offers exactly this, but instead of sombre, please-take-me-seriously poses (which I know I’m guilty of on Instagram), she delivers every look with humour and some hilarity. What makes her even more interesting is that she wears almost all thrifted clothes, so if you have any old-fashioned preconceptions about what a secondhand wardrobe might look like, check out her amazing ensembles.

angelique miles

This former music publishing executive based in New York is the epitome of vibrant and positive ageing. With her gorgeous curves, iridescent complexion (it really is) and exquisite chocolate coloured skin, she consistently looks healthy, beautiful and vibrant. When I scroll through her feed, I’m always pulled out of any slump I’ve fallen into and inspired to throw on my running gear and do both my mind and body a favour. Miles is a wellness advocate and a workout devotee preparing to turn 55 in the best shape of her life this August. She wears some fabulous workout gear and loungewear, too, so if you’ve been sporting baggy T-shirts every time you exercise for fear your body doesn’t look ‘right’, be inspired by a woman who embraces every arch and swell of her fabulous physique.

Icon accidental

Sixty-seven-year-old Lyn Slater told The New York Times: “I’m not 20. I don’t want to be 20, but I’m really freaking cool.” What an inspiring statement. As well as being a fashion influencer, Slater is a social worker and educator. She’s also a feminist and an anti-ageing activist. She’s one of the first older women I began following on Instagram about five years ago, as I was instantly drawn to her look. She used to sport a short, blonde crop and have quite a boyish aesthetic in Comme des Garcon, which really appealed to me, but today her style traverses chic and sophisticated, urban cool, pretty and relaxed. Her feed is full of attitude, and I don’t mean that in the aggressive sense. She uses the platform to voice her opinions and feelings on how a woman “occupies cultural space with confidence”, and advocates that all women should be able to “express uncertainties, fears and contradictions”. She is a very modern muse.

Jenny Kee

Australian fashion designer Jenny Kee is 74-years-old and her Instagram feed is as active as any 20-somethings. She’s an incredibly engaged woman; a passionate environmentalist, an art lover, a painter and a fashion maven with an interest in Buddhism. Her feed is full of big smiles and bright colours, and that’s why I enjoy it so much. It takes me out of my own environment completely and during the mundanity of lockdown has often awakened me with incredible Australian art, tropical botanicals, couture-like clothes and cute Koala bears. While I know Instagram is only ever an edit of anyone’s life, she looks to be living her’s to the full, which I really admire. Plus, I love her short, blunt haircut and her signature red glasses. That look is all her own.

Mary Dunne

I’m fortunate enough to know Mary Dunne and to have worked with her in the past. In her mid-60s now, she suddenly stopped dying her long hair blonde a few years ago and went completely grey, and since then she has absolutely come into her own. If you’ve been engaged in the debate about going grey in lockdown, then she might be the inspiration you need to run with your natural colour if that’s what you think you’d like to do. A positive ageing activist and a fashion model, I love how she dresses; she can channel Audrey Hepburn in pearls and an LBD, or Angela Scanlon in a denim jumpsuit without ever looking like anybody other than herself. She’s not an imitator but an original, and I think what characterises her style for me is a delicacy of touch. There’s a simplicity to her outfits, yet they’re never boring. That’s a skilful aesthetic to navigate. She’s also one of the kindest women I know. That delicacy I see in her dressing is very much a reflection of her warm personality.

KAren Arthur

You may have seen Karen Arthur on Davina McCall’s recent documentary, Sex, Myths and Menopause. The teacher-turned fashion designer hosts a podcast called Menopause Whilst Black, and you’ll find some great menopause-related content on her Instagram feed, as well as a variety of other great material, including fashion, beauty, women in business and craft projects. She holds regular craft circles, which you can join for a nominal fee, and she also dances a lot on her feed. Very well. She looks great, talks a lot of sense and exudes an enthusiasm for each day, which I hope is catching. This 58-year-old is a smart, cool woman with something to say that’s very much worth listening to.

Marie Kelly, May 2021