Can we still look pretty when we're 70?

[MamaBearTeacher]

I saw a woman yesterday.  She was wearing a pretty summer sundress, the kind you would usually see on a 30-year old woman but it looked nice on her.  She had long hair that she just wore loose and it was a very unnatural shade of bright red. She did not seem to be wearing any make-up and from the lines on her face she looked to be over 70 years old.  She looked more free than most women her age.  Most women of that age tend to dress very conservatively.  I would rather dress like her when I am older but I don't know if I would really have the courage unless of lot of others were.  I just think it would make me happier.

[momacacia]

Yes! My mentor is beautiful. Idk how we define "pretty," but she is a classic beauty, great grey hair just above her shoulders and dresses fairly stylishly, not frumpy at all. She's quite athletic, I think for her age, and that has probably helped her move more freely and youthfully than many women her age do. I think the way one carries themselves and attitude makes a huge difference. She is young of heart and mind.

[Katy]

Diane Sawyer is pretty.  I think she's my grandmother's age.

[Penguin]

My mom is 78 and very pretty. She turns heads :)

Unfortunately, I did not inherit her nice skin nor her sense of style!

[elegantlion]

My mom still looks great, she's almost 77. It doesn't hurt that she has always had perfect proportions. She has beautiful white hair, still wears makeup and uses hot rollers. She dresses well and even her comfy shoes are nice looking. She wears bold colors and dresses with flair. 

 

She also mows 5 acres on her own, takes care of my dad, cleans gutters, and recently put down a new vinyl floor. I bought her a Wonder Woman apron for Christmas, it's fitting. 

[SKL]

I think some women are.  I don't think I will be pretty at that age, though.  ;)

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm not pretty now.  I doubt I will be then.  (And no, I'm not putting myself down - just stating a fact.)

[6packofun]

I want to look like Helen Mirren at 70 and every year thereafter.  LOL  (She turns 70 this year, I think.)  She's so beautiful and put together!

[Night Elf]

I think it can depend on how we treat ourselves leading up to that age. I don't expect to be pretty but I'm hoping for at least attractive. But I don't wear make-up and I only wear my hair in a pony tail. Oh, I'm 47 so definitely middle age. I don't dress nicely either. I wear jeans and tshirts. Heck, I don't even own a dress or skirt or even nice slacks. I don't eat as well as I should. I don't have a skin care routine. I don't exercise anymore. Once a week is not exercising, IMHO, even if I am walking 4 miles on that day. So I'm not treating my body the way I should if I want to stay nice looking. My mom is 74 and is still attractive. She did better treating herself the way one should, but she still shows her age. I figure I take after her so I'll age the same way since we're so similar.

[DawnM]

I don't know about pretty necessarily, but my aunt sure did age gracefully.    They lived on a lake and at 77 you would find her in her house in the summer in her swimsuit just hanging out, ready to go waterskiing or out on the boat at a moment's notice.  She lived in her swim suit all summer long.  She looked great.  She passed away last year.  I miss her terribly.

[umsami]

I definitely think it's an attitude.

 

I'm fat and have been most of my life.  There are fat girls who rock their clothes.  They don't live in all black.  They choose lovely colors, sun dresses, etc.  If you ever saw "The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency" on HBO will Jill Scott....Jill Scott's character had all of these fabulous dresses.  Then there are others who try to hide with their clothes...or not be noticed.  Many fat girls do not believe they should be noticed or have a right to be noticed.  They feel that because they wear a size 22 or 24 or whatever, that they can never be pretty or beautiful.  Totally not true.

 

I think it's the same when your older.  Of course you can wear a lovely sun dress, dye your hair, etc.  Be you or be who you want to be.  People who take issues with it....well, it's their issues. (I highly recommend Clarissa Pinkola Estes audio books....any of them you can get a hold of.)

[Ausmumof3]

I have definitely seen women that do. I think it takes a bit of extra effort though.

 

I am lazy about things to do with the looking good now, so I doubt I'll suddenly start when I'm 70.

[DesertBlossom]

I think it depends on how you define pretty. I see so many "old" women with gray hair, wrinkled faces and saggy arms that look so kind and loveable and "grandmothery." There's a softness about them. That, to me, is pretty.

[Chris in VA]

I won't be pretty--I was, but only for a very short window of time, and that window is closed. :laugh:

 

It doesn't bother me much, though. I'm hoping my eyes stay beautiful because of the light inside me. I know my face has been etched by my experiences, and a face that tells a life story in the smile lines and pain lines is good enough for me.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Of course.  I've always liked older people.  I'm only 40 and the thought of living another 40 years is rather daunting.  So if I live that long, damn I will be pretty. 

