A Man’s Guide on How to Look Older – Top 20 Tips for The Young Fellow
Are you irked by the fact that everyone commons on how young you look? Do you feel like people treat you like you are younger than your actual age? Do the bouncers at your favorite pub ask you to show your ID before they allow you into the establishment?
If you have ever attended a meeting where people overlooked you and didn’t include you in the conversation, chances are that they automatically assumed that you were a new assistant or a teen intern with nothing valuable to add to the conversation. Looking too young will make people feel like you lack the experience needed to hold your own in an adult company.
For some, being considered younger than they actually are is a sort of blessing. However, for others, this is a huge pain that they would rather shed of. To make this dream come true, you need to learn how to look older. Similarly, you need to shed the image that your baby face has given you and adopt something a bit older, more dignified, and respected.
The secret, of course, lies in how you dress, style, groom, and carry yourself. Some clothes only add to the young looks, making you seem like you are just about to crack out from the throes of puberty.
From bulking up your body and keeping a beard to wearing shirts and making smarter, more mature clothing choices, it is easy to learn how to look older. The decisions you make will help you look a bit older. Choose the wrong outfit and you’ll end up looking like any other teen.
Although looking young feel great, it only works when you advance in years. You certainly don’t want to continue being treated like a child in job opportunities and business meetings.
Remember, what you wear will make a world of difference to how you look. That’s why the quote, manner maketh the man, exists in the first place. Change your wardrobe and you’ll start making a better impression on everyone you encounter.
Dressing in more conservative, traditional business clothes, for instance, will make people less likely to automatically dismiss you. Similarly, making a couple of adjustments to how you dress and how you style your hair will have people taking you more seriously. Use the techniques in the sections below to make yourself look older:
Style
Irrespective of your age, you can intentionally pick out clothes that will add to your years by making you feel more powerful and secure in your own skin. As a man, you certainly want to be treated respectfully and to be taken seriously. A new look, full of maturity, will give you all of this and more.
The idea, of course, is to make you feel comfortable, look sharp, and seem older than you actually are. Remember, your clothes will add to your years, or subtract from them depending on what you choose. Think about the following:
Toss on a Jacket
Invest in a couple of jackets to wear over your shirts and t-shirts. Jackets, particularly the mature looking ones, add a couple of years to one’s actual age. This is because jackets are designed in such a way that they will bulk up your body frame.
Using this trick, therefore, you should be able to look much younger than you are, especially if your youthful looks are mostly as a result of your skinny frame.
The perfect jacket, in this way, will make you look a whole lot older from the maturity perspective. For instance, if you intend to attend a party, wear a good black suit jacket with jeans, shoes, and a well-fitting shirt. You are going to look a whole lot more mature than the other men who walk in on the event in t-shirts.
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Wear Shirts More
When given a choice between shirts and t-shirts, always opt for the former. Adding the number of shirts in your closet will give you the confidence you lack because you think you look younger than your age.
Apart from making your personality seem more mature, shirts will also add tons of volume to your body frame. Collar shirts that are in a good fit, with buttons running all the way down, will make you look older than if you decided to go with a t-shirt.
Plain-printed dress shirts and plaid shirts, in particular, are excellent looks whether you are looking to add to your years or you simply need to feel smart, professional, mature, and in tune with your personal dressing choices.
However, never wear anything that is too big for your frame. Doing so will only make you look like a child in their dad’s clothing. Ensure that the sleeves of your collar shirt come to the wrist when you lay your arms on your sides and never further than that.
In the same way, the shirts you buy don’t need to be boring and formal. From plain shirts with stripes to trendy flannel shirts for pairing with jeans, a nice shirt will add years to your personality.
Fit Your Shirts
However, there are times when a t-shirt is the only thing you can wear – such as when you are going out to the gym or to hit the basketball court. With regards to shirts and t-shirts, never wear anything that is tight fitting.
Thin fellows, in particular, should note that wearing tight shirts and t-shirts will only make them look younger and skinnier than they are. Simply because you visit the gym and your frame is bulked up isn’t reason enough to dress in the skinniest of shirts to flaunt your muscles.
Instead, opt for tops and shirts that are neither too loose nor too tight. Either of these options will end up being a disaster especially because you are not looking to highlight the skinny body you have.
Pants over Shorts
Although everyone wears shorts, they are more commonly associated with athletic wear and boys. To look older, therefore, you might want to invest in form-fitting pants of a good quality and leave your shorts for sports and the gym.
More particularly, avoid athletic shorts and baggy cargo shorts of all kinds. Remember, baggy shorts always make you look young.
