Example: Alice from the Brady Bunch with long hair and contemporary makeup. Crazy.

https://www.instagram.com/eilamell/p/C0Jf-PQunw8/

I use Botox. That helps. And I get my grays colored every 4 weeks.

It was the clothes and the hairstyles in addition to smoking and not exercising.

The proliferation of social media and pop culture has bridged the gap between millennials/Gen X and the younger generation.

Anonymous wrote:Now that I’m 40 I wonder this a lot! If you look back even further the hairstyles that women had even in their teens and 20s were soooo aging.

I think media has increased people’s awareness of what you can look like and therefore made people more aspirational.

Yes! The hairstyles! Did middle aged women in (certain parts of the U.S.) always look haggard, worn and old? Did women in (certain other parts of the U.S.) always look "overdone"?

It seems to be more than just what was "fashionable" or "in style", but instead the lifestyle and diet, and exposure to high fashion. With the invention of television - all the way through the invention of social media, communications and media has always played a part, but to what degree? How much of it is the women wanting to take care of themselves or caring about what they look like or not? Is the latter overblown with social media? Are we wanting to look to young, at the risk of ....not?

Starting with millennials and social media everyone takes care of their appearance such as early Botox, sun screen, etc it's a lifestyle

It's mostly the hairstyles and lack of shopping choices. The 70s and 80s were awful for middle aged women.

Lucille Ball was in her 40s on I Love Lucy and she looked younger, even though she smoked.

Anonymous wrote:I have no desire to not look my age.

A mother of the bride should look like the mother.

I think it's less about not wanting to look one's age and more the fact that middle-age people naturally look younger than they did 30-40 years ago.

Now that I’m 40 I wonder this a lot! If you look back even further the hairstyles that women had even in their teens and 20s were soooo aging.

I think media has increased people’s awareness of what you can look like and therefore made people more aspirational.

Anonymous wrote:We all had kids a lot later too. There's something to be said for being 45 and a mom of toddlers vs 45 and a mom of college kids.

I think overall this is a wash. Kids may keep your spirit young but they do a number on your body. I feel like my friends who had kids the latest ended up the most haggard as a result. It’s a lot harder for your body to bounce back the older you get.

I have no desire to not look my age.

A mother of the bride should look like the mother.

I think the biggest changes are sunscreen and smoking.

We all had kids a lot later too. There's something to be said for being 45 and a mom of toddlers vs 45 and a mom of college kids.

Anonymous wrote:Clothes got better, makeup got better, hair got better - and Gen X, of which I am a member, refused to grow up! We're all in our shorts and band t-shirts still.

I think it's crazy the people in Cocoon are not a lot older than I am.

That is actually an excellent point. I know Gen Xers who act like they are Boomers, and I feel like they are missing out - no energy, and no will. Of course, that could be some psych issues.

I do think being a part of the 80's excess made a permanent fashion mark on history for Gen Xers, we just express it differently than shoulder pads (for one example).

Clothes got better, makeup got better, hair got better - and Gen X, of which I am a member, refused to grow up! We're all in our shorts and band t-shirts still.

I think it's crazy the people in Cocoon are not a lot older than I am.

When did middle aged women start to look younger? It seems as though we went from the Golden Girls look (1980's) to social media (might 2000's) overnight, but it seems something happened in between those two eras. It seems that women between age 40's-60's now act and appear younger. Social media made it procedures and surgery seem mainstream, but what happened before then? Anyone else interested in this topic?

I am also fascinated about the inverse, when people are younger (30's-40's) but act or appear older (70's+).