Aging beautifully and gracefully, then vs now: Who did it better?

[MissMittens]

Will someone tell that 14 year old boy to eat something. And stop wearing your big sister's bathing suit!

Haha! I'm sure I'd look better in a dress than him :lol:

 

[vitanola]

"The way they're dressing, the things they do
Keep me guessing, I'm telling you,
There's a trick in pickin' a chick-chick-chicken today!

Gray haired Granny and sister Sue
I can't tell 'em apart, can you?
You may be wise, you must be gifted
to recognise a face that's lifted.
Oh the way they're dressing and the things they do
Keep me guessing, I'm telling you
There's a trick in pickin' a chick-chick-chicken today!

[video=youtube_share;m4xNgU8w0sg]http://youtu.be/m4xNgU8w0sg?t=1m27s[/video]

Then , of course, there is "That's Grandma!"

"Who's that lively bunch of pep
makin' all those flapper steps?
That's Grandma, Yes sir!

Who's that stately lookin' queen
do you know the one I mean?
that's Grandma! Bet your life that's her!

Now quit your kiddin', boys, 'cause I have no time to fool,
but who's that girl who looks as though she just got out of school?
Three-score-ten, but wait a while, still retains that baby smile!
Peggy Joyce don't know no style. It's Grandma, that's all!

[video=youtube_share;dN-74NwOEUg]http://youtu.be/dN-74NwOEUg[/video]

So what has changed?

Other than, of course, that which was so extreme as to be risible in 1927 is now
SOP.

 

[Bluebird Marsha]

*As I sit here with my first chemical peel eating away at my face*
Since I plan on living to be at least 100, I want to spend it looking as good as possible. But like with vintage cars, I think a plan of well-thought out maintenance is much better than attempting a stem-to-stern rebuild.

My co-workers and I were actually discussing bad cosmetic surgery today. Demi Moore=Fabulous. Kenny Rogers=Ghastly. Still don't understand Demi. A beautiful woman like her wanting Ashton. I guess women are no more immune to mid-life stupidity than men.

I never was a big fan of drinking till stupidity set in, and I hate noisy bars/clubs. But there are several nice places I go to for live music where I can have a civilized drink and conversation. Actually the biggest difference between me and my 25 year old self is I can now AFFORD those nice places. A definite benefit of getting older!

I will say that one thing I've noticed about the "attitude" of aging that I hate is watching my mom attribute her day to day annoyances with life to be a problem of her "getting old" and "people not doing their jobs". Her job is tough (but financially rewarding), but she has always had a big problem with time management. She doesn't see it that way though- she's "old" you know, everything's harder . I do not want to be that naggy old person that young people rightfully can't stand to be around.

Men? Tea and sympathy rules. And to paraphrase and misquote Cary Grant: "Under 30 they're protected by good judgement and manners; over 70 they're protected by Mother Nature. Everything in between is fair game."

 

[Yeps]

How about this:

and/or this:

Curves are great, and a lack of curves can be great too. There are lots of different kinds of bodies, even healthy.

 

[Bluebird Marsha]

Or this...

Not this...

 

[MissMittens]

How about this:

and/or this:

Curves are great, and a lack of curves can be great too. There
are lots of different kinds of bodies, even healthy.

Hepburn was pretty, very pretty, but I'd personally have passed her by if she were around in my era. Her figure was just too boyish for me even though her face screams gorgeous. I'd rather be with someone curvaceous and pretty that a gorgeous faced stick figure, but thats just me. If I wanted a boyish figure I could just loom in the mirror, snicker :lol:

 

[fortworthgal]

In the 1980s landmark book, Color Me Beautiful (which I've aheld to its good advice ever since), it says about us Springs- "...doesn't gray attractively, color your hair." Works for fellow Spring Julie Andrews, works for me.

I'm an autumn, and red doesn't gray attractively at all. Not at all the pretty silvery-white gray on dark hair for the salt & pepper look. Think dirty yellow-gray mixed in with auburn hair. :laugh: Especially bad when you start graying in your teens...

 

[m0nk]

How about this:

and/or this:

Curves are great, and a lack of curves can be great too. There are lots of different kinds of bodies, even healthy.

