Move over Kylie Jenner, there’s a new socialite in town—and she’s sporting a hot pink walking stick! Baddie Winkle, a 90-year-old Instagram sensation, has earned her over 3.8 million followers—including Rihanna and Miley Cyrus—by rocking bold fashion choices resembling those of 20-year-olds, including hot rainbow crop tops, leather bathing suits and Yeezy sweatshirts. She posts these trendy outfits on Instagram with captions referencing pop culture or alluding to her support of legalizing marijuana.
Born on a farm in Kentucky, Helen Ruth Elam Van Winkle has been “stealing your man since 1928.” Her career took off at age 85 when her great-granddaughter Kennedy Lewis posted photos of her dressed in trendy clothing on Twitter. Winkle was able to quit the factory job she worked for 28 years when her posts began getting noticed by celebrities and she earned sponsorships with brands like Fashion Nova. She now makes up to $5,000 per Instagram post and has made appearances on MTV, the Netflix show Orange is the New Black and Paper Magazine.
What brings Baddie Winkle her clout is the fact that she defies the stereotype many of us perceive towards adults over 60: that they are feeble elders who knit and nap all day. I held this preconceived notion as well, until I did a little research into the fashionable grandmas of Instagram and learned that Baddie’s personality is not an exception to the norm.
In addition to Baddie, Fordham university professor Lyn Slater further challenges these common biases with the Instagram photoshoots she models in between teaching sociology classes. She sports eccentric combinations of designer brands like Comme des Garçons and New York thrift shop pieces. Everything about Lyn is bold—her bright red lips, her unapologetic advocacy for older women and her overuse of hashtags.
Across the globe from Baddie and Lyn, 93-year-old Japanese grandma Chinami Mori is slaying the fashion game as well. Chinami is a world renowned weaver who uses a traditional Saori loom to create exquisite, colorful clothing and accessories. Her playful personality shines through her Instagram posts where she often poses with peace signs and karate chops. Her one rule to making her designs is that “there are no rules.”
These senior icons not only break the Internet, but also break down the social limitations placed upon women over 60. As former Playboy Bunny Dorrie Jacobson best puts it in her Senior Style Bible: “Beauty is ageless when worn with an air of confidence.” These fashionistas exemplify that a walker can’t stop you from dancing, dating or dominating in your industry. Style doesn’t stop at any age—no longer can we use the term “grandma panties” when older women like Baddie Winkle are now embracing thongs!