Can we please always just say what needs to be said? Case in point: veteran fashion stylist Linda Rodin dropped some harsh truths about ageism in the fashion world (and subsequently, the acting and music worlds), and confirmed what we already know.
26 years old is basically "elderly."
Not actually, duh. But in terms of the way insiders and higher-ups look at women, they're basically done by the time they're one quarter through their lives.
"I don't think 66 is old; it's just that — in our culture — 26 is old," Rodin told MatchesFashion.com magazine. "I have so many friends who are older than me and feel so young, too. In the fashion and beauty bubble I am a strange bird, but in the wider context of the world, I'm not."
But the thing is, it's hard to hold on to that rationality. I mean, hello, I turn 29 on Friday and every so often I'll have a pang of "Oh man, maybe I should be acting my age." (Like, what does that even MEAN?)
"I thought I looked great until I was 60 — honestly, I didn't see anything wrong," Rodin continued. "I liked that my face got narrower. But I tried filler about three years ago and one day I looked in the mirror and thought, 'Something's wrong.' My chin was getting bigger, and even though my face was smooth, it didn't look pretty to me."
AMEN. But unfortunately, it's because of our youth-obsessed culture that the stylist has stopped working with celebrities. That, and they have no real sense of what they like and who they are.
"I've steered away from working with celebrities, because it can be so problematic," she explained. "To dress somebody who's not sure what they like is too stressful. Emma Stone has a great stylist — she always looks good. But I look at some outfits on the red carpet and I'm like, 'Why did anybody show you that dress?'"
PREACH, LINDA RODIN. And also: maybe let's take away the girlfriend looks fucking fantastic regardless of age. Which, of course, proves that age is goddamn privilege. So why are we still so hung up on it?