Both of these starletts do it for me. Modern female celebs... not so much...

 

[Yeps]

Both of these starletts do it for me. Modern female celebs... not so much...

I won't necessarily argue with that. There a few I would put up there (although none come close to Sophia Loren or Audrey Hepburn. But that is different)

 

[Gilboa]

Aging beautifully and gracefully, then vs now: Who did it better?

Gracefully is the key word to me on this matter.

Beauty comes along with it natuarlly and is in the eye of the beholder afterall.

I very much dispair when walking around towns in the UK as there are many sights I just do not wish to see:

• How about learning what one's actual size is and wear something that fits, rather than looking like a bursting sausage.
• If one has a belly bigger than one's bossom (addressing certain examples of the female gender), by god do not wear hip trousers, it frightens me!
• Wearing 5" heels and staggering around like a stork with one leg missing is also not very graceful.
• And let us not mention general manners, behaviour and intellect.

The above goes for all ages.

I find men have nowadays BY FAR more grace than women do. In dressing, in behaviour, in manners and in conversation.


But to sum it up as I see it: ageing gracefully certainly stopped in the 70s and is still missing.

What are your thoughts? Will you get "work" done to fight the face of aging?

I remember well back when I was a teenager I could not wait untill the day I would see my first wrinkles! I wanted to know whether I would have frowny wrinkles or smiley wrinkles and wondered when I would see my first grey hair.

As it stands now, I definitely have frowny wrinkles and I'm counting

I do dye my hair but not to hide greys. My hair is brownish red (more red) but for some reason it seems to grow darker with the years. I like to keep it red for now and treat it more like an accessory (and I cut it myself ...)

The rest is down to mother nature, healthy food and keeping the 'unhealthy' pleasures in moderation


I do agree that sadly women seem to be preasuried into trying to look forever young.

Yet to me there is nothing more attractive and charming than a smiling face full of life and charisma. With or without wrinkles!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Two words; Christina Hendricks.

Both of these starletts do it for me. Modern female celebs... not so much...

 

[m0nk]

Two words; Christina Hendricks.

Well, I should have said "Most modern celebs", as I was a fan of hers when she showed up on Firefly... long before her current role...

But, overall, I think the majority of ladies of times lost held a better sense of style and beauty throughout their years.

 

[filfoster]

Or this...

Not this...

Isn't this the guy-Monte? - on "Say 'YES' to the Dress"?

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Fair enough. Just had to pull that trump card. She's a very beautiful woman, even though she doesn't fit the Hollywood Role of beautiful.

Well, I should have said "Most modern celebs", as I was a fan of hers when she showed up on Firefly... long before her current role...

But, overall, I think the majority of ladies of times lost held a better sense of style and beauty throughout their years.

 

[MissMittens]

Helen Mirren. Arguably the world's most attractive septuagenarian

 

[Bluebird Marsha]

Nope. That is Bruce Jenner.

 

[WH1]

I have always admired Sophia Loren, beautiful and extremely intelligent with a great deal of dignity and style. She has defined aging gracefully. Of the modern actresses I think Sofia Vergara could be similar.

 

[Red Diabla]

It's interesting reading about actresses from the Golden Era and how they responded to aging...all of them had to deal with the age barrier in a different way than men did (and that continues to this day). There was plastic surgery back then, too, and I think it would be naive to believe they didn't take advantage of it. Reading Marlene Dietrich's biography written by her daughter was fascinating with the routines and tricks she would use to mask the effects of aging.

I apparently don't look my age; I dye my hair and don't act like a normal boring "grown up". I don't act or dress like an 18 year old either, I just do my own thing. The usual stuff applies as well: I try to eat decently, exercise a lot, wear sunscreen as often as possible, drink a ridiculous amount of water, etc. Is that aging gracefully? Meh, don't know and don't care...as long as I don't end up with blue helmet hair, I think I'll be OK!

RD

 

[AtomicEraTom]

True. Look at Grumpier Old Men. She still looked very attractive.

I have always admired Sophia Loren, beautiful and extremely intelligent with a great deal of dignity and style. She has defined aging gracefully. Of the modern actresses I think Sofia Vergara could be similar.

 

[vitanola]

At 18:

At 60: