Fashion

I dry my hair every day because it's just too horrible if it dries on its own. I only wear mascara if I am going out, and even then, I forget it half the time. Last year I lost a lot of weight (more than 60 pounds) so I had to buy a bunch of new clothes. Still, a sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers are my daily garb around the house. I am unlikely to have guests on weekdays, as all of my friends work outside the home, so this attire is fine for me and the work I am doing around the house.

I do have some nice clothes that I wear to meetings of my volunteer organizations, and a couple of dressy things for weddings or nights out with my husband.

It's a Flylady thing.

I try to wear makeup as much as I can. Then, when I feel sick, I leave the makeup off so that I'll look as bad as I feel.

I just recently saw a second-season rerun as I was taking down Christmas stuff and now we're hooked. I'm amazed at how quickly those talented folks can go from assignment to idea to a (mostly) finished product.

I know what you mean about the pajamas--I usually live in mine until I get around to cleaning myself up for the day. No kids yet, so I don't have to get up early. (I do keep trying, but I like staying up late and it's hard to change.) I won't go outside in them, though--I do have neighbors close by! The rest of the time I find myself dressing in comfortable jeans and sweaters, shirts, or T-shirts. I guess it's about the same way I dressed when I was a student in high school or college--casual and comfortable. So far I haven't found a good alternative to jeans. Sometimes I wonder if I should try for a more "grown-up" look (like when the lady at the deli asks me if I'm getting things for my mother), but I don't want to clean the house in the business casual clothes I used to wear to work.

Hair is another area where I'm stuck in a rut. I'm very timid about changing my hairstyle, and usually I just let it grow long until the ends need a trim. The most drastic thing I do is chop it back to just above my shoulders every couple of years. Sometimes I think there must be a better hairstyle for me, but I don't know what it is. Anyone have suggestions for finding a helpful stylist who could suggest something suitable?

I still have my hair done the same as I did in high school (1989-1993). Past my shoulders in all around w/ bangs and a spiral perm. I usually wear some pulled up in a clip or all pulled up in a pony tail. LOL! It's exactly the same!

As for fashion: even for my lifestyle, I'm way out of style! I'm a hick. And I still dress like I did back in high school. Western jeans (though no longer a size 1, but still Rockies and Wranglers, nothing that's really in fashion), a tshirt or something simple button up if going out, and boots (plain Justin Ropers, not the new fancy things) or high top sneakers. But I can't fit into my jeans right now (I had a baby 2 months ago, still working on it. But I swore last week I wouldn't wear my maternity clothes anymore, so it's sweats until I can fit into my old jeans).

I would probably be featured on some of those shows! LOL! But this is me. I get up each morning and get dressed to the shoes (or boots). Sometimes I even do my makeup. But it's not like many folks are going to see me way out here! LOL!

Makeup is dicey with me. I cannot wear most of it at all because I am so heat intolerant and prone to perspiration, so only eye and lip stuff are worth the trouble. Shadow, liner, and mascara are the only things I'll use unless I can find my Burt's Bees tinted lip balm. But I'll usually forget to apply the make up, be in too big a hurry in the morning, or I'll just stop altogether when I go to my "I don't apply makeup well so I won't bother with it if I can't do it right" place. When I do put on my "eyes" everyone notices it's that dramatic a difference.

Clothes are a thing for me. I really really like flirty, feminine, and/or funky clothes. I cannot afford to indulge myself and my clothing size limits my options, so my wardrobe is mostly practical knits and jeans with a smattering of fun-yet-comfortable outfits and one or two totally frivolous things that I adore wearing whenever I can (gauze hankerchief poncho over a satin shell, anyone?). Oh, and I have a thing for holiday themed sweaters and vests, OK? Deal.

That being said, I loooove to lounge in my jammies. However, I make myself and DD get dressed by 10am, a very reasonable time frame, IMO. I do it because:

a)I don't want our PJs to get dirty and not be able to wear them several times before they get thrown in the wash,
b)it wiggs DH out to have us in our jammies all day (don't ask me why), and
c)because it's the right thing to do (dagnabit).

If someone comes to my door before 10am and I am still in my jammies, I refuse to feel shame. It's still morning and I'm perfectly within my rights to be padding around in PJs. After 10, I've got no excuse. The exceptions are lazy weekends or when I'm sick. If I'm sick, my jammies are my comfort and shield and you can only pry me out of them for Dr. appt's.

Were I independently wealthy, I would wear ravishing styles at all times. Until then, I'm mostly utilitarian, occasionally groovy.

Anhata
www.familynaturally.com
Your Family's General Store, Naturally

...are my knit dresses! I have at least 10 and I throw one on in the morning when I get up if I'm not going out. I don't wear PJ's (TMI? sorry! )so it's just too simple to grab a dress and pull it on.

I have a couple of turtleneck/long sleve, several long t-shirt style and a couple of sleeveless/tank styles (that are only knee length) for summer. I also have a couple of simple long knit skirts with tops (VERY easy to sew) that fill the same purpose!

