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I've noticed that no one has mentioned dying your hair when it starts to turn gray. Most women (not all) will look a lot older with gray hair vs. their natural hair color.
Several generations ago more people worked manufacturing or labor intensive jobs and were exposed to to the weather, sun, and other elements far more frequently than today. That likely explains why those in their 20s and 30s looked older a few generations back. Also, they had more responsibilites and pressures of assuming a distinct life plan at a young age as well as definied familial roles.
People actually do look younger now because of medical advances. My great-grandparents died in their 60s, but when I saw a picture of them, they looked to be in their 80s by today's standards.
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When I see old films of young women or even teenage girls from the 50s and 60s sometimes I almost can't tell if they're middle aged women, because the middle aged women and older women of today (those that were young back then) still wear the styles that were popular back then. It seems people hold on to the fashions of their youth. Just like all the hippies I see with long hair. Natalie Wood in 'Rebel Without a Cause', for instance, looked so lady-like with her curled, short hairstyle, the skirt she wore, her shoes. So did the girls in the 'bad group' which would probably amuse a lot of teens today.
A lot of women in the 60s seemed to already look like old women in their 30s or even late 20s. I think it's partly due to make-up. Back in the 1900s, people just grew up faster and there wasn't really such a thing as 'adolescence.' People went straight from being children to adults. Weirdly women underwent puberty later which makes it stranger.
Many 20 year old's today behave like and wear the same sort of clothes as teenagers so it can be hard to tell.
A lot of women in the 60s seemed to already look like old women in their 30s or even late 20s. I think it's partly due to make-up. Back in the 1900s, people just grew up faster and there wasn't really such a thing as 'adolescence.' People went straight from being children to adults. Weirdly women underwent puberty later which makes it stranger. Many 20 year old's today behave like and wear the same sort of clothes as teenagers so it can be hard to tell.
I agree. We (older people) do look younger now, and it is mainly due to our sense of fashion, hair, lifestyle and sometimes "cosmetic help" like many of you have already mentioned. However to me, the biggest reason why was fashion. There were "rules" almost that women had to follow once they turned 40: get your hair cut shorter an almost in the same style, wear pants that had elastic bands, no more jeans, no more short skirts/dresses, wear heavy makeup to make you look "younger" , no more high heels unless you were going to a "function"; and then when you turned 60 it got even worse. And when you take into consideration the lifestyle (smoking, lack of exercise, etc), it is amazing to me as when I look at my mother at my age, I am like wow.
When I was in high school, many thought I was in my 30's due to my style of clothing, hair and make-up. The "teenage" niches were only slowly coming into vogue. There was no "teen" or "junior" dept. that catered to the youth before the 60's really. Yes, teens had their jeans and "leather" (if you were a "bad" boy or "loose" girl), but otherwise, teens dressed mostly like miniature adults as they had been for generations with just a few "tweaks" here and there, and that is why I began designing my own clothes while in high school. It really wasn't until the mod influence and magazines like Seventeen came on the scene that clothes manufacturers actively began catering to this age group. And with the 60's, came the "breaking" of the fashion rules which continued on until now where really no set "house" dictates what women must wear as it is now more an individual style.
And when you add in the other things that have been mentioned, we truly do look younger and due to that fact, are more vibrant and feel like we "will not go gentle into that good night".
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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I agree, it's mostly fashion.
Yes your mother definitely looks like a 'grandma', while you just look 'middle aged.' She could almost look like your mother today! I think the hair makes a big difference.
Nothing confirmed. Rumors of facelift and botox. I'd guess it's a combination of very well done plastic surgery and excellent genes. If you don't look at her hands, feet, elbows, and knees then she could easily be in her early 30s.
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, no more high heels unless you were going to a "function"; and then when you turned 60 it got even worse. And when you take into consideration the lifestyle (smoking, lack of exercise, etc), it is amazing to me as when I look at my mother at my age, I am like wow. 
