The Great Clothing Debate

I remember the days of my youth when I didn't really care about my clothes (let me insert here that my mom would already be making a comment about this--YES, I hated tags in ALL clothing, but what I'm referring to here is styles). I would wear the same pair of jeans over and over again, a t-shirt was as good as anything, and it didn't matter if I had matching jewelry or accessories.

Being a woman is HARD, I'm here to tell ya! So much to think about in the clothing realm.
Let's just tackle jeans first, shall we?

The choices are out-of-this-world:
low rise
flare
low rise with a tad bit of flare
mid rise
high rise (definitely Mom jeans, and I'm just not ready for them)
skinny leg (John makes soooo much fun of these)
boot cut
hipsters
super low rise (the kind that shows your undies even when you aren't bent over cleaning up a mess off the floor)
ultimate low rise (not even going there folks)
bell bottom
curvy
wide leg
long and lean
trouser fit (these are awesome, by the way. You can dress them up or down)


Whew! The list above probably doesn't even cover them all, but you get the idea. How hard is it to just walk into a store and find a pair that fits right every time??? Not only that, but you might be a size 8 in Gap, a size 10 in J Crew, and a size 12 in Old Navy . I just want a good pair of nice fitting jeans that: 1) doesn't make me feel too much like a bloated manatee, 2) shows my curves but doesn't over accentuate them, 3) allows me to breathe while still being fashionable, and 4) doesn't give me a complex or a huge fear that my mid-section is hanging out over the top or bulging just below the button.
It's a complicated world. I'm sure that the clothing companies get a kick out of all of us poor women that never know what true size we are in ANYTHING.
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Jogging suits--AKA velour hoodies with matching pants.
Love them.
They are, by far, the most comfortable outfits known to man (well, women actually). Nothing binding, pinching, irritating, overaccentuating, or fattening about them. They fit right, sit right, and are just marvelous. They come with a hoodie that can be added for extra warmth, but the outfit doesn't die without it. Totally a flexible getup.

The only draw back? Not totally the most sexy outfits.
Ask me how I know this.
Ok, I'll tell you.
I ordered a dark blue velour jogging suit from OldNavy.com several months ago, mainly to have something comfortable to wear while traveling. After all, it went with every shirt in my closet. I thought it was a great idea! As soon as it arrived in the mail, I ran upstairs, tried it on, and came back down to "present myself" to John for his opinion. With a big smile on my face (I thought it looked smashing by the way), I said, "Ta-da! What do you think, honey?"
His response?
"Ummmm...that's nice dear. Just add a string of pearls and you'll be ready for Sunday brunch."
Oh jeez. Really? Thanks alot.
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Then, of course, I walk the fine line of what's age appropriate and what's not.
What should a "mom" wear, and what's allowed for ANY woman.
Being a fairly young mom, I don't want to: 1) have anything in my closet that my 10 year old would want to borrow, 2) have revealing clothing that my 5 year old would be embarrassed of, 3) have an issue with shirts or pants being too tight, 4) constantly wear things that make my husband want to cry in mourning from the loss of his hot bride. :)

Too tight.
Too loose.
Too short.
Too long.
Too low.
Too high.
*deep sigh*

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Don't even get me started on jewelry and accessories.
Which belt looks best with which pair of jeans? How tall are "heels that are too tall?"
Is it ok to wear a bright green necklace with a yellow shirt, just for some added pizazz?

Does anyone use the word pizazz anymore?????

I most definitely don't have this all figured out, but I want to say that I am a good student and very teachable. I love to watch What Not To Wear on TLC. They have great tips and tricks for every body type, age, life stage, etc. It really is hard, though, to figure out which stores have the best clothing for MY body....not some 15 year old with narrow hips that has yet to birth a child.

No bitterness here, really.

When and IF I ever figure this all out, I'll be sure to write a post letting you all know about it.
And if you figure it out before me, clue me in, would ya?
Thanks.

Mel