By Liana Jacob
THIS GLAM woman in her SIXTIES puts her STUNNING physique down to āGOOD GENESā and admits she EATS WHAT SHE WANTS and doesnāt follow fashion.
Business owner and part-time model, Nikki Redcliffe (62) who lives in Brighton, UK, has always been fashion-forward and even as a child she would spend all her pocket money on her wardrobe.
Her interest in fashion followed her throughout the years, even into her career when she left university and became a marketing executive in the fashion cosmetics industry. Although she was attractive in her twenties and thirties, she didnāt have as much confidence and even considered having cosmetic surgery.
It wasnāt until she was in her fifties that she began developing her own unique style after drifting away from fashion trends and finding that no shops accommodated her individual taste. She is now firmly against the idea of cosmetic surgery and decided that instead of trying to turn back the clock, she would embrace the journey of ageing.
She began posting photos of her vintage style wardrobe on Instagram and discovered a whole community dedicated to bringing back the fashion styles of the 1940s and 1950s.
Her glamorous vintage look attracted an impressive following of 29,000. A few years ago, she was approached by a modelling agency who she signed with and has since done part-time modelling. She is using her platform to prove that just because you have surpassed the age of 50, it doesnāt make you āirrelevantā or āinvisibleā.
āI was always obsessed with clothes and fashion, even as a small child. In my teens I spent every penny on my wardrobe and I still consider my Saturday job at Biba to be the best job I ever had,ā Nikki said.
āI was a dedicated follower of fashion and with a special interest in designs of the past. I hankered after a career in design but gained a History degree before going on to work in PR and then in marketing and new product development in the fashion cosmetics industry.
āI took a bit of a fashion holiday during the āmummy yearsā when time and money were in short supply, but I never lost my love of clothes.
āI was averagely nice looking and usually well-dressed, but I only really developed a strong personal style after the age of fifty, when I gave up following fashion and just wore what made me happy. Now I regard the fashion world with interest but no desire to participate.
āAs a young woman I was less confident and there were more pressures in life which I couldnāt control – work, children, family, husband, finances etc.
āI have found ageing to be very liberating and I love the freedom and independence I now have to do what I want, wear what I want, be the person I want to be.
āWhen I was younger, I thought I might resort to cosmetic surgery at some point but now Iāve reached that point where Iām completely against surgery.
āIn this world of Instagram beauty and with so many young women having cosmetic procedures I think there will be a backlash and the untouched face of ageing will have a certain cachet.
āA sensible approach to food and exercise, scrupulous skincare and a realistic view about what is achievable over the age of sixty will produce a happy and harmonious result.
āThat said, I am not against a spot of baby Botox and there are some excellent injectable skin care treatments. I personally think that fillers make womenās faces look weird and enormous lips are unnerving.
āI also hate the way everyone uses filters and image tuning apps on their photos. I play with light and colour on photos if necessary, but Iāve never learned how to get rid of my bumps, lines and wrinkles. Whatās the point? In the real world I canāt hide them.
āIām happier now than at any point in life. My twenties and thirties had many high points, particularly becoming a mother, but I wouldnāt want to change places and go through it all again. I have no regrets and am filled with excitement about what lies ahead.ā
Nikki says that her physique and complexion is a result of āfortunate genesā rather than dieting or exercise and insists that she has never been a āgreat foodieā, therefore intermittently fasts unintentionally.
She also encourages that women should stop trying to control their appearance to remain looking āyouthfulā and to instead embrace the process of ageing.
āIāve never tried to fight the ageing process or turn back the clock, I donāt want to look younger; I just want to look as good as I can, regardless of age,ā she said.
āI didnāt decide to maintain a youthful appearance. If that is the result, then it is almost accidental. I just refused to accept stereotypical views about how women āof a certain ageā should look and dress.
āA lot of women lose their confidence and give up trying. Bombarded by unrealistic images of beautiful young women; they feel hopeless and seem to embrace the beige cardigan and comfy shoes as their lot in life.
āI managed to age gracefully by having a positive attitude and refusing to believe that life was over just because I was over fifty. I never consider my age to be an obstacle.
āIn fact, now I have more time, money and freedom to look and dress as I wish. I donāt follow any diet or exercise regimes, but Iām fit, healthy and active; both mentally and physically.
āI put in a fair amount of effort on personal care and good grooming is essential to looking great at any age. I think that people have a ābest ageā and I hope mine is my sixties.
āI was never a model, but I was approached by an agency a couple of years ago and signed with them. It has not exactly resulted in a modelling career, but Iāve enjoyed the few jobs Iāve done.
āI never diet and rarely exercise. I eat and drink what I want but Iāve never been a great āfoodieā, so I donāt think about food very much.
āI donāt do any regular exercise, but Iād say Iām fit, supple and strong, which must be due to fortunate genes rather than a fitness regime.
āThere are many downsides to getting older – thinner hair, saggy skin, lines and wrinkles, loss of muscle tone etc.
āMaintenance for me means making the best of the situation rather than relentlessly trying to turn back the tide of time.
āIām definitely not trying to look younger than my age, but I do get mainly positive comments. Some people say āyou donāt look sixty-twoā as if thatās the best compliment they could give. I donāt mind looking sixty-two as long as itās the best sixty-two I can be.
āHealth is the biggest factor and a lot of women have health issues which affect their weight, their looks, their mobility and their mental wellbeing.
āFinding the right medical help to cope with menopause is crucial. Eat less, move more is often repeated but it really works.
āIām doing a dry January, which isnāt much fun but at least proves Iām not a raging alcoholic and drinking less throughout the year is a good idea.
āA personās genetic inheritance will have a bearing on what shape they might end up in later life and I realise Iām very lucky that my mother stayed slim all her life.
āAbove all, donāt feel pressure to ākeep young and beautifulā. I find the way I look affects my outlook on life and if I look good, I feel good. For some people it doesnāt matter at all. The important thing is to be happy in your own skin.ā
For more information visit: www.instagram.com/nikkiredcliffe