The fashion and beauty industries are known to thrive from products that claim to make us look younger. It’s the sad truth, but most of us fear becoming old, and well, there are many options out there to help us stay young as long as possible. But with trends continuously shifting, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with what really compliments our style, our taste, and our age. So to make things easier, we’ve compiled a list of fashion looks that might appear youthful in the ads, but at the end of the day are going to leave you looking and feeling older than you actually are.
1. Overly-Done Eyebrows
If there is one thing that we’ve learned over the years, it’s that over-plucked eyebrows should be left to the '90s and early 2000s. Sure, back then almost everyone did it. But the thin, weirdly shaped eyebrow trend is no longer in fashion today since “natural” has become the new trend. Overplucking eyebrows can make us look much older because well, we all know that the trend was here 20 years ago, so why insist on it? Better to go for slightly filled eyebrows that don’t draw too much attention.
2. The Jersey Dress Trend
Another trend that is long gone is the jersey dress style. In all fairness, it is very understandable why a person would find it brilliant to wear something as comfortable as a jersey dress. But unfortunately, this is another fashion choice that ages a person pretty fast. The typical cotton fabric easily pinpoints to every single body part, even those that we are not quite comfortable sharing with the world. The quality also almost always seems pretty cheap, which is never something that flatters us in general.
3. Powdery Makeup That Gets All Caked Up
There is no doubt that makeup can be awesome. It’s fun, it can be pretty affordable, and it gives us that little push we need to enhance our facial features a little bit more. But as we age, it becomes increasingly hard for some women to go on without makeup, which sometimes results in the use of really heavy and cakey makeup. Unfortunately though, if makeup is not put on properly, it can make someone look older really fast. Instead, it’s probably better to go for good quality tinted moisturizers or foundations.
4. Wearing The Same Hairstyle For Years
While some women can never stay with the same hairstyle for longer periods of time, other women are able to wear the same hairdo for years, even decades. Why mess with something that works so well, right? Well, unfortunately, even the nicest hairstyles end up fading over time, eventually making the person look older than she actually is. So there is no harm in changing it up every few years to keep the youthful feeling alive and to adapt to the ongoing changes in hairstyle fashion.
5. Floral Patterns Are Out
While floral patterns can make for a dreamy and romantic style, one has to be cautious about the way we wear it. For instance, the floral outfits at your local department store can repeatedly be very outdated, automatically aging almost anyone who wears them. So for those who love patterns, there is nothing wrong with wearing a floral pattern once in a while. But if you’d like to make things more youthful, choosing different prints (like geometric, abstract, and even poker dots) might be for the better.
6. Ill-Fitting and Exposed Undergarments
The fashion industry has showered us with tons of undergarment options. There is literally every shape and color for arguably any outfit we wear, with many of them promising to “work miracles”. Both high-end and affordable brands have created every shape we can think of. So with so many options, there are almost no excuses for choosing to wear an outfit that exposes our underwear. For real, choosing to wear colorful straps and ill-fitting underwear is something that we shouldn’t have trouble fixing with the array of options these days.
7. Tan, Shiny Pantyhose
Here’s the thing, a pair of tights can either go really well with an outfit, or it can absolutely ruin the entire thing. While tights once served to make a person’s skin look younger, today, they don’t particularly do the same. Even though thighs can be a statement piece of many women’s closets, some types of pantyhose (like the really shiny ones) may do the complete opposite of what they are intended to. So going for darker colors or really see through could be a better wardrobe option.
8. Small, Stiff Handbags
Choosing the right bag can be the perfect way to compliment an incredible outfit. But it’s important to talk about the different types of bags out there, and which type of bag we might want to stay away from. Small, leather and hard bags may seem convenient and fashionable, but they are way too close to being considered “grandma bags”. So if you want to avoid that, try to go for a loser bag or something that doesn’t scream “old.”
9. Chunky Highlights
If there is one way that can take you to look much older in a split of a second is by wearing really chunky highlights, '90s style. These days, balayage-style highlights have become more prominent, and have shown to add just enough “coolness” to a person’s hairstyle. Stripy highlights have since become pretty outdated, and may just not be the right choice for a youthful style any longer. It’s always better to consult with your local hairdresser, who will most probably go for a balayage.
10. Loud Nail Polish
It has been a long time since the loud and colorful nail polish was a trend. Nudes and colder colors are a more popular choice nowadays, but some women still feel tempted to choose the most sparkly and brightest shades at the nail salon. But unfortunately, really loud and sparkly nails can draw the wrong type of attention to one’s hands, especially as we become older. So opting for a lighter nail not only makes us look younger, but it’s said to make one look tanner too.
11. Kitten Heels
Kitten heels are no longer cool, period. Though some women still attempt to rock it in the short stiletto heel with a bit of a curve, at this point they may take your outfit to look kind of outdated. If you’d like to wear shorter heels (because let’s face it, they are much more comfortable after all), try to choose the square and blocky heel instead. That way, you are still comfortable and in fashion, while remaining as youthful as possible.