Can You Feel The Heat…Of Post Menopausal Grandmas?

Today’s topic: hotness. And that’s not a reference to hot flashes.

But first, a look at today’s moms. In a recent Wall Street Journal column, a writer asked:

“When did all moms get so…hot?”

Her friend replied:

“It’s part of our job now. Didn’t you get the memo?”

This is a grand departure from the version of motherhood Gen X’ers witnessed while growing up in the 70s and 80s. The look was very not hot, except for Saturday night, when moms went out, decked in some fine accessories and heels.

It was the weekdays that fell prey to…things like Mom Jeans! Need I say more? But I will…

They were defined by all varieties of unflattering design including high waists (with maybe 9 inch zippers! often well above the navel!), a relaxed fit through the hip and thigh, maybe a pleat or two and a distinct taper down to the ankle.

They were, OMG, comfortable! And 100% cotton! Some even had elastic waist bands! The fashion industry essentially abandoned them…or maybe, more accurately, comfort was – yikes - preferred more than cute was prized.

Fast forward a few decades and moms can now be hot. The on ramp is clear…they wear the same clothes as their daughters, they get Botox and other injectables, and they can slim down with drugs.

OK, OK, OK.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE GRANDMAS TODAY? Where do we fit on the hot continuum??

I believe the era of the toned, youthful, fashionable, well styled grandma has arrived. I think we can deliver some decent heat! And we’ve been taking mental notes over the last 5 decades. Thank you, Jane Fonda, for all your Jazzercize VHS’s…we witnessed the game-changing, fertile breeding ground you offered in the 80s for fitness. And you launched the great leotard/tights/leg warmer culture! Kudos to you!

We are no strangers now to slipping on some Alo leggings and a pair of On Cloud sneakers. We color our hair with dimension, not monochromatic shades. We do Pilates, we eat smarter, we use safer products, and we know that Alice & Olivia is a brand, not a podcast.

And then there’s plastic surgery. This is where there has been considerable transformation – literal and figurative. Plastic surgery used to be about maintaining youthfulness, turning the clock back, erasing some age. Something you did later in life, except for rhinoplasty which is where the line was drawn.

Now it’s all about altering your appearance in your youth. That’s a very new concept. Credit largely belongs to the Kardashian/Jenner clan. They’ve changed everything on their faces, top to bottom, side to side, some of them even while still in their 20s and 30s.

Anyway…

It’s empowering and fulfilling to be youthful and fit at any age, but it’s especially rewarding as a grandma. It’s all bundled into maintaining healthfulness, which is a much higher priority as we age. If you can crack that code, then you get to reap the benefits. And the grandkids will too when you are more present in all ways.

What’s funny, though, is when I search “grandma” photos in the Shutterstock photo library and elsewhere online, all the pictures feature grandmas with white hair, unflattering clothes and basic glasses. Clearly, the digital platforms have NOT gotten the memo!