How to Look, Dress, and Act Older

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Make a more refined, mature you

Co-authored by Kathi Burns, CPO®

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 References

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Dressing Older (For Girls)

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Dressing Older (For Boys)

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Styling Yourself

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Acting Older

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Tips

To appear older, you'll have to both dress like an older person and act like one. Though not every person older than you is going to have the same sense of style or have the same behaviors and habits, there are some general characteristics that come with age. Whether you need to look older for a professional reason, for a costume you're wearing or character you're playing, or just because you want to seem a little more mature, you can do so with some easy changes that will quickly add years to your appearance.

Things You Should Know

For girls: Wear high-heels, wedges, or boots to make yourself taller. Also wear more refined clothing, like blouses and dress shirts in subdued colors.
For boys: Wear pants instead of shorts, and collared shirts instead of T-shirts. Avoid sneakers, and opt for dark socks. Keep your wardrobe clean.
Get a neat, simple haircut, and avoid flashy hair colors. Go easy on the makeup, but use concealer to add depth to your face.

Part 1

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Dressing Older (For Girls)

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Make yourself taller with the right shoes. One easy way to look older is to be taller. Try wearing high heels. Adding an inch or two to your height can give a more mature appearance. This can be done with "high heeled shoes" but also more easy-to-wear footwear such as wedges or boots.^{[1]
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- Be able to walk confidently in heels. In some cases, wearing especially high-heeled shoes may actually make you come off as immature. You do not want to look like a girl wearing mom's shoes. Teetering and tottering while walking looks like you are inexperienced and therefore childish rather than mature.
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Buy more sophisticated clothes. Clothing is one of the easiest ways a person can control his or her appearance. Wearing clothing that indicates maturity is one way to project an "aged up" look.
- Blouses and dress shirts often look more adult than T-shirts or other types of tops. While people of all ages love wearing T-shirts, they tend to project a spirit of youth, rather than someone with a job. Wear tailored tops with collars instead.
- Avoid novelty clothes. This includes T-shirts with cartoon characters, band logos, or jokes on them.
- Avoid embellishments. Juvenile clothing tends to have bows, sparkles, beads, and other such flourishes. Adult clothing does not have nearly as much.
- Pick subdued colors, rather than flashy colors. Older women tend to wear neutrals: black, grey, brown, white, and so on. (Of course they can wear any color, but these tend to be staples of an adult wardrobe). Avoid colors that tend to be worn by children, such as bubblegum pink.
- Nice cottons and denims, cashmere sweaters, silk shifts, and linen dresses are all good choices for people who want to look like they've got some life experience. Put away the polyester, rayon and stretch pants.
- Keep athletic wear for workouts. Most athletic-style wear looks casual, and that tends to give off a vibe of youth. The possible exceptions are polo shirts and good-quality golfing or tennis clothing.
- If you're a teenager and you normally shop in the juniors' section of the department store, go to the adults' section next time for good examples of the kind of clothes that'll make you look a little older.
EXPERT TIP

Kathi Burns, CPO®
Image Consultant
Kathi Burns is a board certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and Founder of Organized and Energized!, her consulting business with a mission to empower people to master their environment and personal image by assisting them in taking control, making change and organizing their lives. Kathi has over 17 years of organizing experience and her work has been featured on Better Homes and Gardens, NBC News, Good Morning America, and Entrepreneur. She has a BS in Communication from Ohio University.

Kathi Burns, CPO®
Image Consultant

Expert Trick: To quickly make any outfit look more mature, throw on a tailored blazer or moto jacket over it. Having good outerwear is an easy way to make your wardrobe more sophisticated.

