Does vintage make you look.... *older*?

[Edward]

Slightly rattled at the weekend by a (n older) friend who was very obviously shocked at my age, as she had assumed me to be much older. She wouldn't say exactly what age, so I'm assuming it really must have been bad. Normally I wouldn't care, but women are usually fairly perceptive like that. Another female friend (who is sorta vintage, she's into the rockabilly thing) suggested that it's because "unless you go rockabilly" men's vintage clothing "will always make you look older". (Yet another female friend has in the past put the occasional person thinking I'm much oler own to an assumption brought on by my lack of hair rather than anything else). Is there anything in this, though? I mean, my mother has long given off about me dressing "like an old man", but I'm inclined to treating her opinion on the matter with the contempt it so richly deserves....

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Today, dressing in suits makes adults look older.

.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Anyone dressed well generally appears more mature and classier, which can get translated as older.
Although conversely, an adult male wearing oversized, shapeless, sloppy, shirts and jeans (or massive 'shorts' with wide legs that make the lower half of his calves appear like strings dangling down) doesn't necessarily look 'younger', despite certainly managing to avoid any semblance of maturity and class.

*And because I've read admonishments here about being judgmental, let me assure you I'm not judging; just sharing my impression.

 

[Fletch]

My mom is an actual vintage person - we have pix of a pretend fashion show she put on in 1949 - but is now thoroughly New York professional chic. I showed her pix of one of our highly stylish Loungers - a woman in her 40s - and her first comment was, "She looks awfully old for her age." She wouldn't elaborate.

 

[avedwards]

My personal observations (which only apply to the UK) are that a fedora does not make you look old unless you are a teenager in which case it adds a few years on to your age. This is because elderly people do not usually wear fedoras here but usually wear flat caps. Flat caps make people look old here as many elderly people wear them.

As for suits, I don't think these make people look old either as suits are mostly worn by businessmen in their 20s-50s but rarely by anyone older than that. The sort of clothes which IMO make you look old are tweed clothes and unwashed shirts with the top button done up but not tie as this is what I see a lot of old people wearing.

As for outerwear, I see a lot of elderly people in trench coats and practically no younger people in them so I suppose they do make you look old although that won't stop me wearing them. I think greatcoats, peacoasts and leather jackets do not make you look old as I hardly ever see old people in them.

Of course it's possible that my observations only apply to where I live and not to anywhere else, but the clothes I wear do not make me look old IMO (contrary to what people trying to annoy me say) as elderly people on the whole do not wear classy suits and hats (assuming my two hats and few suits, blazers and leather jacket are classy of course which is subjective).

And finally, don't listen to parents if they don't like your dress sense as they will inevitably criticise it. If you are lucky as I am to have a father who more or less approves of what I wear then do listen as my father often corrects me if I am about to go out of the house in a bad shirt-suit combination.

 

[Paisley]

I think a 50s look often makes women and girls look older. Maybe short 50s hairdos remind me of the menopausal helmet.

 

[C-dot]

I've gotten mixed views on this - When I dress more Rockabilly/pin-up, people assume more or less my actual age. However, if I dress more traditional 40's-50's, Lucille Ball style, it tacks on at least 5 years, like Paisley mentions.

Which probably ties in with dressing in age-appropriate vintage - that is to say, do you dress as people your age really would have back then? Or younger, or older?

 

[John in Covina]

Guessing a person's age by physical looks, we tend to look for wrinkles or creasing on the face such as crows feet and laugh lines. Whether or not a person is begining to grey or gone grey in their hair. Hair from nose and ears in men and some men get wild hairs in their eyebrows at a certain range of age.

Clothes especially dressing vintage may push someones age because the styles are associated with older people. There is a phenomenone where a lot of people get stuck in time, and their hair styles or eyeglasses or clothing don't change as time does and we begin to associate that stuck in time appearence with older people. When I lived in San Gabriel I would see a guy that was older retirement age that had an Elvis vibe as to hair and sunglasses and even some clothes. It seemed like a stuck in time thing, teen / young adult style held for 45 years.

