Jane Hilfiger
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Jane Hilfiger
“I like to change my look. I feel like I change from the outside in. I’m currently rainbow galaxy colored. I change it about three times a year so my husband feels like he has multiple wives. I love seeing vibrant women in their ’80s with pink and purple hair. Why grow old like your grandmother?”
Jennifer James
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Jennifer James
“I started coloring my hair 15 years ago, and I change it every three months to keep it vibrant. I do every color combination: sports teams, holidays, you name it. Little kids love it! That 80-year-old woman with rainbow hair and crazy jewelry? I’m gonna be her.
Mara Hennessey
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Mara Hennessey
“I tell people I fell asleep on the beach, looking at the Caribbean, and woke up like this. I’d been coloring my hair for ages, dying it jet black as it was turning gray. Then I saw a woman with silverish hair that had a lavender tint. It glowed! I started adding a little blue to my mix and four years later, my hair is pale aqua with pewter undertones. As both an artist and an activist — it works.”
Alice Carey
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Alice Carey
“The Irish go gray in their 20s, and I had no intention of going gray. I started henna-ing it in the ’70s because I loved legendary musical theater performer Gwen Verdon's fiery hair. A number of years ago, I spied her having lunch and decided to tell her. Without missing a beat, she said. "Yeah kid, now we both have orange hair." I henna it every five to six weeks. I even bring henna on the road while touring with my latest book, Manhattan to West Cork. My husband does it. People love it.”
Gina Jarrin
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Gina Jarrin
“I used to color my hair black. When I turned 50, I went platinum and it looked great. Then I used a product that accidentally turned it purple and pink. But I wound up getting compliments on it, so I kept it! Now it’s salt and pepper, which I color lavender or pink when the mood hits me — because I’m an overall cool badass.”
Cherokee Black
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Cherokee Black
“I started doing bold colors when I was living in England in the ’70s. They weren’t doing it yet in America. I color it when I get bored, usually pinks or purples. But I wanted to try something new, so I did blue and I really love it! I remember my grandmother always said, ‘Your hair is your crowning glory.’ That’s how I feel!”
Maria Oh
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Maria Oh
“I started dyeing it at 15, when I was part of the New York City punk scene; back then I would get every reaction from fear to fascination. Gradually the world changed, and it became acceptable, but I haven’t really changed. I’m a loner and also my hair helps me not feel stereotyped as an Asian woman. It’s just a small thing that says ‘I’m different.’ "
Michele Saunders
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Michele Saunders
“I started going gray in my 30s, so I did henna. But then I realized everyone was doing henna, so I started using Manic Panic dye. When I found [the bright-green shade of] Electric Lizard, I felt that was my color — I love that it glows in the dark. Everywhere I go, I get compliments on my hair. And you know, it’s good when the kids tell you they love it. I feel comfortable at my age, looking as I do. I have fun.”
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Steve Stancato,
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Steve Stancato,
"I love my legs. They always look good to me. But nobody really notices them. I always wanted to have a six-pack and know what that’s like, but it never happened for me. I got liposuction years ago because diet and exercise wouldn’t get rid of that stubborn belly fat. But I’m still gaining weight as I get older. It never ends. I look back on pictures of when I was younger, and I remember thinking I wasn’t good looking enough or muscular enough or whatever. I wish I looked like that now."
Richard Bird
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Richard Bird
"I’m proud of my shape. I’ve always been a slim guy. I have a high metabolism, so it’s hard for me to gain weight. Obviously, I would love to be a more muscular guy. Doing this photo shoot, it was a challenge. Does anybody want to see me without a shirt? I was definitely insecure about my body as a kid. I used to get a lot of flak from friends for being skinny. It got to me for a while. But as you get older, you learn to work with what you have."
Charles Rauscher
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Charles Rauscher
"At this point, I’m probably most proud of my face, OK? I’m a little chunky. I’ve got bad knees. I have what’s called bingo wings under my arm, which is flabby skin. But my face hasn’t changed. Everything else hurts, aches or has a little extra padding. Also, I like my knees. You want to see something nice? I’ll show you my knees. I wear socks so you don’t see my varicosities."
Ethan Feldman
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Ethan Feldman
"I started growing hair up on my shoulders. I knew it was going to happen. My dad is a very hairy gentleman. Very hairy. So I knew it was in the cards for me. But now it’s like a jungle on my shoulders. I have nice calves, I guess. I could tell you more about what I don’t like. My hairline is receding, but now I’ve got hair growing up from my butt. It’s the worst. I would like to have abs at one point in my life. It’s there. It’s just under all the layers of fat."
Frantzy Orisma
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Frantzy Orisma
"I don’t know if I feel any different body-wise from when I was 30. I just feel like … I eat more. [Laughs] And I worry about it sometimes. I’ve always had this crazy metabolism, so it’s never been a problem. And I’ve been working out since I was 17. But you never know. The biggest fear for me is developing a belly. That’s the part that ages you. When I was younger and skinnier, I didn’t look as good. When I look at pictures of myself in the past and pictures of now, I prefer now."
Arnie Gonzalez
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Arnie Gonzalez
"I was Mr. America in 1994. But over the last three years, I let myself go. My metabolism has slowed down. Instead of a six-pack, I have maybe a three-and-a-half-pack. I’m proud that my face doesn’t look haggard or old. The gray hairs are starting to show, but I’m just happy that I have hair. I’m not crazy about my gut. My wife loves it, so that’s something. It’s her comfy pillow. Either that or she’s making me feel good. But as an ex-bodybuilder, I kind of don’t like the fact that I have a big belly."
Henry Williams
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Henry Williams
"Something that used to bother me about my body, as a child, was my large forehead. I thought it made me unattractive. But as I’d gotten older, I would say “Look at me! Look at what I have!” [Laughs] The negative became a positive. I was a shy kid. I’d hide and stuff. But at 70, I don’t want to hide. I love my body. Even my big forehead. Here’s what I’ve learned: You’ve got to be careful with that body. It’s got to last you longer than cars do. Somewhere from 50 to 100 years. Take good care of it, son."
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Ja Tawn Avant
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Ja Tawn Avant
“I’m a chameleon, spontaneous, emotional; I dress how I’m feeling. I love bohemian looks, thrift-store finds, vintage 50’s polka dots and thick stripes, juxtapositions, anything unexpected (like her sequin sneakers!) and unique, but I choose what to wear based on how I feel, what will make me happy. I always have to put on something nice from clothes to lashes and perfume.”
Debra Rapoport
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Debra Rapoport
"Frame your face with hats and one-of-a-kind neckpieces. First, be yourself, trust yourself. Hats top you off, they frame the face. Neckpieces should be large: bibs, boas and breastplates. Creatively there are no rules, and where there are no rules, there is no fear. I like recycled, gifted and thrifted. It’s about building on your body, ABC: assemble, build, create.” Debra is wearing a necklace made with dried eggplant from Armenia and rings that each tell a story — whether from travel, an artist friend or recycled from somewhere or someone.
Sylvia Pilar
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Sylvia Pilar
"Accessories, accessories, accessories! I have vintage accessories — jewelry, sunglasses, hats, that I store by decade. I start simple, classic and keep adding on. I have different styles depending on the event: boho chic, conservative, eclectic but always Silvia. Everything comes back, so I keep everything, and the shoes, oh the shoes!”
Vallnez Mozell
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Vallnez Mozell
"Mix classics with bold unexpected surprises. I’ll mix a black dress with unexpected shoes or jewelry, or pair vintage pieces with a classic silhouette. I inherited a vintage houndstooth cape that I’ll wear with jeans and a leather aviator hat. You have to dress with confidence and that comes with age.” Val is wearing a purple-sequined tube dress worn as a skirt, paired with her husband’s sweater and a perfectly fitted Harley Davidson jacket she won in a silent auction.
Barbara Koltuv
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Barbara Koltuv
"Love what you wear and wear what you love. I like the unusual, the ethnic, the darker glamor, like an Italian movie star but more Sophia Loren than Gina Lollobrigida. I don’t shop, I collect. Also, my earrings are from Nepal and my nose pin is from Chennai, India, both permanent presents from those experiences."
Janis Dardaris
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Janis Dardaris
"Scarves, I’m crazy about scarves! Be fearless, try anything, things don’t have to match. Mix patterns up. I have a need to express myself, to feel good about myself, to show my best. A scarf makes your look complete.” Janis is wearing a combo of stripes, patterns, denim and silk.
Susannah Bianchi
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Susannah Bianchi
“I’m a classic dresser, my look hasn’t changed since I was 26. Wear who you are — I never get sick of my clothes because they are my style. And if it fits well, you wear it well. Audrey Hepburn, Jackie O, Patti Smith, they knew their style. Find your style and wear it with confidence. I don’t shop, I restore.”
Michele Harper
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Michele Harper
“I’ve always been interested in Hindu spirituality. One of my coworkers was Indian, and I asked her to write the word ‘love’ in Sanskrit. Unless you know Sanskrit, you wouldn’t look at my tattoo and know what it says. It feels like my own little secret. People ask me about it, but I prefer having the mystery. I always forget that I have a tattoo back there. I have other tattoos, and when I go to job interviews, I remember to cover them up. But I forget about the ‘Love’ tattoo. So, love is always there, following me.”
