Baddie Winkle is cooler than all of us. The 88-year-old great-grandmother has 2.5 million followers on Instagram, personal style by the bucket load AND she’s Missguided’s new campaign star. Decked in colours, patterns, sequins and crowns galore, the octogenarian inspires everyone - young and old - to do and wear and say and be whatever the f*** they want. Yup, fashion (and life!) is supposed to be FUN and Baddie encapsulates that better than anyone.
Alya Mooro sat down with her to talk the naughtiest thing she’s ever done, her love for Rihanna and Miley Cyrus and more ahead of the launch of Missguided’s first ever IRL store.
1. Hi Baddie! Your style is amazing! How did you come about dressing like this?
Well, I’ve always been stylish. I mean, I have… all my life.
2. You’re 88 now and looking amazing! Have you found your sense of style to change as you’ve gotten older?
Oh yeah, you do… you change, from year to year actually. But I’ve always been very trendy, more so than a lot of my friends. [Now] when I get clothes from brands I look at what I like, I try them on and see how I look in them - because I always like to look good, as everybody does. If I look good in it, I’m going to wear it.
3. What’s the biggest fashion mistake you’ve made? Do you think there even is such a thing?
There are some things that college kids and high school kids wear that I don’t, such as bikinis. I don't wear bikinis anymore and I don't wear pasties [nipple covers]. There are some things I don't go for but most of them I do!
4. What do you think it is about you that people are loving so much?
I’m 88 which is quite old for… well, anybody. I’m the only grandmother that wears the clothes that I wear because most older people my age, they wouldn’t wear what I wear - but I think it would be great if they did! Even [if they could] try it one time, say ‘I’m going to see what it looks like on me, and if it looks great I’m gonna wear it, no matter what anyone thinks!’ I don’t go along with other people’s opinions.
5. You’ve previously spoken about how you hope to inspire older people to get out more…
Absolutely! [I want them to] quit sitting around on their butt saying ‘I’m too old.’ They’re not too old!
6. What would you want to inspire young people to do?
To be themselves and not let other people influence them. If I let other people influence me, I would be sitting on my butt doing nothing. What I do I love!
7. Social media has played a huge role in your success. If you could only use one social media platform, which would it be?
Instagram! It’s a great influence on everybody, young and old.
8. You’re the face of Missguided’s new party collection. You say you’ve been 'getting on the naughty list since 1928' - what’s the ‘naughtiest’ thing you’ve ever done?
The naughtiest thing I’ve really ever done which I think shocked my family and a lot of other people was [when I] dressed in leaves. Course, I did have a bra and panties on! We were having kind of a family reunion and I walked out with these leaves on and shocked them all to death! It was so funny.
9. Haha! Did you do it for the shock value?
Probably… I’ve always shocked my family. I mean, I don't anymore because whatever I do it doesn’t shock them anymore, but that did. It was amazing, I mean… to see the looks on their faces was hilarious
10. Are you ever too old to party?
No! If you feel like going out, go out. I go to nightclubs and I’ve always gone to nightclubs. Me and my friends, we get together and have a lot of fun; we play cards, we go out to lunch, dinner, nightclubs… we listen to the music and we dance.
11. What are your favourite songs or artists to party to?
I like all kinds of music but my favourite probably is the music of today; Rihanna and Miley. I absolutely love Drake [too]! In fact, I follow his father on Instagram. I haven’t met him yet [but] one of these days I’ll meet his dad.
12. Your quotables have become quite a sensation in themselves! If you were to create your own line of slogan tees, which would you go for
As a matter of fact, we’re coming out with a line of clothing! One of the things is a t-shirt that will have ‘praying for the basics’ on it. Do you know what a ‘basic’ is?
13. Haha yes I do! What’s your definition of a basic?
Ones that don’t like me [laughs] and I do get some of those. Not a lot anymore but… They don’t have any kind of life except sitting around and hating people. It really is sad.
14. What bit of fashion advice do you wish you could tell 15-year-old you?
That was years ago and it was during the Depression… We didn't have very many clothes but what we did have, I tried to spice it up with colours. I love colours; if I had any money left over to buy anything - which was far in between - I’d always buy something with colour in it. [Colour] makes you happy!
15. What’s your favourite colour?
Pink!
16. What bit of life advice do you wish you could tell 15-year-old you?
I wish I had known a lot of stuff! I didn't know much of anything at that age. We think that we know it all but we really don’t. I would have listened more to advice from my parents… I drove them crazy, I really did. Part of the time it was fun and part of the time it was kinda rough because they were pretty strict back in those days. If there was a rule, I broke it. I had three older sisters, course I just have one now… They abided by the rules, but I was younger and saw all that and I thought: ‘I’m not gonna do that when I get to be your age!’ So it didn't happen.
17. What’s your definition of success?
I think you can be a success in any part of your life. Maybe you won’t be a millionaire, maybe you won’t have a lot of money, but you can be a success without all the trappings and live your life the way you like it - that’s being a success to me.
18. Thank you so much Baddie! Is there anything else you wanna say?
I’d like to say something about my outfit… [stands up to show it off.] I love this outfit because it [reads] ‘Savage’ and I’m a savage and I have a good, golden heart.
Missguided’s first flagship store is now open in Westfield, Stratford.
****Like this? You might also be interested in: **
Baddie Winkle Is Missguided's New Campaign Star And You Can All Just Go Home Now
Follow Alya on Instagram @moorizzla
Photos by Kiran Gidda @KiranGidda
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.