Kathy Jacobs is living proof that traditional fashion standards are already becoming obsolete: she was even selected as a finalist in a contest to appear in the prestigious Sports Illustrated magazine to model swimsuits.
In the world of modeling, it is common for women and male models to have an “expiration date“: that is, after a certain age, they no longer meet the beauty standards that the fashion industry has imposed throughout of all its history.
It is clear that this measure is discriminatory and insensitive towards older models – who aren’t even that advanced in age – but there are always cases that, fortunately, break the norm. That said, we introduce Kathy Jacobs, a 56-year-old model who has a body that looks much younger.
Kathy, a Calabasas (California) native, is 1.61 meters tall and has a physique that would make anyone envious. That’s why she’s dedicated herself to modeling. At 56, she was selected among the finalists of a contest, organized by the prestigious Sports Illustrated magazine, to participate in its special swimsuit edition.
“It means so much to me to be part of this, to be part of a movement that’s bigger than myself, and for ladies in my age range to be included. I mean, I’m 56, and the world considers people over 55 to be senior citizens, and I just want to show the world what 56 means. You know, it’s not like I’m ready to roll over and play dead because I’ve still got a lot more living inside of me to do.”
Kathy Jacobs to People
But Jacobs doesn’t just work in modeling: she was recently cast to be a part of Green Day’s video for the band’s latest song, “Oh Yeah”. She’s also an activist for the inclusion of older people in the fashion industry.
People magazine was in charge of releasing the list of new candidates to cover the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit by showing several videos of the candidates. In addition, the candidates were asked some rigorous questions, and when Kathy was asked about what she would say to her 13-year-old self, she answered the following:
“Whatever problems you are having now are only temporary and in time will be nothing but a blur to your future self. Don’t get discouraged if things don’t work out exactly as you thought they would, just keep on going. Oh, and by the way, you’re going to kiss some frogs to get your prince and remember if it quacks like a duck it’s a duck!”
Kathy Jacobs to People
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