76-Year-Old Woman Bodyshamed For Dress Choice, Has The Perfect Comeback To All Her Haters

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The primary way we all express ourselves while moving about the world is through our clothing choices. Even people who aren't fashion-minded express themselves through clothes. After all, we only buy clothes we like, meaning it's a reflection of our tastes at the very least.

Even so, some people feel the need to judge others for their choice of outfits, as if their taste should be toned down or should conform to societal ideals more. Thankfully, not everyone will bow to that kind of pressure, and they'll even share a larger message of acceptance to everyone who wishes to wear what their heart desires.

Having the confidence needed to wear what you truly want can be tough if you've dealt with self-esteem issues your whole life. It can feel scary, even dangerous, staring into the face of our anxieties.

But it doesn't have to stay that way. You can unlock the true confidence potential in your brain starting today with this simple audio program. Click here to learn more today and watch your confidence soar!

Standing Tall

A woman in a light green, polka-dotted two-piece outfit against a bright red background.
Canva Pro
Canva Pro

Confidence has no cut-off age. It shouldn't, actually. Confidence is something that should only grow stronger the older you get, as you're reminded time and time again that the opinions of others don't matter so long as you're doing something that makes you happy.

Unfortunately, some people haven't quite gotten the memo yet and are still in awe when they see someone older doing something they still believe is "only" for younger people or dressing in a way they don't approve of. Sometimes, it's both.

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Fashion Faux Pas

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Candace Leslie Cima is a 76-year-old woman with a sizeable social media following, sporting almost 200k followers on Instagram, @lifeinmy70s, alone. She's very fashion-oriented, also writing for her own style blog that she started back in 2019.

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Her goal is to challenge the traditional ways in which we think about aging. There's this assumption that, as we get older, we have to become more modest, more simple, more drab, but there are no set rules dictating this. There are only societal pressures that tell us certain clothes shouldn't be worn by someone over a certain age range.

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All Eyes On Her

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Two photos from Candace's video of her in the brown dress, one with her hand fixing the sleeve and the other further back from the camera so you can see how it fits.
Instagram / @lifeinmy70s
Instagram / @lifeinmy70s
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Candace refuses to live her life by those rules. She wears whatever she wants, no matter what anyone says, and openly discusses the realities of aging as it relates to beauty, the media, and fashion.

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This focus of hers led to one of her videos going viral. In it, she's wearing a semi-form-fitting brown knit dress and a matching sweater. She discusses the dress in the video, praising its versatility, but once the video began circulating around the internet, she received an influx of comments criticizing her for it.

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Love And Hate

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Comments included judgments like, "Not suitable for the arms after a certain age," "Makes your otherwise flat stomach look pouchy," and someone insisting that she must wear the sweater with the dress otherwise the dress "is not attractive" on her.

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She also received a wave of supportive comments after fans noticed the trend of negativity going on, but she didn't need them. She addressed viewer concerns in a follow-up video that contained plenty of well-deserved snark.

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Not Backing Down

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She explained that she was not ashamed of any part of her, not the shape of her body nor the wrinkles in her skin, as that was just how she aged. Having wrinkled skin at 76 is normal! Why should she feel bad about it?

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"Should I cover my face too because I have wrinkles there?" she asked sarcastically. She then urged people to think outside of the societally-enforced perceptions of things like aging and what constitutes as 'age-appropriate' fashion. Who are any of us to tell someone what they should or shouldn't wear based on age alone?

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Words From The Wise

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Thankfully, this viral video did give her a bump in younger followers, so she gave them a message as well. "Aging is great. Everything you have learned your entire life is now there for you. You are now the wisest that you are ever going to be. Embrace it and be proud."

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Candace's confidence is not only admirable, but aspirational. She's so sure of herself and her fashion choices that nothing anyone can say will knock her down or keep her from expressing herself. Her self-assuredness is something we can all be inspired by, no matter if it relates to fashion, beauty, or anything else we feel ashamed of due to an intrinsic part of our very selves.

Shame is a difficult beast to fight, but it's not impossible to take down, either. It takes time, patience, and kindness toward yourself, and it's a journey that's worth the work you'll have to put in.

This audio program is designed to help unlock your true confidence potential and help guide you down the path to defeating your anxieties. Click here to get started today and prepare for a happier life!