By Rebecca Drew
STYLISH WIDOW is determined to āSTAY VISIBLEā to fight against ageism and has almost FIFTY-FOUR THOUSAND followers on Instagram where she showcases her most outrageous looks.
Former psychiatric nurse, style blogger and model, Judith Boyd (76) from Denver, Colorado, USA, has always had a keen interest in fashion ā particularly statement headwear.
Working as a psychiatric nurse Ā beginning in the seventies, Judith showcased her hats while working in mental health settings as a form of āmeditationā for herself but also to brighten the days of her patients, many of whom were going through the most harrowing time of their life.

As she grew older, Judith grew frustrated by the lack of positivity surrounding ageing and the terms used to describe older women. After doing research, Judith decided to reclaim the word ācroneā and turn it into a positive sentiment – with the support of her late husband, Nelson, as her photographer, her blog, Style Crone was born in 2010.
Nelson was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and Judith cared for him until he sadly passed away aged 62, nine months after her blog was set up. Judith carried on with her blog in Nelsonās honour and says all her modelling opportunities since are born from āthe ashes of griefā.
Judith now has an incredible 53.9K followers on Instagram under the handle, @stylecrone, where she showcases her incredible sense of style and taste in hats.

Social media has given Judith an online support system in addition to her friends and family in real life and despite some negative comments regarding her outfits, Judith, who turns 77 later this month, continues to stay active and visible online to stand against ageism as she cherishes the āgiftā of growing older.
āI started my blog in 2010, nine months before my husband died of cancer and he was my photographer which was something he had never done before. I blogged about outfits and cancer caregiving, outfits and death, outfits and grief and then outfits and my reinvention which all of this is part of,ā said Judith.
āNone of this would have happened; my modelling, everything what Iām doing now with Style Crone comes forth from the ashes of grief.

āI researched words to describe older women and there were none that were positive. There was only āmatureā but mature could mean a twenty year old, a younger person could be mature and so I was drawn to the word ācroneā because in the past, older women who the word crone was used to define were revered and considered to be a very valued part of culture.
āAt this point, the word ācroneā in the dictionary was defined as an āugly old womanā so I thought it was time to reclaim it and turn that word on its head and turn it into a positive. My deceased husband was very supportive of me using that term.
āWhat we created together lives with me today and so I just keep moving forward even though sometimes itās not easy as it takes a lot of time and effort, itās a labour of love and I keep moving forward to see whatās going to happen next.

āIām a mixture of introvert and extrovert. I think my confidence was built and the major change for me was my relationship with my deceased husband. He was just so supportive and adored me just as I was, and I feel that that was what created the anchor for me to grow and to stretch.
āDuring the time that my husband was sick and dying, I had this new support system. My friends in real life were supportive but online was a support system I hadnāt realised was out there. There was no one else blogging about style and death at the time.ā
Incredible pictures showcase Judithās passion for headwear, the number of how many items of which she owns would be too time consuming to count.

Judith went onto discuss how she deals with negative comments but praised her blogging and modelling career now for allowing her to interact with people from all walks of life, which keeps her curious.
āThere are always going to be haters out there but theyāre easy to delete. I just donāt pay attention to it at this point. Not everybody is going to agree with me, Iām not for everybody and thatās fine,ā she said.
āIf thereās an intensely negative comment, I have the power to delete it. I donāt have to see it. If someone doesnāt like my style, thatās one thing. I donāt have to see it.Ā But if that goes to the extent of hate, I just delete it.

āThere is ageism. Ageism is a very real thing and thatās part of what my blog is about. I will be seventy-seven this month and Iām very proud of it, so I flaunt it. I feel like itās a political act to stay visible as an older woman. On social media, itās my responsibility in a way.
āNo matter where I travel now, there is always a blogger, an Instagrammer or a milliner wherever I travel, and it just makes life so rich and interesting. Itās important to maintain curiosity. Curiosity fuels my life.ā
Judith shared her top tips to help other older women who might feel left behind by society.

āNumber one, focus on your health and then from there just have a passion whether it be gardening, or painting or art, for me art is putting together ensembles, thatās my art,ā she said.
āYou donāt have to focus on style if thatās not your interest or something you want to pursue. If you are wanting to focus on style, let it be your own self-expression, and let it come from inside.
āI can appreciate the style of everyone I see, if youāre very casual, or youāre very understated, thatās fine. I just happen to be very into hats, headwear, sustainable fashion, and finding what I wear is very positive for the environment is something thatās important to me, climate change is something Iām very interested in now.

āJust be who you are, learn about ageism and educate yourself about it because that is a way to feel more empowered as we move through this time in our lives. We have value, no matter our age. Another thing I think is important is to form relationships with all generations and from all backgrounds, it will add so much value to your life.
āTo be growing older is a gift because so many people I know have not had the privilege of growing older. I just focus on my own style and itās my self-expression. I feel that feeling positive about myself and where I am today is the most important message I can convey.

āItās ok to be the age I am or to be older or younger but itās important to enjoy my life. Itās very important to have a passion or to feel as though I am giving back and my focussing on climate change is because I want my grandchildren to have a liveable planet.
āFast fashion is very much contributing to climate change. Thatās why I wear what I see to be sustainable. Buying second-hand and supporting artisans and small businesses is important as well. Iāve been doing that since the seventies and I didnāt even know about climate change at that point.ā
For more information see www.instagram.com/stylecrone/