 

[LizzieMaine]

In an era when grown men are encouraged to walk the streets dressed like Charlie Brown, vintagewear couldn't help but to make them look older. Or at least one would hope so.

 

[patrick1987]

Charlie Brown!

From now on instead of saying male grown-ups dress like toddlers, I'm stealing LizzieMaine's phrase!
Isn't there a thread or posts about how elderly gentlemen say some of the female loungers remind them of their late wife or sweetheart? That seems a nice sentiment, even if it means they look older. I hate when older people try to dress from the teen department. Heck, I hate when younger people try to dress from the teen department.

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

Clothes especially dressing vintage may push someones age because the styles are associated with older people. There is a phenomenone where a lot of people get stuck in time, and their hair styles or eyeglasses or clothing don't change as time does and we begin to associate that stuck in time appearence with older people. When I lived in San Gabriel I would see a guy that was older retirement age that had an Elvis vibe as to hair and sunglasses and even some clothes. It seemed like a stuck in time thing, teen / young adult style held for 45 years.

Ya beat me to it. There are some vintage styles - particularly certain prints - that I (as a 20-something) do not intend to wear because they'd probably give off the vibe of hand-me-downs from the '80s-'90s. I feel I tend to look extra young in such clothes - like I never developed my own fashion sense. Were I twenty years older, I fear the effect would be that I'd simply never handed down the clothes in the first place.

Good menswear, however, is fairly timeless. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[John in Covina]

I went to Guitar Center in Hollywood and the last time I was there 20 years ago it was filled with teens to thirty somethings all dressed as either rock stars or the rock t-shirt and jeans.

This time the place was filled with 40 to 60 somethings in rock t-shirts and jeans. I felt like they had never left GC.

 

[Spitfire]

I went to Guitar Center in Hollywood and the last time I was there 20 years ago it was filled with teens to thirty somethings all dressed as either rock stars or the rock t-shirt and jeans.

This time the place was filled with 40 to 60 somethings in rock t-shirts and jeans. I felt like they had never left GC.

lol lol lol :eusa_clap

Being my age - I am getting younger (so people tell me), when I wear a vintage (Irvin) leatherjacket.
Or some "strange" BD jacket. (That's even refered to as "cool")

Not that I really care about it. I am what I am.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Sartorial acuity does not equate with looking older. People's perceptions, preconceived notions or biases create the image..then (as if by magic) nonsense is spewed from their mouths. [huh]

On the other hand If I wear raggy looking clothes vintage or otherwise and do not polish my shoes then I would expect that I may hear that I may look older or some other similar comment.

If I act in a curmudgeonly manner and dress vintage then I deserve every reference to appearing older.

 

[High Pockets]

In an era when grown men are encouraged to walk the streets dressed like Charlie Brown, vintagewear couldn't help but to make them look older. Or at least one would hope so.

:eusa_clap Charlie Brown!! :eusa_clap

I can't wait for the next "Indy" or "Capone" remark!

I know I look older in nice clothes and a hat,......but at the ripe old age of 55 I don't mind at all!

 

[Guttersnipe]

I don't think a vintage style of dress makes on look older per say, but I do think, depending on the clothing choices, one can definitely appear more mature.

This all assumes that one understands/recognizes there is a difference between maturity and age, which is not always the case.

 

[Vanessa]

My mom always comments about how much older I look when wearing anything pre-1950.

 

[lolly_loisides]

Does vintage make you look....*older*? No (Edward, I'm guessing you are late 30's to early 40's)
Does vintage make you look....*distinguished*? Most definitely.

 

[Paisley]

It depends. A middle-aged man in casual, contemporary clothes might look like Charlie Brown (good one!), but even a young guy in a 20s suit and hat might end up looking like the Monopoly man. Not all vintage clothing looks distinguished on all people.

Not that looking older is necessarily a bad thing. It helps a very young person to be taken more seriously. It might also suit the person better.

 

[WideBrimm]

And for all of those middle-aged Loungers, the $64 Question is.............SENIOR DISCOUNT ? :eusa_doh: