Street Style: Meet Jane Collins
Walking along King Street, Jane Collins turns heads, and it’s not just her tall frame. She walks with confidence and the ease of a woman who has seen a lot and decided to enjoy the moment. Her white hair glows, and time seems to have treated her more kindly than most.
Jane first reached out to Stylebook to share an event she was hosting for women in need—clients of Friends of Guest House, women who had lost their confidence. With the help of Maria Elizabeth and Salon deZEN, she offered makeovers and styling sessions to help these women rediscover their sense of worth.
It’s fitting, given that Jane knows a thing or two about reinvention. After a life filled with pivots, challenges, and triumphs, she’s now entering her next chapter in her 60s—as both a makeup artist and a model.
Originally from a small town in Ohio, Jane grew up with a father in the lumber business, a trade passed down through generations. She took a different path, joining the Air Force, where she served for 28 years across both active duty and the Air Force Reserve.
“I loved assignment hopping,” she says. “When there was a crisis, I always got called in. I was in Hawaii, Georgia, Langley Air Force Base…all over southern Virginia.”
Jane Collins
Self-Styled
Belt: The Hive; Bracelet: Mystique Jewelers
Necklace: A Galerie; Earrings: King Street Jewelers
Shoes: Comfort One on King Street
Shoot location: Founder’s Park, Old Town
While in Air Force grad school, Jane spent two weeks visiting countries she’d studied the previous semester. “I picked the Holy Land—Jordan, Israel, and Syria. This was the spring of 2001, six months before 9/11. I was in Syria for ten days, and Bashir Assad had just become president. There was this feeling of excitement and hope in the air. And then, of course, everything changed. It was devastating to see.”
Later, she took a position with the Air Force Inspector General at the Pentagon, returning to active duty and eventually being promoted to Colonel in 2002. She retired in 2009, but had already started thinking about what would come next.
“I knew I wanted to get into the nonprofit sector, so while still on active duty, I launched a newspaper called Get Out and Give Back to encourage people to volunteer. That led to a TV show on Fairfax Public Access with the same name.”
But she laughs, “The whole 9-to-5 suit life was never for me.”
In 2007, Jane met her forever love, Mike Collins, on Match.com. “I’d gone into dating retirement,” she admits. “But I saw his profile—he was a widower, six-foot-eight, and handsome—and I thought someone had hacked my account!” Within two years, they were married, and this year they celebrated their 18th anniversary. “You can find love at any age,” she smiles.
In 2017, Jane founded Heard, a nonprofit fostering creativity, confidence, and self-worth in adults who are underserved or unheard by offering artistic expression through experiential learning. “I wanted to help artists get paid and give adults creative outlets wherever they were—in jails, shelters, or community centers. It was incredibly rewarding.”
In November 2023, a new Executive Director took over at Heard, and in the same week, Jane lost her mother. “In literally a matter of hours, both my mom and the nonprofit I’d built were no longer part of my daily life. I felt lost.”
But Jane doesn’t stay down for long. Early in 2024, she decided to explore what was next—training as a makeup artist and organizing pro bono makeover events at Together We Bake and Friends of Guest House.
Then, opportunity found her again. “I had just gotten on Instagram—maybe five posts—and someone reached out about attending the Coco Rocha Model Camp. I thought, huh? But they take people up to age 70!”
She applied, was accepted, and spent four days in an intensive program led by top industry professionals. “They taught us how to advocate for ourselves, understand contracts, and protect our work. Coco helped push through legislation to protect models. It was amazing.”
Today, Jane is represented by Main Line Models in Glenville, Pennsylvania, and recently joined The Artist Agency in D.C. She made her runway debut on Sunday with Global Couture U.S., walking for three designers and closing for two of them.
Locally, she’s an active member of Alexandria Women for Good, a giving circle supporting nonprofits in the community. “It’s wonderful—monthly happy hours, lunches, and pitches from local organizations. Any woman can join. It’s inspiring and uplifting.”
And so is Jane.
Check out her Street Style:
ABOUT JANE
Neighborhood: Old Town
What is your hometown? Bellefontaine, Ohio
What would surprise people about you? I retired as an active-duty colonel in the United States Air Force. And I was in India on 9/11 teaching English to Hindu orphans in Chennai, during a non-military period when I was with the Air Force Reserve. Prior to that I had just completed a year of military graduate school and we discussed Osama bin Laden as a future threat. Several of our group stayed with a Muslim family that evening in Chennai as they prayed for our family and friends. It was surreal.
Favorite book or movie: The Devil Wears Prada
Guilty Pleasure: Doomscrolling Sex and the City reels on Facebook
Latest binge-watch: Hot in Cleveland
Bucket list travel destination: A European Christmas cruise. We just signed up for one along the Danube for next December.
STYLE
Define your style in three words or less: Accessorized, comfortable, color-suited to me
The go-to piece in your wardrobe: A great handbag.
Favorite trend: Wide-leg pants.
Beauty product you can’t live without: Baking soda. I scrub my face with it once per week. It’s an amazing and inexpensive exfoliator.
Boots, dress shoes or sneakers? Sneakers! Preferably gold and silver.
WELLNESS
Go-to way to de-stress: A walk through Old Town.
Most fun way to stay active: Cardio tennis
Wellness goal: More muscle, less flab.
Want to try: Reformer Pilates
Proudest wellness achievement: Cutting out (almost) all refined and added sugar. Within a week my inflammation and chronic back and hip pain disappeared, my brain is clear, and I dropped a few pounds. Honestly it feels like a miracle.
HOME
Favorite room in your home: My diva loft on the fourth floor of our townhouse. I pretend I live in New York.
Antiques, modern, or a mix? Mix! Absolutely! When my husband and I married 18 years ago we had to blend my European antiques and pink leather furniture with his La-Z-Boy reclining chairs.
Last item bought for your home: A tea towel with the recipe for a Manhattan. I love mixing Manhattans for my husband for afternoon happy hour.
Favorite way to entertain: Casual, with 6-8 people max.
Clutter-free or well-lived in? Clutter-free! I’m too OCD for the lived-in look
Next planned purchase: The interior needs repainting. We’ve said that for the last 10 years so I don’t know when that will happen.
ALEXANDRIA
What do you love about Alexandria Stylebook? Reading about all the creative styles and trends and new things, especially seasonally. Sometimes I’ll run out and buy something the day I read about it. And I love how the small businesses collaborate, and their support of the Alexandria philanthropic community.
Favorite spot in Alexandria: The waterfront
Your go-to shop: Vida Style Shop. I love consignment and thrift shopping!
Best food spot: Il Porto. My husband and I go there every year during the first snowfall (and other times, too).
Favorite local organization: Alexandria Women for Good. It’s a fabulous blend of philanthropy and socializing. We need more members!
Annual Alexandria event you most look forward to: Spring2ACTion. I love how the Alexandria community turns out to help those in need. ACT for Alexandria does such a fabulous job of making it exciting!
