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Four Parts:Dressing Older (For Girls)Dressing Older (For Boys)Styling YourselfActing OlderQuestions and Answers

Does everyone say you look younger than you really are? Are you frequently asked to show your ID to prove your age? For some people, this is a blessing. But for other people, it's a huge pain. To look older, try the following techniques.


Part 1 of 4: Dressing Older (For Girls)

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    Make yourself taller with the right shoes. One easy way to look older is to not just look taller, but actually be taller. Try wearing high heels. They don't have to be stilettos, but add an inch or two to your height with more easy-to-wear wedges or boots.
    • There is no "adult" height, but try to get yourself to the same height as everyone else you're with, at least, to try to blend in and appear older. This will depend on how tall you are and the age you're shooting for.
    • In some cases, wearing especially high-heeled shoes may emphasize your youth, rather than mask it. You don't want to look like a girl wearing mom's shoes.
  2. 2
    Try clothes with nicer-quality fabric. Nicer 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, and will emphasize your youthfulness when you're out. Wear tailored tops with collars instead.
    • 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.
    • 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.
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    Wear muted patterns instead of wild ones. You might have trouble parting with your dress covered in turquoise cats, but if you exchange it for one with a simple polka dot design, you'll be telling the world you have a mature style. Simple patterns or plain prints will always look more mature.
    • Wear jewel tones instead of pastels. Colors can also look younger or more mature, depending on how you pick them. Pastels and neons tend to look more childlike than bold colors and muted color schemes.
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    Avoid wearing any overtly childish clothes. It may sound obvious, but it bears remembering: don't wear Hello Kitty. 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
    • Mini-skirts
    • Novelty t-shirts
    • Baseball caps
    • Baggy jeans
    • Anything with brands or logos
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    Consider going "professional," if you can pull it off. 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 of a mature, workplace look, or if that'll just make you look even younger.
    • 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.
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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.

Part 2 of 4: Dressing Older (For Boys)

  1. 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.
  2. 2
    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.
  3. 3
    Only wear sneakers for sports. It's true that 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.
  4. 4
    Wear dark socks. 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.
  5. 5
    Wear clothes that fit your body properly. 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.
  6. 6
    Wear clean clothes. 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.

Part 3 of 4: Styling Yourself

  1. 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.
    • 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. Your hair 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. Men who can grow it in thickly look older with some facial hair, but if yours is wispy, stay clean-shaven.
  2. 2
    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.
  3. 3
    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.[1]
    • Stay away from blue eye shadow or other funky colors, which make you look like a little kid playing with makeup. But the glitter and shimmer and wear matte products instead.
  4. 4
    Use darker concealer to add shadow and depth. 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.
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    Highlight 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.

Part 4 of 4: 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.
    • 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.

Questions and Answers

Don't see your question below? Ask it here:


    • Don't become consumed with acting and looking older. Enjoy your youth while you have it.
    • Take on some responsibilities. Offer to babysit your cousins or walk a neighbor's dog.
    • 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.
    • If you don't get what you want, don't scream - handle it maturely.
    • Just be yourself or you will look stupid.
    • Wearing a bit of black or dark mascara can make you appear older then you actually are.
    • Be yourself, being someone else is going to make people think that you are crazy and always stay calm around celebs (celebrities).


    This video shows you how to apply an older, sophisticated makeup look.

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