SoSensational is grateful to The Times for highlighting the story of Nicola Griffin, from Nottingham, England, who at age 56 is the star of the latest “Swimsuit issue” of American magazine Sports Illustrated.
Generally, starring in the Swimsuit Issue is reserved for the hottest celebrity babe of the moment who is photographed in a Swimsuit – usually an itsy-bitsy bikini.
Back in the day, the Swimsuit Issue, launched in 1964, had as much macho prestige in the US as the Michelin Calendar had in Europe and served a similar purpose – to provide eye-candy for the wall anywhere where male workers wanted to advertise their machismo. Thus previous stars have included Cheryl Tiegs, Bar Refaeli and Beyonce. Previous non-models have included Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki.
The Michelin Calendar and the Swimsuit Issue were the Victoria’s Secret Runway Shows of their day… the most prestigious and public place to flaunt female flesh.
But for the latest Swimsuit Issue, Sports Illustrated has not taken the “celebrity babe” route; it has shunned the likes of Gisele Bündchen, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner and has instead chosen Ms Griffin, 56, an English mother of twins and apparently a size 16.
As Times writer Shane Watson points out: “It means that someone high up somewhere is saying: ‘This woman is just as hot as Gigi Hadid. We like how this looks and we think you will too… Let’s see more women who look like women . . .’”
Griffin was chosen after someone spotted her in the street and liked her look. She had no experience of the fashion world, has had no “work” (i.e no cosmetic surgery) and claims not to diet. She says of her stomach: “It is not a flat stomach, it is rounded. This is me.”
To quote Watson again: “In short, Griffin is what a 56-year-old woman — outside the fashion bubble — looks like. We’re in the process of redefining what 50-something looks like…
“Elle ‘the Body’ Macpherson looks, if anything, slightly better in a bikini at 51 than she ever did. Luscious Liz Hurley is 50 and bikini-tastic. And alabaster-skinned Julianne Moore is 55 but could be 35… Now, to add to those dazzling examples, we have a 50-something real housewife from Nottingham” posing for the Swimsuit Issue.”
Like Watson, SoSensational is all for redefining 50-something, embracing our age and enjoying what we’ve got. The truth is that redefining what the 50s look like is “one part acceptance, one part confidence. It’s a willingness to look at yourself in the mirror (repeat, yourself — not the 30-year-old you) and heed the advice of women who are already in the zone.”
That ladies, is us – the team at SoSensational, who are here to help…
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