I’m 76, and love wearing swimming costumes – trolls bodyshame me but I look great even with wrinkles
ALMOST everyone feels a bit anxious about slipping into a swimsuit, whatever their age is.
Beauty standards make it almost impossible for women to feel confident but one woman has hit back at the trolls and refuses to hang up her swimsuit – even in her 70s.
Body positivity influencer Candace Leslie Cima is known for her sophisticated style, with the former model proving that age really is just a number.
From elegant evening wear to relaxed poolside skirts, the 76-year-old regularly shares her stunning outfits on social media and has tips on how to stay confident as the years pass.
Despite her ‘pro-aging’ pages on TikTok and Instagram, the glam grandma has often been targeted by cruel trolls – especially after she posted photos of herself relaxing poolside.
Some even claimed that she couldn’t wear strappy sandals because of her advanced years.
Many of us might not have kept posting, but Candace refuses to let the hurtful comments get to her and shared a heartfelt Instagram post about the beauty to be found in aging.
Uploaded with a video of her in a stunning monochromatic swimsuit, she told fans that she’d lived too long to worry about covering up.
“Yes I do have all the same problems that any woman my age has! I have freckles, age spots and wrinkles. Am I not supposed to have those?,” she asked, adding: “After all 76 years is a lot of years of living.”
The caption continued with the older woman questioning why women are so ashamed of ‘natural aging’, including: sagging skin, wrinkles and even freckles.
“Who made us think that there is now something to hide?” she wrote, encouraging others to enjoy life without fearing how they’d aged.
She pointedly told fans in the lengthy post: “Why would we stop embracing life and having fun and enjoying fashion just because of a few natural changes in our skin?”
While other influencers promote plastic surgery and other ‘tweakments’, Candace’s post about natural beauty rapidly went viral – gaining over 5,000 likes.
Having struck accord with other women, hundreds began to share their own experiences of body shaming as they had aged.
Many even admitted that they felt so anxious, they opted to cover up rather than be judged.
“You have given me confidence to show my arms,” gushed one user, saying: “Why was I bothered about what people would think?”
“Thank you for sharing. I’m 62 and struggling in my head with the aging process,” added another.
Others were in awe of the influencer’s incredible look and were in awe of Candice’s timeless style.
“You look amazing. Aging is natural and normal,” wrote a third, telling others: “Enjoy life and that includes wearing a swimsuit, shorts, whatever is comfortable and helps you embrace the joy of living!”
In the weeks and months that have followed, Candace has continued to post and defiantly lives by her catchphrase: Aging is changing.
We couldn’t agree more with the senior citizen!