Wait, what’s your name? I said while I was scrambling to open my computer. “It’s Jenn, but fashionistas call me Firty. It stands for fifty is the new thirty!” F*ck, yes, I thought. I cannot wait to learn more about this woman. And being the die-hard fashionista that I am, I will refer to her as Firty.

Meet sober model, entrepreneur, and fashion influencer Jenn Ancelin. She is the creative fixture behind the brand and logo Firty @firtyfashion. With over a hundred thousand followers on Instagram, she has made a big splash on the fashion forefront. The Firty trademark combines the numbers fifty and thirty in a catchy logo. And it definitely caught my attention.

“The concept of being Firty is a vibrant reflection about what a woman wears when she gives zero fucks what anyone says. I am fifty-five. I can wear a bikini too. I am sorry twenty-somethings if you think that is weird…too bad. Without prompting, Firty passionately explained, “I don’t like it when I hear people imply that the phrase fifty is the new thirty is trying to fight aging. I don’t see it that way. I see it as a woman embracing who they are.”

Blazing a trail

Firty seems to take ownership and initiative without hesitation “there wasn’t anything for my demographic in fashion, she said, so I created it. That is the kind of person she is. When she sees a need, she dives right in. “I work with women in recovery styling their image for returning to the workforce. I round up nice clothes to give to shelters and halfway houses.”

She described another endeavor she is passionate about finding a way to get the recovery message to people with Down Syndrome or other learning disabilities. “I have worked the steps with people drawing it or acting it out when they struggle to do so with written language. My youngest has Down Syndrome, she said. I witnessed firsthand how the traditional education system failed him.

Firty went back to school and got her master’s degree in special education to advocate for her son. “I worked as an education consultant and helped change some laws in the state of Florida.” She told me, “That was my way of saying fuck you all. I’m going to do it myself.” It sounds like this sober mama bear got downright Firty and blazed her own trail.

Sobriety & Fashion

I was smiling on the other end of the phone as Firty talked. I am a little feisty and Firty too, I thought. Maybe all sober women are, regardless of age. Nonetheless, I was careful to check in with Firty about her anonymity in recovery before publishing this piece. It can be very tricky to recover out loud without misrepresenting the reverence we hold for the process.

Firty nailed it when she said, “The main point is not to showcase my recovery to get more attention. My platform is not about sober living; it’s about a sober fashionista. I don’t talk about fashion in AA meetings, she laughed, but I am ready for it. I am willing to stay open, listen and keep moving forward as my higher power drops things into my lap.”

Her higher power led her to collaborate with fashion designer Alexandra Nyman @iamladycat, who happens to be the editor in chief for Soberocity @soberocity. “Meeting Nyman was a universal gift,” she said. Firty will be walking in the Break Free showcase that Nyman is spearheading in NYFW in February. Break Free is a fashion show which will partner with 10,000 beds, a non-profit established to aid people with substance use issues get access to rehab centers. And Firty will be right there to bring Nyman’s designs to life.

Wear what makes you happy

Firty holds fashion designers in very high regard. “They are such brilliant creatives,” she gushed. Designers are amazing. I pay attention to the design process, the construction, and the inspiration behind the garments she conveyed; I study it because I love it. I can go down a fashion hole for hours. When the design work is complete, then the fashion itself becomes the star of the show.” Firty related, “I feel like it’s my job as a model to represent it.”

“I create compositions when I have a particular edit in mind. If a trend inspires me, I style an outfit to emulate that feel. The concept of “Making it Firty” demonstrates how she interprets the look of a woman her age. “Was this trend intended only for young people? Too bad.”

She is adamant about the Firty slogan “Wear What Makes You Happy.” It seems that this mantra has been beneficial in her recovery. “My mirror was cracked and broken, but I found myself again.” Firty said, “So I leaned into the voice inside that was urging me to get up and get dressed. It was my connection to the universe.”

Let’s Break Free

For so many people in recovery, fashion has been a way to re-introduce themselves to the world after getting sober. Whether in everyday life or on the runway, fashion is becoming a social commentary for our inner dialogue. And the recovery community will be showing up at Break Free NYFW to speak out about their stories. This event will be instrumental in tearing down stigma and barriers regarding sobriety and mental health.

Like-minded spirits such as Firty and I will be gathering to support the cause. And the mocktails will be flowing as we dress to impress. The hope is to evoke conversations that will help us move forward…maybe even get a little fierce and Firty. The countdown to the February showcase begins now. Let’s Break Free.

Grace & Glam,

Kate

WALK YOUR TALK: The Merging of Mental Health & Fashion, An Intimate Conversation With Alexandra Nyman of Soberocity, The Beauty & Brains Behind Break Free NYFW Fashion Show

WALK YOUR TALK: Getting ready for life can be just as fun if not more fun, now that we’re sober. Follow along with Sober Fashion Editor Kate Vitela as she walks her talk and shows the role fashion plays in recovery.

Resources Are Available

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.