form fitting clothes

[teatowel]

How does one go about wearing more revealing clothes without looking like she is trying to look like a teenager? I have recently tried wearing a size small instead of my usual floppy XL. Fawn is correct about me...with my new lightly lined aa bra, my proportions are ok. We could just never see them before because of my baggy clothes. I'm afraid if I wear form fitting clothing (LOL clothes that fit), people will think I'm trying to look younger than my 41 years. I've been dressing conservatively since I was about 12. Conservative has turned into dumpy. Anyway, in the midst of my middle age crisis, I don't want to look like an old fool or a very *friendly* person. I want to look like a dignified old fool or very *friendly* person. Hang ups, hang ups, hang ups. Where do I get ideas? Fashion mags are beyond me and not practical in my boring world. I hardly ever see anyone who impresses me around here...middle of nowhere. Oh well. Maybe it doesn't matter. tea

[teatowel]

LOL...they wouldn't let me use the word s l u t. How come? Is it that bad? Heaven forbid I should look like a "very friendly person"? Are you guys ok with that word or have I offended? tea

[Drewsgirl41]

Hi Teatowel,

We are the same age. Personally, I try to dress updated but not too revealing if you know what I mean. I try not to look like I am trying to be a teenager but there are ways to dress current without looking like Brittany Spears. I am also 5"8" tall and small busted (that's why I am here ) You know where I get a lot of my clothes? Sears - Yup that's right good ol' Sears has nice stuff now. And they have some awesome sales.

And you know what - 41 isn't old!! I feel like I am just getting started. This is actually the best time of my life. I heard someone say one time "The rest of my life will be the best of my life". I wish the same for you!!


Anyway, hope that helps!! Have a great day!!!

Colleen

[mominator]

It is so funny you posted this? Lildee and I were just talking about this very same thing! I am 43 years old, and like you, I wore baggy clothes quite often...not sure why....kids were young, any money went to THEIR clothes, now that they are teens....MY TURN to update clothing!;

I do not fit well in Women's Clothing, I fit great in Jr. Small....except....I don't wanna look 15. I am 43! Jr Clothing can be found that is age appropriate, but is TOUGH! Then they came out with the "Tiny T" or VERY Low Cut or "painted on" shirt. Well...yeah, I can wear them, I look good in them if I was 15 . Let's not even mention what I do for a living! Yeah!

Too tall for Petites, not to mention most petites are really office wear. So...I struggle....find appropriate clothing or don't buy anything until I do! YIKES!

THANK YOU TEATOWEL and COLLEEN!

[pammy]

LOL Tea... I think this board has a thing with certain words I've discovered. Guess it flags certain words and changes them. Can't cuss on here if we tried. Not sure how to change that, will look into it.

Good luck on finding decent clothing. I'm with you guys, I'd like to not look older but don't want to look like I'm trying to be young again. You think they make a section just for us?? Like a 'Not yet dowager' or a 'Non-s l u t t y and decent' or 'Old enough to know the difference' section??? Like when I run to Wal-Mart just to pick up a shirt, you have the Kathi Lee section where grandma shops and looks real smart at Christmas dinner or the Junior section where I'd be the laughing stalk at the junior high basketball game I took my daughter to ("just look at her, trying to act the same age as her daughter!").

I vote for the new section!!!

[mominator]

Hey....
Barb! Barb could do it...she could create a line called the B.E. Collection! ;D Think about it...we could be millionaires! We are NOT the only tiny mid range in age women, that don't fit in "Women's" clothing without looking 10lbs than we are!

Oh.....Barb!

[teatowel]

I think I'm pretty stuffy about clothes and appearances so it is very nice to have all of your input. For example, I have this big party this weekend with the inlaws. They are the statuesque...nowdays overweight with their hair dyed unnatural colors. They wear their clothes very tight. They wear too much make up and it gets smudged all over their faces. I think they look trashy. Yet they are all professional upper middle class snobby people and I always feel soooo inferior to them. But I would not be caught dead dressing like them. I just don't want to look poor and dowdy or too earth mother ish. I need a new look, but I've got be able to grub around the garden and go gray naturally. So I want to be naturally gorgeous and not have to do a thing to myself and have enough money to spend on classy clothes...lol...don't we all. Well thank you for letting me sort that out. This is like journaling. The road to self discovery. Bye for now. Have good weekends all. tea

[mommabean]

I will shop in all the depts at Wal-mart but am selective about the style. Some Kathy Lee stuff is fine, standard and classic. That's where I will buy a basic skirt since her skirts are full enough in the hips but still have a small waist. If I try on most skirts such as in a junior dept or Target for some reason, in order to get it to fit over my full hips, the waist is giant. Kathy Lee skirts work for my sister, too...same genes as me...same size 10 jeans, too, since we both can wear the Faded Glory stretch denim from wal-mart. Now I need small tops in missy sizes at wal-mart but sometimes they have cute but classic looking junior stuff. By classic I mean solid colors but a little style - no funny pictures or skin tight teeny tops for me. So, I buy a medium or large when I find something in juniors. That way it won't be too tight and they are cut smaller in the top anyway.

