This one just makes my skin crawl, it’s even worse because people think they’re giving the ultimate compliment.
The public seems to think “aging gracefully” has a few requirements; no obvious plastic surgery, looking your age, still being attractive. If the person has had no plastic surgery but the effects of age make her unattractive the phrase isn’t applied to her. June Squibb, Kathy Bates, Margo Martindale are examples that come to mind. The phrase seems to be saved for women who are still conventionally hot.
It’s the equivalent of saying you prefer women without makeup, which requires the woman to be hot enough to not need makeup in the first place.





