In a world where youth dominates the fashion industry, Renate GM McSherry is redefining the industry by proving that elagance, style , motivation and creativity that fashion has no limits. In an interview with Nandini she opened up about her journey,here are some highlights of her interview.
She told us about how she started her Instagram career she said ,’After my kids had all left home and my mother passed away I found myself with too much time on my hands. I have always loved fashion and putting outfits together and thought IG would be a great platform to do that. I really didn’t think anyone would be too interested but my account grew very rapidly which gave me the confidence to keep going. It really lets me be creative and I love that.’
She told us more about her motivation behind wanting to poat on Instagram,’Before starting on IG myself, I had never really posted anything or paid too much attention to it. My daughter In law has quite a following and to me it looked like a fun hobby. I would be able to put together any outfit, show it on IG without actually having to leave my house. This was especially helpful going through the pandemic.’
Social media can be a brutal place for everyone when she was asked about hardships she faced a s an influnecer over 55 she replied with,’Some of the biggest challenges for women over 55 is how our body changes. What once looked good might not after everything shifts or you gain menopausal weight.
For me, I have found that if I feel good in it I’m going to wear it regardless of what people think. Social media is a brutal place and everyone has an opinion.’ She provided us with a quote to help people who are hesitant to wear clothes they want to wear in public she said,’Wear what you feel comfortable in and own it!
She gave advice for buying clothes for middle aged people and told us how sticking with basics can help you in long term she replied with,’ When buying clothes for a middle aged body you want to make sure you get the right fit for your shape. The fit is everything. An inexpensive well fitting blazer looks much better than an expensive ill fitting one.
Stick with basics that will last for years and add a few trendy pieces every season to stay current. As far as colour goes, wear what you love. If you feel good in it you’ll look good too.’
She told us tips on how to create a wardrobe you like, ‘I would start with going through your wardrobe and get rid of what you don’t like, doesn’t fit or you’re not sure about.
What is left are the pieces that you love and you can build from there. I would say it would be a good idea to hire a stylist to help you figure out the image you want to portray.’
She quotes that she doesn’t think there are fashion rules and how your option matters the most she said,’In my eyes there are no fashion “rules”.I do believe there are certain things that should not be worn after a certain age.
I would for example not wear cut off shorts or very short shorts in my 60’s but I see some women in magazines wearing them and look fabulous so who am I to judge.
Like I said before. If your clothes fit properly there is not a whole lot you can’t wear at any age. I’ll never forget my young sun telling me I was too old (I was 38) to shop at Forever21. I was so stunned at that time because I had never thought about that. Women in their 50’s and beyond can shop anywhere they like even though I don’t shop at Forever21 anymore.’
She tells us that she engages with her followers on her Instagram through various ways,’ I engage with my followers through my stories, comments and direct messages.
I have made quite a few friends all across the world on IG. It’s really neat.’
She tells us that she has gotten postive and negative feedback on her posts,’ The feedback on my account has generally been very positive. I did however post a reel a few months ago that got so much negative feedback that it threw me for a loop.’
She tells us how Instagram influences her style the most,’ Instagram influences my style the most. I look at the mega influencers and look at what they are wearing. When I started out I followed a lot of the European influencers and I still do.’
She tells us about her journey in Instagram account growth and how algorithm change affects the growth too she said,’ Because my account was growing steadily for 5 years, I was very motivated to keep going. It was a lot of fun and there was a lot of engagement. With IG changing its algorithm frequently it has gotten increasingly difficult to reach people.
I still love doing it so as long as I’m having fun I’m going to continue
