Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Clothing Conundrum

I no longer own grown up shoes. I came to this realization a few weeks ago when I was unable to find a single pair of simple black heels in my closet. Ballet flats? Check. Flip Flops? 5 pairs. Strappy party shoes? Yep. Heck, I even own cowboy boots. However, there is no sign to be found on my closet floor that I used to dress nicely on a daily basis.
This shoe realization brought to light my most recent fashion inspired dilemma (Lord knows I have been having these since I was 12 years old…you would think that I would have it together by now) – what in the world is an early-thirties-stay-at-home-mom-that-coaches-cheer-on-the-side supposed to be wearing? Believe me, it is tempting to wear yoga pants everyday. After all, they are comfortable and some even manage to make your butt look good. (By the way, when did yoga pants become a real term? I admit that I do not practice yoga. Ever.)  And let’s talk about “mom pants” for a minute – while I hate that name, you all know what I am talking about…pants in an unfortunate material and even less fortunate cut. It was a horrifying moment in the dressing room the other day when I turned around and realized that I was wearing the dreaded “mom pant.” In my defense, they did not look like “mom pants” on the hanger and I certainly did not buy them. This type of deceit MUST be why women actually purchase these pants because they certainly do not do your figure any favors. Nobody needs the button on their pants to come that high or the hem to be so short.  
I am only 32 – workout and ugly pants cannot be the only options left for me. To be honest (and to not be overly dramatic), there ARE days where I think I manage to put myself together but it is definitely more of an effort than it used to be. Because here is the catch – I feel like I am stuck in a clothing middle ground. Way too old for clothes that teenagers and college kids are wearing but way too young for a lot of what I see out there. In addition, I currently don’t need professional clothes. I need everyday clothes that are stylish but can serve double duty and weather the playground and playdough. My current dream is to have a closet full (or not so full really…there is a lot to be said for simplicity) of clothes I can throw on and feel good about. Clothes that remind me that a tiny part of my 24 year old self is still floating around…even if she is sleep deprived (and not because she had one too many drinks and danced the night away).
My first step is to get rid of some stuff – the clothes that no longer fit correctly, are no longer in style, or I no longer like. While there is satisfaction in purging, the second step is a lot more fun – buy some new stuff that makes me feel happy to wear NOW.
I plan to use the preparation for an upcoming trip as the time to start this mission. The clothing I can fit in my suitcase is the perfect microcosim for wardrobe tweaking. Vacation clothes often have to serve many purposes – sightseeing one day and dinner the next which is exactly what I need from my clothes at home (well…maybe not sightseeing and dinner but playing with my daughter and an occasional night out with my husband come to mind). I have squirreled away a few things I have bought to save for the occasion and still need to find a few others. And let’s not forget, vacation means requisite picture taking which is the perfect time to pull yourself together just a little more.