Meryl Streep isn’t just promoting a movie. She’s sparking a movement. The 76-year-old Oscar winner is making headlines after wrapping a global press tour for “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” with experts saying her bold fashion choices and candid remarks are challenging how women over 50 are seen in Hollywood.
While promoting The Devil Wears Prada 2 in Japan, Meryl Streep didn’t shy away from addressing the reality of aging in Hollywood. “You don’t see many 70-, almost 77-year-old women playing parts like this in any movie or under any circumstance,” she told reporters, as shared by the Associated Press. “So I’m happy to represent, you know?”
She also spoke directly about the broader issue facing women in the industry. “Often women over 50, I’d say, disappear into the woodwork,” she added. “Their interests and opinions are less valued in our culture, so it’s fun to see this person who is credibly placed in the world and having that influence.”
Experts Say Streep Is Making A ‘Power Move’ By Challenging Ageism In Hollywood
Leading voices in fashion, activism, and academia are pointing to Streep’s recent comments about older women “disappearing into the woodwork” as a major cultural turning point. Ashton Applewhite, an anti-ageism activist, told AARP’s Movies for Grownups that Streep is “explicitly calling out gendered ageism,” adding that she’s doing far more than just promoting a film.
“She’s encouraging women to take up space with confidence,” Applewhite said, noting that Streep’s style doesn’t chase youth; it embraces authenticity.
Fashion designer Carla Rockmore echoed that sentiment, praising Streep’s fearless approach to style. “By dressing so boldly, Meryl Streep is rejecting the premise that women of a certain age must style themselves with a whisper rather than a roar,” she said. “It’s a power move.”
Stylists And Experts Say Meryl Streep’s Bold Looks Signal Confidence, Not Trends
Celebrity stylist Julia von Boehm pointed out that Streep’s looks aren’t about trends, but they’re about self-expression. “Her looks are more out there for this press tour, but still I feel like they’re not like a fashion trend,” she said. “She still stays herself.”
She added that the message behind the tour is clear: “You’re not finished with life. You’re out there, and you’re great, and you’re confident.”
And Adrienne Jones, a fashion design professor at Pratt Institute, said Streep’s impact goes beyond the red carpet, highlighting a larger shift in how women approach style later in life. “Women over 50 are free. I don’t have to fit in any box,” Jones said, explaining that confidence and identity often become clearer with age.
Streep’s Press Tour Becomes A Statement
For many watching, Meryl Streep’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2” press tour isn’t just about fashion, but it’s being seen as a reset. The film, set to hit theaters May 1, was preceded by a six-week global tour spanning six cities and more than 30 carefully curated looks, all centered around one idea: evolution.
According to longtime stylist Micaela Erlanger, the goal wasn’t to recreate Miranda Priestly, but to highlight who Streep is today. “We wanted to have a wink and a nod to the original movie, but it’s also about evolution,” Erlanger told Vogue. “It was about dressing Meryl Streep as she is now, a powerful and realized woman at the height of her career.”
Meryl Streep Says Aging Brings Freedom And Confidence
For Meryl Streep, getting older isn’t something to fear; it’s something to embrace. The Oscar winner has previously spoken about the sense of freedom that comes with age, explaining that it allows her to live more authentically and on her own terms. “The good thing about getting older is that you find your own way… what feels right to you,” she said.
That sense of freedom has shaped how Meryl Streep views aging as a whole, not as a loss, but as a transformation. “Aging is not for the weak. One day you wake up and realize that your youth is gone, but along with it, so go insecurity, haste, and the need to please,” she said.
“You learn to walk more slowly, but with greater certainty. You say goodbye without fear, and you cherish those who stay,” the actress continued. “Aging means letting go, it means accepting, it means discovering that beauty was never in our skin … but in the story we carry inside us.”
