A 76-year-old woman has been judged for not wearing appropriate attire for her age.
Unphased by the criticisms, Candace Leslie Cima responded to the negativity by showing off her flawless figure in a chic black one-piece swimsuit.
Candace Leslie Cima is a 76-year-old mother, grandmother, wife, artist, businesswoman, and model born in Buffalo, New York. She is known for her blog “Life In My 70s: Aging Is Changing,” in which she discusses how women should embrace all the things that come with aging naturally and gives lifestyle and fashion advice.
According to Cima, she has always had a keen fascination with the concept of aging and its often negative associations attached to it. Her interest in the aging process started when she was in her 20s and 30s.
As a businesswoman, she is the owner of a senior housing community and has been for over 32 years. Of her years getting to know older people from different backgrounds, Cima concluded:
“The one thing I know for sure is that Aging is Changing. We are not our mothers or our grandmothers. We now have the chance to be productive, intelligent, compassionate, [and] stylish women throughout our later years.”
Speaking of style and fashion, Cima is also well-known for showcasing her gorgeous fashions on her TikTok account, where she typically adorns very trendy and what some may consider youthful apparel. Despite garnering 94,000 followers on TikTok, Cima often experiences trolling over what she chooses to post.
Many people criticize the beauty for not dressing for her age and deem her outfits inappropriate. However, the unbothered 76-year-old does not let the haters get to her by any means and instead claps back at them by continuing to adorn the clothes she wants to wear.
In a previous TikTok video, she was seen sporting a chic daytime look that appeared as an outfit someone in their late 20s to early 30s may have also worn: a short-sleeved white top with edgy light blue slacks and open-toed white heels.
The text in the video shows a previous negative comment by a viewer expressing how Cima should not be wearing what she is wearing at age 60. While strutting her stuff in the video, she shuts the comment down and corrects the viewer, saying that she was actually 75 at the time.
Another mic-drop moment was when she appeared again in a TikTok video this year, adorning a chic, figure-hugging, black one-piece swimsuit while on vacation in Florida. While strolling around the poolside area, her supporters gushed about how amazing she looked.
Cima’s social media account on TikTok was initially created to encourage people to rid themselves of negative connotations concerning aging. She seeks to empower women of any age to embrace the beauty that comes with aging naturally and gracefully.
Unthwarted by people who have told her that she shouldn’t wear certain items of clothing because it is frowned upon at her age, Cima continues to inspire fellow older women. On her blog, she frequently talks about the elements of aging she loves.
Of all the elements, being less stressed, having the maturity to accept things out of her control, learning to do something new, and being fearless are her favorite characteristics of aging. According to Cima, aging has the potential to be the best time of someone’s life:
“Many older women live vibrant and fulfilling lives as they age. More and more women are setting records and breaking through barriers.”
As someone who has engulfed herself in every facet of aging, Cima makes it no secret that, of course, there are the occasional older women who set limitations on themselves as to what they can or cannot do. However, she is adamant about other older women not allowing themselves to be influenced or shaped by this rhetoric that dictates that women are incapable of doing certain things past a particular age.
As she has gotten older, Cima reports being more consciously aware of how anxiety and stress affect her. She discloses that though the feelings are unavoidable, with time and meditation, she recognized a way to combat the detrimental physical effects of those negative feelings by balancing and working on the relationship between herself and her stress and anxiety.
Cima continues to ignore the ageist criticism dished out by haters on social media.
With aging comes perspective and experience, ultimately setting the tone for one’s attitude toward life. Cima says:
“Attitude is everything, and changing how you look at something can change how you feel about it. Changing how you feel about it can change the outcome… Aging does not mean stopping; it means you now have accumulated wisdom that is unstoppable if you want it to be.”
Outside of her dazzling fashion statements, Cima’s slender physique makes a statement on its own. The 76-year-old is able to maintain her incredible physique by staying fit and active regularly.
In another video she posted on TikTok, she showed off her fantastic yogi skills while engaging in her daily yoga routine. Cima can bend and contort herself into different kinds of shapes and poses, showing how extremely flexible she is.
The 38-second clip revealed Cima dressed in all-black athletic attire on her yoga mat. From the cat-camel stretch to a full-blown split, she awed onlookers who were inspired to see an older woman being capable of doing such things. One viewer commented:
“You are so inspiring! I am 44 and have been following a few older women on social media to provide me with examples of graceful and healthy aging.”
Cima continues to ignore the ageist criticism dished out by haters on social media. She remains unthwarted in her efforts to empower women who may not be comfortable with aging and inspires others who look for examples to follow.
