‘Me and my besties in 50 years’. Aspirational aging in Italy’s Sciuraglam content marketing strategy

This article examines representations of older women in Italian fashion branded content through the case of Instagram project Sciuraglam. Drawing on feminist age studies and the concepts of technology of age and aspirational aging, it explores how influencer marketing shapes narratives of gendered aging. The study combines a qualitative close reading of Sciuraglam's six most successful Instagram posts with an analysis of users' comments. The findings show that Sciuraglam challenges the historical invisibility of older women by portraying them as stylish, active, and desirable. However, this visibility links positive aging to luxury consumption, elegance, and class privilege. Younger followers' comments reveal aspirations to emulate these lifestyles, highlighting their cross-generational appeal. The article concludes that branded content functions as a technology of age that makes older women more visible whilst also commodifying later life while reproducing idealized, classed, and gendered models of successful aging.