I'm with nightowl. The beauty of older women is in their faces where the character shines through.

DH says one of the reasons he married me was because I have cheekbones Tegan but I feel they just emphasise the fact that the rest of my face has gone baggy and sunken.

ok good to read all your comments,
but I feel our genes, bone structure and disposition--ie having a loving/happy nature - all these go into making an attractive women, no matter what age !
sad to say there are those unfortunate by birth- these are the only people who may be helped by others with various means at their disposal;

even these can look better with a smile - beauty is in the eye of those who love us! and that's what really counts, babies, children will always love their mothers/nanas/ and gt grans !

and for me that's all I ask ! (apart from the mirror -sometimes !)

flowers.

I find this whole debate very depressing, beauty is so difficult to define and means different things to different people. Most people, whatever their age aren't beautiful, but many people, of all ages are visually interesting and very worthy of capturing on film and others aren't.
The High Street, is full of so many fascinating older women, and it's also full of wobbly, over weight youngsters, who look appalling and the idea of their 'young natural beauty' being preferable to see rather than many older womens bodies is a very unedifying thought!

photoshop can do wonders to ones image!!

I have no particular thought about the photo as such, it is neither lovely nor ugly. Good on anybody, of any age with the confidence to do such a photo shoot and I am sure it will be a treasured photo for many years.

Beauty is very difficult to define. If it has a literal sense then I would prefer to see a fresh, blooming rose in my vase than one starting to wilt, shed it's leaves and go brown around the ages. If I hold a child's toy I like to see it used and fraying around the edges showing it has had been cherished and used.

Beauty being 'skin deep' then I think of a face that shines with a love of life, eyes that engage with you with kindness, a smile that says I am pleased to see you, all are beautiful characteristics that make me happy.

If any of you are in Dorset , we have actress Harriet Walter speaking at Dorset Womens Day about her photo book of older women - they are stunning - It is in Dorchester on March 1st

Are you going to that? If you do and you speak to her can you please tell her that I saw the film 'Reflections' on the telly years ago and never forget it; managed to see it again on utube for the first time not long ago. It's haunted me for years; a beautiful film and so well acted.

If there is one thing I can thank the menopause for it's the cessation of caring if I feel/look beautiful or not; I have no interest in men (in that way) so I am happy to be who and what I am - if others feel that beauty is important in women until the day they day (though strangely, not in men ) that is their problem to deal with and not try to foist their ideas on me! If I want to look plain and unappealing, I darned well will!

About this picture of that very older women..I can't help but think --put it away love.. I mean you can see all of her loose skin and all of that,,not nice..there comes a time when you have to accept that you can not walk around half naked and not scare yourself and possibly others with how things have gone a bit saggy..

What can you do, its part of life, its just best to accept it and be happy and grateful that you have lived long ebough to aquire the saggy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O4QzHeUE-CM

Bags has already posted that link, jane - still good though!

That was brilliant! the main person that was singing was the best one rally and thats how I want to be when I get a little older, thank you for sharing that

Oops

Im glad you posred again jane!!

posted

(Ahoy Gransnetters... under Culture)

I give up. I thought at this stage of life we would be judged on what we are rather than what we look like. Years ago in my 40's I had to catch a bus. It was after 9 in the morning. There must have been a women's club outing. The bus was full of women between 65 to around 80+ I remember it vividly because I thought out of these 50 women 1 or2 would have been truly beautiful. 9 or 10 would have been really attractive, 9or 10 may have been very unattractive and the rest good to o.k and now they all look the same. I thought age would be the time for the plain to really shine bacause they had to develop good personalities and personalities don't really age. I have seen truly lovely interesting portraits of people of all ages. It's the draping themselves in cloth and staring pouting into the beyond that I find a bit distasteful. Maybe I'm just not intellectual arty enough to appreciate this kind of photography. It does nothing for me

The exhibition has been a year in the making and the photographer has travelled the length and breadth of England & Wales to photograph 10 women ..... why so few?

I think I might have to go along and check it out!

Is that Sarah Millican in the photo ?

I agree with Kiora in that it's the pouting and bare flesh and giving a sexual innuendo that I don't like. it's just that - to me - it comes across as 60/70/80 acting like 20/30/40 and a bit sad/desperate.
Now.... please don't misunderstand me, I'm all for being 'active' and a bit of innuendo, but think that looking through/wearing a piece of voile (or vaseline on the camera lens, for example) is a little more forgiving.

I mean, on one leg I have varicose veins and so can't do nice summer dresses well, but I will wear a nice shift summer dress and add leggings that go down to just above the ankle.
As my granddaughter said.... Granny, why do you have pen marks all over your leg ???? There comes a time to cover up and leave a little to the imagination.

coolgran65

leave a little to the imagination

I think all age groups would benefit from following that line of logic!

I prefer the attitude of Ari Seth Cohen who has photographed and published a book but older women who dress with style(and with no upper age limit!). It is called 'Advanced Style'. Style has nothing to do with beauty and comes from within and is not an accident of genes or maintenance. I have always admired people of all ages and genders who have style to those who happen to have physical beauty.

As gillybob points out, the majority of women are not beautiful, even when young. I can remember someone saying to me that I was one of the lucky ones who would improve with age! At least it gave me something to look forward to, I still am, I assume I will be stunning if I reach 90!

flickety I googled your mr Cohen. The photographs are indeed lovely. I particularly liked the photograph of the lady in the bright orange suit. He really has captured something of the women he photographed thanks for sharing.