Supermodel Paulina Porizkova has been on a mission to change the public perception of aging and beauty, and she's here with a new PSA: Don't use the word "still" when talking about a woman's appearance.
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Porizkova then encouraged people to view aging beauty the same way. "Why can't we look at the wrinkles and the softness that comes with age as another kind of beautiful? Instead of being 'still beautiful' because we remain the same, we could be 'beautiful' because we change," she said.
This is hardly the first time Porizkova has criticized society's perception of aging on Instagram. In late April, she spoke out after several news sites wrote articles praising Porizkova and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, 59, for having a relationship, calling them an "age-appropriate couple."
"What wrong with this? Is it a pat on my head for having snagged a man four years my senior, or applause for him that he conceded to dating a woman four years his junior?" she wrote in the caption. "This has not, by any means, been my first date; only my first public date, and the repercussions are stunning to me."
Porizkova said she's also "managed to date men who congratulated themselves on finding me attractive despite my age—while being five to 10 years older than I," but found it a "surprise" and "disheartening" that the media would be critical that she is dating someone around her age. "Talk about ageism," she said. "Meanwhile, he is evolved enough to consider himself lucky. Now, THAT's sexy."
Porizkova also shared another photo from her Vogue Czechoslovakia cover shoot on Instagram in mid-April that she praised for showing her as she is. "I love this photo of me," she wrote. "All the details of my age are here, the neck, the wrinkles, and I think I look great. Thanks @marietomanova and @vogueczechoslovakia for showing me at my best—but unretouched."
So the next time you think about saying someone still looks beautiful, maybe think back to Porizkova's post here and just give them the compliment without the modifier.
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