Dressing "too old for your age?"

[March_Hare]

Frankly, I typically put it down to ignorance if someone attempts to haughtily deride me for dressing like an adult rather than draping over sized children's clothes on my body.

...a close relative of the question, "Why are you so dressed up?" ...l

Indeed, a very common thing to hear, especially in the US. In the UK, the somewhat subtler equivalent is "You're looking smart..."

Depending on who's asking the former, my answer would be either something along the lines of: "Am I?" (for people I'm not in confidence with) or something like "I'm not dressed up; you're dressed down " if they are friends.

I have, admittedly quite spitefully, haughtily replied "it surprises me the amount of money people will spend to look cheap".

[kilted2000]

I have been asked why I am so dressed up. With my dress shirts, chinos or cords and leather soled shoes I'm better dressed than most of my professors.

[koolhistorian]

This question arose from a night out I had recently, where one of my (female) friends pointed someone out and said that he was dressed 'too old for his age'. I was intrigued, and asked what she meant - it seems that, in her mind, there are some clothes which appear to 'age' people. I asked if I dressed 'too old', to which the answer was 'sometimes'. The kinds of clothes that do this were not specified, though the person pointed out was wearing jeans, a shirt and a very pinstriped sports coat (though I'd wager it was part of a suit).

My curiosity aroused, I asked my father whether he'd agree with this suggestion (I'm 23, for the record) and he said that I did not, though my choice of clothes is generally conservative - fairly 'classical', as it were (though I don't mean to suggest that I dress like Beethoven). I would tend to agree with that - I wear shirts, jumpers, sports coats and so forth, but I wouldn't say that I dress stuffily or in an 'old' style.

So what are these clothes, that age people? Does such a phenomenon exist? Can an item of clothing intrinsically be said to be 'stuffy', for want of a better term, or is it the way that it's worn and the overall look the making or breaking of the garment? Are classic styles, like the ones I favour, somehow a mark of out-of-touch-ness? I don't much go for 'fashionable' clothes like River Island and Topman sell (with writing and sequins and 'US Army Issue' or some such emblazoned on everything) - surely it's not the only option for someone like me?

If you've got the latest Esquire*, there are some pages in that, which I considered in this context - there are some photos of a Bond party, for example (page 62) where people are wearing some fairly interesting clothes - there's a picture on the bottom right of the page, for example, of a black-and-white houndstooth DB evening coat. It's quite a classic style and cut and it'd certainly be eye-catching if someone like myself wore it, but would it be 'ageing'? The three-piece suit in the top right-hand corner is another - whilst I wouldn't wear a suit in that fabric, I like the style. Would I be at risk of the affliction mentioned above?

Apologies for the philosophical nature of the question, but I'd welcome your responses on this one - is there, in effect, a minimum age for dressing in the way I describe above?

* If you haven't got the Esquire issue in question, look out for it - it's well worth a read.

Clothes do not age people, but they project an "older image". In our society there is a trend to prolong adolescence in the sartorial world. For our grandfathers and grandmothers generation it was the oposite - there was a trend to jump into adulthood quicker. I am still shocked when I see photographs from the WWII era, when young men and women in their early 20 were looking like a 40 now. Take all the fuss about cholesterol, exercise, tans, plastic surgery, etc - it is all about cheating your real age (mid life crisis set aside).
To be very frank, you are at a bad age - you are not still considered an adult, and some of your peers, notably the feminine part, are used with people of your age wearing other kind of clothes - the famous jeans, sneakers, hoodie uniform that I see each day of my classes. None the less, the same female population will consider those guys (cannot call them "young gentlemen") immature and boring, so it is up to you to go into what I will call a "transitional" elegance, keeping your outfit youngish, but elegant. The italians are doing that with great style - look at Luca Rubinnaci, the "Sartorialist" is full of good examples, and if you get some good looking tweed, it will last you for the next decade!