If you thought fashionable hats had nothing to do with grief and healing, then you haven’t met Judith Boyd. The loss of the love of her life opened up a world of color and living for the moment.
When Pictures Are Worth the Words
As Boyd was living and loving life as a wife, mom, and psychiatric nurse, an unexpected health turn in her husband of more than 30 years sent her world into a spin. Rather than sit in lament, Boyd took action. “I decided that perhaps it would be a way to distract both of us from the realities of what was happening in our lives,” she says. “So, Nelson, my husband, was my first photographer, and we had a blog series called “What to Wear to Chemo.” I would get dressed up, which was not unusual. And he would take photos of me in between his treatments.”
The hospital exam room and cafeteria became her “chemo café” where Boyd escaped to a world of words to manage her feelings. The page became like a friend. “Nobody was blogging about outfits and cancer caregiving or outfits and death and grief, so it was an intense way to begin.”
A Platform for Aging Well
When her husband passed away in April 2011, Boyd continued blogging. Those photos shifted from life as a caregiver to life for a woman grieving. “The blog was like his gift to me,” she says.
As her content and audience grew, Boyd began showcasing more outfits, bright, vivid colors, and beaming smiles. Over time, her focus on grief and loss became one focused on aging well. “Outfits are my art, so it’s a combination of my purpose and passion,” she says. After years of blogging, Boyd leaped and started an Instagram Page (@stylecrone) with now more than 100,000 followers. A TikTok page soon followed.
Often the rebel, Boyd wanted to show the world that aging doesn’t have to be all dark colors and neutrals. “We’re told as older people that we shouldn’t wear leopard print or short skirts, and the list goes on,” says Boyd. “Well, I’m here to challenge that and show a little bit of defiance — which I think is a good thing!”
Her defiance extends across the spectrum of aging messages. “Why do we use the words anti-aging in beauty products, for example?” says Boyd. “Why not say pro-aging?” She hopes for a day when older people are portrayed differently in media also.
Boyd admits she’s had to educate herself on aging topics as well. Like when people tell her and others, “You look really good for your age.” Boyd suggests we ask ourselves, “Well, what does someone at 82 look like?” Instead, Boyd wants us all to take pride in being and looking our age.
The Age of Social Media
So how does managing a robust social media presence, posting content with beautiful fashions head to toe feel, for someone in their 80s? “I think it’s a great way to show that it’s OK to change careers or change interests,” says Boyd. “I’ve always enjoyed dressing up.” But this was all new to her as a former nurse.
Boyd has been somewhat surprised by her massive following. After a friend taught her the basics, Boyd said she took it from there. She followed other creators like Ari Seth Cohen (@advancedstyle), who posts about older people in New York City. Naturally, Boyd says she’s picked up some tips along the way. “I’ve had to adjust to Instagram, which is more visual and less writing than blogging,” says Boyd.
Boyd also has her rules of the road — preferring the word “creator” over “influencer,” ensuring her fashions are connected to sustainability. “My fashions are always secondhand or by local artisans,” says Boyd.
With all her success in the social media space, Boyd still finds time for family and friends.
Body, Mind, and Soul
Boyd says she’s long held both physical and mental health as a priority, saying it was a key connection point for her and her former husband. She’s maintained that focus through the years, enjoying Pilates, yoga, and walks.
While her husband was undergoing cancer treatment, Boyd met with an integrative oncologist in Chicago. She learned about nutrition and its connection to wellness. “I do eat a plant-based diet,” says Boyd. “However, I totally understand that I'm not a food missionary and that it’s not for everyone.” Still, Boyd says, when it comes to cancer, she strongly believes you can eat food that throws gas on the fire or foods that throw water on it.
Another area that Boyd feels can be overlooked is our senses — especially sight and hearing. “I recently read about a possible connection to decreased hearing and eyesight and dementia,” says Boyd. “I do think that not being able to hear or see well can create some loneliness, and loneliness as we get older can impact our health. What happens when you can’t be out in culture and hear or see the beauty in the world around you?”
Finally, Boyd says a focus on health can be incomplete if it doesn’t include mental health. “I always have a therapist in my back pocket,” Boyd says. She also meditates each morning and whispers three things she’s grateful for before starting her day.
Boyd says that while she’s been overall healthy, things aren’t perfect. Recently, she’s had to wear hearing aids, and she has had eye surgery to repair two macular holes — one in each eye, and has osteoporosis.
Most health issues haven’t sidelined her for long. “I’ve been fortunate in that nothing has really hindered my independence, with the exception of a fall. That fall occurred during a walk last year, when black ice was on the ground.” After her injury, Boyd was in rehab and homebound for weeks. “It was the first time in my 80 years that I wasn’t independent,” she says. “Today, I bring a cane with me to new locations just because people tend to be more careful around me.” She’s also added more weight and resistance training to her fitness plan to protect her bones and wears socks with a grip to help prevent indoor slips.
Grandma’s Lessons to Stand the Test of Time
Boyd isn’t just teaching her followers about aging gracefully. Her eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild also have a front-row seat for lessons on the value of time. “I want them to learn that aging is just another phase of life to be embraced,” says Boyd.
Also, Boyd says teaching her grands and great-grands about their impact on the world around them is important too. “I take my grandchildren to local consignment stores and talk about why it’s important to buy secondhand and climate change,” Boyd says her granddaughter (now 6) has been going since she was 2 years old and can go through the racks better than most adults. “It’s not about instilling anxiety,” says Boyd. “It’s about teaching them to protect the environment and the earth around them.”
With aging, Boyd continues to emphasize that it’s just another season. “Look at the trees — they’re just as beautiful in the spring as they are in the fall.” She wants the world (and her own network) to know that you can still have a full and beautiful life at any age and that you should keep learning and doing new things.
“Maybe you're a gardener, maybe you love to go to movies. It could be anything. But I think it's important to have something that you just adore,” says Boyd. “I plan to do this — to embrace aging, enjoy life, and post colorful outfits until I wear my last hat.”
