Suzanne Somers is in the Cosmetics Business with "Suzanne Organics"

"Each Ingredient of Suzanne Organics has to be grown organic, extracted organically and nothing upwind or downwind of the product can be toxic to contaminate it."

 Suzanne Somers' bout with breast cancer  propelled her into dedicating her life to health and wellness. After her unconventional, but successful battle with the breast cancer, Suzanne has been committed to to researching and promoting healthy, organic, and toxic free living.

According to Suzanne:" One day it dawned on me...I go out of my way to eat organic, grow my own organic food, clean my house with organic products,.. and I am undoing all that good by putting toxic chemicals on my skin like cheap self-tanner. The skin is the largest organ in the body and under a microscope, our pores look like billions of little "holes". Into these pores go all the toxins from the environment and the products we put onto our skin. Eventually these toxins end up in our system."

Ms. Somers  teamed up with Clark's Nutrition in Southern California to make a skin care and cosmetics that are not just organic, but, toxic-free! She asserts that: "the line is for all people who have awareness that the environment is wreaking havoc with our health and that all adds up. Maybe starting with skin care and organic products is the gateway to changing your health and lifestyle.

Despite how wonderful Ms Somers makes this product out to be I would be a bit cautious about going out and buying a lot of it because there is no medical backing on the products. Searching the internet, I haven't seen any testimonials on how the product works, although it is sold on QVC and there are plenty of reviews by the customers who have purchased her products. Are the customers of QVC and their reviews a good substitute for Empirical studies?  I don't know.  If you try it, let me know.

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Britain Has Started the Revolution This Time!!! The Negative Societal Image of Ageing is Finally Addressed!!

The Director, Sue Bourne and the four Fabulous Fashionistas

Speaking at the Conference "Mirror Mirror"

In the last week of October a Revolutionary conference was held a the the London College of Fashion. The subject: Nowhere is there found a positive representation of ageing, especially noticeable in the media. "There are no representations of age and ageing as a good thing-it's all negative and grumbly, comedic, or over-sentimental". The sentiment at the Conference was one of rebellion. Older women are apparently only complemented when they strive to look younger than expected. A recent study conducted by Dr. Carolyn Mair confirmed that older women would simply like to be told that they look good, and that the numerical age was irrelevant .The Conference was about celebrating age and how can we change these societal images.

Appearing at the Conference was Ari Seth Cohen. I did an article about him and his photographs of flamboyantly dressed ageing women and his wonderful blog. Fashion Blogger for the Over Sixty, Alyson Walsh (That's Not My Age.com) joined Ari.  Following the event, Alyson blogged that she and Ari discussed "the visibility of women beyond a certain age, inspiring role models, the media/fashion industry's obsession with youth and so on." Based upon all the buzz in England, she is hoping that the fashion world is beginning to consider this large and powerful demographic.

Alyson also noted that the English magazine, the Guardian published an interesting article asking"has fashion really changed for women over 60".  I will have to get a copy of that and I will analyze it here on the blog. In the end, Alyson and Ari agreed that they preferred to view" this phenomenon not as a trend, but more as a long-term cultural shift."  Let's hope so!!!

Daphne Self, in her 80's, conducted a quick blast of exercise. The day ended with the Fabulous Fashionistas who are pictured above. Daphne,Sue, Bridget and Jean who urged everyone to keep: learning about life,  to be curious,to be yourself; and to look after your physical self when you're young. Most of all they advised not to be afraid of ageing!!

The Fabulous Fashionistas were recently the subject of a movie directed by Sue Bourne, pictured above in the center, which touts the life enhancing effects of fashion.  This will be the topic of another Blog.

Ari Seth Cohen. A Young Man Who is Shifting the Paradigm on Ageing Women

ARI SETH COHEN: A VISIONARY OF VISIONS.  HIS WONDERFUL PHOTOGRAPHS THAT CELEBRATE THE AGEING WOMAN AND NOT ONLY HER STYLE, BUT HER ZEST FOR LIFE!!!

Although his photos of elegant women over 50, 60, 70, 80, and even 90 and100, are a bit eccentric, he has done so much to shift the paradigm of aging in our society. Ari Seth Cohen is the creator of Advanced Style, a blog devoted “to capturing the sartorial savvy of the senior set.” He says, that he features "people who live full creative lives. They live life to the fullest, age gracefully and continue to grow and challenge themselves.” 

Ari's grandmother was full of energy and had an ebullient attitude toward life. It was his love of her that made him question why there were so few photos of  maturing women who continued to shine and who continued to live life to the fullest in advancing ages of life.   He is an old soul who in his young years has done so much to enhance and celebrate the image of the women over 50,60,70, 80, 90, and even 100  Because of the dearth of older people in fashion campaigns he began taking photos of these women who demonstrated that you "can be stylish, creative and vital at any age."

