Fashion can be a wonderful way to express your personality and attitude toward life. If you don’t have any ideas how to go about it, tune in to this interview with an amazing 83-year-old model. Enjoy the show!
Margaret Manning:
My guest today is Dorrie Jacobson. Dorrie is an 83-year-old ex-Playboy bunny. She is a model, makeup artist and an expert on aging stylishly. Her goal is to help women of a certain age in embracing an ageless attitude and adopt a more useful outlook on life. I’m so happy to have you here, Dorrie. Welcome!
Dorrie Jacobson:
Good morning!
Margaret:
I’m really happy to have you here with us. We have lots of women over 60 in our community and they’re interested in looking good on the outside just as they feel good inside. So, what does an 83-year-old ex-Playboy bunny think about the world these days? What did you learn when you were a Playboy bunny?
Dorrie:
I am constantly asked: “What was it like to be a Playboy bunny?” Well, it had a great effect on my styling and my lifestyle. As a bunny, you were required to be perfect before you walked out on the club floor. They checked your hair, your makeup, your costume. If you’re out there wearing your costume, you’re doing your job.
It helped me develop a great deal of self-confidence, because being the feature of the club meant you were constantly being admired. I loved being admired then, and I enjoy it today as well.
We went through a training period to learn to be subtly sexy but with class. I think I brought that into my style, and it was a great experience in terms of being conscious of my body and demeanor. I had to be the best that I could be, every day.
Margaret:
That’s an interesting point, that you had to be perfect and subtly sexy with class. So, how did that change you? You mentioned briefly that it changed your style. What are some way that it manifests itself in your attitude to style now.
Dorrie:
First of all, you develop a great deal of self-confidence. Having self-confidence and an attitude is probably more than half of what you need to be a stylish woman. Then you learn that being a stylish woman is not something that you save for special occasions. It’s part of who you are every single day of your life.
Every morning, I get up and put on a full face of makeup and clothes that I love, no matter whether I have somewhere to go or not. This is the kind of thing you do for yourself. It helps you develop self-confidence when you know that you look the best that you can. That’s what you project to the world. You don’t have to be an invisible woman.
Margaret:
So, it’s about taking pride in your appearance even as your face changes and wrinkles show on your skin. What keeps you going when you get up and look in the mirror? You don’t see the same Playboy bunny that you used to be.
How do you get that confidence to just say, “Hey, I’m gonna get ready to go out and greet the world!” What do you say to yourself?
Dorrie:
It takes a little more effort at 83 than it did at 23. However, it is not an impossible thing. You simply need to be the best that you can possibly be, and really feel good about the way that you look. That projects itself – it’s amazing, but it really does.
To this day, when I walk out, I am stopped by perfect strangers who compliment me on the way that I look. It really makes me feel wonderful and that’s what I like to put out there.
Margaret:
I read on your website that you like to turn heads and you like the wow factor. I guess, to accomplish that, you have to be a little bit of an exhibitionist, to like being on show.
Dorrie:
Right. I’ll give you a few examples that work with my style. So, I get up in the morning and I do my makeup, then I start with sexy lingerie, like a bustier. These things do a double duty, actually.
For one, they make you feel alluring and put a little sauciness in your walk, but they also give you a little more body shape. A bustier eliminates those muffin tops and bulges that you get over time. This allows you to wear clothes that are a little more form-fitting and flattering. That’s the start.
Then you put on clothes that make you feel pretty, and those are the kinds of clothes you want in your closet. All of your clothes should be things that you love and that make you feel good about yourself.
Now, if you want to be that woman who turns heads and stands out in the crowd, that’s when you add the “wow factor.” For instance, I’m wearing an off-the-shoulder blouse because my shoulders and my neck are an asset I like to show off.
If I put on a long black skirt or wide leg pants I have a dressy outfit. If I want to add a “wow” factor, then I take a piece of jewelry that gets the attention and a pair of matching stiletto heels.
Margaret:
Dorrie, do you really wear stiletto heels? How do you do that? That’s fantastic.
Dorrie:
I’ve been wearing them all my life, and to me, heels are not a problem. I’d probably fall over in flat shoes.
Margaret:
When you were a bunny what height of heel did you have to wear?
Dorrie:
High heels and black stockings, which is a very appealing combination. So, continuing with my example, I can take the same off-the-shoulder blouse – and it’s important for your clothes are interchangeable – and make it “wow” in a casual outfit.
I can pick up the blouse a little, so it covers part of the shoulders, and add a pair of white jeans. Then I would bring out a “wow” piece, which can be a pair of black-and-white boots and a matching purse. My Diane von Furstenberg pair is an investment piece to be sure.
Margaret:
Fantastic.
Dorrie:
These kinds of accessories add that little touch that makes a simple outfit special. It could be a hat, a great piece of jewelry or something like a dramatic shawl. If it’s summer time, a sandal with unique design can have a dramatic effect.
Margaret:
You’ve got a very bold style, I can see that now. I think the words you used to describe it were sophisticated and edgy. I think you’re saying we should take our style as far as we can but be comfortable. I know a lot of women can’t wear heels because they’ve got some disability issues. But you’re very lucky that you can.
Dorrie:
It’s also a choice. Many people out there wouldn’t agree that you should be dramatic at this age. They want to simply age as nature planned, let your hair go gray, relax and so on.
Margaret:
We all choose our own way. But, like you say all the time on your site, it’s not so much about your looks, it’s about your attitude. For instance, you maintain an ageless attitude.
Dorrie:
That’s very, very true. More than half of being a stylish woman has to do with attitude. “I look great, I feel great. Look at me!”
Margaret:
Your Instagram page is amazing. Obviously, you are used to being photographed, you’re very photogenic and you’re very poised. You are wearing everything from lingerie to beautiful sleek outfits so tell us about your Instagram.
Dorrie:
Well, I created that page so women can look at me and see that at 83 I’m in skinny jeans and stiletto heels and having a great time out there. It inspires them to realize that aging doesn’t have to be something to be afraid of.
You can stay youthful with the right attitude. I get a lot of feedback from younger women too, who get to be 40 and suddenly think, “Gee! It’s all downhill from here.” It doesn’t have to be. This is a new chapter and you can have a wonderful time.
Margaret:
Well, I can certainly see that. I love having you here to inspire women in our community. It’s great that there’s someone like you out there, saying that age is just an attitude. Thank you for inspiring women to drop the “age appropriate” label that society is trying to impose on older women.
Dorrie:
Absolutely! Drop it out of your vocabulary, your fashion, your lifestyle. Break all the rules.
Margaret:
Break all the rules! Thank you for giving us these really good tips for how to create a sense of style in whatever age.
Do you have a personal style? Do you think your style can give you a shift in attitude toward positive aging? Please join the conversation below.
