How to Dress to Look Older

Is your wardrobe full of cheap and trendy stuff? Are you always alternating between various looks and are not consistent with one? Do you have a nose ring, belly piercing and multiple holes in your ears? If you answered, "Yes, to any of the above, read on to develop a more adult version of your self.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Long Skirts
• Men's Dress Shirts
• Men's Dress Shoes
• Men's Dress Sweater
• Mens' Dress Pants
• Sports Coat
• Women's Dress Coats
• Women's Dress Shirts
• Women's Dress Shoes

1. Make a jump from junior departments and stores to more contemporary, grown-up clothes. On your next shopping trip, pass up Contempo and Wet Seal, for instance, and head for Club Monaco, where you can still get the trends in a more adult version.
2. Buy better quality. Junior brands provide the item of the minute without quality in mind. Brands that are not focused on the junior market are likely to be higher-quality, more expensive and a lot more elegant.
3. Avoid wearing the most extreme versions of a trend. Put away the extravagantly wide cargo pants and high platforms in favor of modified versions. If you want a piercing, keep it low key by only getting one, preferably in a place that can be hidden.
4. Consider wearing only one trendy item per outfit. Platform shoes are very popular and so are animal prints, but wearing cheetah-print platform boots is too extreme. Opt for solid boots with a thinner heel and a small item in an animal print, such as a top or scarf.
5. Be consistent, but leave room in your wardrobe for a few surprises and seasonal changes.

Tips & Warnings

• Try not to lose your sense of humor in your effort to look older. You can still wear the wacky bird necklace you found at the flea market or the plastic bead necklace a friend made you. Keep the touches that give you individuality.