76-year-old woman hits back at criticism her outfit is ‘inappropriate’ for her age

A 76-year-old woman has hit back at 'outdated' criticism she's faced over a photograph of her outfit.

Candace Cima from New York blogs about exercise, fashion and lifestyle on her social media platforms titled 'Life in my 70s' - inspiring others to 'reinvent yourself as you age'.

However, one outfit she uploaded a video of for an Amazon try-on haul has received some rather negative comments.

Cima took to Instagram on 18 October to upload a video of the dress - a brown knit which comes down to the mid-calf - which also has an accompanying jumper part.

The caption reads: "When I did my Amazon Try On for you this was the dress that got the most comments. 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. I did size up one size and so I am wearing a medium. I am 115 pounds and 5’6” tall for reference.

"This comes in nine colors and sizes Small to Extra Large at only $49.99 and is located in the Fall section of my Amazon Store.⁠ Just type the word 'Fall' into the comments to receive the link to my Amazon Store Fall Section."

And sadly, the dress got 'the most comments' as a result of it proving quite controversial among some social media users.

People flooded to Cima's social media accounts to weigh in on the dress.

One Instagram user said: "Great color and style; however, you must wear the sweater over it. The dress is not attractive on you without the sweater over it."

"Not suitable for the arms after a certain âge," another commented.

A third wrote: "Only wear it with the top on. Doesn’t look great without it."

And a fourth added: "Makes your otherwise flat stomach look pouchy."

Floods of other users rushed to the content creator's defence, however, and thankfully, she's not upset by the comments.

Cima reveals it's 'not the first time this has happened' to her, but the backlash she's faced on 'this one' did 'surprise' her.

She tells TODAY.com: "It’s perfectly appropriate to have wrinkled skin at 76, and I’m not ashamed of it. Sometimes I want to respond, 'Should I cover my face too, because I have wrinkles there?'

"[...] Women have been conditioned to think they need to cover up because that’s what their mothers and grandmothers did. We need to shift the way we think about age. We don’t need to adhere to these old ideas in a modern world.

"[...] People have such outdated notions about age-appropriate fashion, and that needs to change."

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.

You can also call 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746 at the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline.