02/01/2025
Brigitte Bardot Isn’t Afraid to Age—Today She Turns 90
In 1973, shortly after announcing her retirement from acting, Brigitte Bardot sat down with French journalist Claude Sarraute, who asked if she feared growing old. Without hesitation, Bardot responded confidently, “That’s not a fear at all because we can’t do anything about it. It’s completely natural; it happens to everyone. We’re very young, we grow up, we age, and we die. But I’m not going to be anxious about it because then it would feel horrible.”
Today, Bardot turns 90, celebrated as one of the most transformative icons of beauty and style in pop culture. Her career began in 1953, spanning more than 50 films before she retired at 40. International stardom came with *And God Created Woman*, which established her not only as a symbol of liberated sensuality but also as a style trailblazer, thanks to her effortlessly chic fringe and voluminous bouffant. Yet, what truly sets Bardot apart is her firm stance against society’s expectations that women defy the natural aging process. Her enduring commitment to aging naturally has distinguished her from her peers.
“She has never avoided the cruel gaze of the mirror. She withstands aging with aplomb,” noted Marie-Dominique Lelièvre, Bardot’s biographer, in a 2014 interview with *The Guardian*. Similarly, Dennis Nothdurft, curator of the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, praised her authenticity in a 2009 interview, saying, “Brigitte Bardot has bowed out of the limelight, has refused plastic surgery, and hasn’t tried to maintain her looks. That’s quite refreshing because it’s realistic. It is aging on her own terms.”
Unlike many public figures who claim to avoid cosmetic procedures (though some quietly indulge in them), Bardot embodies what it truly means to embrace the passage of time. Recent photos reveal her silver hair left untouched by dye, and her skin unaltered by fillers, Botox, or other enhancements. “I don’t feel old or used up,” she told *Vanity Fair* in 2013. “And I don’t have time to waste thinking about aging because I live only for my cause.”
Today, Bardot continues to reside in St. Tropez, where she devotes herself to animal rights advocacy through the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. Although her outspoken views have sparked controversy—she has faced fines for incendiary remarks and criticized movements like —her perspective on aging remains as unwavering as it was in 1973.
“It’s beautiful, a lady with white hair who’s wise and tells beautiful stories,” she shared with Sarraute. “There aren’t many left, but I think it’s wonderful. Women should embrace aging because, at the end of the day, it’s far more beautiful to have a grandmother with white hair who looks like an elderly lady than to have one who’s bleached, dyed, and overly made-up, looking both older and unhappy.”
Brigitte Bardot’s approach to aging, her legacy in film and fashion, and her life as an advocate show that her impact endures well beyond her image on the screen. Bardot remains a symbol of courage, individuality, and resilience—qualities that have defined her journey as much as her timeless style.
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