What were you like at 42?

[40notfabulous]

What did you look like at 42?? Or thereabouts. In my head I'm still young, I often compare myself to people in their 20's and 30's looks and dress wise but then have to remind myself that I'm actually 42!

My mum is in her 70s and says she often can't believe who she sees in the mirror, because in her head she feels young. I'm nearly 50 and feel the same. I think we all do. Our intellect doesn't age in the ways our bodies do. In fact I think mentally we actually improve, with age comes wisdom, knowledge, confidence etc. As the quote goes (Shaw?) "Youth is wasted on the young"!

Sorry, I know you possible meant something more in line with style and fashion! But to bring it back to that, I wear what I want, and my age has made me give less of a fuck about what anyone things. There are no age rules anymore, despite the copious threads here about being too old to wear XYZ. We don't need to cut our hair short and start wearing beige the minute we turn 40. If you can still fit into something from Top Shop - buy it!

I'm 42 and I do feel more spritely than what I think other 42 year old women look like if that makes sense. But that is just my perception.

I'm under 5 feet and do martial arts so have fitness. Growing my hair, but I think it's my last attempt. Have a few highlights.

Wear dungarees, skinnies, shorts with tights! I think my summer dress hemline looks a bit frumpy on me but will he taking them all up this winter.

I'm very paronoid about my gum recession which won't stop and I want braces. I think my eyelids and getting saggy and don't know what to do. My 60 year old friend had surgery.

I'm 41 and think I probably look better than I did in my 30's. A bit more disposable income now the kids are a bit older means I can get my hair done really well and buy better quality clothes and I have a bit more money to spend on myself.
I do more exercise now than I did when I was younger and have also found a passion for yoga and I am eating better than I ever did.
I find it hard to gauge how old people are, there isn't much difference in my eyes between someone in their 30's and someone in their 40's.

I’m 43, I don’t care about fashion, but I know what suits me. I buy less clothes but only in nice fabrics. Cashmere, cotton, linen. I think the ‘fast fashion’ look doesn’t suit anyone over 30; garish colours, cheap fabrics, random added frills or bows or bits cut out to make it seem ‘on trend’.

Yes, I try to buy natural fabrics but do find some summer items so thin!

I’m a similar age OP. I think I dress in a similar way to how I’ve always dressed really. I’ve never been very “out there” style-wise. Difference now would be more disposable income so I do spend a more on individual pieces than before. The basic look is very similar though.

I do weigh about a stone more than I did in my twenties and I suppose that changes the style of clothes you go for: for example, I would no longer wear a negligee-style top with jeans for a night-out because it wouldn’t be flattering. Now the top would have a sleeve and be less tight.

But yes, despite my DOB I feel about 32. I am often surprised when my birthday rolls around. I can’t believe I’m this age!

What did I do? I read a lot of shit about how women in their 40s ought to dress, wasted money on 'investment' pieces that were never my style, then got to 50 and decided 'fuck this' and never looked back.

I’m 56 now at 42 I was just a younger version with slightly less grey hairs
I dress for my shape and colouring rather than fashion
I think when I got into my 40s I had a bit more money and started buying more good quality wardrobe staples and less fast fashion
In my 50s I branched out into occasional designer items but again stick to mainly classics - apart from dresses I wear very few patterns - maybe stripes for knitwear and buy the best quality I can afford even if it’s second hand

Im 52 now. At 42 I had a one year old child and looked fairly young for my age, I look back at photos and I'm gobsmacked at how young I looked then compared to now.
I still take good care of myself but you can't stop aging from happening.

I am 43 and I am pretty much the same as I was at 30. I don't follow fashion and go for a more bohemian style but nothing too ott, more folksy I would say. Obviously when I'm home I'm pretty casual. My hair is long and dark brown. I don't wear make up as I prefer the natural look. I am really happy with how I look. My face hasn't changed or aged at all yet which surprises me but then my Dad and his sister both look 15ish years younger than their actual ages so hopefully I have those good genes! I do really look after my skin and always have with sunscreen, retin a, vitamin c and so on and I feel its really paid off as I say I don't like make up so always aimed not to need it.

