Being mistaken as a teenager. HELP

kelleywill

Subject says it all i'm fed up with being mistaken for a teenager and have decided to do something about it. One problem is am 5'3 and a small women. This i think is a main problem with people thinking am as young as 16 at times. Am 25 and dont wear makeup unless my fiance is taking me out. I wear jeans alot with some what i call nice shirts. Cloths are another problem i think i have they look to young which adds fuel to the fire. I work as a zoo keeper at a wildlife park so my work cloths wont change but i know i need a change. Am tired of going out to the bank store or to talk to people about my wedding only to have them ask me if am old enough to do this or that. On election day i had a older lady say she just went to vote and i should when am old enough. Another time i had a guy ask me why am pumping gas when am not even old enough to drive ( that was about 3 years ago). Today was the last straw i got lunch while i was out running erronds the guy at i ordered from asked me why i wasnt at school. 

So what i wanted to know is does anyone have any suggestions. Am starting with a hair cut. Then slowly updateing and changeing my cloths. Cloths will be hard as i dont like most of the trendy stuff out. Any help would be great as am just fed up, tired and just plan frustrated about this. 

tiffanysbride

Can you PIP of a typical outfit? Hairstyle? 

kelleywill

Dont know what PIP is  but heres a normal outfit. 

Jeans right now a long sleeve printed blue shirt black tall boots.

Umm usually wear jeans with sneakers and some cotton top short sleeve baby doll top, polo shirt. Every once in a while i wear my black flats never heels. Hair long straight no curls highlights or styling. My hair wont hold a curl so i dont bother. I have a problem that jr cloths fit but womens are most of the time to big.  I think thats part of my problem right there. And i havent really brought cloths in a long time like a few years. I get a piece here and there. 

Mama-Bear

PIP is "Picture in Post", it means take a pic of yourself in the mirror and post it on here.  To do so, you can upload it to a site like shutterfly or photobucket (which is what I use).  Right click the pic, select properties, then copy the URL.  Come back to your post, click the tree icon (next to the smiley face) and post the link in there.  Then hit post.

tiffanysbride

I would get some recommendations from friends whose hair you like and make an appointment with their hair stylist. A new haircut will help, even if it is just layering and faming your face. I would not do anything crazy, just a simple update. You can continue to change it but I wouldn't start out with dying it or a drastic chop.

Stop dressing in jrs and move into petites. Nothing will make you look younger then jeans and a polo or baby-doll top. Ann Taylor Loft has inexpensive pieces, I usually hit up the sales rack. I never pay full price b/c in my experience only the pants, skirts and dresses last for years. If you have a good outlet, go.  I find a lot of good stuff at Jcrew Factory, they have smaller sizes and carry varying length pants. 

nurse714

Doesn't sound like you have much of a problem to me. Just think about it, at the rate you're going, 20 years from now, you will look 30ish.

 

RMama2012

Its hard to say without seeing what your clothing looks like but clothes can go a long way to make you look either older or younger.  jeans, boots, and a top can look so different depending on fit, quality, color, etc..  Ex-riding boots, straight leg jeans, and a sweater looks very different than slouchy boots with faded stretchy jeans.  I would opt for mature/simple jewelery & nail colors as well.

TarHeels&Rebels

tiffanysbride:

Stop dressing in jrs and move into petites. Nothing will make you look younger then jeans and a polo or baby-doll top. Ann Taylor Loft has inexpensive pieces, I usually hit up the sales rack. I never pay full price b/c in my experience only the pants, skirts and dresses last for years. If you have a good outlet, go.  I find a lot of good stuff at Jcrew Factory, they have smaller sizes and carry varying length pants. 

All of this.  Don't forget your shoes - sneakers are a really young look, as well.  Skip those and get some flats instead. 

As much as you can afford it, the key to looking more mature is looking more expensive.  Instead of spending $25 on a full-price top at Target, take that same $25 to the J.Crew outlet sale rack.  Kids look like kids because they shop at American Eagle and Old Navy.  Step it up to the sale racks at nicer stores and see what you can find.

