Why are wrinkles undesireable?

[Lillemor]

I have trouble embracing my nasio-labal lines or whatever that lack of plumpness in the cheeks that cause that line running from the nose down the line is called. Now I finally understand why some older celebrities are always smiling like mad in photos.

However, I don't judge others by the same standards I judge myself and I generally find more mature features attractive. No offense to the younger FD members, we'll all eventually get our time.lol I get more compliments on my appearance now than I did when I was younger.

fftopic: Maybe I'm just better at receiving compliments?

The double standard in looks between the genders have always irritated me and I've thought deeply about it from a very young age. I would walk away crying for an older woman if her man was leeching at me. I'd probably think about it much longer than any of the wives of these men.

As a girl I thought Susan Sarandon exhuted a natural mature confidence. I'm not so sure I think so anymore looking at recent photos though. I like Cate Blanchett's looks for the same reason; She just naturally looks mature and confident. Those were the types of looks I aspired to growing up because I didn't know that nature probably won't ever let me age that way.lol

Now I just want to age like the mothers in Joy Luck Club which was my favorite movie when it came out and so was the book:

fftopic: Now I find the way Asian men are portrayed in the film and book problematic but I still admirer the styles on the actors and actresses when the older women have flash backs to their youth.

I felt especially inspired by the mother on the far end with her hair pulled back and you can see an earring and the mother in the foreground wearing green.

 

[fortworthgal]

I'm a huge believer in "growing old gracefully." I do color my hair to cover gray, and I use night creams and eye creams and makeup, but I have no interest in injecting gel or anything of the like into my face to remove wrinkles. I don't *want* to look creaseless and inanimate, like the creepy chick on the Juvederm commercials.

I just don't see what is so terrible about aging naturally.

 

[dhermann1]

I think we grossly underestimate the power of those squiggly little molecules known as DNA. Nature is always taking its course, whether we like it or not.
It's all about estrogen, basically. A woman who looks like she has loads of estrogen coursing through her veins is always going to turn heads, and vice versa.
The little molecules have their own agenda. THEY WANT TO REPLICATE THEMSELVES!!!

 

[Fletch]

It's an effing tragedy that women are still valued more for their appearance than anything else in modern society, after all we have done to further our journey towards equality this is the thing that prevents us from truly achieving it.

True enough. And I don't wish to one-up you- but it's as much of a tragedy (in a different way) that men are still valued more for their ability to produce than anything else - and that goes for relationships too. It's our sex appeal, or it's conditioned to be.

CNN said last night that a lot of people's sex lives are going to hell because the man loses his job or takes a pay cut. (Doesn't so much matter when the woman does.)

What the f*¢!! kind of psychic bull$#!! is that? That is pathetic.

Or is it? Maybe those who don't believe are the pathetic ones - shunted aside in the race of life and making excuses about it. Maybe we ought to be wary of accepting difference in sex roles that are so basic to society.

OK, back to women and their appearance. Helen Mirren does things to me I can't write about on this forum. So does Allison Janney. There are others.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

aging women role models in films

Two of my very favorites right now are of course Helen Mirren, and Judi Dench.

If you have NOT seen Dame Judi in the HBO film "The Last of the Blonde Bombshells" get thee to Netflix or the local video store pronto!! This terrific film with much if it set in England during WWII also stars Ian Holm, Olympia Dukakis, jazz singer Cleo Laine, and Leslie Caron- who are all terrific!

Personally, I just turned 50 in Aug 2008, and I think I'm finally coming into my own regarding who I am and what I want to be - for myself and no one else. I've just recently decided to h- with what anybody else thinks about what I wear or look like. I think I'm aging pretty well, because of my energetic personality and enthusiasm for life I'm always surprising people when I say I'm 50. Here I am in my vintage 40's gal mode worn today to church and then to the Vintage Fashion Expo in SF.

Pic 1 church outfit this morning: with non vintage hair, Pic 2 early evening: showing sans hat and hair still partly done up minus the belt to be more period correct.

 

[Tomasso]

Maybe I'm just better at receiving compliments

Practice makes perfect.

 

[Lillemor]

Lovely outfit chanteuse! I agree with you on the attitude and outlook on life. Even when I was little and as a younger adult before signs of aging began to show, people always say they "see" a grumpy old man when they look at me.lol

 

[Spitfire]

ChanteuseCarey - pardon me for saying so: But you look charming, knowing and quite a dish.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[LRSdog]

ChanteuseCarey - pardon me for saying so: But you look charming, knowing and quite a dish.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

+1

Since I was a wee lad (and, obviously, had no choice due to my age) I have always liked older women. I guess I decided long ago that the reason signs of age are attractive is because it invariably means that the woman in question has confidence and a life to live and far better things to do than to concentrate inordinate amounts of time, $$, and effort toward erasing years.

 

[Foofoogal]

http://fotos.portalcab.com/albums/mulheres-lindas/portalcab_foto_catherine-zeta-jones.jpg

this 40 year old blows them all away IMHO.
Nicole is scary looking to me.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

http://fotos.portalcab.com/albums/mulheres-lindas/portalcab_foto_catherine-zeta-jones.jpg

this 40 year old blows them all away IMHO.
Nicole is scary looking to me.

Yep she sure does. After air brushing and a few other touch ups anyone can.lol lol

 

[chanteuseCarey]

a WooHoo to you sir...

AMEN brother! :eusa_clap
Though I have lots of lotions and potions I use
I'm sure you've no doubt heard this, and I'm paraphrasing-

"The best kind of husband is an archeologist. The older you get the more fascinating you are to him."

Since I was a wee lad (and, obviously, had no choice due to my age) I have always liked older women. I guess I decided long ago that the reason signs of age are attractive is because it invariably means that the woman in question has confidence and a life to live and far better things to do than to concentrate inordinate amounts of time, $$, and effort toward erasing years.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Aw shucks,

Thanks Spitfire. I wouldn't trade being young again for nuthin'. I used say that in my twenties I was young and stupid... I completed college and got my college degree (double) at almost 36 yo and was then preggers with our first child. I have always said, I wasn't even interesting to myself until I was at least thirty!

With now having hit fifty last August, this has been quite a stellar year in acceptance of myself in many ways. I've done and tried many things I would have never been self confident or bold enough to have done when I was younger.

ChanteuseCarey - pardon me for saying so: But you look charming, knowing and quite a dish.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Foofoogal]

I think we are all a work in progress and never really know ourselves until we have been tested. Some sail thru life and some with age earn those wrinkles.
I do love this time of my life more than any other overall but lots of twists and turns this year.
Reminds me of rings on a tree trunk. Some good years, some bad but they all can be used to make that tree stronger in the long run.
I am learning with age that I am beginning slowly to accept the lack of understanding of some as they have no solid experience they can relate to.
fftopic:
If I can just repeat this to myself daily maybe I will not get as many wrinkles though I think overall it is a heredity thing.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

amen sister.

Gosh, if the tears of sadness, grief, hurt and disappointment could work as an under eye moisturizer/eye cream, I'd have no lines there...

 

[chanteuseCarey]

a great photo courtesy Mojito

I saw this on Mojito's site. I asked her permission to share it on this thread. The pose and countenance on this lovely older(-ish) woman says it all. What an air of self confidence and contentment with who she is that comes through in this photograph. Who says wrinkles are undesireable? PHOOEY on that! My DH helped fade away the background on this pic in Photoshop to put more of the focus on the main subject- SHE has not been retouched!

 

[Lillemor]

I'll try to think of myself as a work in progress rather than a decaying piece of work.

 

[Lillemor]

I always thought she had a soulful face but I wouldn't mind having this kind of tough classiness when I grow older.

I actually prefer her features now over her younger face:

 

[Mojito]

I saw this on Mojito's site. I asked her permission to share it on this thread. The pose and countenance on this lovely older(-ish) woman says it all. What an air of self confidence and contentment with who she is that comes through in this photograph. Who says wrinkles are undesireable? PHOOEY on that! My DH helped fade away the background on this pic in Photoshop to put more of the focus on the main subject- SHE has not been retouched!

Thank you, Carey! Jill is my dearest friend, and has always been a style icon for me. I've known her since I was in my late teens and she was in her late twenties, and she has always inspired me. She's not a vintage collector per se (although she now has a few pieces from the 20s), but when you give her an array of accessories she knows exactly which ones to choose and what make up to use. Your DH did a wonderful job on that photo with the background figures. Jill is every bit as graceful and confident as she appears in that photo - I've seen so many women of all ages turn naturally to her for advice and support.

I'm deriving a lot of inspiration from this thread - I'm at an age when these questions come up. Seeing real women like Carey underlines that style and good taste don't atrophy - they evolve.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Wow, Joan Chen has grown into a very handsome and confident looking woman!

She looks so striking! I love these two pictures. Younger pic- she has a shy, waif sort of look, and maybe even looks uncomfortable at trying to look sexual (or sexy) in her facial expression and body language. But now- one sees a face of grace, strength, and of "real" beauty as an older woman. Amazingly beautiful. Thank you for sharing these two pictures Lillemor. I agree completely with your comments here.

I always thought she had a soulful face but I wouldn't mind having this kind of tough classiness when I grow older.

I actually prefer her features now over her younger face: