Rock the Silver

Ivana Trump

Ivana Trump is 61 years old. Not a hint of gray until I put her in Photoshop. I used my own hair and cloned her some highlights. A primitive effort to be sure, but I think she should come to the silver side! Check her out in the bikini.

Lieutenant Uhura

Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura on television's Star Trek, is 78 years old. The top picture is from 2009, and the photo on the bottom is from 2010. She is striking, and I love love love her silver hair. It looks to me like she had a little work done recently. I think she looks good ... polished but not pathetically holding on to an image of youth that no longer exists. 

This is kind of an interesting philosophical dilemma. Gray hair is a style choice, and I happen to like that choice, but it doesn't necessarily mean one is a zealot for all things natural. There's a cornucopia of treatments out there to help preserve our looks in some form or fashion. Is there a way to embrace some of these treatments and live authentically without looking like Tina Louise?  Is there a hybrid solution, or does going gray mean we are committed to aging cold turkey?

I'd like to thank the Academy

I watched most of the Academy Awards looking for signs of gray life in Hollywood. Of course, there are tons of men with gray hair, but the women are few and far between. There were a couple of spousal units out in the audience, but the Red Carpet? Not so much.

My awards ... Kathy Bates takes home the Oscar for totally rocking the silver hair, while Helen Mirren comes in second with her gray-blonde mix. Jeff Bridges' wife, Susan Geston, wins best gray hair in a supporting role with what looks to me like natural gray highlights. I don't know who that other guy is, but I thought he looked exceptionally cool!

The long and short of it

I was never a believer in long gray hair, but I'm liking it more and more. I mean, you don't want to end up looking like some kind of backwoods vigilante with stringy gray hair down to her butt (such as one might see in the parking lot at some discount retailers). That is not the look we are going for.

But there's a chic and sort of soft ethereal style for silver hair that comes with at least some length and subdued makeup. As in like not red lipstick. Here's Jane Alexander before (May 2009) and after (January 2010). She's a beautiful woman either way, but I prefer it long. What do you think?

A tale of two stars

Helen Mirren, age 65, is without doubt classy and gorgeous. As far as the hair goes, I can never tell ... sometimes she looks more blonde and other times more silver ... but whatever combo she's got going on, I love it! She looks natural and fabulous.

Just to compare and contrast, below is Tina Louise, who played Ginger on Gilligan's Island. Tina turned 76 last week. I mean, 76, holy cow. Gotta give the girl props for that. I really don't know what to say about it. I guess it's her choice to look however she wants, but she would not be my aging role model. What you do think, fab or sad?

She Rocks: Ruth Flowers

Ruth Flowers hangs out in Europe's most famous nightclubs. That might seem odd for a 69-year-old grandmother from Bristol, England, but it comes with the territory when you are the DJ. On the dance floor, she is better known as Mamy Rock.

The story of Mamy Rock is legendary. She was widowed, and it was her grandson's birthday. He took her to a discotheque, where they almost didn't let her in because she was too old. But once through the doors, the music and dancing lit her soul. She said to herself, this is what I want to do with my life.

So she did it.

With her spiky silver hair and stylish bling, Ruth is rock star cool. But her spirit is what I see shining through. Ruth looks like she is having the time of her life! What I also see is more evidence that the party is not over.

Who knows what you will be when you grow up? 

(c) SPOA / Orel Simon - Photos by Marjorie Curty

(c) SPOA / Orel Simon - Photos by Marjorie Curty

She Rocks: Paula Deen

Happy birthday to silver-haired fox Paula Deen, who turns 63 today. Look at her just a few years ago. Her TV show was just starting out. The hair was gray but in transition to the beautiful silver-white she enjoys today.  In my opinion, older is better!  I'm sure the Food TV folks help with hair, makeup and clothes, but she has to be the one to wear it, and wow ... she wears it well!

My favorite Paula Deen recipe is Lemon Blossoms. Even better when you double dip them in the glaze. Oh, yum. 

She Rocks: Judith Fox

It is my great pleasure and honor to introduce Judith Fox, who totally rocks the silver. Love the hair, the face, the smile, the glasses, the leather, the earrings, the makeup and the cat! Something to be said for a woman who wears cats well. I am struck by how cool she looks but even more struck by what Judith is doing with her life.

Talk about reinventing yourself as you go! Judith has been an entrepreneur and CEO and loving caregiver to her husband, who is an Alzheimer's patient. Judith is also an accomplished photographer and writer. She recently published a deeply personal and poignant book of photographs telling the story of her husband's life with Alzheimer's disease.  The book is I Still Do: Loving and Living with Alzheimer's.

I first heard about Judith's book through an article I read online at www.wowowow.com. I found myself going back again and again to check out her picture and finally summoned the courage to send her an email. Judith has graciously agreed to be featured on Rock the Silver®.

While I was crazy about her style, I found myself drawn into the love story that is at the heart of her book. Most of us have been or will be touched by Alzheimer's. My mother had dementia, and it was terrible and tragic to watch her identity seemingly disappear.

Now I realize that perhaps I didn't dig deep enough. Judith's lens seems to see the soul, and she used her camera to stay connected to the person she loves. The person who is still in there. And that is an incredible accomplishment. Judith Fox is truly a silver celebrity in my book.

New Jamie Lee Pics

Desperately seeking silver

I have been desperately searching for photos of cool celebrities with gray hair to add to the silver celebrities and wannabes files. Trying to skip the usuals -- Jamie Lee, and well, Jamie Lee.

Found a list of beautiful celebrities over 50, and not one of them had a hint of gray. I guess that's their job. Dana Delaney, Angela Bassett, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sharon Stone, Kim Basinger, Ellen Barkin, Rene Russo, blah, blah, blah. Gorgeous and not gray. I've read that Sharon Stone is sporting strands of silver, but it just looks like blonde to me. And some nip and tuck.

She looks awesome but not particularly authentic. Even Helen Mirren and Judi Dench look like they've gone back to blonde. I think Lynn Redgrave looks really good, but the clothes leave something to desire. It's like they go gray and give up on fashion. I think it's the weight. I really do. She does look beautiful, though.

So, let's get over the celebrity thing. They have a different gig. Not their job to represent the silver-haired population. Their job is to look as youthful as possible for as long as possible. It's up to us. Which leads me to my latest dilemma.

I saw a gorgeous silver-haired woman at of all places, Michaels, the craft shop. Please don't think I go there. I was afraid, very afraid, but we had an ornament contest at work, and one must do what one must do. I will share my distinctive results in a later post. I shiver just to think about it. I almost made an emergency call to my sister right from the store just to talk me down off the ledge. She is a celebrated fabric artist and crafter. I did not get those genes.

This gorgeous woman. What to do? I had the Rock the Silver® business cards with me. I wanted to give her one and say, hey, I have cool silver hair, too, and I have a website, and I want you to be on it. To inspire other women. But I had not fixed my hair. Wearing a baseball cap, sweats and a tacky polar fleece vest over the top. Maybe she would think I was making a pass. Or trying to rob her. What is the proper approach? How do I address a gorgeous silver-haired role model?

Accepting all advice.

(Note to self -- clean up before going out).