If you have a DVR, set it to record What Not To Wear.  Even if the woman featured in an episode doesn't have your same issues, you'll get great fashion advice.

littlemermaid

Your size is not a problem.  I'm your height and skinny (size 0) and have no problem finding clothes.  Stop shopping in the juniors section.  Go to stores like Loft, Eddie Bauer.   Loft starts with XS, 00 sizes, they also have a petites section.  Eddie Bauer carries XS for casual everyday clothes.  Maybe adding a little bit of makeup when you are not working might help.

Ginabean42712

I'm in the same boat as you are, however I just turned 30 and people still card me for buying lottery tickets and alcohol!.  I don't see a problem with it, I actually love when people make those comments to me!  

For starters, your size should not be a problem when shopping for clothes (it's clothes, not cloths by the way).  I am 4'11, and 90 lbs and I have no problem finding clothes.  Try Delia's, or Aeropostale, American Eagle, or Nordstrom's.  I know they might sound like teeney bopper stores, but their clothes fit small people great!  And if you do look around, not all their clothes are young looking.  

 

As for hair, I don't know your current style, but deff consider going shorter.  The shorter your hair, the older you look.  And definitely consider a daily routine of makeup.  Makeup does a great job of making you look older too.  

 

By the way, I dont do any of what I suggested because I actually enjoy when I get mistaken for younger.  Hopefully someday you will enjoy it too!

 

 

kelleywill

Yeah i have thought about all the things everyone has said. I know when i do bye colths that i need to go something different. Just that i dont like alot of stuff but i guess i need to suck it up and look more. ( btw i dont like shoping so i go with the first things i find) The other problem is i hardly buy things so i will need to try to do that more. Thanks for everyone advice i will try some of it. Am just at my last nerve with it and hate that when am with my fiance that we get looks because he looks 25 and people think hes with a teenager. It bothers me but not him. As for asking friends there years younger than i am and dress worse. I just need an update and will have to do steps in it. again thanks to all. I have never been a girly girl and its coming back to bite me. 

MommyLiberty5013

kelleywill:

Yeah i have thought about all the things everyone has said. I know when i do bye colths that i need to go something different. Just that i dont like alot of stuff but i guess i need to suck it up and look more. ( btw i dont like shoping so i go with the first things i find) The other problem is i hardly buy things so i will need to try to do that more. Thanks for everyone advice i will try some of it. Am just at my last nerve with it and hate that when am with my fiance that we get looks because he looks 25 and people think hes with a teenager. It bothers me but not him. As for asking friends there years younger than i am and dress worse. I just need an update and will have to do steps in it. again thanks to all. I have never been a girly girl and its coming back to bite me. 

You don't have to be a "girly girl" to dress appropriately for your age group. There are plenty of great stores that have a lot of nice petite sizes. The recs of Eddie Bauer and Ann Taylor are good starts as they both carry petitie lines. Also, if you find a great pair of pants, jeans or a skirt, get to a good tailor and have them hemmed. It's not that expensive to hem something that you will wear frequently. Also, for makeup try basic powder foundation, some soft colored eye shadow, a lipstick and mascara.

~NB~

kelleywill:

As for asking friends there years younger than i am and dress worse.

This sounds somewhat strange, and may be part of the problem, but to each her own. My advice is to buy only high quality, conservative, upscale clothing. Shop in stores that specialize in classic clothing, like Talbots, Pendleton, or Brooks Brothers. If you can't afford those stores, get the next best (closest possible) thing at a major department store, like Macys. Avoid juniors, trends, and cheap clothes; as all those are favored by teens. Keep in mind that if your social circle is comprised of people who are "years younger and dress worse" than you, you are creating a visual and psychological association with them in the eyes of others.

kelleywill

Alot of my friends are younger than be because of soroitiy from college i still talk to and hang out with a few of the girls. Also most of the time when am mistaken as a young teen am alone. But right now am in a new job in a new city and i wanted a change. I went out yesterday and looked at kohls and ross. I found a nice sweater dress for a good price. Just need to talk to my sister to see what to wear with it. I want to wear it to christmas at my grandparents house. Thanks for the advice am starting soon getting a hair cut next week looking up a good style and going form there. 

RedInLove

Sweater dress? Matching tall boots with tights (depending on the colors of the sweater dress), maybe throw a matching or contrasting belt over the dress. You can also do classic heels, again depending on the color of the sweater dress you could do black or nude.