Why people used to look older in the past?

[Latinus]

Something I noticed when looking at old movies/pictures is that people back in the days used to look much older than their counterparts of today.

People in their early 20's and even late teens looked like they were in their 30's. Of course you had the young looking ones, but it was much more common in the past to young people look older than their age. Nowadays it's diferent. You also have the old looking ones, but most young people look their age.

Has anyone else noticed that? What are the reasons for people in the past looking more mature?

[Maguzanci]

Nope never notice this in America where am living now. A lot of Black and White Americans aged 17 to 22 where I live look like they are in their 30s especially American Football college athletes. Not sure if it has to do with their more big and muscular body and weight that make them look a lot more older or not.

[Odin]

The fashions at the time made women and men look more mature for their age. There wasn't a huge distinction between 'teen fashion' and adult fashion back then.

[Crimean]

Noticed, of course. Sean Connery was 32 years in this movie.

[Latinus]

The fashions at the time made women and men look more mature for their age. There wasn't a huge distinction between 'teen fashion' and adult fashion back then.

But even if you dressed the late teen/early 20's of today with the same past costumes, they would still look younger than their average counterpart of the past.

A clothe can make you look more mature, but it doesn't make your face look older. Their faces looked older.

[Sikeliot]

A clothe can make you look more mature, but it doesn't make your face look older. Their faces looked older.

Because nearly everyone smoked. A lot.

Smoking ages people.

[KMack]

Something I noticed when looking at old movies/pictures is that people back in the days used to look much older than their counterparts of today.

People in their early 20's and even late teens looked like they were in their 30's. Of course you had the young looking ones, but it was much more common in the past to young people look older than their age. Nowadays it's diferent. You also have the old looking ones, but most young people look their age.

Has anyone else noticed that? What are the reasons for people in the past looking more mature?

Not including movies, but people did a lot more physical labor in the elements. That can beat you up and age you some.

[Crimean]

But even if you dressed the late tenn/early 20's of today with the same past costumes, they would still look younger than their average counterpart of the past.

A clothe can make you look more mature, but it doesn't make your face look older. Their faces looked older.

In modern society, the mechanism of spiritual maturation is broken. Many remain children until old age.

[Not a Cop]

Not including movies, but people did a lot more physical labor in the elements. That can beat you up and age you some.

Hard physical labour, especially considering that a lot of people worked either in fields or on factories, a lot of exposure to sun makes you age faster, as well as a healthy enviroment on a assembly line.

[Odin]

A clothe can make you look more mature, but it doesn't make your face look older. Their faces looked older.

Some of it had to do with the quality of the pics, most of the photos were in black and white in the past, it's all just a trick of perception. Many people got married right after high school, women had children very young so it was common to be quite matronly by time they were 20. Practically everyone smoked, which ages the skin and makes wrinkles more pronounced. People laid out to tan, nobody used sunscreen, they used baby oil. And for women, the skincare products were completely different. People used vaseline as moisturizer. All terrible for the skin.