 

 

[Mommy22alyns]

I fully intend to be pretty when I'm 70!

[shawthorne44]

My MIL is in her 70's and quite attractive.  Of course she doesn't look in her 70's.  

When I was a kid I remember my great-grandmother visiting.  She had a pretty flowered dress on.  I remember someone commented that she had good looking legs in a photo.

[Mesamin]

I own a lot of grey clothes and typed in a search for "grey women's fashion" on Pinterest one day to get ideas. All these images of beautiful older women came through the search. Our culture often depicts women as not being pretty or healthy looking after a certain age and yet there are women in my life that are older and beautiful. So yes, I think we can be pretty.

[Runningmom80]

I hope so!

[gardenmom5]

Some times the wrinkles are sun damage.

 

I've a dear friend who's still drop dead gorgeous and very stylish. She's 66.

[MamaBearTeacher]

Oh, I did not mean perfect and wrinkle-free. This woman I saw had a lot of wrinkles. That's how I knew she was old. But she was dressed like a very young person. This is very different from Diane Sawyer who looks 30 years younger because of natural beauty, make-up and possibly plastic surgery. I should have titled my post: "Can we dress pretty when we're 70?" Sure we can do whatever we want but this woman stood out as dressing very different for her age. Not everyone is that brave.

Maybe the styles will change for old women by the time I'm 70.

[hornblower]

I'm not planning on looking pretty. Pretty is too tame. I'm going for gorgeous, stunning and strong.

like these women:

77 yo http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/11/29/inspiration-nation-grandma-powerlifter/19656645/

 

&

80 yo http://running.competitor.com/2015/02/news/80-year-old-woman-sets-half-marathon-record_122383

&

92 yo https://www.facebook.com/ABBADogs/videos/675970332532468/

 

[Guest]

I am aiming to look classy and "on purpose" when I am that age. My mom has a friend named Valerie; she was my mom's best friend while I was growing up. I want to be like Ms. Valerie! She looks sooooo classy and put together all the time. Always. Nice shoes, clothes, hair done, nice looking make-up - just always looks like she put a bit of effort in. I don't know her exact age, but my mom is 71, so she must be right in the same age category.

[Mommy22alyns]

I'm not planning on looking pretty. Pretty is too tame. I'm going for gorgeous, stunning and strong.

 

like these women:

 

77 yo http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/11/29/inspiration-nation-grandma-powerlifter/19656645/

 

&

 

80 yo http://running.competitor.com/2015/02/news/80-year-old-woman-sets-half-marathon-record_122383

 

&

 

92 yo https://www.facebook.com/ABBADogs/videos/675970332532468/

 

 

 

 

These women are bosses!  There's also video out there of an incredible 86 year old gymnast.  A while back I saw a video on an older women's volleyball team - they're 70, 80, 90, out there playing volleyball!  Hats off!

[Jilly]

My mom is 70, and I think she looks very pretty. Her hair is white and a little longer than shoulder length. She dresses nicely, stylish but not young looking. She is aging gracefully, and I appreciate having her as a role model. 

[bolt.]

There's also a sense in which we tend to define "conservative" as "whatever people of a certain age consider to be good fashion" -- In 30 years, jeans and whatever else we wear will be the new "conservative".

 

That means that the only reason slacks and matching whatever-else is "conservative" to us is because it was "hip" in the 60's and early 70's. The newer old ladies are likely to embrace the later 70's and 80's... And everyone younger than us will call that "conservative".

 

In the opposite direction, I think it's likely that our slacks-wearing older folks think that "pretty flowered dresses" are even more old fashioned than their own attire: it's what was "conservative" to them because that's what was normal to *their* previous generation (40s and 50s women).

 

Basically "conservative" means "continuing to wear what feels normal and looks good to you, but past the time when it's actually fashionable."

 

It's what most older people do, and I probably will too. I'm already not really willing to wear tops that completely ignore my waist with giant arm holes and necklines (made of fabric designed to be worn over a cami) nor leggings-as-pants. Soon I will be "conservative" because I like clothes in a 'regular' shape that I consider flattering.

 

To dress "prettily" for a new context, I would have to ignore that impulse.

[Liz CA]

I am not pretty now but I am going to be gorgeous when I am 80.  :lol:

 

I am with Quill, I just aim to be classy - at least on those days when I am not in my sweats.

