Good question “Older, please!”: How young age interferes in work and in life

Always looking young is the dream of many people. In an attempt to maintain a blooming appearance, women, and men too, are ready to spend money on cosmetics or “beauty procedures,” give up junk food, and much more. And, of course, the rare “lucky ones” who, thanks to their natural characteristics, look 5-10 years younger, sometimes arouse the envy of others. But is it always good to look completely childish, much younger than your age “according to your passport”?

In certain circumstances, for example, during an interview with a reputable organization, the “childish” appearance of an applicant can become more of a minus than a plus. In addition, everyday difficulties are added: you have to carry an ID card with you to get into a nightclub, buy cigarettes or drinks containing alcohol... Often young-looking people admit: “I’m irritated by the fact that I look like a child.” Are there simple enough techniques to look more respectable and mature?

I look like a child

Hairstyle and hair condition

What else, besides the child’s behavior, should you change to look more respectable? Most often the question is posed this way: “I look younger than my age, what do I need to change in my appearance?” Image experts recommend starting with the hairstyle - this is what people pay attention to first.

  • The first and mandatory rule is to take care of your hair: wash it regularly, do not forget to do simple styling, color or cut it on time.
  • Avoid “multi-color” dyeing or unnatural, too bright shades.
  • The most “grown-up” options for medium-length hair are considered to be well-styled curls or hair pulled up.
  • Both men and women are given respectability by well-made haircuts in the form of longer hair at the top, gradually decreasing towards the neck.
  • Hairstyles with straight long bangs or with bangs pulled high up, ponytails, dreadlocks and braids “reduce” age.
  • Simple bright hair clips, like hair hoops, will look out of place on an adult hairstyle.
  • A beautiful thick beard gives even a young man a sedate look. For those who cannot grow such jewelry, it is preferable to shave clean.

I look younger than my age

Hairstyle

A classic haircut doesn't make you look old, but it doesn't make you look younger either.

How to make a girl look more mature with her hairstyle

A short haircut makes a girl look very “youthful” (see photo), so to look more mature, she only needs to grow her hair to at least a short bob. Not all, but most girls, bangs make them look younger.

How to look more mature with a guy's hairstyle

As for guys, the more creative the haircut (long, requiring styling with styling products, as in the photo, etc.), the younger he will look. Do you want to look more mature? Choose a simpler haircut!

Makeup

How to look respectable with the help of cosmetics? There is a misconception that bright makeup, even if not entirely appropriate, and a large number of decorative cosmetics can create the image of an adult. In fact, the rule of adult make-up is moderation and correctly selected colors.

  • Powder and foundation should be darker than the natural shade of the skin.
  • Properly selected lipstick will also add solidity: it is best to use dark shades or opaque lipstick two or three shades darker than the natural color of the lips. It is better to completely avoid transparent shimmering lip glosses.
  • Ideal shadows are brown shades, matte. Eyeliner (pencil) and dark mascara add age.
  • You shouldn’t ignore blush: it’s best to highlight your cheekbones with beige or brownish tones.
  • A very hot topic today is the shape of the eyebrows. Thin eyebrows with a slightly angular shape will help emphasize an adult image.

Heavy textures

Having crossed the 40-year mark, you should be wary of heavy fabrics. Of course, velvet or corduroy may look expensive and noble, but they do not have any anti-aging properties. They even run the risk of adding age visually if they come in the wrong colors, such as earthy and dark tones.

Interesting! Refreshing face masks

Find a style: clothes for your age

Along with hair and makeup, a properly selected wardrobe will greatly help to overcome the “I look like a child” image. What should you consider when choosing items of clothing?

  • A classic, slightly office style of clothing will best let others know that this is an adult person. Blouses, jackets, cardigans, straight trousers, sheath dresses, a straight long pencil skirt - this is a standard set that can create everyday looks in different ways.
  • You should choose plain items or clothes with a discreet classic print: small polka dots, dim checks, thin stripes.
  • Particular attention should be paid to the quality and texture of the fabrics from which the wardrobe items are made. Respectable ladies will never wear things made of synthetics, artificial wool or silk - only natural fabrics. An adult wardrobe will need to be built based on the quality of things, not quantity. In other words, it is better to have one cashmere sweater in your closet than five blouses made from “laboratory” wool.
  • As for jewelry, it is allowed to wear anything that fits the definition of “expensive and elegant”: one or two jewelry made of precious metals or high-quality designer jewelry.