But teatowel, if you want something that is nice quality you can buy land's end at sears. And at season's end when they are switching colors they will mark that stuff down super cheap with ususally a big selection left. You won't look sl ut ty that's for sure but you won't look like an old fa rt either. You won't be classy since it's more casual, but you'll look classic. They have a lot of cotton tops that are good for everyday use - you won't look fancy but you won't have the oversized sloppy t-shirt look either. If you are fuller bottomed, their stuff fits in at the waist with just the right amount of fullness in the bottom. I don't think land's end will work for the tiny hipped woman.

If you really want to have some fun and get interesting ideas, watch "what not to wear" on both TLC and BBC America. My only gripe with the show is they have too many top heavy or overweight women that they work with. But they have thrown in a small busted woman once in a while. Unfortunately last week it was a small breasted 23 year old who looked 12. And they did try to get her to look her age which is almost 20 years too young for most of us. But still, ideas are fun from the show.

My gripe recently was with my husband who made me feel bad when he told me the cordoroy jacket I wanted to buy at American Eagle Outfitters didn't look like it was for a 40 something woman. So what the he ll is wrong with cordoroy on a woman of any age? At least it was fitted and not baggy in the chest. I only wanted a simply lightweight cordoroy jacket to wear with jeans. I felt like asking him if I was too fu king old to be wearing jeans. Obviously I was in a bad mood since I even thought of putting it to him like that. Instead I sulked and ignored him. I guess I haven't gotten over it though, huh? Oh that burned me up. I still want that jacket.

[mominator]

MEN! I don't think anything else needs to be said!

[teatowel]

what's wrong with corduroy? it sounds great. you bought it anyway didn't you? i have a girlfriend who's husband had a fit because she wanted a leather jacket with fringe on it. this is quite a few years back. i can still see her in that jacket. i want a pic of you in yours. tea

[mommabean]

"I still want that jacket" means NO I didn't buy it.

I think he had his preconceived ideas about it based on the "used" looking denim clothing they sell in that store. Even I don't like the used mechanic look of the jeans in stores for younger people. At least not for me.

But cordoroy? I mean it didn't look like it came from the good will or anything. It looked NEW!

I was going to use a discount coupon, too, but it expired. Maybe if they email me another coupon I'll go shopping sans husband.

ohhh..is it corduroy. I thought it looked wrong when I wrote it. How do they spell that little bear's name. Maybe that's why I like the stuff. He's a cute little bear and we had a lot of his books when the kids were little.

[teatowel]

I am sorry mommabean...I started thinking of my girlfriend's jacket and didn't finish reading your post (which is why I asked whether you had bought it). It was very inconsiderate of me to post without reading yours thoroughly. I'm afraid I often breeze in to our study, skim the board and post without thinking. I will have to be more careful. Anyway the way I feel about my hubby, I would have bought it. LOL Not sure my hubby wouldn't notice what I was wearing in the first place. Maybe you are lucky yours showed some interest.

[mommabean]

No problem, Teatowel,

I was a bit chatty...too long winded with that one. I don't blame you for not making it to the very last line.

[fawnmarie]

Ugh - you are all so right!

I'm 39 and find it impossible to find stuff that doesn't make me look like a grandma or a teenager. It's ridiculous.

I do like the "George" line at Walmart for work. Although it's all pretty much light polyester office wear, it's got a more youthful cut and feel to it. And very restrained colors. I'm not into prints and patterns.

If any of you guys have a "Ross" or a "Marshall's" - try them out. They carry a pretty huge variety of clothing at good prices, too.

I'm an odd size to fit - I DO wear a petite because I'm short from neck to hips, but have long legs. So I can wear a petite dress, but not pants.

I can wear SOME Juniors, but they are all tight in the shoulders, even when I CAN find something I can wear in them.

Although I don't like to wear stuff that looks too young, I like less to wear stuff that looks like my grandmother's living room. Ick. I like the lower-cut jeans - they look good on me.

As for cordoroy - this stuff is ageless and timeless.

I settle the whole "Men" thing by marrying somebody a lot older who knows he has no room for talk. : ) Then again, he still wears his hair kind of long, but has succumbed to a van dyke beard off and on. (Well, at least he still HAS hair.)

[fawnmarie]

Apparently a 'van d y k e ' beard is a dirty word!