Skinny Jeans/Pants
Although skinny jeans and pants seem to be an in thing, they won’t work for you if you are trying to learn how to look older. Skinny silhouettes of the legs will always make you look young. Instead, look for jeans that are styled as slim fit and not skinny.
Remember, skinny jeans are the risqué fashion statement for guys. This means that they will only good on you if you actually have the legs to show them off. However, if you look like you have a pair of matches instead of legs in these jeans, avoid them altogether.
While choosing your pants, always go for dress pants and khakis instead of jeans. These options will look great and make you appear like you have a serious job, even if you are just an intern.
With regards to dress pants, there are tons of fabric choices in store for you: polyester blends, wool, and cotton. If you opt for khakis, you’ll get pants that can look formal or casual depending on how you pair them. Khakis are also wrinkle-resistant and easier to take care of.
If you do decide to keep your jeans, opt for dark varieties. Baggy and washed-out jeans look terrible. The best, most traditional cut is the straight one. It is perfect for any occasion imaginable as long as you get pairs that fit your frame comfortably.
To make your jeans feel more elegant and mature, pair them with a dress shirt with a necktie or with a sports jacket.
Sneakers
Sneakers, for older men, are only meant for sports. Although men of all ages wear sneakers and tennis shoes, you will be better off only wearing them when you are going out for a run, to the gym, or for sport.
As you continue learning how to look older, you should look for adult shoes. This does not mean that you should buy penny loafers for old men. Rather, go for faux-leather and basic leather shoes. They will make you look older than if you wore sneakers.
If your height is a bit on the short side, add to your height with cowboy or motorcycle boots with heels, shoes with slightly-raised platform soles, or Doc Martens.
With regards to your footwear choices, always leave the sneakers for sports and exercise-related activities. Boots and leather shoes will make you look grown up and in tune with your age.
Colors
You might also want to avoid light and pastel colors for your shirts and t-shirts. These colors are more feminine and youthful in comparison to such cold and dark choices as black, maroon, dark brown, and navy blue.
Only those guys who are extremely comfortable with their body image and masculinity can pull of t-shirts and shirts in pastel shades. These include the metro-sexual guys, as well as those who have buff bodies and who know they will be able to carry anything they please.
Over-the-Top Accessories and Clothing
Bright shoes, hoodies, and extreme drop-crotch pants might have been the fashion statement during your teens. However, when you want to ooze maturity and look older, you need to town down on these choices.
back to menu ↑Accessorizing
Styling and accessorizing are keys to looking mature and serious than you actually are. For instance, a masculine belt matching your shoes and watch are a must for every man. Although this might seem like something you can easily overlook, it actually matters.
Follow the styling and accessorizing advice below to help you look older:
Get Rid of the Acne
Acne is commonly associated with teens and those in their early twenties. In case you have a baby face because of acne, you need to deal with it. Invest in a good cleaner or cream to control and remove all breakouts.
Avoid Short Hairstyles
When you are trying to break out of your teenage shell and into the abyss of male maturity, you need to let your hair grow a bit longer. Short hair will only make you look younger. Therefore, consider styling your hair in such a way that it will add volume to your face.
Get a Mature Haircut
Some haircut choices will make your face look younger while others will give you the impression of power and success you are trying to portray.
The next time you visit the barber shop, keep the following in mind:
– Avoid the shaggy look; it will make you look unkempt
– Always keep your hair neat and trimmed
– Try fade to make your face look powerful and assertive
– Experiment with darker hair color; as long as it is within 2 shades of your natural color, you will be good
Avoid Shabby Hair
If your hair is long, never leave it looking shabby. This kind of hairstyle only looks good on a couple of people. For men with baby faces, such styling will look horrible.
Harry Styles, from One Direction, is able to carry his unkempt and scruffy hairstyle on account of his large face. Imagine if Niall Horan left his hair like that – it would be a complete disaster.
Keep a Moustache/Beard
Having a beard, some patch of facial hair or a moustache will help you look older than you actually are. It will add a couple of years to your looks. However, you should keep your facial hair under control, unlike how the men in Duck Dynasty leave theirs.
Style the facial hair before you step out and use a trimmer any time it starts growing too thick to ensure that you look trendier and older.
Eyewear
With regards to your eyes, always choose aviators over sunglasses. The glasses you wear will significantly leave an impression on your age. If you wish to look older, therefore, stay away from any sleek sunglasses that wrap around the eyes.
Instead, opt for iconic aviator-style sunglasses. These glasses come with their own unique appeal, which makes them look as aging as they are cool. Paired with denims, rugged boots, and a black faux leather jacket, they will make you look cooler and older than your age.
