Wearing what you love is never a bad thing, but if looking younger is your aim, some popular styles can actually sabotage you.
Too much going on
It can be easy to pile on too many trendy pieces at once. Statement glasses, chunky jewelry, an outrageous print, a trendy handbag, and statement-making shoes all scream trying too hard.
Try wearing one trendy piece and keep the rest of your outfit simple. Five trendy things fighting for attention often end up not working at all. One modern piece will stand out when it isn’t fighting with four other trendy pieces for attention.
Everything oversized
Baggy clothing can look effortlessly chic, but going oversized from shoulder to ankle can overwhelm your frame. Bulky shirts with wide-leg pants and huge jackets can disguise your shape instead of giving you the casual vibe you’re going for. Often, the key is contrast: try an oversized shirt with slimmed-down trousers, for instance, or boyfriend jeans with a more fitted top.
Dressing like the kids
Fashion trends that are mostly popular with teens and young adults won’t necessarily make you look younger. Extremely cropped tops, deliberately distressed pieces, novelty Y2K accessories, or recreating an entire viral TikTok outfit may actually draw more attention to how old you are. Pulling one thing you actually like and incorporating it into your personal style will look much more contemporary.
The denim overload
Jeans are classic, but poorly done, hipster distressed denim ages you. Overdone holes in knees, tons of fading, shredded hems, and cute patches can make your ensemble scream “YOUTH” louder than you might intend. Most of the time, a trendy cut in fresh denim will pull off the modern look much easier.
Trying too hard with hair
A dramatically teased, heavily sprayed look can age you, but desperately trying to stay young with an ultra-trendy haircut can also be a mistake. Super severe cuts, super dramatic layering, or trying to recreate the style of an influencer decades younger than you will call more attention to the differences instead of helping them blend. Natural-looking movement and an overall flattering shape are typically more important than whether the haircut is trendy right now.
Hiding behind the frames
Bold glasses can look great, but large-as-life statement frames aren’t automatically youthful. Oversized frames that are too heavy, too dark, or too big for the face can overpower all other features. Choosing a trendier frame that fits the face instead of obscuring it will give you the same stylish edge without making it look like your accessory arrived before its wearer.
Turning up the shine
Metallic fabrics, sequins, rhinestones, and glitter are endlessly trendy, so they can be easy, fast passes to looking more playful. However, drenching an outfit in sparkle can often make an outfit look more like a costume or something worn for a special occasion than youthful. Try opting for a metallic shoe, cool earring, or top with a subtle shimmer.
Going extremely casual
Hoodies, leggings, sneakers, baseball caps, and graphic tees may all be wardrobe items you associate with younger folks, but dressing like them doesn’t make you look younger. Dressing head-to-toe like that can actually age you, as an ultra-casual outfit can look sloppy and be the opposite of youthful. Mixing a casual piece with something tailored, like a sharp jacket over a T-shirt, usually looks fresher.
Chasing the perfect face
Experimenting with every makeup trend doesn’t always work in your favor. Contour that’s too heavy, thick foundation, big false lashes, super-dark brows, and heaps of highlighter might create a dramatic selfie, but will wash you out in natural lighting.
If you want to look young, lean towards lighter textures with a few modern accents.
Wearing the label
Bold designer logos and immediately identifiable luxury items can give you a false sense of style. Donning a plethora of visible branding sometimes feels more like flexing status rather than exuding personal style. A well-fitted, sleek outfit with minimal to no branding tends to appear more effortless, and being effortless is often what makes an outfit feel trendy anyway.
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