.At 30, Ari already has a decade's worth of professional accomplishments along with the development of his ever-so-popular blog "Advanced Style". His blog has been touted in the New York Times, the New Yorker, and Forbes. Last month, in London, the London College of Fashion held a pioneering conference, Mirror Mirror, on fashion, culture, age and ageing.  Along with leading academics in the field, the conference welcomed other popular cultural figures and commentators who have been at the forefront of exploring style and age.

Ari, who began photographing women on the streets of New York, joined a fellow blogger, Alyson Walsh, the writer of the blog "That's Not My Age.  The two had a conversation about age and style. All next week, I will be reporting and commenting on all of the wonderful things
that went on at the conference. 

If you check out my Pinterest Page at Fashion Over Fifty.com, many of his marvelous models are featured there. 

Mary Berry, 77, Britain's Bake-Off Queen, Beautifully Rewrites the Rules for Dressing

Britain is beginning to grab hold of the idea that women over 50 are still about shining.  In fact, I will be writing and blogging with photos of the various things they are doing. Women in their 70's and even 80's are showing up in commercials and other advertisements. Just two days ago, I posted about China Machado, 83, another British style icon  The trend is also becoming more popular in Europe as well, which I will be updating as it happens. This article is from a British on-line journal. Come on United States, what is holding you up? Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian?

Tsk, tsk, tsk.  When are we going to wake up?

The blue brought out the sapphire of her eyes. The high waist and chiffon bodice showed off a figure that is still enviably slight, despite a talent for baking the perfect Victoria sponge. The pearls gave her skin a certain sheen. No wonder then that at the National Television Awards in Britain , Mary Berry managed to outshine — in her own understated, subtle, polite way — every other female star on the red carpet.

She broke some rules, too: you know, the ones that say older women — and Mary is 77 — should never show their arms, wear colour or anything with a sheen.

Presumably, they should instead just stay at home, preferably knitting and wearing only embroidered, pastel twin sets from the Classic department of Marks & Spencer (Mary even uses fake tan, almost as improbable as being told she eats Tesco bargain basement burgers).

Last year, following her appearances on The Great British Bake Off, Mary became an unlikely fashion icon. She single- handedly caused a spike in sales of floral bomber jackets at Zara, likewise rose- covered blazers at Whistles.

The shock was not so much that a woman in her 70's was shopping for trends at such fashion-forward stores, but that she was blatantly unafraid to be noticed. That she looked pretty.

That she was vital, passionate and hard- working when we are always being told older women are invisible, or belong in a care home, or at the very least out of sight.

Here was Mary, not just flying the flag for colour and print, but for the superannuated everywhere.

And, unlike most women on the red carpet, who dress only to show off how many hours they have spent in Pilates classes, Mary’s reason for dressing so jauntily and jazzily is very different: ‘On the baking show, I wanted to look summery, positive and encouraging. The summer was so wet and cold, I wanted to be warm, too. Above all, I always like to look approachable.’

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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2267889/How-Mary-Berrys-rewriting-fashion-recipe-older-women.html#ixzz2jjwKRmfF
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At 90, Phyllis Sues: "There is a Way to Beat the Clock. Stay Fit and Enjoy the Journey. Accept the Challenge and Go For It!!"

Phyllis Sues at 89

"I'm not aware of being 90. I'm aware of feeling physically as good as I have ever felt and mentally even better. '








 

To look good and feel good is work. To look great and feel great is a full-time job. There is no cheating! It's daily! Minute-by-minute, second-by-second. This is the process I love and love to work at. The reward is liking myself and living a creative life. I will turn 90 on April 4 and hope I can still create this in 10 years time.

Life in itself is a challenge and you can either, accept it and take action, or you can sit and do nothing. My advice is there is only one winner: accept the challenge, take action and get on with your life no matter what age.

I'm not aware of being 90. I'm aware of feeling physically as good as I have ever felt and mentally even better. I practice dance and workout every day. This body has to know who's boss and being 90 and feeling 20 is as good as it gets! People ask me all the time what's my secret. I tell them move, learn and listen.

The reward is a healthy body and mind. I'm totally selfish in that me and my body and mind are one. We are partners and we work play and live as one. So if that is so, we can't sit around and think about tomorrow. Our body and mind has to be trained from the first breath, otherwise it's down hill all the way. Numbers and dwelling on age is a trap. There is no age, it's living each moment to it's fullest.

I started my own fashion label at 50, became a musician and learned Italian and French in my 70s, took tango and trapeze at 80 and walked into my first yoga class at 85. So, if you think you're old, think again!

What inspires me is the process of learning. Inspiration creates creativity and creativity creates a better life. I like experimenting and have no fear of trying something new, so flying high on a trapeze at 80 was never a question. Becoming a musician late in my life was not accidental. It was meant to be.

