50+ TikToker Carla Rockmore says 'dressing your age' is 'supposed to be fun'

Carla Rockmore's optimism and zest for life is near-impossible to ignore.

Her bubbly and "tell it like it is" personality has gained her more than 1.3 million TikTok followers, who anxiously await her daily styling videos interspersed with motherhood and lifestyle advice.

And while her content is geared toward the 50+ demographic, she's managed to captivate people of all ages.

"Aging women come with a plethora of knowledge and experience, but for some reason society deems them invisible," the 56-year-old designer and social media star told Yahoo Canada. "Life after 50 is supposed to be fun and I hope to help people see that."

Rockmore began her TikTok journey during the first COVID-19 lockdown. At the time, her social media accounts had "about 91 followers" and were mainly used to wish her friends and family happy birthday.

However, that all changed in May 2021. After her daughter encouraged her to post fashion and styling videos on TikTok, her first video went viral. Initially thinking it was a fluke, Rockmore thought nothing of it — until it kept happening.

"About four months later, Vogue coined me the 'Carrie Bradshaw of TikTok.' And that's when the floodgates opened," she recalled.

How fashion represents her

The Canadian-born designer said fashion "wasn't a choice" for her — it was a calling. Rockmore grew up in a home of artists so colour, shape and proportion "were regular dinner conversation."

In her early teens, she recognized she could use clothes to create an impression and express emotion, which morphed into her career over time.

"Fashion represents what you're feeling and who you want to be. Through my personal clothing I was able to present myself to the world any way I wanted, which sparked me to go to fashion school," she said.

After attending Toronto Metropolitan University, Rockmore began her career in merchandising and creative direction. She moved to Montreal to work in the Chabanel garment district, and spent time in China and Europe before heading back to Toronto where she married and had two children.

Eventually, Rockmore got into clothing and jewellery design, which she says has "been very rewarding.

"After having kids I couldn't leave my babies for months at a time to go work in Europe and Asia. So I decided to work on my own jewellery collection domestically," she said.

One Boxing Day, Rockmore headed to Canadian Tire to pick out baubles and trinkets to make jewelry from.

"I had no idea what I was doing other than the fact that I knew I wanted to make jewelry and start my own collection," she explained. "Over time I got some retailers and the rest is history."

Rockmore balances her own collections with content creation full-time, and while she's extremely busy, the "joy of fashion" and "empowering fellow women" makes it all worth it.

Dressing your age

From her self-proclaimed "huge dream closet," the influencer puts together fun and sometimes eclectic outfits to remind women there's fun in life after 25.

"Look, I'm in my 50s, and I'm wearing big fluffy skirts with shrunken football T-shirts because it represents me, but I'm still making it age appropriate," Rockmore said. "Dressing your age doesn't mean not wearing certain colours or styles. Dressing as you get older is supposed to be fun."

While Rockmore is one of the many influencers working to change the stigma surrounding aging, she admits it can still be a challenge.

In her eyes, instead of hiding in the shadows as you age, it's important to "step into the light."

"Hold power in the fact that the older you get, the more knowledge and experience you accumulate," Rockmore said. "Instead of making yourself invisible, celebrate who you are and what you've done."

When it comes to fashion in your 50s and beyond, the stylist recommends "giving yourself permission to try new things."

For example, if you're interested in trying out a trend, Rockmore suggests going to a lower-end store and purchasing something there. If you like the look and how it makes you feel over time, you can invest in more pieces like that.

"You'll know very quickly if certain clothes are for you or not. Do they make you feel confident, fun and empowered?" she said. "But if you don't take chances, you'll never know what you can achieve."

When it comes to fashion tips and advice for the aging woman, Rockmore suggested playing with colour.

From a different shade of lipstick to a rich new sweater for fall, the influencer challenges her followers to break out of their comfort zone.

Additionally, when determining new wardrobe options, Rockmore wants people to lean into their favourite features.

"If you love your legs, wear a skirt that shows them off. Or wear an open-backed dress if you like your back. As you age, confidence is key so start by highlighting the parts of your body you like best," she said.

"There are many ways to reclaim your power as you get older, and clothing is absolutely one of them."

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