Betty White would have turned 100 this week and I was really sad to read of her passing a few weeks ago.
You may not think of Betty White as a style icon, but to me she is and here is why...
Betty White was always smiling and never took herself too seriously.
And a smile is the best accessory you can ever wear. She had a really engaging smile and a twinkle in her eye that said that there was so much life inside her no matter her impressive age.
Her choice of roles defied convention from the start and one of my favourites was her role of Catherine Piper in the TV series Boston Legal, a devilishly cheeky old lady, you never knew what she'd say next.
Betty White was vibrant
Her personality appeared vibrant and alive and she wore colour most of the time which was in harmony with that vibrant personality. She was always well-groomed and had developed what appears to be a bit of a uniform way of dressing, a pair of trousers with a colourful shirt.
Betty White had the best attitude towards ageing
"The older you get, the better you get. Unless you're a banana" Betty White said this was a quote from her mother. Plus she believed "You're never too old for anything." which is a great reminder for us all as often we stop ourselves doing and wearing things because we think we are too old.
Betty said "I think it's about your mental attitude. So many of us start dreading age in high school, and that's a waste of a lovely life. 'Oh ... I'm 30, oh, I'm 40, oh, 50.' Make the most of it."
and "I may be a senior, but so what? I'm still hot."
And Betty White Had the Best Attitude to Life
Having a great attitude, one of play and fun, meant that she never got boring or predictable. This is a great lesson to apply to your style.
She let nothing get in her way ... "Butterflies are like women - we may look pretty and delicate, but baby, we can fly through a hurricane."
"It's your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find humour in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver."
and
"Laughter keeps everyone feeling wonderful."
"You don't luck into integrity. You work at it." How refreshing is this attitude? When I'm sure there were so many temptations thrown her way Betty stayed true to herself.
"Open your mind. Stay interested in stuff. There are so many things I won't live long enough to find out about, but I'm still curious about them."
I"m a big cockeyed optimist. I try to accentuate the positive as opposed to the negative."
How much was it her attitude to life, keeping her young that had her live to such a ripe age?
Betty White, you will be missed!