Dress and Act Like an Old Lady

Do you want to dress up like an old lady for Halloween, or need to achieve an old lady look for a role in a play or other performance? Learn how to dress and act authentically by using clothing, makeup, accessories, and mannerisms to become a convincing old lady.

Steps

Dressing Like an Old Lady

1. Get some ideas for your outfit. Look up images of old women online or in books to see what they’re wearing and get ideas for yourself. Consider what decade you’d be from as old lady and what kind of style you’d have.
   • A good rule for placing your old lady costume in a certain time period is to choose clothing that was popular a couple decades before that time period, as the style of clothing on elderly people is often slightly outdated.
   • Try talking to a grandmother or other older female person you are close to for tips and advice. If you’re lucky, she might let you borrow some of her clothes! Just remember to be respectful and avoid offending her by wearing the clothes as a joke or costume.
2. Visit a thrift store or garage sale. Go to a secondhand store, garage sale, or vintage clothing store to find older clothing. Keep an eye out for clothing in outdated styles that you think an old lady might wear.
   • Choose garments that look more worn and even faded for a truly old appearance. You can always wash secondhand items before wearing them, but in this case keeping the strange, old scent of another person on the clothes might help your authenticity!
   • Check online stores like Ebay if you’re looking for an item that’s very specific. Otherwise, inexpensive items from a thrift store will suffice.
3. Find a comfortable, simple shirt. Look for a loose-fitting top or t-shirt in a muted color. Go for one with an applique design of flowers, animals, or other similarly cute or cliche motif on the chest.
   • Pick out a shirt that is one or two sizes too big on you so that it is roomy and comfortable.
   • Avoid modern styles, bright colors or prints, and low necklines.
4. Get loose-fitting pants. Choose pants in a stretch fabric and a fit that is not form-fitting. Ideally the pants have an elastic waistband for the most comfort and ability to move in them.
   • If you can, find pants in a similar shade as your top, or any other element of your outfit. Or, look for two-piece sets of pants and a top that are intended to go together. The more matching, the better!
5. Try a muumuu dress or loose skirt. Look for a house dress or muumuu, which is a long, shapeless shift dress, often in a colorful pattern. Or choose a long and loose-fitting skirt worn with a top.
   • If you wear a dress or skirt, pull pantyhose in a similar shade as your skin onto your legs.
   • If you’re going for the look of a very elderly person stuck in a hospital or their home, try a muumuu in more muted colors, or anything that looks more like pajamas, including a robe and house slippers if you like.
6. Wear a sweater (or two). Find an oversized knit sweater or cardigan to wear over the rest of your outfit. A sweater that looks hand-knit is ideal.
   • Layer on sweaters, even in warm weather, as old ladies often have poor circulation and get cold easily.
   • Also try a colorful vest, ideally with applique or embroidered details with scenes from nature, a holiday, or any other theme.
7. Add a scarf around the shoulders or head. Tie a thin scarf, either silk or knit, around the top of the head and tied at the chin or around the shoulders and tied at the chest.
   • If wearing a scarf around the shoulders, try securing it with an old brooch at the chest.
8. Wear sensible sneakers or other shoes. Choose a simple white sneaker for the perfect granny shoe, or strappy white sandals if you’re wearing pantyhose with a dress or skirt.
   • For a dressier old lady look, try pumps with a small kitten heel, worn with pantyhose.
   • Look for sneakers with velcro, a signature senior style for those too old to easily tie shoelaces.