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Wear subtle, classic patterns. Adults wear patterned clothing, but they are not typically as whimsical as clothes designed for children. Stick with classic patterns such as florals, stripes, plaids and paisleys. Polka dots and animal prints (such as leopard print) are classic choices, but may still come off as youthful.
- Wear jewel tones instead of pastels. Pastels and neon bright colors tend to look more childlike than bold colors (red, navy blue) and muted color schemes (such as mauve or beige).
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Avoid wearing blatantly childish clothes. Wearing clothing with Hello Kitty or Disney characters on them scream childish. Younger styles will make you look younger, simply put. If you naturally have a young-looking face, wearing clothes that fit you well and cover more of your body might be the key to looking a bit older. Avoid the following clothes and styles:
- "Daisy Dukes": denim shorts cut extremely high in the leg and tight fitting in the posterior.
- Mini-skirts
- Novelty T-shirts: T-shirts with cartoon characters, jokes, advertising, and so on.
- Baseball caps
- Baggy jeans
- Brands or logos associated with children (even though many adults love them): Disney, Hello Kitty, Pokémon.
- Converse shoes
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Consider going "professional," if you can pull it off or it would be appropriate. Depending on the age you're shooting for, and the age you are, it might be good to dress up to a significant degree, or it can look like you're playing "dress up." It's a good idea to experiment some with dressier clothes, to see if you can pull off a mature, workplace look, or if that'll just make you look even younger.^{[2]
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- This will work if you are more-or-less an adult. An 11 year old wearing a business suit will not pull off the look, but am 18 year old just might.
- If you're trying to just look 18 or 21, focus on adding height and using make-up to make yourself look older. If you want to look more "mature," because you're an adult with a younger face, try out a dressier wardrobe.
EXPERT TIP

Alena Le Blanc
Personal Stylist
Alena Le Blanc is the Personal Stylist and the Founder of Le Blanc Label. Based in San Francisco, California, Le Blanc Label is the leading personal stylist brand for sustainable style transformations. Alena and her team specialize in seasonal wardrobe refreshes, closet edits, styling for special events, travel, photoshoots, and general personal needs. Alena has been featured in podcasts including EMPOWERED BY WMN, I Am Fearless, and Mind Power Meets Mystic. Alena received her BFA in Fashion and Apparel Design from the Academy of Art University.

Alena Le Blanc
Personal Stylist

Build a minimalist wardrobe that never goes out of style. Minimalism thrives on classic silhouettes, clean lines, and high-quality fabrics. Invest in items like tailored blazers, white button-down shirts, and flowing linen skirts. Timeless and versatile pieces are building blocks for an effortlessly elegant style.
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Look for examples of the age you're shooting for. If you're 18 and trying to look 21, you'll want to look a lot different than if you're 12 and trying to look 17. How do your older cousins dress, or your favorite characters on TV? Seek out people who look mature and stylish, and pay attention to what they're wearing.
- Note the colors and patterns they wear, the fit of their clothes, the type of shoes they have on. Check out the whole package. Start looking for similar items to create your own grown-up wardrobe.

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Dressing Older (For Boys)

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1
Wear pants, not shorts. While guys of all ages wear shorts, they're less formal and more commonly associated with boys and athletic wear. To look a little older, it's best to wear good quality, form-fitting pants, and to leave the shorts for the gym.
- It's especially important to avoid baggy cargo shorts and athletic shorts of any kind. Especially baggy shorts will always look young.
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Wear collared shirts, not T-shirts. Wearing a good-fitting button-down shirt looks older than a T-shirt, one hundred percent of the time. Plaid shirts or plain-printed dress shirts are good looks, whether you want to look 17 or 70.
- Make sure the shirt isn't too big for you, or you'll end up looking like a kid wearing his dad's clothes. The sleeves of collared shirts need to come to the wrist when your arms are out straight at your sides. No further.
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Only wear sneakers for sports. People of all ages wear tennis shoes and sneakers, but if you already look young, they'll make you look even younger. If you're trying to pass as older, wear some more adult shoes. You don't have to wear old-man penny loafers, but more basic leather or faux-leather shoes will always look older than sneakers.
- If you're shorter than you'd like to be, you can make yourself taller with Doc Martens, or motorcycle or cowboy boots that have heels, or slightly-raised platform soles.
Wearing plain black or dark blue socks might seem like a little thing, but it makes a guy look just a bit more professional and a bit older. It's an easy fix. Ditch the white socks and wear dark ones.
Baggy clothes and tight-fitting clothes will make you look younger, either way. Adults know how to pick the right sizes that flatter their body-type. Spend some time at the store, trying on clothes, to figure out what looks right. Don't just wear the first thing you find.
Kids often wear wrinkled shirts, clothes that look like they've been pulled rumpled out of a clothes hamper. Adults wear nicely-pressed, clean clothes. Look like you are how you look and put yourself together with a clean set of clothes.

