A conversation with Karen Kirkendall @kay_elle_kay.

2 Min Read

All hail to the ‘gram!

The common misconception is that Instagram is the sole preserve of 20 and 30 somethings. That couldn’t be further from reality. In fact as the platform has matured so has its audience, and with it a raft of over 50s content creators.

In many cases more candid and arguably more authentic, this burgeoning group now account for north of 14% of accounts globally, a number that is continuing to grow.

We met with Karen, aka @kay_elle_kay, a Norfolk-based mum of two, former school secretary and Van Dal lover (of course).

When she spontaneously opened her Instagram account in 2017 she had no idea that, within just a few years , she’d be broadcasting to almost 13,000 followers and be part of community of creators many of whom she now calls friends.

outfit of the day

‘Why don’t you open an Instagram account? You’ll love it!’So I did.
Karen Kirkendall

“I was looking for a new job one day and came across a role where one of the responsibilities would have been looking after the social media.” says Karen.

“At that point I just had a Facebook account that I hardly ever used, but my daughter said to me ‘Why don’t you open an Instagram account? You’ll love it!’ So I did.

outfit of the day

“One of the things I really loved was ‘Outfit of the Day’ I thought ‘I’m going to have a go at that myself!’”
Karen Kirkendall

“One of the things that I loved straight away was ‘Outfit of the Day’. I love seeing what’s new in the shops; what other people - especially people my age - are wearing.”

“After a few months, I thought ‘I’m going to have a go at that myself’. Karen quickly gained a substantial following and, within a few months, was being approached by brands offering gifted products and invitations to exclusive events in exchange for content posting on her page.

“I was really surprised by how well it took off. Obviously there are a lot of women like me out there, not just in the UK but around the world, who are just interested in fashion and drawing different outfit ideas, creativity and fashion inspiration from one another. It really is a great little community and I’ve even made friends along the way which you never think is going to happen when you open your account!”

outfit of the day
outfit of the day

Karen’s Top 5 styling tips:

  • 1. Inject some colour into your wardrobe
  • 2. Introduce some leopard print
  • 3. Invest in a blazer in navy or black
  • 4. Don’t forget your accessories
  • 5. Get to know your body shape

You can find Karen on Instagram:
instagram.com/kay_elle_kay/

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