We can all fall prey to societal expectations, and that pressure doesn't have an age limit. Everyone always seems to have opinions on everything, but that's especially true when it comes to women and how they dress.
One 56-year-old mom, who is covered in tattoos and rocks gorgeous gray locks, named Lonni Pike is certainly no stranger to such critiques — and she's making it her mission to put shamers in their proper place.
Lonni currently has 379K followers on TikTok and 46K followers on Instagram, two platforms she uses to show off her daily looks and promote positivity.
She also runs a lifestyle blog, Gray Hair and Tattoos, that really just speaks to followers about her journey as a single mom who stopped dyeing her hair, got a bunch of tatts, and dedicated her life to living on her own terms.
“The tattoos have come with my life story,” Lonni told Viva Fifty. “I got my first tattoo when I turned 30. I was in a bad marriage and we were separated for a time. I got barbed wire around my ankle because I felt trapped and helpless. This was the beginning of my journey to let the real me out and be who I wanted to be.”
On both platforms, Lonni regularly shares her outfit of the day, and all of them are chic, comfy, and stylish.
@grayhairandtattoos OOTD with a dance.. ##outfit ##outfits ##fit ##ootd ##readysetshop ##shop ##fyp ##foryoupage ##foryourpage ##grayhairandtattoos ##dance ##winterfit ##DailyVlog ##m
Typically, the mom rocks a fitted look, complete with Dr. Martens or another "youthful" shoe, ultimately making her look like "goals" nearly every single day.
Being a public and honest person committed to living life authentically also sadly invites critics in, and often, they aren't exactly kind.
Recently one of her TikTok followers told her that she was far too "old to be dressing like a teenager." The critiques normally don't bother Lonni, but she felt particularly moved to address this one.
So she did what influencers do best: She fired back with an inspiring video.
@grayhairandtattoos Reply to @jilar6723 OOTD #MyStyle #outfit #fit #ootd #readysetshop #fyp #foryoupage #foryourpage #grayhairandtattoos #winterfit #drmartens #levi #w
In it, Pike addresses the comment by noting that she normally pays these "observations" no mind but wants to make sure her followers don't get discouraged by negativity.
"… truthfully I don't care what people think," she said. "But it does stop some people from dressing how they want to."
And her message of wearing what you want was well received.
"Wow.. this actually inspired me a lot," wrote one Twitter user. "I’ve been struggling with the idea of looking older that I completely forgot how much fun I had experimenting with different fashion and having fun with it…"
"I love her," proclaimed another. "I have long hair and a (short haired) woman once told me that HER HUSBAND doesn't believe women my age should have long hair. Idgaf."
So for anyone who feels they have to hand in their "cool card" just because they hit a certain age, don't. There's a lot of life left do live, so make sure you do it on your own terms.