This winter I've been pulling on tights because we've set our thermostat quite a bit lower but the rest of the time I go barelegged.

These are very comfy and I can get the mail, putter outside, run errands etc. and feel "dressed." At home I have no physical need of a bra and generally just wear a knit tank underneath, but for modesty's sake I do put one on when I'm going "public!"

I only own two pairs of jeans and only one of those can be worn without heels (I'm short). I did get a velour track-suit for Christmas which I like, and I'm totally craving a cashmere-feel sweater-knit outfit I saw recently with pants, a shell and a zip-front sweater.

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

When I first moved out this way I used to drive back to my hometown for haircuts or perms, lol. It took me a long time before I'd even think of switching but after I had kid #3 that drive was a lot harder to make. My hairstyle has changed a lot through the years-from short to long, back and forth. Right now I'm enjoying the shorter cut. If you want to change hairstyles Sparrow start asking around town who does good hair and if the same name pops up thats a good place to start. Whats helped me is that I have a friend out here who is a barber (he does not do my hair) and if I ask him a question he is quite honest with me with his opinions of whats good or not. My husband prefers long hair, I already know he doesn't care for my new hairstyle but oh well.

I also like holiday themed clothing

LOVE it! Scarves and jewelry especially, as they're such an easy way to "transform" a basic dress/suit/shirt! (Less expensive, too.)

I'm slowly collecting local sports team "gear" too, as most schools have "Browns Day," "Indian's day," etc. My next purchase must be a "Fear the Roo" shirt from my alma mater...the University of Akron. Too fun! (The U of A mascot is "Zippy" the kangaroo!)

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

That I have had the same, exact hairstyle my entire life! It is long and straight and I have bangs. I have my kindergarten and senior pics hanging on the wall, and my hair is the same in them both, and the same right now!

Once, in high school, I cut it short, but I am tall, and even when thin I have wide shoulders and an ample bust, and my face is long, so I look just oddly out of porportion.

I am going to get a real haircut from a professional on Feb. 17th, my first real haircut in 6 years! It was suggested to me by DBF and DS who are both cosmetologists, to get some long layers put in for movement. We'll see.

As far as makeup goes: I wear none, except for VERY special occasions I wear mascara and lip balm.

My SILs have told me repeatedly they want to nominate me for What Not To Wear because I wear jeans and cotton t-shirt. Shorts in the summer, and the occasional linen blouse. I have 5 pair of overalls. Denim, corduroy, velvet, denim skirted, and taupe twill. I also have 2 pair of short overalls. OH! and I always have on a pair of crazy novelty socks, and a wild barette in my hair. Like now it's grey socks with frogs on them and a rainbow dinosaur barette.

This mortifies one sister in law in particular, who is always on me to wear more professional stuff. Oh Well. I work in a greasy repair shop! When I am at home I wear my flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt that is tye-dyed with a peace sign. Yup, I'm a fashion icon.

I figure, go ahead and nominate me, because my stuff is pretty old, and I could use $5,000 worth of new stuff and a trip to NYC!

No Fashionista Here (yet)
-Jo

most of the above, except maybe Anhata's posts which are just bizarre and scary! My hair goes between short and shoulder-length with the same 'bangs' (we call it a fringe but I think it's the same thing) and centre parting I've always had. DH jokes that no matter what the style I always brush it exactly the same way when I've washed it, and he's not wrong.

I had a little inner journey with myself at Chinese New Year over my clothing - I had to stay awake during interminable family visits, and all I had was my list-making pad to keep me going! I've been wearing polonecks with jeans and a sweater since September, and I foresee me wearing jeans with t-shirts when it's warmer. My wardrobe, after 10yrs in Singapore, consists of my annual company dinner dress purchases, and shorts and t-shirts. There is NOTHING in between. Except the jeans of course. I actually like longline skirts and blouses, but I think it's the ironing that slows me down. I kno I have to expand my wardrobe to cover the wider range of temperatures so I think I need to do a little soul-searching first, since I have all the jeans I need for now. Well maybe a couple of different colours might be nice...!

This is always the most horrible disadvantage of being at home, or being in a job which doesn't require you to dress nice... you get sloppy and go for practical over pretty every time. I used to wonder why my mother would go shopping with me, pick out loads of nice pieces and always say "oh no, I didn't mean for me, but you should try them on." And she wore... jeans... ALL the time. I thought she had no dress sense... I love my mother dearly but I don't really want to have her dress sense!

time for some serious preventive action.

Jo, a word of warning about the haircut thing... I have mine done in Singapore by really good people, but they don't ever think up anything new for me, as long as I say that I want zero maintenance. Sometimes they cut layers in, and then the next stylist will suggest I grow the layers out and I seem to spend all my time going between having the layers chopped in and growing them out. And these people are really, really good at cutting, which is fairly hard to find. Do a lot of research first or you'll end up with something you dislike or are disappointed with because it doesn't look so very different.

Kerri.