Fashion and age, in more recent times, go hand in hand. Perpetuated by stereotypes like the Silver Fox, we’re now beginning to see stylish men and women in movies, magazines and the media. The shift from traditionally presenting older women as frumpy and ‘witch-like’ in films is well underway, but we are still behind when it comes to representing strong, fit, beautiful older women on social media.
This article outlines five Instagram influencers over 50 who are killing it!
@beautyprotocole
The Beauty Protocole, as named in her bio, is all about ‘inspiring women to discover there is no age limit to being fabulous’. The feed encompasses beauty, fashion and lifestyle, mostly presented through selfies and wardrobe updates.
The owner, Sheena, utilises stories and highlights to present her skincare and makeup routines. She also interacts with her followers using polls about fashion and even things to watch on Netflix.
Secondary to the Instagram page is YouTube channel ‘The Beauty Protocole’. Started in September 2020, it acts as an extension to Sheena’s already engaging posts. Here you can find ‘how-to’ tutorials for skincare, haircare, makeup and nails.
Having gained 46.9k followers on Instagram alone, it’s easy to see why she appeals to so many. From the stacks of impeccable selfies, each amassing hundreds of likes, it’s clear The Beauty Protocole is a confident and glamorous ‘50+’, as she refers to herself, and provides fashion inspiration for older ladies. She reinforces the idea that age does not limit style.
@stylealiveafter55
Stylealiveafter55 centers completely around fashion and ‘showing daily outfits for the over 50 (not frumpy) and fabulous woman’. With 52.5k followers, she posts daily, never repeating an outfit. Mainly using places around her home as the backdrop, followers are privy to glimpses of her lifestyle and family, as well as the stylish and quality clothes she wears.
Brand partnerships are common on Stylealiveafter55’s page and you can often find a discount code in the description of each photo, along with a small insight into the day’s activity. IGTV is also utilised to bring followers reviews of products such as Kerahealth hair, her most recent partnership.
@fabnfitbycarla
Fabnfitbycarla is a fitness and lifestyle account, posting daily photos and videos of workouts and ‘all things FAB N’ FIT’. The owner is 57 year old Carla, who shares inspirational messages as well as practical information about her workouts and her plans for the day in the caption of each post.
Making use of Instagram’s highlights, she has ‘stories’ in the categories of healthy food preparation, fashion, skincare, and fun, amongst others. Carla is also an advocate of embracing your natural hair colour as you age, and shows off her grey hair, whilst encouraging others to do the same.
Boasting 18.5k followers, she receives hundreds of likes and comments showing huge support for her healthy lifestyle and toned physique at an older age.
@nonieswanson
Nonieswanson is a self titled page ‘inspiring women of all ages’. It encompasses family, travel, and lifestyle, and has earned 43.1k followers with photos of grandkids, adventures and daily activities. Nonie has no post schedule, but provides updates a few times a month, often taking the form of a photo gallery or video.
Unlike other influencers, she doesn’t use Instagram’s story feature, or IGTV, and has little strategy when it comes to hashtags. However, her wholesome content is a hit with many, and provides inspiration for family activities, travel and beauty for older women.
Like other influencers, her captions provide a small amount of insight into her life, particularly the time she spends with her grandchildren, the adventures she has and the nutritious food she makes.
@flygrannybk
Flygrannybk is owned by over-60 fashionista Adelina. Self described as a ‘grey hair ambassador’ and ‘fly granny’, she centres her page around lifestyle. She regularly shares positive messages, as well as selfies showing off her grey hair, stating ‘many silver sisters talk about the amazing inner growth that takes place once you ditch the dye. It comes from you making that great leap to accept yourself, as you are’.
Other posts include outfit choices, hair styles and adventures she has along the way. Utilising IGTV, she creates engaging ‘how to’ videos around haircare, beauty and fashion.
Adelina posts daily and has gained 5.82k followers, now working with brands such as Pause Well-Aging, a skincare brand aimed at menopausal women.