I finally feel like society is getting the message about women in midlife: that “ageing gracefully” is not where we’re at; that, in fact, we can do it in ways that are just as noisy and messy as we like. And it’s cheerleaders, such as Brooke Shields, are helping to get that idea across.

That’s not to say that we don’t find some of it tough. As Shields recently told Hello!, watching her daughters grow into gorgeous young women only serves to remind her of the passage of time. You think, “‘Am I less than? Am I over? Am I attractive?’ There’s so much that happens, especially if you have daughters – just everything is ahead of you and it’s luscious and high and perky and no lines.”

As the mother of girls, I know how she feels. But it’s important to inspire the next generation to eradicate ageism once and for all – as well as acknowledging our own fears.

At 60 (that will be me next year!), Shields looks amazing – but she also looks real, unlike some of those super-youthful celebs who I sometimes fear might be raising the bar just a little too high. That’s not to say I don’t welcome what each and every one of them is doing, either up on the catwalk, fronting beauty campaigns or influencing the next generation with their Instagram fabulousness. But I do wonder sometimes if the rest of us can keep up…

For me, Brooke Shields strikes just the right balance of embracing the skin she’s in while also looking like the most fabulous version of herself. She has been in the public eye since the age of 11, when she starred in the controversial Pretty Baby. She was a Vogue cover star at 14, and went on to become the original Calvin Klein girl. That’s a lot of press to deal with. So how did she keep it real?

“I try to live honestly and authentically in the present,” she told Hello!. “And I hope that the messaging I represent just by being honest about the good, the bad, the ugly, the funny, the great in my life, having been in the public eye for so long – that it becomes a relatable conversation to have. I don’t think it’s any big feat of mine, I’m just a famous person who’s been around a long time. So I hope it’s changing and I hope it’s educating people – giving women agency to care about themselves and not be scared of the big bad wolf that is over 40.” 

“The big bad wolf…” Shields’s refreshing tone is indicative of the rawness and authenticity that sets 50-plus women apart from the rest. She’s a brilliant reminder that ageing still gives us an opportunity to be seen – in different ways than before. We’re not invisible – we are genuine, confident and real.

That might still be news to some of us – and tackling that subconscious bias, as well as society’s outdated stereotypes, which only serve to diminish our beauty, value and confidence, is what we’re all about at Studio10. There’s so much power in sharing our stories – not just the polished parts, but the uncomfortable bits, too. 

“What I set out to do is just tell my story: where I’m afraid, where I feel good, where I want to change and make better. What my issues are,” Shields told Hello!. “But I want to do it with humour. And by presenting that story, I do think it has a positive effect, because people come to the story and they say, ‘OMG, that happened to me.’”

So let’s continue to share our stories – and give a much-needed voice to all women in midlife.