You need to complement your new style with a quality bag made of leather or suede material.

how to look respectable

Old fashioned things

It is important to understand that clothes that age not only match the youth style, but also those that look old-fashioned. This prohibited list includes any obsolete styles, colors and models of clothing. For example, tight-fitting clothes have long lost their popularity, and they have been replaced by a looser and more comfortable cut.

This category also includes new fashion items that belong to the retro style. Women over 40+ should be extremely wary of trends that designers present as a triumphant return from eras of past years.

Appearance of clothes from an “adult” wardrobe

There are several rules for selecting and further using a suitable wardrobe, the observance of which will not violate the fine line between “I look younger than my age” and “I look like a teenager in clothes that are not appropriate for my age.”

  • All items of clothing must be selected in size! Following this principle will help you avoid looking like a teenager who has outgrown his clothes. Or a child in his mother's dress.
  • The same rule can be applied to clothes that are too tight or, on the contrary, to things that look bulky or baggy.
  • Neat appearance: clothes should be clean and well ironed. For the same reason, it is worth refusing to wear clothes made from “crumpled” fabrics - they give the image a carelessness that is unacceptable for the image of a respectable person.

Conversation style

The speech of an adult should be clear, intelligible, without filler words, hesitations, stupid slang, etc.

How to appear more mature in your communication style
Not everyone has perfect diction, and some have stuttered since childhood, but at the same time they communicate like an adult, because they do not use newfangled but dubious phrases and know how to clearly formulate their thoughts. To look older than your age, it is enough to develop a reasonable and restrained style of communication, but not to be clever and not to pretend to be an expert who understands everything! Everything should be as natural as possible.

This video contains useful recommendations on changing your appearance and behavior style for those who want to look more mature.

Video source: Maxime Divertito

Shoes

Of course, the right choice of shoes will help complement the “adult” image.

  • For girls who look too young, heeled shoes will be a real salvation. But here too it is important to observe moderation. Not every lady is able to walk in stiletto heels that are too high, and an unsteady gait will have the opposite effect. It is better to opt for shoes or sandals with a stable heel of classic medium height, 5-8 cm.
  • If for some reason such shoes are not suitable, you can replace them with low-heeled pumps in white or dark color without a pattern or bright details. Women's Oxford boots or loafers in tandem with a formal trouser suit will also look good.
  • Men's shoes made of leather (or a high-quality substitute for this material) of a classic color and silhouette will give a young man a sense of respectability. It is better to wear such shoes with plain socks in dark shades.

childish appearance

Relationship with a guy older than you

What is the optimal age difference between a guy and a girl? Everyone will answer this question differently. Some believe that a couple should be the same age, while others consider it ideal if the guy is several years older. This question is purely individual. But still, most girls like it if the guy is older.

Many girls do not pay attention to the age of their lover, while others, on the contrary, blame the age difference for all disasters or praise it. It all depends on the principles and stereotypes that were instilled at a young age. The example of parents also has a great influence. Most girls like it if the guy is older. This is considered correct. The guy should be taller, stronger, know how to hammer nails and be older. This all relates to the chain of stereotypes that we collected bit by bit from fairy tales, films and beautiful stories.

If the guy is older: pros and cons

Usually, if a guy is much older, then it goes without saying that he is wiser and more experienced in many matters, he understands more in life and only that. You're interested in him, what about him? Here you should be wary of the fact that he will get bored with you. On the one hand, men like to feel more intelligent and experienced, and on the other hand, they also want to receive something in return from their partner. If your boyfriend is older, then develop with him. Get life advice from him, but at the same time be able to express an intelligent and useful thought yourself.

Also, most guys who have already turned 20 years old want the warmth of home and their own hearth. And if you still live with your parents, and with grief you switched to the third year, then what can we talk about? You cannot provide him with the desired comfort, evening movies, washing clothes and cooking dinners. Here you need to make sure that he is ready to wait until you can get on your feet in order to move in with him and that your parents will accept it. But if you don’t come to your senses in time, it can be quite painful when he finds a girlfriend of his own age and she gives him everything he needs. There is no point in condemning him. You had a wonderful time together, but his feelings for you were less strong than his desire for his family.