Your Watch
Adorning a nice watch will make you look older. Teens and young adults typically choose colorful watches with nylon and rubber straps. To evade this group, switch to watches with stainless steel or faux leather straps.
Remember, watches have long been the timeless fashion accessory for the modern gentleman. Although their value is diminishing, watches will help portray a highly mature and sophisticated sense of style.
back to menu ↑Personal Habits
The way you carry yourself – your gait, your walk, how you talk, and your actions – speaks volumes about your age. The following tips and tricks will help you change your personal habits to make yourself look older.
Deepen Your Voice
Speaking in a deep, heavy voice will add maturity to your years. This is one of the tricks almost every guy uses to sound older, smarter, and more mature while conversing over the phone.
It is undeniable that a deeper and heavier voice will make even the youngest of guys sound like they are 10 year solder. Therefore, practice talking. Open up your mouth and voice, let your vocal chords bring your manliness out, and don’t speak meekly. A deep voice will completely overhaul your personality.
Watch Your Motions
You should also use your body language to show maturity. From attitude to love and attraction, your body language speaks volumes about your personality and emotions. Therefore, train yourself to incorporate proper body language as an assertion of your advanced age, especially when people think that your baby face subtracts from your years.
Consider the following body language hacks:
– Control the involuntary movements of your feet and hands
– Stop fidgeting
– Carry a confident, straight posture; stooping while sitting or walking will enclose you in a shell of undeniable youth
– Look up when walking and talking
– Look people straight in the eye when you converse with them
– Always be relaxed and calm
Exude confidence
Confidence communicates advanced age. Even if your social skills, personality, and physical appearance aren’t as old as you would have them be, this is not license for you to stop projecting the level of confidence people expect from those of an advanced age.
Think about the most confident person in your social/professional circle. Then, use them to come up with your own confident persona or anchor. Use this anchor to play the perfect part. Then, build it all up on a confident role model you admire – an Angelina Jolie, a Colin Firth, or a George Clooney.
Using your confident persona will help you anchor your emotions, thoughts, actions, and words. Although this sounds silly, you need to try it out. Imagine how your anchor would walk into a room and try to embody their level of confidence. Soon, you’ll be able to pour your drinks, walk, and talk with the greatest confidence you can master.
Develop Mature Conversational Skills
How you hold up your own in conversations says tons about your age and level of maturity. This is the exact reason why most people seem timid, ignorant, uninformed, and young until they start talking.
You can also create that aura of maturity by using the tips below:
– Learn to speak slower
– Always think before you speak
– Never be excessively loud
– In the same way, try not to be soft spoken
– Keep yourself well informed by reading books, magazines, and newspapers to improve your conversational skills
– Always keep your calm when you get into an argument
– Use intelligent humor and be witty.
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When the time calls for it, of course, learn how to keep quiet and calm. Children and the youth tend to be loud. They are also ignorant of the social graces that make a man.
With regards to making conversation, you should never be peppy, hyper and all over the place. This will only make you seem childish irrespective of what is on your bark. Therefore, learn how to keep your emotions in check, don’t be too loud, and always consider the others around you. As far as possible, keep references to yourself as low as possible. Instead, talk about other people. Similarly, learn when to use silence to do your talking.
You should also listen to what other people say. Excellent listening skills are a must have for anyone who wishes to look older than they are. Good conversation will, in the same way, have you looking more interested in what the other person has to say, only adding the occasional comment when they make sense.
Over and above everything, you should speak like a mature adult. This will be the icing to the cake you prepared by dressing and grooming yourself for the part. Speak authoritatively, use accurate word choices, and maintain your calm in everything.
Bulk Up
Last but not least, looking muscular will go a long way in making you look older. Whether you feel insecure about your frail body frame or your baby face, the best way to look older than you are is to bulk up by hitting the gym.
Training hard and complementing your body with protein supplements, a healthy diet, and a nice lifestyle will soon become part of your normal, everyday routine. Not only will all of these habits work towards keeping you healthy and fit, they will also add to your retrospection, sense of self, personal awareness, and maturity.
Although bulking up will not be an instant fix, it will be the most permanent mark about your body. The big body will make you look much older than you are, add to your confidence, and sell you whenever you go.
Conclusion
Last but not least, have fun while you still look young. This is a gift that you ought to embrace and use to your maximum advantage. Although your baby face makes you look younger than you like, once you get to your 30s and 40s, it will be the single redeeming quality that will make you look more attractive and handsome than your peers.
Over and above everything else, however, ensure that you adopt the tips provided above. Whether or not you like your youthful looks, these tips will go a long way in turning you into an admirable, cherished, valued, and honored man in any circle – professional or social – you drift into.
