Naked Women In Their Sixties
![](/file/0aa04defda813d1ef0ac0.gif)
🔞 ALL INFORMATION CLICK HERE 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻
Naked Women In Their Sixties
Is nakedness invisibility’s opposite? Maybe not, but, if it’s unapologetically displayed, it can be a kind of antidote to erasure.
“Bebe on Sand,” 2014. Photographs by Jocelyn Lee
“Deborah at Aquinnah Beach in September,” 2020.
“Nancy at 78, Maine at 18 (Aunt and Grandniece),” 2018.
“Nancy Floating at Quitsa Pond,” 2016.
“Judith at Home,” 2009. Photographs by Jocelyn Lee
“Bebe and Pagan in the Red Room,” 2004.
“Bebe and Pagan Pregnant with Twin Girls,” 2012.
New Yorker Favorites Why the last snow on Earth may be red. When Toni Morrison was a young girl, her father taught her an important lesson about work . The fantastical, earnest world of haunted dolls on eBay . Can neuroscience help us rewrite our darkest memories ? The anti-natalist philosopher David Benatar argues that it would be better if no one had children ever again . What rampant materialism looks like, and what it costs . Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker .
What our staff is reading, watching, and listening to each week.
The Stories Behind Marion Ettlinger’s Author Portraits
For decades, getting “Ettlingered” was a rite of passage in the book world. The photographer, now retired, looks back.
Overheard in New York: Browsing at Mood Fabrics
“All the bridesmaids are wearing mauvy dresses, but she wants me to stand out. The only thing is I don’t want anything rectilinear.”
More than anything, Diana had wanted to be a mother. Now my three-year-old daughter and I had to find a way to live without her.
To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved stories
To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories
Some clichés about the cycle of life are true. When you are raising young children, the days are long and the years are short. And when you’re a woman, you will, at about age fifty, become invisible. All our lives, as girls and younger women, we prepare ourselves to be looked at. We grow accustomed to registering —to attracting, evading, or denouncing the male gaze. In “ Mrs. Dalloway ,” Clarissa, newly aware of herself as a woman of a certain age, walks down the street thinking, “This body, with all its capacities, seemed nothing—nothing at all.” The cultural critic Akiko Busch, quoting that line from “Mrs. Dalloway,” notes that “a reduced sense of visibility does not necessarily constrain experience.” True, but it takes some getting used to, and when it’s punctuated, as it often is, by condescension—when strangers are suddenly addressing you not even as “Ma’am” but, with a verbal wink, as “young lady”—you may not want to get used to it.
Is nakedness invisibility’s opposite? Maybe not, but, if it’s voluntarily, unapologetically displayed, it can be a kind of antidote to diminishment and erasure. A nude portrait of a woman older than, say, sixty is an unusual image—even a taboo one. To make such photographs, and, even more so, to pose for them, is an act of defiance. In the course of her career, the photographer Jocelyn Lee has been drawn to nude bodies of all shapes and ages. Her latest book, “Sovereign” (Minor Matters Books), features a selection of her photographs of women who range in age from their mid-fifties to their early nineties, posing naked, frequently outdoors and in natural settings.
Lee’s color images of older women are painterly, classical, but also frank. Skin puckers, crinkles, and sags. Bellies poof and pleat. A silver-haired woman stands knee-deep in a pond strewn with autumn leaves, looking directly at the camera, her elbows angled back like wings to reveal one intact breast and one mastectomy scar. A naked woman sits on a blanket of moss in the woods, her breasts and belly soft, so at ease she might be napping. In “Nancy at 78, Maine at 18,” a woman and her grandniece stand nude on a beach. Side by side, their long-legged, curly-headed bodies rhyme, but also remind us of the ways time will remake our familiar, corporeal selves. The image is not some grim memento mori, though. The women lean comfortably toward each other, touching shoulders; the younger woman’s arm loops through the elder woman’s. Behind them, the sea and sky are a light-suffused blue.
Lee, who is fifty-nine, lives part of the year on a lush, wooded property outside of Portland, Maine. She’s taken some of the portraits of older women at a pond near her house, and others on beaches at Martha’s Vineyard and elsewhere. The natural settings, devoid of sociological detail and inherently beautiful, tend to banish ironic readings and extend a certain benevolence to the naked subjects. We aren’t in paradise here—nobody in these photos looks that naïve—but we are not in any sort of judgment-laden social space, either. Lee told me that she hoped the locations implied the warmth of sun on the body—“that kind of comfort and love”—and communicated the idea that we are “all essentially sensual creatures.”