I love to move and exercise, so my work out regime consists of yoga, tango, jump rope, hiking with my poodle Nicko and playing tennis.

Yoga gives you a life you didn't have yesterday. It's a wakeup call to every cell in your body. Every muscle sits up and pays attention. I live to do yoga and I do it to live.

Do every pose as good as you can and then do it a little better. I have arthritis in my spine, but I can do a full back bend, headstand and splits.

Dance has always been my passion. I had my first ballet lesson at 14 and knew then dance would be my life. Four years later I was performing in a night club in Boston and soon after that I was performing on Broadway.

Bloomer Girl, Oklahoma, Brigadoon, High Button Shoes and Kismet. I then went to Rio de Janeiro with the Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo. So from age 18, work was constant and life was and is really good. I'm still working creatively and love what I'm doing and have no intention of changing direction.

I have realized, that anything is possible, if you like who you are and what you do. Yes, anything is possible and even probable.

If you don't train the body every day it withers. If you don't train the mind everyday, you lose it. That's why I learned Italian and French, as learning a language is a great mental exercise. I then challenged myself to write music. I wrote the music and lyrics for my first song "Free Fall," which was inspired by flying on the trapeze. A CD followed with 12 songs:Scenes Of Passion. And then six tangos for Tango Insomnia. I now write short songs daily about things I do.

Tango dancing is a fantastic exercise, as it's physical and emotional. It's the only time, when I turn off my mind and just dance, so I am in the moment. To look effortless in dance is sheer beauty. That's my desire. I'm still performing, as it keeps my body in tune, is good for my memory and it makes my life a joy. A triple Boleo in the air would make my journey complete. Marcos (my teacher/dance partner) says it will take two years. I tell him, I have time!

I admit, I'm driven but I'm driven by desire and that's the formula. Desire is so powerful, like you are propelled as if from a canon. Desire to me is the driving force, but action is the result.

Working and accomplishing something mental and physical makes my day worth living and suddenly there is a break through, another step on the ladder. I don't give up. The sun and moon are there for everyone. The journey is worth it! This trip has been good to me and I wouldn't trade it for all the stars in the universe.

There is a way to beat the clock. Stay fit and enjoy the journey. Accept the challenge and go for it!

That's what I did!

Huffington Post; Posted 3/19/13

Amy Bloom, an Expert Opinion on Women's Self-Images

MOTHERS WITH DAUGHTERS: PLEASE TAKE NOTE

  A few years ago, I was at a lunch for the launch of a TV show called "How to Look Good Naked." (Do I need to say that the host was a slim gay man and the soon-to-be-almost-naked were all women? Can we even imagine a show in which men try to improve their appearance before the big reveal in the boudoir?) The middle-aged woman sitting next to me almost spat out her white wine. "How to look good naked?" she said. "Wear clothes!"

I wish that helped. But after 58 years of being female, I've come to the conclusion that a healthy, positive body image is hard to find, and neither caftans nor liposuction nor Photoshopping is the answer.

This seems to be one of those puzzles you can tackle from any angle, a Rubik's cube of bad feelings, unhealthy attitudes, and unforeseen consequences. (It's great that we shifted away from the preceding centuries' proscription against women exercising and getting sweaty. But who knew we'd wind up in a world in which we're expected to weight-train ourselves back into "bikini ready" shape six weeks after giving birth?)

This is not a tirade against the tabloids or the beauty industry. The tabloids produce crap, but people (mostly women) buy it: pictures of the overweight (they've let themselves go!), the enhanced and shapely (you, too, can look like this if you eat garlic and grapefruit!), and the shame-on-her-for-getting-too-skinny (as if no tabloid editor can imagine how a six-foot starlet came to think 130 pounds is obese). The beauty industry sees opportunity and shoots for it. The question is, how do we keep ourselves from being the opportunity, from seeing the mirror -- and food, and other women -- as the enemy? And how do we make all this stuff less terrible for our daughters, our nieces, the 19-year-old who feels her life will be ruined without breast implants?

I don't expect little girls and teenagers to fend for themselves in this matter; we have to save them and -- just as if we're on a plunging airplane -- we have to start by saving ourselves. We need to make friends with the mirror. Even if it's DIY aversive therapy, in which you look at yourself in the mirror for one minute one day, then two the next, then three, you have to be able to bear the sight of yourself. (Must you bend over a compact and closely examine the drooping underside of your chin? No.) You cannot be a healthy person, let alone hope for healthy children, if you sigh and moan every time you encounter your own image, eat a cookie, or see an airbrushed supermodel on a billboard. Even if it amounts to wholesale pretending -- go pretend. Walk around pretending to be a woman who likes her body. Pretend you think your thighs are not disgusting appurtenances but normal, flesh-covered limbs that help you get from place to place. Likewise your not-so-taut arms and not-so-flat tummy. Because every step toward self-love you take, and every inch of confidence you give someone's daughter, makes the world a better place.

