I Like Myself Better Now After 40 Years

Reading an article about fashion and the recent incorporation of older women into campaigns for big brands, I realized that, like them, I like myself a lot more now, in my 40s. Reflecting on the passage of time made me see beauty from another look, and even made me feel more attractive now than when I was younger.

What happens to women after 40? According to Care Santos in her book ‘Desejo de Chocolate’, they experience a process of directing focus to their qualities. This makes them more intense, smarter, more serene and more attractive than twenty years ago. We are not just talking internally, but externally as well.

In fact, over time we know how to better choose what is good for us. In addition, we learned to use the best accessory ever: self -confidence. In this way, we start not to wear ourselves out by having a wrinkle or several that start to accumulate, since we are concerned with other, much more important aspects.

Mature models reflect on the passage of time

Currently, different clothing brands, such as Zara, have a fashion editorial featuring models aged between 40 and 50 years. This choice brings visibility to women who, until recently, seemed to be forgotten by fashion and society.

In a recent Zara editorial, models explain what the passage of time means to them. They also tell how it feels to find themselves in an age group where it is difficult to succeed in the fashion world. This is because it is a sector that is very focused on young people between 20 and 30 years old.

As I said before, even though this isn’t the standard, I like myself better now after 40, just like these models. Obviously, it would be great to never get old. However,  if we reflect on this, our mind will improve over the years. This produces a paradox. As we get older, we also trust ourselves more. As Malgosia Bela, a 40-year-old Polish model and actress, says, this can make us like ourselves more with age, even though we are less valued.

Arab model Yarmin Warsame, from Somalia, 41, also talks about this phenomenon. She says that her prejudices with her own age changed when she got to know different cultures. She talks about it this way: “Travelling, just traveling. You transform, you change. That’s what I always tell people: please travel. Experience other realities, meet other human beings different from you, in different atmospheres and in different situations”.

These testimonies invite us to reflect on the influence of the passing of time on older women than we are more used to seeing in the fashion world.

With age we gain confidence, that’s why I like myself better after 40 years old

The confidence we’ve gained over the years is a quality that makes us like each other more over time. As we get older, we begin to value beauty from new angles. We learn to value a look, a gesture or a posture that conveys security. And these characteristics together are capable of creating beauty.

We women can be attractive at any age. For this, the first step is to accept and accept the passage of time, losing the intrinsic fear we have of getting old.

With their wrinkles and expression marks, the models that participate in this type of initiative are a tangible representation of social change. They give visibility to a group of women who have not, until that moment, been adequately represented by the industry. So it’s time to feel more attractive without the obligation to abuse Botox, treatments to have a young skin, just taking advantage of our authenticity to be ourselves.

I like myself better now, after 40, how about you?