Fashion is not really my thing. Anyone who is reading this and actually knows me just said, “Duh!” Probably out loud. Right before they clicked away from the most obvious post in the world.
(Wait! Come back! I have a point!)
It’s not that I don’t know what looks good on me. I actually do, and when it comes down to brass tacks and I need to be spiffed up, I make it happen. I just don’t usually care that much. Plus I don’t like shopping. And I don’t like trying clothes on. Furthermore, I don’t like endlessly sifting through rack after rack of tops and jeans. My Mom Uniform is either a) jeans and a comfy t-shirt or b) my favorite black running pants and a t-shirt. Or yoga pants. Or pajamas. Just something comfortable, okay?!?
A while back, though, I read an article that really hit home on a blog I really love (stop me if you’ve heard this name before …). The blog is called Young House Love, and the article, Momma’s Closet, focussed on the style choices of the blog’s leading lady, Sherry. The blog itself is usually a DIY blog, but from time to time in reference to reader questions, they blog about other things, and that day just happened to be all about Sherry’s style and how she saves big on it. I like Sherry’s style because it’s simple, but she always looks great. She isn’t over done; she doesn’t wear 4-inch heels. She isn’t wearing uber-mini skirts or the latest crazy animal print. She dresses pretty casually but always looks very put together. She dresses like a person who is a mom, chasing after a two-year-old, and writing a DIY blog, but she always looks good doing it.
The tip that most hit home with me was “Tip #5: Don’t water down your wardrobe.” She went on the explain that put simply she only buys items for her wardrobe that she truly loves and that bring up the style quotient of her closet. (Click over to the article for a much better description!) That got me thinking about my own pitiful closet. I have a tendency to buy only what I need, only at the last-minute, and only if it’s cheap. I have a ton of free t-shirts (from baseball games, from sports my husband has played, and from random events we’ve attended). Style Points: ZERO. I also have a tendency to pick up random tees and tank tops from Wal-Mart. They are cheap and look okay for the first wearing or two, but soon after lose their shape and fade. Style Points: ZERO. I have about 3 pairs of jeans that I wear day-in and day-out. I don’t like trying on jeans (or anything else) so I usually get frustrated after only 2 or 3 tries and just buy whatever. Style points: ehhh … THREE (one for each pair)? They sort of fit (not really) … they look okay (not really) … Hmm. Well, I have LOTS of very old yoga pants and pajamas. They are faded and stretchy and veeerrrrryyyyy comfortable. YUMMY POINTS: TEN! Style Points: Zero. Boo.
Oddly enough, I own THREE beautiful formal gowns and TWO lovely cocktail dresses. Yes, the same person who sports free t-shirts almost daily also owns a bevy of beautiful dresses. Style points: TEN!!!
Unfortunately, I only wear formal gowns once or twice a year at most so if you average it out my style quotient is still stuck on FAIL. I had never really thought of my closet in quite that way (because I don’t really think of my closet at all), but it certainly set me to thinking. In the past I thought my style really just said, “I’m not that into fashion.” However, in terms of my style quotient, I think my style just says, “I’m not that into ME.”
I say again, boo. That just isn’t true. I do care about me! Over the past eight or so months I have lost almost 20 pounds. I took up running last year. (I put it back down for a few months, but I’m trying to get back in the swing these days.) My diet, while not great, is better than it’s really ever been, and I continue to work on that as well. So I DO care, but somehow I have failed myself in the style department.
Now I wish this post was more than my heartfelt musings about my lack personal style. I wish that I could say I recently went shopping and bought an entire new wardrobe of beautiful clothes. I wish I could post pictures of me stylin’ and posin’ (not really that last one … that’s stupid), but it’s not. I haven’t shopped much in a while, and I have no fabulous pictures to show you. I actually did take a picture of my closet, but to be honest, it’s too pitiful to share. This is, however, a post that acknowledges that I have a problem.
“Hi, my name is Jodi, and I am addicted to yoga pants and stained up t-shirts.”
It’s the first step in my recovery program. I’ll keep you posted with further developments.
I am right there with you on shopping. Hate it! And my clothes… the name of my blog reflects that. You do have one up on me in the dress department, there are none in my closet.
Oh, Jeanne! If it weren’t for a few sort of mandatory events a year for the Navy, I wouldn’t own any of those dresses either!
I am definitely with you on blue jeans and t-shirts!