“The camera can be very cruel depending on how you use it,” she said. “There’s a whole tradition of photography that’s based on criticality and cruelty. Diane Arbus —whom I love, by the way—looked for unflattering moments to create a sense of drama. Sometimes that can be done with the juxtaposition of elements in a space, the exaggeration of the appearance of wealth or poverty, harsh lighting.”
Lee said that, by contrast, her work had sometimes been criticized for being “too earnest or romantic.” But she made her peace with that a long time ago. Through her photography, Lee has always tried to understand “what lay ahead.” When she was still in college, long before she had children herself, she photographed a pregnant friend in the nude as part of her thesis project. “This was before the Demi Moore Vanity Fair cover; people didn’t really know what a pregnant woman looked like,” she said. Through the years, she took many nude photographs of her mother, who, she says, had a remarkable ease in her own skin. Lee continued taking pictures of her as she was dying of cancer.
I’m about six months older than Lee, and, all in all, I consider aging to be far better than the alternative, as my own mother, who died at sixty, the age I am now, used to say. Still, I prefer the cloudy mirror in my bathroom to any in which I can see myself clearly. The older women who posed for Lee in the nude include professors, writers, artists, an astrologer, a hospice worker, and a small-town mayor. To me, they seem very brave, but it bothers me to say so. We all have bodies; if we’re lucky, we all get old, or at least older. Why not show what it looks like?
Two of Lee’s subjects, Judith and Nancy, have been posing for her for decades. Both told me that they don’t love how they look in some of the images, but that they treasured the experience of making them with Lee, whose process is creative and collaborative. Nancy, who is eighty, said, “I cringe when I look at the images, but I know that when I’m ninety I’m gonna say, ‘Ooh, look how great I looked!’ ” Her grandniece Maine, who posed with her, is a photography student. Maine told me that Lee’s image makes her happy because her grandaunt and she look so alike in it. “It’s like seeing myself in sixty years, and I sort of love that,” she said. “I think Nancy is beautiful.” Lee told me that she plans to photograph the pair every year.
© 2022 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices
Part of HuffPost News. ©2022 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.
Here's why they feel sexier now than in their 20s.
Mar 2, 2016, 07:01 AM EST | Updated Aug 29, 2020
Sheryl Roberts, 48 -- "I know I am perfectly imperfect, flaws and all."
"When I was in my 20s and modeling, I was insecure and a follower. I had no identity. I wore whatever was trendy, did what other girls my age did and really tried to be well liked. I had no concept of my own power or sexuality. The biggest difference between the girl I was at 20 and the woman I am now at 48, is now I really could care less about what people that don't know me think about me. Other people's perception is not my reality. I don't want to blend and fit in. That is why I love selling vintage through my business IndigoStyle Vintage. It is the ultimate in personal style and expression. Sexiness exudes from my confidence, smile and acceptance of myself. Not being fearful of exploring, I know I am perfectly imperfect, flaws and all."
Anne Rosenberg, 59 --- "For me now, sexy is alluring and creative."
"So maybe as a child of the 1960s I should have been more, well, of a hippie ... but somehow I never got that memo. I was focused on academics and the rest of my time was filled with riding my horse and doing barn work. My standard attire was a flannel shirt, overalls and boots. It seemed as though sexuality was for others. I was sort of a 'neuter' and whatever feelings burned deep within had to stay there. And now I chuckle to myself to realize that at 20, when the world would have been comfortable with me being sexual and sexy, I was closeted, and now when the world is having a hard time with sexy older women I am blossoming. For me now, sexy is alluring and creative. It is amazing."
Mary Ann Holand, 58 -- "No one but me dictates my sexiness."
"I don't think women truly appreciate their beauty and sexiness until they are older. After turning 50 I felt much sexier than I did in my 20s. In my 20s, I compared myself to others and the standards fashion and beauty magazines dictated. That's a lot of pressure! With maturity comes confidence and the knowledge that our brain is our sexiest organ, not our body! No one but me dictates my sexiness. The journey in getting here shaped how I feel. I am a wife, mother, grandmother and breast cancer survivor (including a mastectomy). This self-awareness of being sexy in my 50s is a gift and one I will cherish in every decade going forward! Wheeeeee -- I'm free to be me!!!"
