Article by Ceri Wheeldon

Does our body confidence increase as we get older? As the news that Gwyneth Paltrow feels more bikini-body confident at age 42 than she did 20 years ago, a JD Williams poll has found that women feel best about their bodies at age 49.

The Facebook poll asked 2,000 women aged 50 and over when they felt their most confident on the beach and happy with their body and appearance.

Like famous beach babes Cindy Crawford, Liz Hurley and Halle Berry, age 49 is the magic number when it comes to looking ship-shape in swimwear.

Body confidence is not just for teens and women in their 20s

Body confidence isn’t limited to teens and women in their twenties, but women in their late forties are embracing their bodies and feeling more empowered.

Carie Barkhuizen , spokesperson for 50plus fashion retailer JD Williams says “Our 50+ customers felt most relaxed about their bodies when they were in their forties, a decade when their priorities in their life might have changed.

“Celebrities like Cindy Crawford and Liz Hurley appear to have more confidence now that they’re under less public scrutiny than in their younger years. The pressure is off and they can finally relax and feel more self-assured than ever before.”

JD Williams ran a State of the Nation study into body confidence levels in older women*. The study found that for women over 50, being complimented was the key source for their body confidence, getting their hair cut and wearing a new outfit coming next.

Only 3% of women over 50 would pose for a selfie, compared to 21% of 18-29 year olds.

Stomach (64%), upper arms (35%) and thighs (28%) are the areas that women aged 50+ feel most negatively about.

Is there any reason why we shouldn’t be as confident about our bodies in our 50s as we were in our 20s and 30s?

Ceri Wheeldon

Ceri is Founder and Editor of Fabafterfifty.co.uk She is a frequent speaker at events and in the media on topics related to women over 50 , including style and living agelessly. With 20+ years experience as a headhunter Ceri also now helps support those looking to extend their working lives.

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