Candice Leslie Sima is not your typical grandmother. At 76 years old, she’s neither quiet nor invisible. She wears bold colors, fitted dresses, statement earrings, and heels that echo confidence. While others her age are told to fade into pastels and cardigans, Candice walks out the door every morning like she’s stepping onto a runway — not for attention, but for herself.
She posts a photo to Instagram with a caption that reads:
“Age is a number. Style is a choice.”
Praise pours in — “You’re stunning!” “Such an inspiration!” But just as often, criticism follows:
“Dress your age.”
“You’re too old for that.”
Candice smiles, reads every comment, and closes the app. She’s lived too long to let a stranger’s opinion define her worth.
A Life of Fading Grace
Before the photos, the blog, and the followers, Candice lived quietly. She was a librarian, a wife, a mother — roles she embraced with dignity. Her wardrobe was functional. Her presence subtle. Her voice soft. She followed the rules, the expectations, the norms society had for women her age.
But then, life shifted. Her husband passed away. Her children moved out. The house grew quiet.
“I realized one day that I hadn’t worn a bright color in years,” she recalls. “I wasn’t sad. I was… invisible.”
That day, she bought a red scarf. The next, a floral blouse. A few weeks later, she started posting photos. And people noticed.
Instagram at 70? Why Not
Her first post was modest — a mirror selfie in a flowy dress. Then came more: a walk in yellow heels, a lunch date in a leopard-print coat, a close-up with cherry lipstick. Slowly, followers gathered. Not because she was glamorous, but because she was fearless.

Today, Candice has over 300,000 followers. Women from 16 to 86 write to her every day. Some ask for fashion advice. Others just say thank you:
“You made me feel like myself again.”
The Critics Are Always Loudest
With every compliment comes a jab:
“You’re desperate for attention.”
“Trying too hard to be young.”
“This is embarrassing for someone your age.”
Candice doesn’t argue. She doesn’t defend herself. She simply continues — because she’s not trying to be young. She’s trying to be alive.
“There’s this idea that aging means shrinking. In voice, in presence, in appearance. I refuse,” she says. “I’m not shrinking. I’m expanding.”
More Than Fashion — A Statement
Candice’s outfits are vibrant. But the deeper message behind them is even louder:
Visibility.
She knows what it means to feel unseen. To walk into a room and feel ignored. To go shopping and find nothing that feels like you. She dresses the way she does not just to feel beautiful — but to say:
“I’m still here. I still matter.”
Changing the Narrative
What does it mean to «dress your age»? Who decides that a 76-year-old woman can’t wear leather, sequins, or red lipstick?
Candice challenges the narrative that aging is a quiet retreat. Her life — now lived in color — is a reminder that style doesn’t retire at 60. That confidence doesn’t fade with age. That being seen is not a privilege — it’s a right.
Conclusion
Candice Leslie Sima doesn’t want to turn back time. She embraces it, dresses it up, and walks proudly through it.
She’s not trying to be 25 again.
She’s proving that 76 can be just as powerful.
Not in spite of age — but because of it.