GETTING MY STYLE ON

So this morning, I did something a little different. Something that no Mother hardly ever does.

I got out of bed and decided to actually wear some ‘nice’ or ‘stylish’ clothes. You know the ones. The ones in your ‘save for special occasions’ drawer. The ones that are hanging in the wardrobe gathering dust, because we never wear them.

God knows why I decided to do this. I had nothing special to go to. Just dropped my son off at daycare and returned home. I was in my ‘special’ clothes, outside in public, for everyone to admire, for a mere 10 minutes. But I thought, “What the hey! At least I have worn them, and won’t feel bad for not wearing them when I chuck them out in 7 years”.

Why do us Mums do this? Save the special clothes for a special occasion, but never think there is a special enough occasion for them to wear. So they just sit there, never to be worn.

Me wearing some actual ‘special’ clothes for once (with actual accessory necklace!). And my kiddo.

Those silk shirts. Those $200 denim jeans (jokes, I would never spend that much on denim). Those beautiful printed scarves. We never put them on – unless you are some sort of socialite Mother who gets to go out every weekend and drinks champagne with her friends – bitch!

My husband bought me a couple of hours with a Personal Stylist last year, so I could buy some new and suitable clothes for my age. Say what??!!!

What the eff are you trying to tell me hubby? Thanks very much for the pick me up. Do you think I am ugly??? Why do you hate me???!!!! I AM A WOMAN, AND YOU CAN NEVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT – you know that, don’t you?

Nah. It actually was a great idea, and I had fun frolicking in the shops with this stylist. No freaking idea what I was doing! But who cares! I was out in a big shopping centre, acting like an adult, buying clothes, with a stylist. This sounds like a very la-de-da thing to do, and I loved it.

But, those clothes I bought with this stylist, hardly ever get worn. And I mean hardly with a capital – ONCE A YEAR OR SOMETHING. So I looked in my wardrobe this morning, and said out loud to myself, “Comon Kelly. Let’s try and look your age and put something nice on this morning”. I don’t know if I actually acted my age……but I am pretty sure I pulled off ‘looking my age, in a fashionable way’.

It was nice not to wear a shirt that didn’t have a tagline of ‘Run Faster Fatty’, or ‘I Live to Exercise’, or ‘My Other Shirt is a Lorna Jane Shirt with a Better Tagline Than This One’.

Why the hell do we live in our workout clothes, and hardly ever workout? Maybe I only speak for myself here.

Who honestly comes up with this shit? I don’t know if it’s a crappy job to have, or a really awesome job to boast about.

I also read a couple of articles about how all us Mums, wear ‘Mumsy’ clothes. We like to wear the old faves. The trackies. The sports wear. The runners. The shirts that are a bland colour of grey and black.

Some of these articles I read, had some questions to ask yourself. So, I did just that. And here are my answers………

Have you hit forty and lost your style identity? Hell no! I am not 40. Way off actually. Waaaaaay off. Still another 6 long years away thanks very much. Actually, it’s 5 and tiny bit years. But yes. I have so lost my style identity.

Do you feel uninspired by the clothes hanging in your wardrobe?
Not really. I just can’t be arsed putting on something nice that is made with silk, because I have a 2 ½ year old, so I am scared I am going to get snot or shit thrown at this expensive shirt. So I just go with my old faithfuls – my 50 year old jeans and a t-shirt.

Would you like to rediscover the style confidence you had in your twenties? Ummmm. Not so sure. Have you seen photos of me when I was in my twenties? I don’t think I want to go back there. I had some serious wrong ideas back then. But my ‘twenties body’? Can you give me that? I will do whatever you want to get that body back.

My twenties body on my wedding day. I suppose there was a bit of style back then too 😉

Then the article stated some points that made me nod my head. They made my jaw gape and say, “Oh God! You are so right!”. But I still had to be a smart arse……..

There may come a point in your life, often somewhere between 30 and 40 when a clothes crisis looms its ugly head.  I told you before! I am not 40! Stop bringing up that number. But yes. I may have a clothes crisis on my ugly head. Tell me what to do!!

You start to worry about what other people might think and you start to play it safe for fear of getting it “wrong”. Sometimes. Most times I couldn’t give a shit what other people think. Otherwise I wouldn’t wear my workout clothes and never look like I have dripped a drop of sweat from my brow. I am justa blendin’ with the rest of the Ma’s! I know I get it “wrong” a lot. I am not in fear of it…..I just go with it.

You wake up one day and start doubting whether or not the clothes you are wearing are entirely appropriate for a woman of your age.  I wake up every day thinking other stuff actually. Like is my kid actually going to be ‘nice’ to me today. Or, maybe I will not be stuffed by 5pm today. But sometimes I may think about my clothing. Not really though. But still….help me!

You view everyone around you as younger, prettier and more stylish than you. Other women just seem to know instinctively what suits them. That is because I know all those young, pretty, stylish women have no children. Those young women got to sleep in this morning. Those young women got to have a whole 20 minutes getting ready….in peace! That is why they look so freaking calm!

But here I go again……whinging and complaining. I shouldn’t, because I actually felt a touch better when I put my special occasion clothes on this morning. I felt a bit prettier. A bit more stylish. A bit more human.

So to all you Mums out there. Go into your wardrobe and your ‘special occasion’ drawers (not the lingerie ones…….that has got nothing to do with me thanks), and wear something nice today. Something you would only save for a night out with the girls. Or something that would only be worn for a super flash restaurant.

Who cares if someone comments. They are at least going to give you a compliment, and that can’t be bad. Just nod and say, “Yes, I am actually going somewhere nice”, then get in the car and drive home and be a parent. At least you got dressed up. How often does that happen these days?

Let me know if you wear ‘Mumsy’ clothes most days. Or are you super stylish and try your best to get ‘dressed up’? Please let me know.

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Love (as Reeve says),

xxoo

p.s. I actually wore a scarf this morning too! Wow. An actual scarf. It looked good, but annoyed the shit out of me while I was driving the car. It’s so lucky I didn’t rip the crap out of it. But it now sits on the backseat of my car. Where it will sit until next Winter. I have learnt nothing from what I just wrote above.