Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The quarter life clothing crisis

I am a 28, almost 29, year old mother of 2. I still look closer to the 20 end of the age scale than the 30. However my figure is not what it once was after 2 pregnancies and 2 c-sections. I am only 2 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight but those are the biggest two pounds I have ever carried. My jeans that were snug before pregnancy are now screaming for mercy. So my husband told me this weekend to go out and buy myself a few new things to spruce up the wardrobe. Tuesday morning I dropped off Bear at Mother's Day Out and Tater tot and I set out for some shopping.

I hit the mall first and wandered through a couple of department stores but I couldn't decide whether to shop in the juniors or the missus or maybe petites. I walk through the juniors and I just can't get past this bag lady chic look they have going. Every outfit is 3 see through cheap shirts layered over a cami with a scarf around the neck and skinny jeans topped off with 15 necklaces. I look at the missus section and I am just so not ready to go there yet. I don't want to dress like my mom, or worse yet, my grandma. A forever 21 had opened up while I was pregnant so I wandered in there with my stroller and I am fairly certain I should be babysitting the other girls shopping there not buying the same clothes as them. Don't even get me started on the wet seal or abercrombie.

I even tried Gap, Express, New York and Co and a few other stores but nothing. It didn't help that Tater was not in the mood for shopping and kept protesting the stroller so I was carrying him while pushing my purse in the stroller. I nursed him in the car in the mall parking lot and got him settled enough to head to Old Navy. Can you believe that I did not find one thing that looked cute on me? The only good thing that came out of my trip to the changing room was a private breastfeeding session versus feeding Tater in the car.

It's not just the fashions it is just so many things. Not knowing how I should dress now that I am not a college kid anymore but not wanting to fall into the SAHM shlumpyness. The fact that my body is now fatter in the middle and wider in the hips. I can't wear the cute strapless shirts or anything that doesn't cover a nursing bra.

So I gave up. I went home and looked at my closet full of clothes and decided that perhaps instead of trying to find clothes to mask the body that I have perhaps I should work on getting that body back into the clothes that I have. Then I went online and bought a Wii Fit with the money my husband gave me.

7 comments:

Shawna said...

Hi there, I stumbled upon and have been reading your blog for just a few months now, this is my first comment. I enjoy all the posts. Just wanted to say "way to go" for the Wii purchase. I got one for Christmas, and it's great for losing just a few pounds, or rather, reshaping those few extra pounds into a more flattering form. :) And it's fun too!
And since it is fun, it's not hard to stay dedicated to it (at first), the hard part is STAYING dedicated to it even once you've mastered all the exercises. Since it's something you do at home, you'll feel like there's always something else that needs to be taken care of first, before you get on the Wii board...just one load of laundry, just a few dishes to clean before the kids wake up from their nap, etc...you get my drift. ;) Just stick with it the best you can, and you'll see the rewards! Best of luck to you. :)

Denora said...

I love love LOVE my Wii Fit. It's entertaining, and since I have the attention span of a gnat, the shorter exercises keep me engaged. I haven't hooked it up since we moved, and I miss it terribly. My waistline misses it too!

Haley said...

Wii Fit is a great purchase for you I think.

I remember feeling like you after I had Jackson...I got over it a little, but I'm still fat and I would like cute clothes.

It's a tough place to be, I understand.

Hopefully though, you'll whip yourself into shape with your new Wii!

Stacey said...

love your choice! we are hoping to make it our family gift this christmas.

Kristine said...

I am forever tellng people that I lost all the pregnancy weight - but I'm not the same shape anymore...so nothing fits! Frustrating!

juliannabelle said...

Boden makes really pretty clothes, neither too-young-looking or matronly (to my mind, at least). They are a British company, Bodenusa.com is the US counterpart. They have a catalog, too. They're rather pricey, but have good clearance sales a few times a year (you can also find things on Ebay). I have a few things from them, and just love them. They make adorable kids clothes, too (mini-Boden).
Good luck with the clothes search and exercise regime!

Unknown said...

I was looking online trying to find advice on how I should be dressing and stumbled upon this. I am a 29-year-old mother of two small children (22 months and 6 months) and I work as registered nurse. I wear scrubs at work and tend to wear sweats otherwise. I want to look like an adult for once. My problem is that I am very young-looking and I am small (a size 4). I don't want people to think I'm the babysitter. These are my children!! I'm going to check out some of the places you mentioned. Thanks for being here and understanding.