'Dress your age': Aussie mum that's proving style shouldn't have an age limit

“It’s like, ‘Wow, bring it on. Bring it on. Wait till you see my next outfit.’”

Forget get-young-quick schemes. Melbourne mum Trish Roda is proving age and authenticity are the ultimate style statement.

At 58, her closet isn’t a place of limitation. It’s a space of liberation. It’s where she comes alive.

“Age is just a number,” Ms Roda told news.com.au.

“Style is who you are. Style is character. Style is showing your own expression. Style is just being you.” 

Making women feel good in their own skin is her passion. Picture: TikTok and supplied

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"Show how amazing she is at 58"

She’s been styling wardrobes for decades, but her boldest collaboration yet is with her 31-year-old daughter, Suzannah Gagliardi. Together, they’re making age-inclusive fashion go viral.

“We’re very close, my mum and I. We’re like best friends,” Ms Gagliardi told news.com.au.

“I’ve always known her to be such a strong woman. She’s who I aspire to be when I grow older.” 

The pair believed Ms Roda’s passion for fashion deserved a bigger audience, so they turned to TikTok and were quick to gain traction.

“I just felt like I wanted to put it out there and show how amazing she is at 58,” Ms Gagliardi said. 

It’s a love that her mum is more than thrilled to share, pushing fashion boundaries and challenging expectations placed on middle-aged women by society.

“We’re dictated by how we should dress, how we should look. It’s really about knowing who you are as a person, and that’s hard to do,” Ms Roda said.

“If people search for who they are within their own four walls, then when they walk outside the door, they can conquer the world.” 

It’s a message the world could use more of, but this is the internet, and the mother-daughter duo hasn’t escaped the dark side of the comments section.

Their most recent post has amassed more than 780,000 views, with Ms Roda looking sensational in a pair of black leather pants and a sparkly top.

Still, not even a shimmering top and a smile could silence the internet’s self-appointed fashion police.

“She’s proof that looks don’t last forever,” one commenter wrote.

“If that was my mum, I’d be telling her to wise up,” another posted.

A third added: “She looks lovely, but I just think when you get to a certain age, you can dress lovely without trying to look like you’re 30 years younger. Just my opinion.”

As others demanded Ms Roda “dress your age”. 

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"An army behind her"

But if you think a few keyboard warriors could rattle them, think again.

“Negative comments don’t make me feel upset. They empower me,” Ms Roda admitted.

“It’s like, ‘Wow, bring it on. Bring it on. Wait till you see my next outfit.’”

While Ms Gagliardi is protective of her mum, she doesn’t give much air to the negativity either.

“I feel like everyone’s open to their own opinions. That’s okay,” she said. “Everyone has their own style, and as long as it doesn’t affect my mum, I’m okay.”

“There’s pretty much an army behind her just sticking up for her, which I love.” 

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She’s talking about the people in the comments defending Ms Roda’s right to express herself through fashion, but also about the messages that fill her DMs every morning.

“My inbox is full with so much love and people saying, ‘Oh my god, I love your mum. She’s so inspiring.’ I’ve got people saying they were fearing ageing, but now they’re not,” she explained. 

That’s ultimately the “why” behind their cause. It’s more than fabric and flair. It’s about reassuring other women that it’s okay to show up exactly as they are.

“I just want to bring out the best in people,” she said.

“If I can inspire even one woman to embrace who she is, that’s enough for me.”

For the duo, fashion isn’t about turning back the clock. They’re only just getting started proving that style doesn’t come with an age limit.

“We’ll definitely keep posting,” Gagliardi said. “My mum has so many different styles and different outfits and just everything. We’ll keep sharing the fun.”

Originally published as 'Dress your age': Aussie mum that's proving style shouldn't have an age limit