As a woman, I know firsthand what it’s like to feel pressured by society to look a certain way in order to be considered beautiful. The interesting thing to me is that as teenage girls, we actually believe that our beauty is wrapped up in how we look. As adults, we know better. We know that beauty comes from within; however, the fascinating part about it is that even though we know that, we many times don’t feel comfortable in our own skin unless we conform to society’s image of beauty anyway.

For me personally, I weigh the same thing now as I did in high school, but it took a year of practically starving myself to get there. Was it worth it? Some days the answer is yes and some days the answer is no. It depends on how hungry I am in that moment. Aside from weight, many of us struggle with aging. We do everything we can to maintain our youth because we live in a youth-obsessed society.

I love it when I can write an article that helps to break down the stereotypes and ridiculous standards that society tries to attach to us. I remember how good it felt to write Curvy Women Are Beautiful because you know what? They are. I wanted to make sure everyone knew it. Today it’s all about aging and supermodels. When we think of supermodels, the words that come mind are young, skinny, and pretty, right? It’s that supermodel image that drives teenage girls to develop eating disorders and self-esteem problems.

I’d like you to meet Daphne Selfe. She is an 82-year-old supermodel with an impressive portfolio and client list. While she’s been in her ’80s, she’s modeled for Dolce & Gabbana, Olay, Nivea, Tata-Naka, Michiko Koshino, Gap, Wunderkind, Red or Dead and more. She’s appeared in Vogue, Marie Claire, Harpers Bazaar, Italian Vanity Fair, Tatler, The Observer, The Times and countless other fashion magazines.

Daphne modeled when she was young, but then took several decades off to rear her three children. She didn’t get back into modeling again until she was in her ’70s. She credits good genes and luck for her sought after looks, although she does make a point to exercise everyday by doing yoga, pilates and gardening, She says she’s never had plastic surgery and doesn’t intend to. Her grace, elegance and charm shine through in her photographs, along with her long gray hair. When asked what her favorite item in her wardrobe is, she answered that it’s a mauve cardigan she bought in 1971. What a beautiful story about a special lady. Suddenly growing gracefully growing old doesn’t seem that bad, does it? Screw what society says. Let’s just be ourselves and smile!