But you might be surprised if you take grandma or grandpa up on the chance to look through some old family photo albums.
It may not be as efficient as scrolling through your phone, but you’ll get to see everyone at their best (or their most embarrassing, if you’re lucky).
And you may find out that your grandparents had some serious swagger and style back in the day, just like these 40 people did.
1. Date night
They had no idea thousands (or more) people would see that date-night photo back in 1948 – but they sure were dressed for the occasion!
2. Gram glam goals
But from her perfect pout to her bangin’ brows and blouse, she could be in a modern-day Anthropologie catalog.
3. The look of love
Just check out the way these two look at one another.
This is vintage glam at its very best.
4. When your grandmother is Snow White
It must be pretty exciting to find out your grandma is a Disney character. But would a fairy godmother be better?
5. New mom style
No yoga pants here – she’s even wearing a belt!
6. Meanwhile, in Italy
So sweet and innocent in their youths, we wonder what they had to go through to move to another country and raise a family.
My nonna and nonno in Italy, 1954. The back of the photograph says “a memory of our immense love” from r/OldSchoolCool
7. Glam-ma
Shouldn’t we all wear gowns on gondolas in Venice more often? It’s the least we can do to leave our potential grandchildren such a treasure.
8. Winning winter
Check out this stylish pair après ski.
There’s a special style the glamorous adhere to after hitting the slopes – and boy did they nail it!
Here’s my grandparents skiing straight through the color barrier, Steamboat Springs Colorado 1966 from r/OldSchoolCool
9. Miami heat
But this hot mama’s glory days involved 3″ heels by the pool – and she still managed to look more demure than most of today’s Miami pool-goers.
My grandmother, Miami, 1962. I never got to meet her but I hope as her namesake, I’m as cool as her. from r/OldSchoolCool
10. Vacation vixen
If this were our relative, we’d be asking around about that vintage garb!
I acquired and scanned in over 500 of my Grandpa’s Ektachrome slides. Here is my Grandma in the late 1940s/early 1950s on vacation. from r/OldSchoolCool
11. Teenage heartthrob
We want to know what kind of work he did to get that ripped – because that was one heck of a summer job!
12. Sexy sidekick
Back in this day, this woman was the support system that led to a big NASCAR win.
We’d love to hear stories about how welcome women were at the track.
My grandma in 1968 who did everything from change tires to oversee all the details of my grandfathers racing career. In 1971, he won Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series, in its first year under Winston’s sponsorship and it wouldn’t have been possible without her. from r/OldSchoolCool
13. The aviator
And he looks like he earned those naps.
Today is my late grand pa’s birthday. Here he is looking like a bamf in Vietnam 1969 from r/OldSchoolCool
14. Post-war appeal
Her grandchild later wrote:
“…she was English and went through so much with the war. My Grandfather was an American Bomber- they met on a Friday and were married on that Sunday. It lasted til he passed away 58 years later- beautiful love story!”
15. Fisherman’s friend
We’ve been assured that she’s currently single. Just a little older.
16. Baby faces
There were multiple people in the comments crushing on both of these babes.
17. Stunner in a sari
Not only was she a homemaker, but she was also a “musician, performing singer, organising religious congregations and associated with the Hari Om cult here in India. She’s also run a little business, selling groceries and stuff, after the passing of my grandfather. The strongest willed woman I know.”
18. Bathing beauty
Apparently, she grew up on the river. But since it’s the Hudson, we doubt she’s been there to swim in a while.
19. Mazeltov!
It’s pretty incredible to know that he fought in two wars before coming home to start a family.
My Grandfather, a Jewish WWII and Korean War Veteran from Brooklyn in his uniform, and the love of his life, my Grandmother. [1940s] from r/OldSchoolCool
20. A young man in Pakistan
While he grew up in Kashmir, he was educated in Karachi and the U.S. But he loved Pakistan so much, he returned in the 70s and still lives there today.
It turns out you can go home again – even if that place is complicated.
21. Winged goddess
We just hope people were still asking her about them decades later.
