Each week I am going to feature another woman that has boldly decided to go gray. If you would like to be featured send me an email!

This week I am featuring V. a gorgeous silver sister that not only has her Master’s degree in professional writing but also her own YouTube channel to inspire you and one glamorous Instagram feed. I met V. through YouTube and we share not only our gray hair journey but the same Greek heritage.

V is a first-generation Greek-American who is three months into her gray hair journey. She has spent the last two decades developing and publishing digital content. She is also the voice behind Grit & Glamour, a fashion and lifestyle blog that she began in 2006. V. has served as a panel moderator and panelist at Independent Fashion Blogger conferences, and has been featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, Grazia Magazine Australia, and on dozens of other blogs. V. calls the Southeast home, and loves entertaining and spending time with her Aussie husband and dog Macy.

Follow V on her social media outlets here: Blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

1. Tell us why you decided to go gray.

I’ve been dyeing my hair since my late 20s. I used to get away with many weeks between touch ups, but as the years passed and my grey multiplied, the time between root touch ups got shorter and shorter. Finally at age 44 (after two failed attempts to grow out my grey the previous year), I decided enough was enough. I was tired of trying to time touch ups around holidays, events, and vacations. I was tired of worrying about people seeing my grey roots…and using eyeshadow and mascara to hide the silvers two weeks after coloring. I was tired of knowing within four weeks, I’d HAVE to make time to color my hair. I was tired of my scalp being irritated by the dye. I felt like it was time to accept who I was under the dye, come what may.

2. Who is the woman or women that inspire you in the gray beauty revolution?

The catalyst for my change in perception of grey hair is the model Kristen McMenamy. After modeling in the 1990s, she kind of disappeared for a while, then she showed up in Vogue in 2010 with this incredible, waist-length mane of silver hair. I was dumbfounded. And captivated. And I guess the seed was planted in my mind then.

Then when I saw U.K. Vogue editor Sarah Harris’ never-been-dyed, natural white-grey a few years ago, I had the same feeling. These were women in fashion who chose to embrace their natural grey hair at a time, an age, and in an industry where this was definitely not the norm. They are mavericks. They made me feel like going grey in my 40s was a kind of rebellion (I’ve always been a little rebellious). It takes so much courage to choose to go grey at any age, but especially in your 30s and 40s. And it tells the world, “Hey, I’m not playing that game anymore. Here I am, like me or not.” I started to see that being youthful and sexy has zero to do with your hair color and age. It all comes from within. It’s how you carry yourself.

Kristen and Sarah definitely got the wheels turning in my mind. Then when my mother gave up being platinum blonde and grey out her stunning natural white hair, I was sold.

3. Do you feel the beauty industry is embracing the gray movement?

I do. It has taken a ridiculously long time, but better late than never. I do see the tide changing, and I think we kind of have Millennials to thank for making dyed grey hair a thing. But I think perspectives on aging (and age, in general) have shifted significantly in the last 50 years. We are healthier, smarter, and more active than ever. So it makes sense that women like Carmen Dell’Orefice and Maye Musk are enjoying huge popularity well after traditional retirement age. I think the beauty industry is just starting to wake up and see that women are at all ages are relevant.

It’s about time we expanded our perspectives and product lines to accommodate the massive spectrum of ages, appearances, and ethnicities that exist today. I love Christie Brinkely, but in the 80s, even I felt the sting of being a freckled, brown-haired, hazel-eyed girl in a world of blonde, blue-eyed beauties. I’m elated that the beauty industry has made such incredible strides over the last several decades. There should be room for all of us at the table.

4. What is your favorite hair product?

Man, I couldn’t live without Living Proof’s No Frizz Nourishing Styling Creme. My grey is a mixture smooth and wiry. The only thing that keeps me from looking really, really bad on humid days is the No Frizz. That and coconut oil. Absolute miracle stuff, it is, especially for long-haired ladies.

5. How has your personal style changed because of going gray?

There are several colors I feel like I can no longer wear, and consequently, have had to let some beloved pieces go. Off white, rusts, browns, and beiges really don’t look good with my cool salt-and-pepper roots. Since my hair is in transition (and will be for years to come), I have salt-and-pepper roots, and reddish-brown ends. I feel like patterns outside of stripes are a no-go, and I never wear more than two colors at a time. It’s just too busy with my already busy-looking hair. I tend to stick to black, white, grey, pink, or cool-toned colors like blue and lilac. But really, it’s just mostly black. Black was my default color, even before the grey.

In terms of style, I’ve always classified my style as sophisticated with an edge, and that still holds true. But I do maybe dress a little edgier or more rocker than before; I don’t mind looking a little older because of my grey, but I do mind looking frumpy. Also, at nearly 46-years-old, I feel that it’s important to invest in quality pieces…a good handbag, quality shoes. At this age, I don’t think one gets away with wearing a lot of cheap things. When everything is lower quality, you project low quality. I don’t mean to sound harsh. Obviously, people should wear whatever they want. But from my perspective, I’ve been working for 20 years in my career and I want my persona to project that. I want to look like I have my you-know-what together.

xo

V.