I basically grew up within a conservative family, with two older brothers and no sister. Obviously, my mom was the only other woman whose style I was mostly exposed to. And she had always been on the safe side of things, and she believed she needed to dress her age. So up until I was in college did I dress for my age. Boring. I always wore straight cut pants—even if it wasn’t in style anymore—because my mom insisted that it never goes out of style and I could pair almost anything with it. I also always wore t-shirts, because my mom thought a 14-year old wearing tank tops or sleeveless shirts looked sleazy.

Luckily when I got in college, I met really feminine friends who gave a crap about fashion and style, sometimes more crap that I could ever manage. It was a good thing for me because I learned how to experiment with different styles and cuts of basically any piece of clothing that was available for the market. I never really followed each and every fashion trend that came along. But it helped me figure out my own fashion sense and helped me become more comfortable with clothes I want to wear.

Unfortunately, my mother is incorruptible. Whenever I take her out shopping, she still picks out the safest color, and the safest cut that is “right” for her age. She doesn’t pick out shirts and bottoms in bright colors and with too much print on them because she thinks prints are only intended for young people and she isn’t young anymore. I love her being conservative when Metro Manila is slowly being infested with cougars, but I want to give her, and you also, tips on how to look youthful looking without sacrificing your own style, and without looking like a predator to younger men, if you know what I mean. Hopefully, there would be less cougar-looking predators and more youthful-looking women .

Jeans
Jeans have always been a staple to the young and young at heart. And it’s one of the pieces of clothing my mother already refuses to wear because she thinks she’s too old for jeans, and it usually doesn’t flatter her figure at all.

A lot of women have the same problem as my mother: unflattering pair of jeans. But the secret is choosing the right cut. You can a wear bootleg cut to drive the attention away from the thick waistline to the illusion of curves the cut of the jeans bring out. Or you can simply stick to type you’re used to wearing and do something with your tops. Wear something long and falls just under your bottom so the waist area is hidden.

Pastels Colors
It fascinates me that by simply wearing in pastel colors brightens up my mood and makes me look younger. And it shouldn’t be any different when older women do it. Pastel colors are very youthful looking and fun, and it brings out certain features about us which make wonders.

I’m not saying ditch all your dark-colored outfits, because those are classic colors, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun either. Lightening up your wardrobe means lightening up your mood, which makes you feel more youthful. A simple pastel-colored blouse with few laces or frills will work, and it won’t look overdone at all.

An overall wardrobe makeover isn’t actually necessary to look younger. And it doesn’t always take Botox or plastic surgery to look young. Sometimes all you need is a little creativity paired with a fun attitude, and everything will follow.