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Styling Yourself

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1
Get a more mature haircut. Some haircuts can make people's faces look a lot younger, while others give the impression of success and power. Here are a few things to keep in mind next time you go to the salon or barber shop:
- Stay away from little girl bangs. Straight bangs that are cut above the eyebrows are cute, but they make people look young. Sweep yours across instead for a sophisticated look.^{[3]
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- Don't go for the shaggy look. This gives the impression that you are unkempt, whether you're a guy or a girl. Keep your hair trimmed and neat.
- Try a bob or a fade. These are both haircuts you might see on people who go into politics or medicine. Choose a haircut that makes you look assertive and powerful, in spite of your years.
- Experiment with a darker hair color. Hair often naturally darkens over time, and a darker hair color therefore makes you look older. Do not go overboard, however, as this might not give the effect that you want. A good rule is to stay within two shades of your natural hair color.
- Guys should experiment with facial hair.^{[4]
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  Research source} Men who can grow it in thickly look older with some facial hair, but if yours is wispy, stay clean-shaven.
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Style your hair every day. This simple step can go a long way toward making you look more sophisticated. Take the time to comb your hair and either put it up in a chignon, apply gel to define your curls, or straighten it.
- Skip bows and barrettes, which look childish.
- Don't wear pigtails or braids. These can look good, but will always look young.
- Wearing your hair up can emphasize your youthful features, and look like a much younger style than wearing your hair down, which can help to elongate your face and frame it to make it look a lot more adult.
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Go easy on the makeup. Many people think wearing a lot of makeup will make them look older, but it can actually have the opposite effect if you use too much. Go for a classic application of foundation, eye shadow, eye liner, and blush, with a lip that's just a few shades darker than your natural color.
- Stay away from blue eye shadow or other funky colors, which make you look like a little kid playing with makeup. Skip the glitter and shimmer and wear matte products instead.
Draw a line starting from just under your natural cheekbone on either side of the face. Next under the jaw line, to create a slimming effect. Down the sides of the bridge of the nose, and on the sides of your forehead.
Use a lighter concealer than your skin color, down the bridge of the nose in the center, on the cheekbones above the darker shade, under your eyes and just below your cheekbones.

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Acting Older

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Exude confidence. Nothing communicates maturity like confidence. Even if your physical appearance, unique personality, or social skills aren't as old as you wish they were, that doesn't have to stop you from projecting the confidence of an older person. Be the age you want to be.
- Who's the most confident looking person you know? Come up with a confident "anchor" or persona that will help you play the part, possibly building on a confident role model that you admire, a Clooney or an Angelina.
- Use that confident persona as an anchor inside every action. It might sound silly, but try to imagine how that person would stroll through the room, and attempt to embody that confidence. Walk like you're confident. Pour a glass of water like you're confident.
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Improve your posture. Slouching won't convey the maturity you desire. Instead, hold your head up high and straighten your back as much as possible. Use body language to communicate maturity.^{[5]
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- Standing up straight not only projects confidence, but helps to make you appear taller and more mature, as you move through a room. The taller, the better.
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Be calm and quiet. Kids are loud and often ignorant of social graces. Act mature. If you are all over the place, hyper and peppy all of the time, you will seem childish no matter what you're wearing. Don't talk too loudly, and be considerate of the people around you. Talk more about other people than yourself, and know when to let silence do the talking.
- Listen closely to what others say. Few things demonstrate maturity as well as a being a good listener. Be a good conversationalist who is interested in what people are saying; try to add occasional comments if you think they make sense.
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Speak like an adult. Even if you look the part, you can ruin it real fast when you open your mouth. It's important to speak confidently, using accurate word choices and speaking authoritatively about what you're talking about, especially if you're trying to fool people.
- Cut the filler words. try to use fewer "likes" and "ums."
- Try improving your vocabulary. Read a lot to learn some new words and try to include them in your everyday language. Use good grammar (not slang) and don't cuss.

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Tips

Don't become consumed with acting and looking older. Enjoy your youth while you have it.

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Take on some responsibilities. Offer to babysit your cousins or walk a neighbor's dog.

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Let people know where you stand on political issues and talk to older kids in public to get people to think that you can handle being friends with older kids.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Never become desperate for older people to like you; this will just push them away. If you act mature and polite, older kids will respect you and want to hang out with you; hanging out with older (mature) friends will make you seem older and more mature.
You're absolutely beautiful the way you are; 90% of older people envy the youth you possess, so don't feel like you need to be older to fit in among your peers.
Present yourself. Don't mumble -- smile and stand straight. Be yourself, and don't laugh too much; know when it's time to laugh and when it's time to stop.

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