We’ve photographed ladies from their twenties to their seventies and I think it’s fascinating how many ladies say that their self esteem and body image has grown over time. Yet for every woman who tells us they found their inner confidence later in life, another client says they’re too old to be sexy or they’ve lost their body confidence. So we turned to our clients aka The Vixens to ask how their confidence has changed over the years and what age means to them.

sandra 57

In my teens and early twenties I was not confident at all, I always saw others as being prettier or having a better figure than me. I was a size 12/14 when I got married at 25 and my confidence went up a little as I was comfortable with life and had my daughter 3 years later. During my 30s I slowly gained weight until I was a size 18/20, but I was ok as my life was trotting on, husband and kid… the usual.

When I hit 40 I could feel things were not right again, that confidence was slipping away and I felt that others looked beautiful and I looked awful. It was a couple of year later that my marriage broke down, the grass was greener and he left to live with someone else. Bang! I hit the lowest I'd ever been, I believed I was obviously too fat, ugly and useless.

I thought I would let them down by not being dressed right or being too frumpy

For many years after that I hid away, just being a mum. The thought of having to get dressed up to go anywhere filled me with dread, so I just didn’t go. As my daughter, who's now 30, started to get me out a little, shopping and breakfasts out etc, I won’t say I was comfortable but I did it. Friends would invite me out, I'd make an excuse not to go as I thought I would let them down by not being dressed right or being too frumpy. You name it, I thought it…

Then I did something I'd wanted to do when I was in my late 20s. I booked a boudoir photoshoot and became a Foxlow Vixen!

I wasn’t really that nervous about going because I didn’t expect I'd be any good! When I viewed my photos they literally changed my whole life. That beautiful woman was ME! Who'd have thought that a couple of hours in my undies would change my whole perspective on who I am. I don’t need to be someone else, I need to be myself. The years I've missed out on because I gave myself a hard time, I can’t get back, but I can sure as hell make up for them!

Learn to love it and use it, not waste time trying to change it!

Your age and dress size are only numbers… we are what we are. Learn to love it and use it, not waste time trying to change it! Beauty is not just on the surface, beauty is from within, so let it shine through! As I've said before, it's taken me far far too long to have the opinion I have of myself now. My advice to anyone would be do not judge yourself by others and compare looks or figure etc. You are unique, so just be true to yourself.

samara 22

My confidence and self image have changed a lot over the years. I used to be bullied at school which made me hate the way I look.

I was made to think I looked ugly and no one would want me

When I got into my first proper relationship, I felt amazing until it became abusive. I was made to think I looked ugly and no one would want me. Once I finally left, I met someone who made me feel amazing and I began to love my body just as it is. Doing my photoshoot boosted that so much more!

I used to think you had to be young to be beautiful and anyone younger than me was more beautiful, but it’s all about self-acceptance and loving yourself. You are beautiful at any age.

amanda 51

When I turned 50, I booked a shoot with someone else and cancelled it twice because I couldn't find anything to wear, lacked confidence and was not in a good place in my life. I suffered with depression with a lack of confidence and feeling totally worthless.

My confidence level is back where it should be

18 months later I'm in a great place! I bought my own house in July, I'm still single, I lost some weight and my confidence level is back where it should be... hence the photoshoot.

I did this for me and no one else. This whole experience has made me realise I am beautiful no matter what anyone else says and I should accept who and what I am.

alison 38

When I was younger I so wanted to look good all the time and be up to date with fashion. I had my children young and my body changed quickly, which made me very body conscious.

I have accepted my body shape and I dress to make myself feel nice

Now at nearly 40 I have accepted my body shape and I dress to make myself feel nice. I now wear dresses and get my legs out as much as possible. My self confidence has finally started to grow again!

A younger me would have said that beauty was all about make up and clothes. As I'm getting older I appreciate that beauty isn't just what you are wearing, it’s how you feel and YOU wear the clothes not them wearing you. Doing the boudoir shoot has massively had a role to play in my views changing, it allowed me to show my natural lumps and bumps and that I am beautiful.

susan 55

My confidence and self image has fluctuated massively over the years, dependant on events that have happened in my life - both good and bad. When my marriage ended, my confidence took a nose dive and then my boudoir photoshoot was an absolutely amazing life changing experience.

I actually cried happy tears when I saw the photos as I couldn’t believe the person on the screen was actually me! It was very empowering. In terms of age and beauty, it’s corny I know, but age really is just a number in that respect and I believe beauty comes from confidence and how we treat others. Learning to accept and appreciate what we have got, not worrying about what we haven’t got.

val 66

I am definitely more confident now than I was in my teens and twenties. I don't feel that I am really 66 and it's a frightening thought that I will be 70 in 4 years time.

