Paulina Porizkova is giving fans a raw, real look at life beyond the runway, as a woman embracing the realities of aging with grace and honesty.
As part of a growing movement celebrating real bodies and beauty at every age, the iconic ’80s supermodel, who once walked for fashion legends like Yves Saint Laurent, Donna Karan, Perry Ellis, Oscar de la Renta, and Calvin Klein, shared an intimate Instagram post on July 28th that pulled back the curtain on how lighting, angles, and filters can distort our perception of what beauty “should” look like.
Her post, which quickly drew over 150,000 likes, is the latest chapter in what many are calling the era of real bodies. Nearly five years ago, Victoria’s Secret model Sara Sampaio went viral for doing something similar, revealing how even an angel needs good light and a pro photographer to look billboard-ready.
Now, Porizkova is reclaiming the narrative again, this time at 60, with a post that contrasts two images of herself taken in vastly different conditions.
This Is 60: Beauty, Balance, and the Truth Behind Photos
The 60-year-old former America’s Next Top Model judge posted two unretouched photos of herself, one in a bikini, the other in her underwear.
In the first, she’s standing outdoors in flattering vacation light. “This is me.Vacation, pretty light, posing for a sho.,” she wrote in the caption.
The second photo shows her indoors in casual lighting, wearing simple underwear. “This is also me. Home, not great light, not posing,” she added. Porizkova used the side-by-side photos as an invitation to talk honestly about what it means to live in a 60-year-old body. Her words resonated with many, especially women navigating similar changes.
She continued:
"This is 60.
This is 60 years of sometimes healthy eating, sometimes not.
60 years of sometimes working out, sometimes not.
60 years of doing the right things followed by doing the wrong things and over again and again.
It’s 60 years of learning of what works and what doesn’t.
And just as I think I’ve figured it out, everything changes and I have to start again.The beauty of 60 is that now I understand the importance is IN the lesson, not passing the exam."
By comparing posed and unposed versions of herself, Porizkova offered a powerful metaphor for a life lived in balance, one where perfection is no longer the goal.
Lighting, Angles and Letting Go of Perfection
The outpouring of support in the post’s comments was immediate and emotional.
One fan wrote: “Nothing wrong with your 60-year-old body, embrace it and look at this pic when you’re 70, then 80. Talking from experience.”Another said: “The amount of encouragement you just gave me is immeasurable.” And a third admirer shared: “Paulina, I love how you’re embracing you! Your natural beauty. I’ve admired you my entire life from the covers of all the magazines when I was in HS, and now your beauty and your voice and salt-of-the-earth personality are inspiring all women.”
This isn’t the first time the Czech-born supermodel has challenged societal expectations. Earlier this summer, she posted a selfie taken in what she called “an unfortunate angle” and “seriously unflattering light.” In it, she reflected on how easy it is to fall back into the habit of choosing images that conform to youth-obsessed beauty ideals.
"In selecting my photos for IG, I almost unconsciously gravitate to pictures where I look best — as in youngest. Least wrinkled, least saggy.So, in the last year or so I’m consciously choosing some that I would have never posted before."
She continued with remarkable candor, acknowledging that harsh comments still happen, remarks like “And sure, I get some of the same ol’ comments:“You look ancient” “you look older than your age” “I’m ten years older than you and look much better” (I like the confidence in that😆) “wow, she sure has aged” and so on and so on.But the majority are women like myself who feel like they are uncertain of what this aging thing is supposed to “look” like, and like myself, madly grateful there is someone that mirrors them.
"But the majority are women like myself who feel like they are uncertain of what this aging thing is supposed to “look” like, and like myself, madly grateful there is someone that mirrors them. So this one is for you, my sisters, to let you know that if you want to look pretty, find good light and a good angle. If you’re tired of being ashamed of your age, let your ‘seasoned lady flag fly!’"
In a media culture still driven by filters, angles, and unrealistic standards, Paulina Porizkova continues to offer something far more radical: truth.
Her version of 60 isn’t flawless, and that’s precisely the point. It’s unfiltered, evolving, deeply human, and unapologetically beautiful.Let me know if you’d like a shorter version for social, a bilingual Instagram caption, or a pull quote block for visual layout!