Ageless & Unapologetic: How These Latinas Are Redefining Style and Beauty on Their Own Terms
Throughout history, beauty, fashion, entertainment, and, frankly, most industries have reinforced the idea that beauty, style, and many of life’s finer things are reserved for the young. While many stereotypes and prejudices persist today, a growing movement defies the misguided belief that good style and beauty have an expiration date.
Style Beyond Age
While there’s still a long way to go to properly address ageism in high fashion, some shifts suggest the industry might be welcoming change. Whether on the runways, red carpets, or social media, people are finding different ways to protest ageism and unreasonable beauty expectations.
Older women are increasingly present on the runways and campaign imagery. On the catwalks, for example, brands such as Miu Miu, Prada, and Valentino have given the spotlight to women of all ages, underscoring the importance of age representation in all forms. Meanwhile, stars like Salma Hayek aren’t shying away from publicly sharing makeup-free pictures and displaying natural signs of aging. Instead of hiding them, they are embracing and transforming age signs into style statements.
Beauty and Fashion Without Expiration Date
Similarly, women across the globe are using social media to demonstrate that you can be stylish, beautiful, and confident at any age. These women reject old-fashioned standards and defy the notion of “age-appropriate” fashion. Their style journeys have spotlighted beauty, grace, and style in all forms, celebrating women’s bodies regardless of age.
For instance, fabulous Latinas, like Mexico-based Diana Sepúlveda and Celina Padilla, offer style tips and display their beauty routines. Their increasingly large audiences regard them as trusted authorities in fashion and beauty, looking up to them for style inspiration.
Celina Padilla’s Style Journey
Padilla, a former hairstylist with a passion for fashion, started sharing her day-to-day looks, encouraged by her family. “One day, my daughter told me she couldn’t find enough representation of women my age showing outfit ideas on social media — especially Latinas,” she tells FIERCE. “So I decided to give it a try. I never imagined it would reach so many people.”
Her videos, where she displays a stylish wardrobe spanning bright-colored blazers, wide-legged pants, and statement bags, have accrued more than 77K likes on TikTok alone. As she shares with FIERCE, her inspiration comes from her personal life and what makes her feel good and confident. “I’m also inspired by current trends, but I always adapt them to my style and what I know is flattering to my body — not because of my age,” she explains.
For Padilla, fashion is a form of art and personal expression
Watching her follow count grow and the positive reactions her videos spark has been a source of happiness for Padilla. “I never thought sharing my outfits and beauty tips could impact so many people,” she says. “[My social media journey has] also helped me step out of my comfort zone and connect with people who share my love for fashion and beauty.”
Realizing that not only women her age follow and support her has further inspired Padilla to craft content on social media. “I love knowing that I inspire other women to dress confidently and remember that beauty starts from within,” she tells FIERCE. “It makes me so happy to be a part of so many women’s lives and remind them that the most important is self-confidence. [Meanwhile,] they remind me that dreams do come true!”
Beauty for Everybody
Mexican creator Diana Sepúlveda’s content is equally focused on advocating for confidence at all ages. The silver-haired beauty first gained a following online as she shared her journey embracing her natural grays. Welcoming physical change was a catalyst for major personal transformations and mindset shifts.
“I started [creating content] 11 years ago, posting makeup tutorials. However, I transformed [myself] when I changed into gray hair,” Sepúlveda tells FIERCE. “Then, I started discovering so many things and so much information I didn’t know.” Upon discovering the beauty of gray hair and being confident in your own skin, Sepúlveda says she made it a mission to share quality content that would inspire and truly impact other women.
“I talk a lot about gray hair and how it came to me. It was a radical change in my life. People began to identify with it,” she explains. “[Changing into gray hair] allowed me to grow and meet a lot of people. It gave me the chance to connect with more women and support them in that transformation.”
As Sepúlveda explains, embracing natural grays can be difficult, hindered by stereotypes, ageism, and negative comments. But, as her experience proves, confidence and self-love are key. Community and representation, of course, contribute to improving the journey. “Some of the content I post can be very emotive. We’re women who want to identify with one another as we are,” she says. “I love that because I have a community across the world, from Europe to Latin America, [in countries like] France, Japan, Mexico and Perú. It’s beautiful to get to so many places and women, leaving them inspiration.”
Style Runs in Latinas’ Veins
Like Sepúlveda, Edith Aguirre, a former ABC’s Golden Bachelor Season 1 participant, champions representation for gray-haired women. Her social media content revolves around beauty, fashion, and enjoying life to its fullest.
Meanwhile, fashion accounts like Pechuga Vintage, the trusted and celebrity-loved fashion store for vintage high fashion, have given their flowers to their abuelitas. On TikTok, the shop often features owner Johnny Valencia’s grandmother, dressed in the most iconic looks. Needless to say, she slays every look, from archival Jean Paul Gaultier to outfits taken straight from Moschino’s Barbie-inspired runway.
The women behind these accounts not only bring a refreshing take on style and social media but also share their knowledge with the world. Their videos inspire women of all ages to use fashion as a tool for self-expression and never stop experimenting with style. Most importantly, their social media presence proves that much of the pressure women face to fit a mold or extend their youth is pointless and misguided.
We are fabulous, stylish, and beautiful at any age.