Shannon Bradley-Colleary, 50 -- "I just say 'yes' more."
"I've found, after 50, that I just say 'yes' more and this makes me feel beautiful, vibrant, sexy and alive. 'Do you want to help in Syrian Refugee Camps in Lesvos, Greece?' Yes. 'Do you want to take an introductory pole dancing class?' Yes. ' Do you want to have a blind date with your own husband where you pretend to be strangers?' Sign me up! In my 20s I worried I wasn't smart enough, curvy enough, sexy enough to say 'yes' to all the things I wanted to try. (I also felt I should've been better at orgasms. I was pretty sure I was getting a 'C-' in orgasms.) At 50, I just don't have the time or energy for that nonsense. I take it all as it comes, so to speak. 'Can you look in the mirror and love what you see, just for today?' Yes. And thank you."
Barbara Rabin, 67 -- "I'm so much stronger now. And strength is sexy."
"Sexy is self-confidence. It's being comfortable in your own skin. It's looking in the mirror and liking what I see. Someone once told me that older women can't have long hair. And most women don't at my age. But I like long and flowing hair and, to me, it's sexy. You must have a feeling that says 'I like what I see and I'm doing great.' When I was in my 20s, I was all about my career. Now I've lost my husband and had cancer. I'm so much stronger now. And strength is sexy."
Pamela Madsen, 52 -- "Sexuality has become my friend."
"When I was in my 20s, I wanted to be sexually invisible because I didn't trust my own relationship with my body. I was scared to be seen. Now that I am in my 50s, I dare you not to look! I'm not frightened of being seen as sexy anymore, because sexy has gone from fear to empowerment and delight! In my 50s I trust my own 'yes' and my own 'no.' It may have taken a few decades, but now my sexuality has become my friend and I love dancing with it."
Sandra LaMorgese, 59 -- "I can now focus on what makes me feel happy."
"When I was in my 20s, my sexuality was all about image. I had a clear idea of what a sexy woman would do, say, look, and feel, and I spent so much of my energy trying to project that image to others. But now, in my 50s, I have a whole different perspective; namely, I don't feel like I need to act likable and sexy and desirable and free because I know that I already am all of those things. Romantic and sexual partners come and go. It's just how life works. What stays constant, though, is me, which means that my sexuality, my identity, and my sense of self-worth and belonging need to come from inside me first. Realizing this allowed me to let go of so much anxiety about my sexuality because I no longer needed to worry about all the unknown variables that other people brought into the equation. Instead, I can now focus on what makes me feel happy, whole, and loving, and when I find other people who are attracted to these positive qualities, it leads to really fun and life-affirming experiences."
April Johnson, 58 -- "Being sexy now in my 50s is a feeling."
"Beautiful to me means being attractive -- and what makes folks attractive? Being caring, loving, good, considerate. These things create an attraction which makes your inner beauty show as outer beauty. In my 20s, being sexy was dressing a certain way to attract the opposite sex and was about what I thought they thought was sexy. Being sexy now in my 50s is a feeling ... not the clothes I wear. The clothes don’t make me. I make the clothes. It’s me feeling great about me! Me feeling sexy is to please me and make me happy. Happiness rubs off on others! What a great way to spread happiness in the world!"
Robin Hoffman, 50 -- "Bodies are beautiful, but what's glowing within is so much more."
"Sexy at 21 versus sexy at 50, for me, is still a journey. I’ve moved solidly from ‘how does my butt look’ in acid-washed jeans to black yoga pants, but I’m still discovering it’s more to do with where I am than whether that tousle-haired rugby player from English Lit will notice me Friday night. While I wish I was more consistently in this place, I have found my GPS. It’s an inner core that either radiates strength and love or it’s a dark cylinder that magnifies every belly bulge, every criticism. To me, sexy at 50 is peeling those shades back and blasting the light we all have. It’s a celebration of the beauty of spirit versus the celebration of butts and boobs. Bodies are beautiful, but what’s glowing within is so much more."
Felicia Gomes-Gregory, 50 -- "Today at 50, sexy is about my nurturing my inner beauty."