Be careful in relationships if the guy is older. More precisely, if he is much older. Don’t allow yourself to fall in love and become attached if you are not yet ready to start your own family and be a wife and mother. There are times when a young man can wait until his beloved matures, but this does not always happen, unfortunately.

August 14, 2020 at 02:39 pm

Oksana Trifonova

What to give up?

And one last thing. What is better for a person who wants to look respectable to give up and create the image of a matured person? What wardrobe items are initially considered a sign of the “I look like a child” style?

teenage clothes

  • T-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops.
  • Clothes for sports outside the gym or stadium.
  • Mini length: short dresses, sundresses, shorts and skirts - all this is clearly teenage clothing.
  • Sports shoes, informal shoes or with children's decorations and prints.
  • Tight trousers, knitted leggings, low-waisted trousers, voluminous “rapper pants”, afghanis.
  • Things that have flashy inscriptions, logos, bright large drawings, cartoon prints, symbols and other signs that distinguish teenage clothing from adult clothing.
  • Caps, baseball caps, bandanas.

Bolero

Bolero is also on the list of clothes that add age. This style is outdated, but is still in demand among many women. But if you don't want to add a few years to your look, it's better to say goodbye to the bolero.

So that others do not testify to your lack of taste, it makes sense to replace the bolero with a current jacket or medium-length jacket. Such an investment can be successfully integrated into any image - not only business, but also everyday. You can also try a stylish combination of a jacket and a belt - the emphasis on the waist is in line with current trends and makes you look younger.

Change your style.

The most suitable way to change yourself is to change your habits, do brighter makeup, update your wardrobe, change your hairstyle. In this case, the main task is not to overdo it. In order to avoid making serious mistakes, it would be better to seek help from experienced stylists or friends who are fluent in this matter. A consultation with an experienced stylist will help you solve your problem more competently.

If it is not possible to contact a stylist, then you can design your new image using the computer program Photoshop. With its help, you can completely change your appearance and decide on the main style.

To make beautiful makeup you will need all your own cosmetics; you will no longer need old cosmetics. In fact, there are a few tips to keep in mind for makeup:

  • Moderate makeup will make your face look natural. And the presence of a large amount of powder, bright lipstick and shadows will make your appearance ridiculous and provocative. To avoid shame and not look like a “painted doll”, it is best to purchase black mascara, and it is better to use shadows in brown, gray and dark tones.
  • Clothing is an important issue. A girl’s wardrobe should have as many elegant blouses, formal trouser suits, and elegant dresses as possible, but the presence of T-shirts and jeans should be significantly reduced. It is best to buy clothes not in youth, but in more adult clothing departments. Quite often in such stores there are things that are not suitable for older women, and youth style will be the most ideal option for you.

Neglect of eye health

"The skin around the eyes is the thinnest and has very few oil glands," says Debra Jaliman, MD, dermatologist. — To prevent the appearance of signs of aging, choose a day eye cream that contains peptides - they stimulate collagen production and prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. Carefully read the composition of the cream - often instead of peptides, other ingredients are used that create the effect of reducing puffiness and circles under the eyes, for example, caffeine, nicotinic acid (a form of vitamin B niacin).

Eyebrow shape

Thin eyebrows make you look older As makeup guru Michelle Fan rightly notes: “Young eyebrows are wide.” If your eyebrows are thin or sparse, don't try to make them thicker or darker with pencil lines, like Charlize Theron (pictured left). And you shouldn’t pluck your eyebrows with a thread. Youthful - wide eyebrows Arm yourself with a thin brush and eyebrow shadows, fill in the gaps between the hairs and lightly draw on the tip. Dip the brush into the powder and apply to the hairs - this will make them fuller, then fill in the eyebrows again and you will get the same spectacular eyebrows as Jennifer Connelly (pictured on the right).

Stress

Constant worry, anxiety or stress will most quickly affect the skin. Research shows that work-related stress can even have harmful effects on the DNA in cells. According to the article, the researchers measured the length of sections of DNA called telomeres and found that people who were more stressed at work had the shortest telomeres, causing cells in the body to age and die, accelerating the aging process. Additionally, stress can age your brain, increase your blood pressure, and disrupt your sleep. All this together visually makes you look older.

There are several simple techniques that can help you feel less nervous and anxious at work. For example, limit the amount of caffeine in your diet, avoid processed foods that strain your digestive system, and try yoga or meditation before your work day to boost your mood and calm your mind.

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