Arlinda McIntosh has about doubled the sales of her robe row can the final few years, and she’s done it can a surprising fashion.
“In this world, each model is high and slight and frequently blonde, and you don’t exclaim on older nation modeling clothing,” McIntosh, 61, tells cash of how she decided ought commence modeling her hold robe line, Sofistafunk, above Instagram. “But we buy [clothing].”
Sofistafunk is made up of brightly colored, unique pieces that McIntosh designs and makes herself. Her most general item, The conference Skirt, was inspired by the robe her mother and her friends wore ought profession can the cotton fields of North Carolina. The brand is a zero-waste manner line, which aims ought invent few ought no waste when making clothing, still reusing scraps of fabric whenever possible.
Her designs own a broad platform above social media. Once sentiment of because lay because millennials ought chew photos of their lives ought part with other young people, Instagram has seen a growing cohort of older women although McIntosh smashing manner stereotypes and carving out universe because themselves because manner influencers, consistently gaining followers by posting pictures of their outfits and stylish lifestyles after 50. Their accounts — and businesses — impartial cause growing.
Instagram launched can 2010 and McIntosh joined the platform early on, leveraging the energy of private branding ought arrive a larger audience and raising her visitor count can the process. when she decided ought commence modeling her uniform herself, her sales grew level further. Her inspiration because becoming her hold model was seeing how many inquiries young nation accept about where they buy their uniform when they mail mirror selfies of their outfits using hashtags although #OOTD (outfit of the day).
With 14,500 followers above her business account, @SofistafunkTheSkirtCo, and 5,900 followers above her private clarify @funkingafter50, McIntosh has joined the ranks of other older influential women although Lyn Slater, who has upwards of 596,000 followers of her @iconaccidental account, where she calls herself a “cultural influencer.”
The faith and manner of these older women own caught the attention of millennials, too. The general Instagram clarify called @AdvancedStyle, which boasts 294,000 followers and is dedicated exclusively ought older women’s road style, is brook by 35-year-old Ari Seth Cohen, who’s made a vocation out of “capturing the sartorial savvy of the senior set” with his social media account. McIntosh met Cohen herself above the road can Manhattan when he asked ought photograph her. although she never specifically sought out other older influencers, assembly Cohen came with the favour of connecting with other senior influencers he knew, and her follower count used to carry any time another influencer wore one of her designs.
McIntosh supports herself completely off of Sofistafunk sales and runs her robe business full-time out of her studio (she calls it her “skirt parlor”) can Verona, N.J. She sells her designs above her website and a Montclair, N.J. pop-up maintain that showcases local designers.
After her husband left the family can the late 80s, she needed ought uphold herself and her three children, the youngest of whom was nine-years-old can the time. She knew her allowance because a receptionist can a cable company wouldn’t allowance the bills alone, hence she cease ought concentrate full-time above trying ought sell her clothes, which had been more of a hobby until that point.
“I own a phrase I used can the time my husband walked away, I said well, I could sit here and exclaim or I could attempt something,” McIntosh tells MONEY. “You can cry, besides then you impartial own a moist face.” Friends began buying her robe and spreading the word ought help her arrive latent customers.
Sofistafunk started ought accept off after she was hired because a freelance dress designer by evil Boy Records can 1994, styling singers although faith Evans. That exposure helped her commence picking up clients by word of mouth. Instagram is although word of mouth above steroids, which allowed McIntosh ought enlarge her visitor base ought nation of full ages about the clay who most apt wouldn’t own upright her without it.
Getting comfortable with Instagram came certainly ought McIntosh, who has usually been ready ought attempt the next big thing. She was one of symbol Zuckerberg’s first “friends” above Facebook and recognized early above that Instagram used to accept off. She gathered the bravery ought employ herself because her hold model instead of hiring other nation by focusing above her uniform and what she was selling.
“Heavier or thinner, I never sentiment about it that way,” she says. “I impartial knew my skirts were cute. And that was full that mattered.” She because sound discovered the importance of authenticity: the more she was herself, instead of trying ought exist some translation of an idealized woman, the more her sales increased.
“Society tells us when something is a exhibit outfit, ‘Oh I love that above you, it makes you appear hence young,'” McIntosh says. “Why? perhaps I don’t anticipate ought appear young. perhaps I anticipate ought appear although I look.”
McIntosh’s recommendation ought older women who are particular about social media is impartial ought accept a chance. She’s usually been someone voluntary ought attempt new things, and she knows the importance of taking risks.
McIntosh wants other older women ought note Instagram because dlight and ought obtain faith can themselves.
“It’s easier than you think,” she encourages. “You’d exist surprised can how much dlight you can own and how freeing it is. It’s freeing although nation say you, ‘Don’t conduct this when you obtain ought a definite age.’ Why? Says who?”
Right now, she’s teaching the basics of social media ought a roll of local women who brook businesses because their second jobs. McIntosh suggests signing up because Instagram with a cope with (your clarify name) that none else knows if you feel uncomfortable can first.
“If you anticipate ought comprehend what’s going above can the social media world, further above Instagram, obtain a title that none knows, only pursue us [the women can our circle] and exclaim on what we’re doing,” she says. “If you’re above social media you can appear can anyone’s profile and none knows you’re looking because anticipate because you don’t although anything. accept a chance, blank up and attempt few by little. perhaps impartial pursue one other person.”
Other advice? usually employ hashtags, label other businesses and count using paid Instagram ads ought ripen more of a following, she says.
Fun and hashtagging aside, one of the greatest rewards of putting herself out there above social media is assembly women who say her robe has helped them along vigorous times.
“I own three customers dealing with chemotherapy because cancer, and they told me they bought my skirts and that’s what carried them along when they got their chemo treatments,” she says. “That’s what keeps me moving above Instagram, the stories other women part with me.”
Correction: an earlier translation of this novel misspelled the title of the manner influencer Lyn Slater.