Going from mousy brown hair to blonde boosted my confidence

My hairdresser recommended a colour change, so I went blonder when I started to go grey about 5 years ago. Don't know about "blondes have more fun" but going from mousy brown hair to blonde boosted my confidence.

Like everything now with "age and beauty" there is so much pressure in social media. If you’re feeling insecure then it’s easy to be influenced by what you see, hear and read about. I personally don't take a lot of notice of it, but it seems to me that younger people find image a lot more important because of what is being promoted by famous influencers in today's world.

jacqui 59

To everyone who says I’m too old, I’m too big, I'm too short, I have scars etc - it’s only your insecurities telling you that you can't do it. Take my word for it - you can!

I looked at myself differently after my boudoir photoshoot

I’m the big 60 this year and I can't even begin to tell you how that’s made me feel... but I now believe that age is just a number. I can honestly say that I looked at myself differently after my boudoir photoshoot, I could see the beauty in those things I’d disliked about myself.

We are all beautiful, different and perfectly imperfect. It’s an experience every woman should give herself because learning to love yourself and the way you look is so powerful.

lindsay 60

I was never confident growing up; shy and chubby ’til a teenager. I was a bit of a loner at school, a slow developer and never thought I fitted in with the “in crowd”, I'm still slightly shy now. I was, however, quite fashion conscious and always wanted to look nice.

I was never good about taking compliments and I'm still not!

I think it was when I left home that my attitude changed. I've never been happy with my weight (what woman is?) but attention of the opposite sex made me start to feel good about myself. Having said that, I was never good about taking compliments and I'm still not!

About 30 years ago I had my colours and style analysed and that made me realise how good I could look and what the power of colour, fit and style of the right clothes does for me. I still follow my analysis religiously!

Like a good wine or cheese, I'm getting better with age!

I'm almost 61, but feel about 40. Age is just a number! I remember lying in the bath when I was 35 panicking because in 15 years I'd be 50. Now it doesn't bother me; like a good wine or cheese, I'm getting better with age! My lovely fella tells me I'm beautiful and who am I not to believe him?

My photoshoot was the most amazing experience. I realised I WAS that beautiful sexy woman up on the screen. If ever I'm feeling down, fat, miserable or just off, I look at my photos and say, hell yes, I am sexy and sassy!!

deborah 34

After being bullied as a teenager for being curvy, having two children and a husband who always called me fat; my self confidence had completely dissipated. Yet after having the boudoir photoshoot my confidence has thrived!

Unfortunately, from a very young age we are aware that beauty and ageing have a real stigma attached. Personally I believe that each and every one of us has our own beauty, no matter what age we are, and we should embrace that. It has taken me years to believe that and I tell everyone that now.

melanie 46

My body confidence has never been good and as I got older I found more “faults” to criticise. I would like to think I have got better as I've gotten older and I try to think of age as just a number, but I have never looked in a mirror and thought I looked pretty.

Yet my photoshoot gave me a glimpse of looking pretty and gave me such a confidence boost.

sandra 64

I was never a confident person growing up. All my friends seemed to have boyfriends and I didn't. I thought it was because I was ugly and overweight, but when I look back at photos of myself I was neither.

I still have a negative body image and compare myself to others

As I have grown older (and larger) I certainly have more confidence in some ways, yet I still have a negative body image and compare myself to others. I tend to use age as a bit of an excuse saying “well what do you expect me to look like… I'm 64!”

Having said that I'm not shy about my body. I performed in my first musical at the age of 21 and there was only one dressing room for men and women. After a week of quick changes and realising that no one was bothered about looking at me and my curves, I have never bothered about people seeing me in my undies since. So I am a bit of a contradiction. I am happy for people to see me undressed, but only if I am not the centre of attention and being judged for it. If I was trying to be attractive to a man for example (don't tell my husband) I would have no confidence at all.

People have asked me how I had the nerve or confidence to do the photoshoot, but I never for one moment felt I was being judged and if I hadn't have liked the photos then no one would have seen them. It was the best experience I have had in a long time and has given me so much more confidence. Comments from both men and women have made me realise that I can look both attractive and sexy. Looking at photoshoots of other women has made me see that all women can look that way if they have the courage to do it.

We are all beautiful, we just need to believe it and the beauty will shine through!

I understand now that I was the young girl with no boyfriends because I didn't believe in myself so I just wasn't “seen”. Beauty 100% comes from within and I realise that now. We are all beautiful, we just need to believe it and the beauty will shine through!