A transparent bias

At 50, preschool teacher Geeta J finally got a shot at her childhood dream of walking the ramp, when she participated in the India Brainy Beauty pageant in 2019. Of 10 finalists, selected from about 100, she was declared runner-up and won Best Cat Walk.

Heartened, she quit her job to pursue her dream of modelling, and secured assignments with photographers who were building their portfolios, but was annoyed to find serious pushback from clothing brands. “Even sari brands opted for much younger models, though it’s women closer to my age who primarily wear saris in India,” says Geeta, now 53. “One brand asked me how, at my age, I could model dresses.”

A turning point came during a conversation with a lingerie brand. “They told me that, at my age, I couldn’t model their lingerie and that they would get back to me when they made cotton underwear.”

That’s when Geeta really got going. Tired of all that these statements implied, as well as all that was implied by the near-total absence of empowered older woman consumers in marketing and advertising visuals, she launched a campaign for greater visibilisation.

It started with a Change.org petition in 2020, calling for lingerie brands in India to make room for older models. Geeta promoted it with the hashtag #AgeNotCage. “I decided to name Zivame in the campaign because I know they have a plus-size section and thought they would be open to something like this,” she says.

To show just how easily the change could be made, she began posting images of herself in lingerie on social media. As her campaign drew attention, she conducted Instagram Lives with senior models such as the dapper 64-year-old Dinesh Mohan, and the Brazilian 80-something lingerie model Helena Schargel, whose own mission has been to remind the world that life can be sexy and fun — and profitable — in these silver years.

Her first win came when Zivame sent her coupons for lingerie and invited her to model what she bought. They used some of those images on their online platforms.

The Change.org campaign received over 23,000 signatures before running out of steam; no other brands took to the idea greatly. So Geeta decided to take another step forward. In March 2022, she launched her own line of lingerie, via a website called AgeNotCage, with items sourced from manufacturers and modelled by her. “I have learned that if you want to make a change, start with yourself,” Geeta says.

The business is small and she is still learning, but she’s already been invited to collaborate with brands such as the Delhi-based Klamotten and Kamuk Life, which specialises in kinky lingerie. Geeta also now has over 8,000 followers on Instagram, @just_geet. In her posts, she reminds women that they don’t have to “sit like a lady”. She writes about embracing the experience of getting older, and encourages ageing women to make themselves heard.

The commenters alternate between trolls and women thanking her for making them feel more seen and less censured. “Some women remark that I shouldn’t be wearing Western outfits like a top and long pants. Why should it be acceptable for only young people... and not seniors?” says a comment from @neeraja341948. ”I’m happy that you made a difference.”