So stop. Stop talking to the girls in your life about "healthy eating" if what you actually mean is, "Your 11-year-old stomach isn't flat and it freaks me out." They will hear what you mean; they will not believe a dinner of four grilled shrimp and a spoonful of blueberries is really healthy. (Psychology research shows that even 5-year-old girls know a diet when they see it.) Stop criticizing other women's bodies for sport or to soothe yourself.

And start. Start admiring aloud the things you really do admire. Show what you love and value. If you think Marta of Brazil is fantastic, put up her poster and get a group together to watch women's soccer. If Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Hillary Clinton or Aung San Suu Kyi is your hero, say so.

I take these small steps myself -- most days -- not out of virtue, but out of vanity. My hobby is watching people, and what I see is that even the most Botoxed, lipo'd, lifted woman cannot conceal herself. If you hate yourself, it shows through every cream and cure there is. Until we stop trying to exorcise our own imperfect selves, driving out normal physical traits as if they were signs of pathology, there will always be some misery in the eyes that nothing can hide.

You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.

by Amy Bloom.    (Trained as a social worker, Bloom has practiced psychotherapy. Currently, Bloom is the Kim-Frank Family University Writer in Residence at Wesleyan University (effective July 1, 2010). Previously, she was a senior lecturer of Creative Writing in the department of English at Yale University, where she repeatedly taught Advanced Fiction Writing, Writing for Television, and Writing for Children. Bloom received her B.A. in Theater/Political Science, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Wesleyan University, and a M.S.W. (Masters of Social Work) from Smith College.)

ANN SLATER AND AGE ARE A BEAUTIFUL COUPLE

 ANN SLATER: ADVANCED STYLE ICON FROM NEW YORK HAS NEVER LET A SILLY THING LIKE AGE KEEP HER FROM BEING CHIC!

New York socialite Anne Slater has remained consistently stylish with her signature blue eye glasses and brushed back hair which  she adopted  in the 1950's. These details have helped her create a look that remains uber chic and which has won her the honor being included in The International Best Dressed List .The International Best Dressed List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time. 

New York was a moving cocktail party,” says Anne Slater, immaculately dressed, accessorized with her signature cobalt-blue glasses. The style icon and social fixture is reminiscing about the extremely lively scene that took place in her sprawling apartment at 998 Fifth Avenue, which overlooks the Metropolitan Museum of Art—and which is now on the market for $17.7 million. “I don’t like just having parties where you come in and you get hors d’oeuvre. That is very ho-hum. I like something that is, you know, a little fuller.””Ho-hum never had a chance here, between the duke of Windsor’s impromptu drum performance one night and Rosie the dancing bear doing a waltz with Johnny Gallagher another. When El Morocco closed, Slater explains, the club would empty out and head over to her place for a few late- night/early-morning games of Ping-Pong. Her guest-list regulars were “a mishmash” of people like Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Porfirio Rubirosa, Grace Kelly, and Fred Astaire. Definitely not ho-hum.
nymag.com/realestate/vu/2006/16651/‎

China Machado, 83, Another Beautiful Woman Most of us Don't Know

BRAVO TO COLE HAAN FOR USING CHINA MACHADO IN THEIR ADS

YOU may not have heard the name China (pronounced Cheena) Machado, but the 83-year-old has a modelling pedigree that today's young faces could only dream of - although she does feel some sympathy for them.

"When I modeled, we had to know the clothes. We had to know how to move," she explained. "These poor girls just come in and they're thrown in the closet and walk out. When I was in Givenchy, the clothes were made on the models, and we were really proud of the clothes we wore, so we showed them in a different way."

Aside from being a muse for Givenchy, Machado's most famous work was with Richard Avedon, who photographed her many times - and she was the first non-Caucasian model to be featured in a leading fashion magazine, in February 1959.

Speaking as she fronts yet another campaign, for American label Cole Haan, the model has been reflecting on her incredible, enduring career ("I retired. But people keep calling"), and has revealed that fashion still keeps her busy.

"Every two weeks or so, it's 'Oh, I gotta go to New York to be photographed.' So that breaks up my day," she told New York Magazine. "And then weekends we have lots of friends over, and we're always cooking."

Fortunately, she's happy to share her health and beauty secrets, learned over almost seven decades in the industry.

"You can't worry about ageing because that's the worst thing. If you start, then you just keep finding more things you don't like, and then you're finished. There are a lot of things I could have done to my face, but it would never stop."

One habit we can definitely adopt is her recommendation of a nice afternoon nap.

"I make myself lie down every afternoon; otherwise I'll be too exhausted by the night-time," she admitted. "If I can't nap I'll watch a little bit of TV and just relax for two or three hours… You know, I'm a dinosaur."www.vogue.co.uk/..August 2013