[momacacia]

Yeah, I'll be the supermodel version of 80---because the standards will be so much lower. Lol.

[Bluegoat]

I tend to think of prettiness as referring to a very youthful kind of attractiveness, kind of fresh and unblemished.  So while one might find a pretty lady of 70, an attempt to be pretty at that age could easily end up looking a little forced.

 

But as far as beautiful, or handsome, or attractive, or put-together, or lots of other things, yes, absolutely that is possible.  One of the nice things I think about age is knowing oneslelf a little more and caring less what people who don't matter think.  So the possibility of growing into your own particular sort of beauty even more than before.

 

 

[Hikin' Mama]

My grandma is 86 and I think she's pretty. Part of that is her personality and her pursuit of those things which interest her. But I hope I look as good as she does when I'm 86. :)

[hornblower]

Older models shaking up fashion http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/feb/22/older-models-in-fashion

[Erica in OR]

Was cruising Pinterest after reading this thread and came across a quote from Coco Chanel: "Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself." A good goal for myself now, all the way up to 70, and beyond.

 

Erica in OR

[Guest iroanyikey]

I think for her age, and that has probably helped her move more freely and youthfully than many women her age do.

[tm919]

Was cruising Pinterest after reading this thread and came across a quote from Coco Chanel: "Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself." A good goal for myself now, all the way up to 70, and beyond.

 

Erica in OR

I love that one. My grandmother was beautiful even into her 70s! Whenever I think about her, I think about the part in The Once and Future King, where the queen is described as being beautiful — not like a movie star, but like "a woman who had grown a soul."

[HeWillSoar]

One of the women in my Bible study group is around 67, and she's always the best looking one of the bunch! 

[G5052]

My aunt is in her late 70's, and she's a beautiful older woman.  She did some local modelling when she was young, but she has held her own.  She is always well-groomed and dresses well.

 

She also sits on the board of a foundation and on several committees, and is very active.  People regularly think that she's in her early 60's.  IMHO a lot of it is attitude though.

 

I'm hoping that I got those genes.  People always think I'm a decade younger than I am.  Hopefully I'm off to a good start that way!

[GinaPagnato]

My mom is 75 and is very pretty. People have always said that about her. Part of it is genetics, part of it is how she carries herself. She kind of acts like a duchess, which makes her look lovely but also makes her a pain in the a@@ sometimes, :lol:.

 

However, I plan to go beyond that. I am more physically active than she was at my age, I pay more attention to my nutrition than she did/does, and have better access to more advanced healthcare than people of her generation.

 

I used to get annoyed that whenever she left the house, even to go grocery shopping, she'd fix her hair and lipstick. But now I do that, too, and lemme just say, as I have aged I have seen the necessity of this little beauty ritual!

[Scarlett]

I saw a woman yesterday. She was wearing a pretty summer sundress, the kind you would usually see on a 30-year old woman but it looked nice on her. She had long hair that she just wore loose and it was a very unnatural shade of bright red. She did not seem to be wearing any make-up and from the lines on her face she looked to be over 70 years old. She looked more free than most women her age. Most women of that age tend to dress very conservatively. I would rather dress like her when I am older but I don't know if I would really have the courage unless of lot of others were. I just think it would make me happier.

This is how I want to be as well. My mom is 70 and beautiful. I will never cut my hair short and I will only go grey if I feel beautiful with it.....and some grey is gorgeous.

[PrincessMommy]

I just watched the movie "Still Mine" with Genevieve Bujold (it was a great movie btw)   OMG!  she was beautiful.  She doesn't look like she's had any work done.

 

 

 

Some women can pull it off... I doubt I am one of them.

 

 

[Peaceful Isle]

I hope I can be classy in my older years.

 

My grandmother was a beautiful lady. I was not able to spend was much time with her as a child, as I wanted. She passed away when I was in college. :(

 

she was always reading about the newest fashion, hair dye, and makeup. She loved clothes and jewelry and always smelled so pretty. She was a Modern type of girl in the early 1920s and ahead of her time. I loved her dearly, but was not allowed to go to her funeral because of a controlling mother. I miss her. :(

[EmilyGF]

Once I was waiting for a subway and a girl in her early teens was waiting in front of me. She wore the fashion of the day (including low slung jeans), had long blonde hair, and was flirting with a boy near her.

Then she turned around. She must have been 60.

 

While she had a good figure and nice hair, she looked like she was uncomfortable with her age. She looked as awkward as the most awkward tween.