Using Old Lady Makeup and Accessories

1. Create wrinkles with makeup. Scrunch up your forehead, eyes, and mouth to find where wrinkles naturally form on the skin. Use a brown eyeliner or eyeshadow to lightly trace the lines of those wrinkle spots, then smudge the lines with your finger or a brush. Add bags under the eyes and any other aging spots you want.
   • You can even add highlighter or eyeshadow in a lighter shade than your skin to the areas on either side of your “wrinkles” to make them look more three-dimensional.
   • Try another method for wrinkles using non-toxic white glue, which you apply in a thin layer to your face. Apply it while your skin is stretched out by puffing up your cheeks or stretching it with your fingers, then when your skin relaxes to its normal state the glue will create wrinkles.
   • Do the makeup or glue treatment to your hands or any other exposed skin as well. You can add blue or green makeup to hands and forearms to simulate prominent or varicose veins.
   • Finish with touches like bright lipstick or drawn-on eyebrows.
2. Achieve gray or white hair. Put on a white or gray wig, or use temporary dye or baby powder to color your own hair for the look.
   • Tie hair back in a simple, low bun. Or try putting hair curlers in and leaving them there.
   • If you use baby powder to make your hair gray, try spraying over it with hairspray to help it stick and stay put.
3. Don large glasses. Look for large, clear-rimmed glasses with thick lenses in an outdated style. Find a chain or beaded glasses holder to wear them around your neck when they aren’t on your face.
   • If the glasses have prescription lenses that you can’t see out of, just pop out the lenses before wearing them.
4. Use a cane or walker. Carry around a cane or walker with you to use for support when getting around.
   • This prop can help remind you to act like an old woman too, by staying stooped or bent over and relying on the cane or walker for balance.
5. Wear costume jewelry. Choose large, colorful, and over-the-top jewelry for a classic granny look. Put on big pearls, flashy earrings, or several metal or charm bracelets. Stick to gold metal for everything.
   • Alternatively, try a few subtler sentimental pieces, like a tarnished wedding ring or a locket with pictures that would represent children or grandchildren.
   • A sparkly brooch or pin is also a good addition, to either fasten a scarf or simply pin to the front of a sweater or dress.
6. Make a fake hearing aid. For a special touch, fake a hearing aid by fashioning a piece of wax to look like the ear piece. Or use other earplugs or headphones in a light color to look like a hearing device.
   • The bonus of putting something in your ears to look like a hearing aid is that you truly won’t hear well when others are talking to you, making for an authentic demeanor.
7. Keep other convincing items in your purse. Carry a large, unstructured bag or tote and fill it with some of the following convincing items:
   • Prescription or vitamin bottles
   • An extra sweater
   • Fruit and other snacks
   • Denture case and cleaner
   • Lipstick or other makeup
   • Crossword puzzles or other word games

Acting Like an Old Lady

1. Stoop or hunch over. When standing or walking especially, remain hunched over by rounding your shoulders toward the front and center of your body.
   • Walk very slowly and unsteadily when you move, and pretend to rely on a cane or walker for support.
   • You can also add other shaky or unsteady movements of your hands, arms, and legs when you move them.
2. Speak in a gravelly voice and use outdated expressions. Try to speak with a scratchy or croaky version of your voice by constricting your throat slightly when you talk. Use words and expressions that are outdated for the time period.
   • Try out old-fashioned phrases like, “Pleased as punch,” “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!” and “Fiddlesticks!”
   • Continually begin with “Back in my day…” and follow with a story of the comparative hardships, simplicity, or enjoyment of life in a long-gone time.
3. Squint to see and feign difficulty hearing. Squint when you need to read or look at an object closely, or any time that you are trying to examine something. Also pretend not to hear people well, and ask for them to repeat themselves and “speak up.”
   • Wearing thick old glasses and a fake hearing aid can help you to naturally strain more to see and hear.
4. Fuss and offer things. Worry and chatter over people and their health and well-being. Offer the food, sweater, or vitamins in your purse, and don’t take no for an answer. Ask a lot of questions and express concern over everything going on in someone’s life.
   • Try using phrases like “Oh, we need to put some meat on those bones!” before offering someone food, or “Just looking at you makes me feel cold! Here, have my extra sweater” before offering a warm layer.
   • Offer unsolicited and frank advice to people about their health, relationships, or job.

Warnings

• Be sure not to offend any elderly people by making fun of their clothing or mannerisms. Keep it light and playful, and assure others that you have respect for old women. After all, you will be a senior citizen someday too!

Related Articles

• Grow Old Without Feeling Old
• Apply Stage Makeup
• Apply Makeup as a Man
• Apply a Wig

Sources and Citations

See also

• Pick a Costume for Halloween
• Look Like a Vampire
• Make a Fake Bruise with Makeup
• Make a Superhero Costume
• Scare People
• Look Like a Zombie
• Fake a Bruise
• Make Fake Blood
• Apply Zombie Makeup
• Make a Fake Wound

Read more ...

What links here

• Make a Darth Vader Costume