You never quite know how great the stories up your grandparents’ sleeves might be.
My grandma when she was a Flamenco Dancer with a traveling company, late 1950’s – still the queen of winged eyeliner from r/OldSchoolCool
22. A loving couple
They’re still together, according to the original poster, and live a very happy life.
23. Good old-fashioned scandal
And there are many more areas in the world where this would have been considered a wildly inappropriate public display of affection.
Times sure have changed!
My grandparents. 1940’s Taiwan. They got in trouble for this photo as it was “too scandalous” for the time. I personally love this photo! from r/OldSchoolCool
24. Cultured cool
Isn’t it fascinating to see the different traditions and ceremonial garb?
25. Out on the town
And we’ll answer the burning question people had – they’re the same age. Grandpa just happened to have a babyface.
26. The raised brow, 50s style
What a handsome gent with a winning smile.
We just want to know what he’s feeling wily about when it comes to that eyebrow raise.
27. Happy days
These days, so much money and material go into what we think of as elegant, but it’s really all too much.
And while modern brides are beautiful, the simplicity of this dress makes us wish we had such options (though we’re not sure about the Madonna-cone bust!).
28. Dreamy in daytime
These young ladies are old school glam with their blouses, belts, and clutches. They sure knew how to accessorize in just the right amount.
29. Handsome hunk
The hair, the steely eyes, those dimples! No wonder grandma was cheered up by a colorized photo of her beau.
My Grandpa in his early twenties, probably 22, in 1955 or so! Just got this picture colorized for my Nana to cheer her up! from r/OldSchoolCool
30. Wedding party wowza
Whatever happened to sitting for a portrait?
A lost art or past its prime?
31. Fur-tography
While we are animal-lovers, we can’t deny its glamour.
And it’s too bad grandmas didn’t pass down the knowledge to care for our eyebrows like this – we could have used an anti-plucking talk.
32. Magnetic Mexicana
We hope grandma passed on some of her makeup tips too – especially the key to a perfect lip!
33. Grandbros
How fun would it be to have pictures of your grandparents from separate sides of the family hanging out together long before you were born?
Maybe that happens more often in small towns.
Do you think these guys ever talked about their future children at that age?
Both of my grand fathers were friends growing up and this is my favorite picture of them hanging out together. (1953) restored and colored from r/OldSchoolCool
34. Lolo is a looker!
The Phillippines in the 50s must have been a fascinating place after they gained independence from the U.S. in 1946.
We bet there are some great tales to be told.
35. Charming Chilean
She looks like a Hollywood star out for a dazzling dinner in this photo.
36. Kitten heel cool
No wonder gramps hated letting her out of the house like that – we’re sure he wanted to keep her all to himself.
But good for her for deciding to get the job done.
My grandmother waitressing in the ‘60’s, in an uniform my grandfather hated…she continued to wear the uniform. from r/OldSchoolCool
37. Pipe and stripes
There was a lot less city life to be had, and the bucolic nature of some of these photos is making us a little eager to get outside.
38. A story lost
It’s rare to have photos of people who were persecuted as youngsters.
Members of Australia’s “stolen generation,” who were removed from their parents, stripped of their names, and forced to integrate, know very little about their roots.
Now a whole family has a gap in the tree.
My Nan, an Aboriginal-African American victim of the Stolen Generation in Australia. To this day, she doesn’t know a single true fact about herself. 1960’s from r/OldSchoolCool
39. Inviting in Italy
We wonder if he was the macho man he looks like here in real life.
He also has a very kind face – the kind we’d love to see a more recent photo of for comparison.
40.Fetching flapper
Now we bet THOSE are some stories!
Bar-hopping doesn’t have quite the same illicit appeal that it did back in the 20s.
Think about how many women try to pull off the flapper look these days – do they even come close to this?
My Grandma was a flapper girl in the roaring 20’s. I heard stories of her bar-hopping from speakeasy to speakeasy. What a badass. from r/OldSchoolCool
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