I don't mind my age but then I never really think about it from one birthday to the next. I'd like to think I am more stable and emotionally mature than I was in my 20's but aside from that I feel the same. I have good metal health which is probably genetic and luck as well which I think helps. I don't dwell on negative thoughts or emotions and I always know a low mood will pass shortly.

What did I do, as Floisme said and at 40 had my hair cut short, I had just become a grandmother, the white shirt never did suit me, now I have just turned 60, my hair is long I will never cut it short again, I wear what I like. I have been lucky to have kept the weight off, was always around 8 to 8 stone 6, now am around 9 stone, at 5 foot 3 its an OK size.

I was 42 in mid 2000's and had a 5 year old .

I was a bit slimmer then - size 12 whereas I'm a 16 now (thanks lockdown), my face was less saggy and my teeth were better .

My hair fairly similar , shoulder length , blondish but I just had highlights then rather than covering my grey .

I wore similar clothes to what I do now, just slightly different silhouette as per fashion . I wore a lot of boot cut jeans with heels . I don't wear heels any more .

I used to go swimming regularly and aqua aerobics which I no longer do , although I probably walk more now as I have a dog

I’m 42 as well. I think I look fine but occasionally see photos of people I went to school with and can’t believe how old they look! So I must look similar and not realise.

At work I see a lot of people and know their ages so I’m aware there’s nobody, not a single soul, who is this age with no wrinkles. Whenever I read on MN that a poster has ‘no wrinkles at 53’ etc I know the person is deluded. Have also never seen anyone who looks 10 or more years younger than they are.....but there’s heaps on them in MN for some reason.....weird.

I'm too fat but slowly starting to take better care of myself.

trixie they have no wrinkles because they need reading glasses! 😂
I'm 42 and I don't look half as good as I did, I've piled on a bit of weight (1.5 stone) due to lack of activity and an illness, my hair appears to have thinned out and my energy is at an all time low BUT I'm trying to improve all these things, and I'm trying to regain my self confidence with positive thinking. I've just ordered a batch of new clothes and I've bought some beautiful bright lipsticks. I say wear what makes you happy, sod what women are told they SHOULD wear at 40 plus and just enjoy yourself. I'd rather wear what makes me happy and smile than some drab assemble that makes me feel like I'm fading into the background.

I'm 43 and don't have any wrinkles or fine lines and my eyesight is perfect as per a recent eye test, its possible to be wrinkle free at this age but probably requires a combination of good genes, lifestyle and products, especially sun and alcohol avoidence. You probably have seen people at 42+ with no wrinkles but just assumed them to be years younger.

I'm 42 and saving up to get my eye bags done. My friend is my age and looks to be in her 20's no wrinkles at all.

Bloody gorgeous in comparison to how I am now at 51...and I had just had a baby, so felt enormous and knackered and old (which now ironically, I am)

Bloody lovely not so much at 55..definitely all about confidence for me...

I was pregnant at 42. Now 51 and seeing signs of ageing but I don't mind at all. I look fine for my age I think

At 42, I was in the midst of children, pregnancy and stuck in a toxic marriage. Now I'm free of the marriage nd lot more energetic, think I look better too

I think I look good, but I have no desire to look younger. I certainly feel a whole lot better

I think I look ok, then I see a photo of myself and gulp at all the wrinkles! I’m much fitter and eat better than I ever have. I also don’t care what anyone else thinks of me or how I look.

I have a few forehead lines unless I adopt an expressionless look and a slight double chin
No wrinkles otherwise I’m 56

I’m 42, am generally happy with how I look, probably fitter than I’ve ever been however with all these Skype meetings one thing I have noticed is my wrinkly neck!