Tom Pardoe
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Tom Pardoe
“I was in my 40s, and in a place of complacency. I’d lost myself, I’d lost my voice, and I wasn’t happy. A month before my partner came to me and said, ‘I don’t want to be in this relationship anymore,’ I’d sought out a tattoo artist with an idea for an arm tattoo. I wanted it to be shedding the skin of my old life and welcoming the new. When it was done, I’d made the transformation from somebody who’s been shattered by the end of a 10-year relationship to somebody who was single, vibrant and back on his feet.”
Gayle “Lamb” Rabinowitz
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Gayle “Lamb” Rabinowitz
"I felt so empowered the day I got this tattoo. The quote is from the Bible, Psalm 92:10: 'But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.' People wanted me to lay down and die because I was turning 60. The tattoo was a validation of my next chapter. Everybody said I couldn’t do this, couldn’t do that – but I did it anyway. Once you face your fears, there are no fears. I’m a 25-year breast cancer survivor and a four-time stroke survivor. I jumped out of a plane this year! The people who told me, ‘Isn’t it time to retire?’ … I’m going to prove them all wrong!”
Amar Sotomayor
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Amar Sotomayor
“Butterflies are all about freedom. It took me three years to get to this point, of embracing my new name and my new gender. This tattoo reminds me every day that this a journey, and it was never supposed to be easy. Before coming out as transgender, I was officiating a gay wedding for friends in Puerto Rico, and they released all of these butterflies into the air. One of them landed on me and wouldn’t budge. I was like, ‘Honey, I’ve got to get back to work.’ But she was stuck to me. It felt like a message. I thought, OK, I get it, universe. It’s time to be free.”
Fred DiBella
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Fred DiBella
“My mom is buried at a cemetery in Long Beach. I live in L.A. now, but I try to visit her on Mother’s Day and whenever I can get out there. One day I was there, and I took a picture and sent it to my tattoo artist. I said, ‘Would it be weird to get this as a tattoo?’ I didn’t know if it’d be bad karma. He said, ‘No, as long as it means something to you, let’s do it.’ My mom passed away before I got my first tattoo. I’m not sure what she’d think of this one. She’d probably be more nervous about what my dad would think.”
The Campa Family - Zach, Juan, Shari, Christian
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The Campa Family - Zach, Juan, Shari, Christian
Zach: “My brother was diagnosed with depression when he was 12. I didn’t really understand it then, but when I got to college, I started having my own struggles. I got this tattoo two years after my brother got his. I love the phrase ‘This too shall pass.’ For me, it’s a personal reminder that I’ve endured the most crippling anxiety I could ever imagine. I was stunned when our parents told us they were getting the same tattoos. They were being so supportive to us.”
The Campa Family - Zach, Juan, Shari, Christian
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The Campa Family - Zach, Juan, Shari, Christian
Zach: “My brother was diagnosed with depression when he was 12. I didn’t really understand it then, but when I got to college, I started having my own struggles. I got this tattoo two years after my brother got his. I love the phrase ‘This too shall pass.’ For me, it’s a personal reminder that I’ve endured the most crippling anxiety I could ever imagine. I was stunned when our parents told us they were getting the same tattoos. They were being so supportive to us.”
Gwyn LaRee
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Gwyn LaRee
“I had Ric’s ashes mixed in with the ink. So he’s always with me. The tattoo gave me something to focus on. I knew I wanted a dragon because it symbolized the strength to carry on. Then Josh [my tattoo artist] and I kept adding. The day I got the roses on my elbow, I was invited to a friend’s house, where I met my new husband, Mac. Two weeks before Mac and I got married, I went in for my final tattoo session. Josh said, ‘Sit back down, we’ve got one more thing to do.’ He changed the drawing of the male lover, who originally had straight blonde hair, to lovely black curls, which is what Mac has. Then he said, ‘OK, you can go get married now.’ ”
Kayla Cummings
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Kayla Cummings
“I’d just graduated college, where I always felt out of place. It was really suburban and farm country, and I felt more comfortable in the city, in Boston. The knuckle tattoos were my way of saying, ‘I’m not going to change myself to please other people.’ Knuckle tattoos are called ‘nail in the coffin’ tattoos. You’ve committed yourself. There’s really no hiding them. You’re putting yourself out there. That’s what I wanted. It was a way of showing the world I won’t change who I am for a job or a relationship or my friends or anyone. This is me.”