"When I was 25, being sexy was a learning phase. My ideas were defined by outside influences (magazines/books/tv), men, and mostly, the 'village of women' who raised me, especially my mother. I was always taught that you could be a lady and 'sexy' with your clothes on. Today at 50, sexy is about my nurturing my inner beauty in addition to cultivating the outer beauty. When a woman is empowered both spiritually and physically, is confident, and truly knows her self-worth and loves others around her, being and feeling sexy is easy! I am approaching my 50s as a new journey in my life in which the four most important things to me now are to 'live, love, dance and have faith' into the next decade!"
Constance Boardman, 57 -- "Feeling sexy now is a lot less about your body."
"Feeling sexy now is a lot less about your body. All those silly things you worried about when you were young -- things related to looks -- are indeed just silly. For awhile there, in my early 50s, it was hard for me to feel sexy. The changes in your body hit you all of a sudden. But now I know that sex is actually fun and that you shouldn't worry about all the minutiae of what you look like. It has been an adjustment to be OK with the fact that my body may never be the same as it used to be. But I'm sort of over all that now."
Beauty Has No Age Limit See Gallery
How To Figure Out If You Qualify For Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
Tennessee Cop Involved In Brutal Beating Of Black Man Has Long Record Of Job Violations
Nick Cannon Says Baby No. 9 Is On The Way, Marking His Third With Brittany Bell
Emily Carey Of ‘House Of The Dragon’ Deleted Twitter After Backlash Over Character
We Just Saw A Stunning Special Election Result. What Could It Mean For November?
Teen Becomes Youngest Person To Fly Solo Around The World
The Biden Administration’s Plan for Student Debt
Magic Johnson Refutes Viral Rumor He Donated Blood To COVID-19 Patients
Your Sleeping Position Matters More Than You Think | HuffPost Rise
Sylvester Stallone And Wife Jennifer Flavin Split Up After 25 Years Of Marriage
Jared Kushner Uses A Very 'Peculiar' Word To Describe Trump's Leadership Style
Oklahoma Teacher Quits After Giving Students QR Code For Banned Books
All-Black Female Crew Operates Historic Flight To Honor Bessie Coleman In The Best Way
Husbands Are Revealing Their 'Yup, I'm Asking This Girl To Marry Me' Moments
Part of HuffPost News. ©2022 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.
Warning: This post contains erotic imagery and may not be suitable for work environments.
Sometimes, to be a woman over 50 is to feel invisible. It’s walking into a bar or restaurant and no longer being on the receiving end of an admiring glance. It’s feeling like people on the street are looking past you, as if you aren’t even there. Ask a middle-aged woman, and she might say these slights have whittled away at her self-confidence, tricking her into believing the best years are behind her.
We live in a culture that often equates beauty and energy with youth. But we’d like to turn that way of thinking on its head. We believe women can be smart and sassy, beautiful and confident ― and that they can continue to shake things up in the world around them ― whether they’re 50 or 75 or 100.
With that idea in mind, Huff/Post50 photographed 11 very sexy women between the ages of 48 and 67. A few are cancer survivors. A few are grandmothers. A few are single and a few are married. But what they all have in common is that not one is a shrinking violet. They feel better about themselves today than they ever have. We asked each woman to wear whatever makes them feel sexy, and to talk about what being sexy means to them now compared to when they were, say, 21. The resulting photos are stunning ― and entirely un-retouched.
For more images from the photo shoots click through our gallery of outtakes!
If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer.
An error occurred while retrieving sharing information. Please try again later.
Meet 87-Year-Old Instagram Sensation Baddie Winkle | Refinery29 by Refinery29 515,579 views
SUBSCRIBE to Riot by Refinery29 56 videos
Dating Apps, Dick Pics, And What Makes A Bad Profile Picture by Refinery29 27,929 views
Redefining The Modern Cat Lady by Refinery29 31,453 views
Couples Talk About Sex | How Two Love | Refinery29 by Refinery29 1,110,295 views
0:03 / 1:15 • Watch full video Live
The 1960s was an exciting time to be a young woman in the Western World. The shockwaves of a cultural revolution were starting to rumble through the once modest and subdued societies of American and Western Europe.
The fast-growing feminist movement rejected typical “women’s clothes,” for more edgy garments, ranging from fashionable pantsuits to “no such thing as too short,” skirts and shorts. An explosion of new styles, such as the babydoll dress, became popular and women li
Norma Joel Nude
Dahlia Polk Pussy
Lex Steele Nude