To examine older women's appearance self-perceptions, a study surveyed two groups of older and younger subjects. The control group consisted of 93 female undergraduate students at a state university in West Virginia. The test group consisted of 85 non-institutionalized females aged 55 to 93, from senior centers, craft groups, church groups, and area shopping malls in Morgantown, West Virginia. Subjects completed a 32-item attitude measurement questionnaire with a variety of question types concerning demographic information, cosmetic use and perceptions of importance, color preferences, and clothing style satisfaction. A pilot study was conducted to test the questionnaire design and specific wording of each question. Results indicated that older women were generally satisfied with their physical appearance. Subjects seemed to have a wide discrepancy between their perceived age and their chronological age. Related to this discrepancy was their expressed preference to have certain body features changed and others masked. Responses suggested that cosmetics were important to older women but a limited amount of application and items were preferred. Older women selected hair as their best current feature and figure as their best feature in their younger days. Finally, older women preferred the color blue, followed by pink, with red chosen only by younger subjects. (Ten tables of data are included, and a sample questionnaire and 72 references are appended.) (MM)