A 76-year-old grandmother faced the grim reality of just how harsh the internet can be, and unfortunately, it's not even the first time this has happened to her. Candace Cima, who is a fashion influencer, posted a video to her Instagram account of herself trying on a sleeveless midi dress from Amazon. In the clip, she shows off the brown dress that exposed her arms, and even tries on the cropped sweater that came as part of the outfit. To her surprise, many people flooded the post with body-shaming comments, telling her that the dress was inappropriate for a woman of her age.
"When I did my Amazon Try On for you this was the dress that got the most comments," her post read. "It is the one I am packing for a trip we have coming up in a couple of weeks. I love that it can be worn so many different ways and appropriate for so many different climates. Knit is a really good weight definitely more on the thick than the thin side."
"So although it is body hugging it has the weight to hang nicely," the post continued. "I did size up one size and so I am wearing a medium. I am 115 pounds and 5’6” tall for reference."
More from LittleThings: Body-Shaming Spouse Gets Wife A Gym Membership For Her Birthday, And The Internet Is Fuming
Unfortunately, Candace's love and positive review of the dress didn't stop the naysayers from weighing in.
"Not suitable for the arms after a certain âge," one person commented.
"Only wear it with the top on. Doesn’t look great without it," another user stated.
And the comments continued.
One person wrote: "Great color and style; however, you must wear the sweater over it. The dress is not attractive on you without the sweater over it."
"No, older women should not wear form-fitting dresses like that," another commented. "It shows off a sagging butt. Looser fitting would be much better. You’re very attractive but that dress is not for a sagging body or skin."
In an interview for TODAY.com, Candace shared that this particular experience was a little shocking. “It’s not the first time this has happened, but this one surprised me," she said. “People have such outdated notions about age-appropriate fashion, and that needs to change."
Though an unpleasant experience, Candace doesn't carry any shame about her body or her age. “It’s perfectly appropriate to have wrinkled skin at 76, and I’m not ashamed of it,” she stated. “Sometimes I want to respond, ‘Should I cover my face too, because I have wrinkles there?’”
Thankfully, people jumped to her defense in the comments.
One person wrote: "Jesus my Jesus! (Took a deep breath)… beautiful! Beautiful woman, beautiful dress! What is wrong with society today! She feels and looks great, let’s celebrate THAT! With our without the top – I love the fall color!
"I am so sorry people are so judgemental," another person commented. "Age should not matter, but rather what you are comfortable in. I think you are stunning in the outfit with or without the sweater. If people don't like it, they shouldn't wear it. With some of the outfits I see people wearing that expose pretty much everything, and they choose you to judge? What a world we live in. I think you are stunning in the outfit and you are a beautiful person. You be you. BTW, most of the detractors wish they had the following you do."
