38. I think this is probably universal, but I don't feel like what I thought 38 would feel like. I was 14/15 when my mom was 38. My memories of her are...not how I feel now, does that make sense?
100%
I also feel like women "of our age" now aren't necessarily pushed/painted to be "old" like they used to be. Fashion is better. SO much better, thank god. I'm 43. When I was 13/14, my mom was 40, and there's no way I'd be caught dead in any of my mother's clothes, including in an emergency. Requisite 1993 teacher wear of long denim/corduroy jumpers, vests, and turtle necks? Hardest of passes.
YES. I think the article posted later in this thread about the Golden Girls and the characters from Sex And The City being the same age is an excellent example of this. My mom has always dressed like a Golden Girl, even when she was in her mid-30s. Mom jeans/pants with the high waist, elastic waist, and pleats; flowery blouses; short permed hair. She will describe herself as a "nice" dresser.
I'm 52 and mentally feel like I should still be in my 30's. I really enjoyed my 30's too. Maybe I'm just longing to be back in my 30's because I felt like I had settled down, but not too settled! I remember when I was a teen I thought 25 was old.
I still don't feel like I'm the 'old' one at work (most of my co-workers are younger than me). I remember my dad's 50th birthday party and my DS was 9 mos old. I can't imagine being a grandparent at my age. My DS is almost 27 and getting married this year and that blows my mind too.
I always have to do math to be sure I'm getting my age right.