To wonder what will mark us out as old people?

[BrightonCalling]

You know how you see old people out and about with stuff that is firmly of their era?
Examples:
Headscarves
Suits
Hankies
Stockings
Face powder
Etc

What do you think will mark us out when we're old? Or are the "rules" so relaxed now we'll just look like the young people but wrinkly?

Im thinking smartphones will have wildly changed but we'll still be doddering around with our galaxies
Straightened hair
Those of us who are smokers will truly stick out and young people will be like "omg! Look! An old woman with an actual cigarette!" a bit like how we feel when we see an old man smoking a pipe.

I have both parents in a nursing home. They get to eat things like corned beef hash, and sponge with custard. Everyone eats the same thing. Our turn? 'Is this gluten free?' 'Thai curry will be lovely, but it needs to be tofu' 'is this lamb organic?' 'No carbs after six'. 'I'm still doing 5:2'....

Headscarves
Suits
Hankies
Stockings
Face powder

Really? You need to meet some new old people! Don't think I possess any of those, dumped my last suit when I escaped from teaching!

This thread is so funny, thanks for the laughs...

They say you stick to what was fashionable in your late teens and early twenties unless you make an effort, so Bootcut jeans will be in, I think.

@Midthreademergencynamechange slaps hands to cheeks I have both of those things in my house.

My nan looked the same all my life. She must have been in her late 40s when I was born, and she still wore the same clothes and hairstyle in her 80s.

I recently discovered a fantastic blog called Advanced Style, with pictures of women (and some men) who are over 60, but refuse to surrender to crimplene. I love looking at the pictures, the women featured are very inspiring.

Good thread OP. My DH and I sometimes have this conversation. We'd be wanting to listen to Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Rammstein in the nursing home!

If they play Celine Dion's bloody Heart going on and on in my Care Home, I'm asking for a transfer to Dignitas

breakfast -

One of my DDs (23) said to me the other day ''i was thinking - Nan's been old for years! She's been doddering around the village in those weird trousers doing nothing much since i was really little. That's about 20 years. So she was only 60 or so back then.''

I thought about it and it's true - in fact my mother has been 'old' since about 1985. I remember her with the same perm she has now, living in comfy elastic old lady slacks, content with getting a bus into town once a week back then and she would only have been mid to late 40s.

Some people are just old all their lives. I’ve recently started taking ds to swimming lessons at the pool I learned to swim in - I’m 34 and ds has the same teacher I did. And she was ancient 27 years ago! Working it back she’s probably the same age as my dm, so late 60’s. Which is completely bonkers and my dm couldn’t be further from the little old lady teaching swimming.

Flip flops? They're incredibly popular now with anyone aged 20-50, but maybe the youth of the future will prefer sandals they can walk in. In my town (known locally as God's waiting room) Skechers Gowalk are seen everywhere, mostly without socks. Perhaps today's fashion of just visible trainer socks will be seen as "old" in decades to come.

No one's mentioned corsets, have they died out now?

Electronic dance music

Our baby is already horrified that 'old'people ever went raving

Aaargh
Babysitter

I am early 60's. I wear jeans, T shirts, trainers, denim jacket. I have a short pixie haircut and have it coloured platinum.

When I look at my wedding photos my mum and my MIL look old even though mum was 51 and MIL was 48. They both had a granny perm. MIL had a perm until she died aged 84. My mum is now 89 and has a short pixie style which really suits her.

I went past a care home the other day and heard ‘it’s a long way to Tipperary ‘ playing- a song from the First World War as entertainment for people who were probably children during the Second World War.

I could understand having big band classics, Sinatra, Elvis, Beatles etc but felt it a bit reductive ‘old people, music repertoire, songs from early 20th century)

Clothing wise, I think rimless glasses are a good indicator. I’ve been wearing mine for years and only recently realised that they’d gone from being reasonably stylish to dated.

It's very interesting. There's a black and white photo of my mum a couple of years before she had me (so late '60s). She was newly wed. She's sitting on some rocks near the sea. Sun shinning. Her dark hair was in a pony tail right down her back. She was very slim; pale cigarette trousers and a dark sleeveless blouse. Lace up pumps - very Hepburn.

There's another photo when i was 2 or 3. Early '70s. By then she had chopped all her hair off, had a short perm and started wearing really frumpy clothes sensible shoes and and a floral apron all the time! 95% of her life spent pottering round the house. I'm an only child. She didn't work after she married my dad, my parents were always ok for money. So she has not changed her hair, clothes or habits for 50 years. That's a long time to be old. :(

Men wearing jeans with the belt under their beer-gut, a suit jacket and a scarf around their neck.

Marmelised, I have heard that too, it's ridiculous, isn't it? 'When I'm 64' would be much more apt!
I am approaching mid sixties and have friends ranging from 40s to 70s. We all wear jeans (skinny in my case) and t shirts type of thing. Certainly I know no one who dresses in old lady or old man style. My one concession is to modesty these days though - I wouldn't want to expose too much skin.
I think the few older people who dress in beige old fart style have always dressed that way since they were young adults. I can think of a few I have met. Even at school there were some 16 year old who dressed like their mothers, but that was in the 60's and I suppose times have changed.
Definitely tattoos will be a sign of the times, as will elective surgery - imagine a 90 year old who still has upright pert breasts.

Yeah. People will know I'm old because my idea of getting dressed up for a night out involves flared/bootcut jeans and a Nice Top (eg a corset) and High Heels.

When I bend over, you can see my tramp stamp.

I miss 2002.

I feel sad that my grandparents' generation is going (young adults in WW2). Eg when the Queen dies, things will really feel different.

With any luck we won't hang onto the sportswear as normal clothes look into our doteage

Well I'm planning to be out on my bike wearing my dayglo Lycra's and green crash-hat 'givin it large' when I'm at least 90

I think in ye olden days you were middle-aged as soon as you got married, even if you were 20. Not sure when it changed.

A lot of the 90 year olds in my FIL's care home have lovely teeth, because they are dentures!
There will also be wonderful veneers for today's thirtysomethings when they hit 80

I think sportswear has a lot of advantages for the elderly. It pulls on ( used to watch my dad struggling with his smart shirt buttons) , it's stretchy, so easy to wash and dry. And it's not beige.
I was thinking about this thread while running this morning. I'm 50. My mum died last year, she didn't exercise, ever. She was normal weight but in no way was she fit. Exercise or fitness in general is something we've adopted, especially as women, that wasn't happening in the 70s/80s if you were already middle aged. Hopefully it'll stand us in good stead later.

I think sportswear has a lot of advantages for the elderly

Damn! I knew I shouldn't have chucked my 1990s shell suit away. I could have kept it for my autumn years

Agree with tattoos and eyebrows.
I realised the other day that I hadn't updated my glasses since my early 20s (2003) and went out that week to buy some new ones and it totally updated my look!
I think I need to follow a few make up accounts on Instagram to stop my look stagnating in my comfort zone of the 00s 👵🏻