 

I'd like to be beautiful at 70, but in a way that looks like I am at peace with myself. There are some celebrities who are really good at that and I admire them. Glenn Close comes to mind.

[MotherGoose]

I think I will dress my age in some way--but stylish, not frumpy. I was at a wedding last weekend and the mother of the bride, who is about 50, but who spent a LOT of time in the sun and also smokes, and subsequently has lots of deep wrinkles and sagging skin, was wearing a dress I would have felt uncomfortable in--very tight and sequins and short. Her hair was quite long and dyed. (I sound terrible about this, I know, but it really made an impression on how I DON'T want to do older ages, not that 50 is older, there are plenty of 50 year olds who could have pulled this off). But SHE looked like she was trying to dress like she was her 25 year old daughter's age. There are things I don't wear anymore that I would have when I was younger, just because I feel uncomfortable in them (for me, an example would be cut off blue jeans and a tank top). So I want to be attractive at 70, or at 50, and stylish, but I don't want to dress in a way that makes people say I'm trying to look young. Think Ann Taylor verus the "ladies" department of any department store with polyester elastic waist pants. Oh and I'd not say anything to anyone about this lady IRL, except Dh because he and I both had the same shocked impression of her appearance and didn't actually realize who she was right away--been awhile since we've seen her. It probably didn't help her self esteem any that her ex husband was there with his new (younger) beautiful wife :(

[AMJ]

This is how I want to be as well. My mom is 70 and beautiful. I will never cut my hair short and I will only go grey if I feel beautiful with it.....and some grey is gorgeous.

 

Last year I turned 50, and I decided to stop coloring my hair (the salon and bottled colors never could match my particular shade of very dark brown anyway).  Prior to that I had been coloring religiously and getting in a panic when my roots showed because it looked like I had LOTS of grey in large patches.  I had originally started coloring because when my eldest was just 4 years old I was mistaken for my even older niece's grandmother.

 

What I learned when I stopped coloring my hair:

1.   I don't have nearly as much grey yet as I thought I did.
2.   It's not patchy, or if it is the patchiness isn't noticeable now that the grey has grown out halfway to my shoulders.
3.   My hair actually looks quite nice with my grey in it.  It's back to MY brown, with a bit of interest scattered through, which both softens the look and somehow serves to make my dark hair seem darker overall.
4.   It doesn't age me much, if at all.  Since my early 30's people thought I was significantly younger than I was (subtract about 25% of my age from my actual age and that's what people thought my age was).  That youthful margin is a little less now, but people still think I'm in my very early 40's. 
5. I find my apparent age is more in how I act and treat others, and not really in how I look.  I don't dress fashionably or wear make-up (except on VERY rare occasions), and I have plainly styled straight, shoulder-length hair.  People don't seem to find it frumpy on me, probably because I don't act like it's frumpy.

In summary:  If you want to look vital and alive no matter how old you get then act vital and alive.  Stop fretting about "signs of aging" and "losing one's youth".  Accept your body for what it is, eat decently (yes, your diet MUST change as the years go by because your metabolism and your body's nutritional needs change -- and yes, this will take homework on your part to determine what works for YOUR body), stay active, and engage your mind daily.  It IS all in the mind, so get your mindset straight and enjoy what you have got. 

 

And if you are the type, FLAUNT IT.

[Momling]

I play on a 40+ tennis team and most of my team mates are considerably older than me. My doubles partner is 74, for instance. As active interesting older women, they are all awesome role models for how I want to be at that age. One of the 70+ yr olds is particularly pretty with a great figure and the others are attractive in their own ways, but not stunning. In 30 years, I'm sure I'll be in the latter group.

[mom2bee]

There are tons and tons of ugly young people. I can't imagine why there couldn't be tons and tons of pretty old people.

[J-rap]

Definitely!  But I think a lot depends on posture.  It's harder to look classy and pretty when you have osteoporosis and can't stand up straight anymore. 

[Anne in CA]

Whenever someone meets my MIL they always tell me how pretty she is (even now that is is in her late sixties), so yes, pretty can last forever.

[Desert Strawberry]

I'm turning 39 and plan to dress the same way I do now for the rest of my life. Pretty dresses, long, flowing hair (though likely thinner and paler over the years), little makeup, and a big smile. 

[Stacia]

My mil is a chic, beautiful, fabulous 81yo every day.

[Ellie]

I hope so, as I am much closer to 70 than you are! :laugh:

 

ETA: First! Booya!