How to look older...

[pistachionuts]

When you have a baby face and look about 12.
I’m 29 and getting very self-conscious of how young I look. I have a 9-year-old so I’m quite a young mum anyway, then the fact I look even younger than my age means I get lots of stares and double-takes. I find it really embarrassing and always feel really ridiculous. I’m slim but have this awful pudding-y baby face so facially look really childish.

Any tips on clothes to wear or hair colours/styles to appear more ‘grown-up’? Feel particularly self-conscious on the school run and not like a ‘proper’ mum

Looking older,that’s a request you don’t often read on style & beauty
There isn’t a “proper” mum look, plus I’d rather look improper
Just rock your own style and that’ll be just fine

Out of interest who is staring and doing a double take?school mums?
Even if you do look young it’s not a particular reason to stare at you

Just in shops and stuff if I have my son with me and he calls me mum. He’s getting bigger and taller whilst I remain with my 12-year-old looking face. Also at work people don’t hide their shock when I say I have a nine-year-old. I just want to look more my actual age and thought maybe the right clothes and hair could help? I don’t think looking young is always a good thing. For example the actor Thomas Brodie sangster, similar age to me and also looks very young but nobody refers to it as being a good thing and I doubt he enjoys looking that young compared to other men.

They say glasses age you by ten years! I'd say a bob hair cut and more tailored clothes like trench coat, suit trousers, blazers and shoes like brogues and an expensive handbag.

Structured clothing helps, I think (fitted blazer/blouse and smart trousers/pencil skirt, that type of thing). Not that I have the same problem, sadly! Also, at 29 you’re still pretty young: I found I aged quite suddenly in my mid-30s, having looked a younger than my age before that. Enjoy it - those staring are probably just envious!

Ooh yes, agree that a bob and glasses should do the trick (basically just described myself!)

Read this thread What instantly ages? http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/styleandd_beauty/4123846-What-instantly-ages

Dont be too hasty... I agree with a PP, I looked early 20s up until about 30. Then something happened when I was 32 - I suddenly looked my age! Almost overnight.

I had this too op until I reached my mid 30s and started looking my age. I also have a very soft voice and I found it really tough at work as I provide consultancy services and it got to the point where my seniority at work didn't match how I initially appeared to senior clients.

Once I got to know them it was fine but I often felt very self conscious at the beginning of a project until I had won them over. I was always saying 'I've been doing this for 15 years...in my experience...etc to show that I had years behind me.

Glasses, structured clothes like tailored coats, suit jackets and blazers and letting my grey hairs show helped. Even a structured work bag.

Now I am in my 40s it's not an issue.

But that was a work situation - out in the world I was just myself.

I also have a son with ASD and have felt the full force of judgement from strangers. People are ridiculously rude sometimes and as soon as they judge me, I in turn judge them. Don't live your life for other people.

The instantly ages thread seems to contain everything 😂 and I want to look older in a good way of that makes sense.

I hope I catch up with aging in my 30s! It’s definitely my face structure- round and puddingy and babyish :(

I like the glasses idea but don’t actually need glasses, can people tell if you’re wearing non-prescription pairs?

@pistachionuts

The instantly ages thread seems to contain everything 😂 and I want to look older in a good way of that makes sense.

I hope I catch up with aging in my 30s! It’s definitely my face structure- round and puddingy and babyish :(

I like the glasses idea but don’t actually need glasses, can people tell if you’re wearing non-prescription pairs?

...can people tell if you’re wearing non-prescription pairs?

Only is they’re staring at you really, really hard.

Only if they’re staring at you really, really hard.

I used to have this proble, then I hit my 30s, lost some of the Porte from my face and it revealed amazing cheekbones.
You could use some blusher and highlighter to achieve the same thing. Also a very neat appearance helps. No need to actively make yourself look older, but make sure you're not dressing in a way beloved of teens, but don't dress older than you are. Just choose slightly smarter clothes. So instead of anime trainers, try Veja. Instead of Nike leggings, with logos, try something like Sweaty Betty. Don't wear a black parka with a fur lined hood, it looks like school uniform. Jewellery helps.

Lost the podge from my face....

wow... :-)

thick makeup - slap sticks on 10 years which is why teens wear it to get into clubs (remember those?) Bright red lipstick, thick black circles round eyes, the rectangular eyebrows, tan foundation - all put on a decade.

no particular hairstyle (unless it is something out of the 1950s when everyone looked 20 years older) and no, glasses do not age you. Kids wear glasses.

alternatively why worry? people making judgements need to get a life.

Drink lots of alcohol, smoke like a chimney, stay up late, go on sunbeds. I'd suggest drugs but they are illegal, and holidays in the sun, but not much chance of that in the foreseeable.

Only eat food from the four main foodgroups - fat, alcohol, carbs and sugar.

Dye your roots grey, and the rest the darkest colour you can find.

Try to stoop a bit, and ask on here for what you shouldn't wear past 50.

I was just about to say why the PP did. Slap on tonnes of makeup, lots of contouring, false eyelashes, eyebrows painted on with a sharpie.

On a serious note, you could try a classically groomed appearance if you do want to appear older but really, I think you should just revel in your youth and not let it bother you.

Bold lipstick
Avoid wearing the local school uniform colours, if you can

But please don't wish your youthful appearance away!

@ILoveShula

Drink lots of alcohol, smoke like a chimney, stay up late, go on sunbeds. I'd suggest drugs but they are illegal, and holidays in the sun, but not much chance of that in the foreseeable.

Only eat food from the four main foodgroups - fat, alcohol, carbs and sugar.

Dye your roots grey, and the rest the darkest colour you can find.

Try to stoop a bit, and ask on here for what you shouldn't wear past 50.

😂

I don’t want to wish away a youthful appearance, just want to look like a woman in her late 20s. Going back to my celebrity example Thomas Brodie sangster would people really say he’s lucky for looking so young? It’s really not always a blessing

Alternatively you could get lots of Botox and fillers. People who do this in their 20's put years on themselves.

A colleague very recently cut her bum length hair to a chin length layered bob and it’s put about ten years on her. She’s also stopped wearing hoodies, skinny jeans, converse etc and opted for tailored trousers, polo neck jumpers, brogues, trench coats, bretons and flowery midi dresses. She’s late 20s but looks about 34/36 now. Similar thing, she had a young child and people seemed surprised. She’s gone for sort of a French look, with French bob, capsule wardrobe etc. She definitely has more gravitas now and looks a bit classier. She’s a glasses wearer too.

@NameChange84 I like the sound of that style, what kind of shops would be good?

[quote pistachionuts]@NameChange84 I like the sound of that style, what kind of shops would be good?[/quote]
Sorry, it’s not my taste at all so I’ve no idea!

What sort of clothes do you wear OP? I'm early 30s, pretty much always get ID'd if I buy booze while wearing a hoodie, skinny jeans and trainers with my hair up in a high ponytail, but not if I'm wearing my other standard look of dress, boots, "smart" coat and handbag with my hair down.

I'd say H&M, Zara and Mango are good places to shop for more "structured" clothes.