Raised by older parents, partying with older people...it messed me up as a girl. I spent most of my youth shopping at women's' stores. I couldn't stand stores like the hip Fashion Bug or the "teen" isles at JC Penny's. Oh no! I shopped at The Silhouette, a swanky little store for OLD LADIES! (Think Clearwater Creek...but a bit fancier)
I didn't realise I had a problem until my Aunt came out to visit me (which...she never did before...it totally freaked me out!) after my mom died. My Dad & my Aunt drag me out to the mall to go shopping for new school clothes since mom was no longer shopping with the living. I go into my favorite store & go hog wild! I come out with soft, green dress pants, a cream turtle neck & a matching green sweater w/ cream colored leaves on it. It was beautiful....for a 50 year old!
Here's a little detour. Ya'll know by now...I love pictures! Enjoy this small picture gallery dedicated to my love of turtlenecks pared w/ sweaters. I wore them all the time....yes, I even wore sweaters in the summer.
Rocking my blue knit sweater at my 15th. birthday.
I'm 15. I'm cranky. I hated how I looked. Notice my bangs. My mom was horrified that I sat for our Christmas picture with "greasy spikes for bangs.". And I....didn't care.
Sexy Freshman sweater combo
Still 15...not as cranky. Here's Dad & I on spring break after Mom died. Notice...the sweater. We went to the Virgin Islands...& I wore a sweater. I even wore it over my bathing suit....did I mention we went to the very hot Virgin Islands? Those were the days I didn't sweat.
18....wearing my fathers turtleneck & sweater. Cuz nothing says awesome then a retro mans sweater......and sausage roll bangs.
This has concluded my pictorial stroll through my sweater years...carry on.
I was confident as I strolled out of the dressing room! My Aunt gasped. She thought I was joking. She argued & argued with me that the clothing I wore was...get this...not appropriate for a 15 year old girl. I looked like a 35 year old soccer mom. Of course that was the look I was going for, but she still refused to buy it for me. So we were at a stand still...either I buy the funky teen crap or nothing. I voted nothing & walked out of the store.
My Aunt & Dad argue about me...the problem child. How dare you wear a sweater young lady! Slut it up for Heavens sake! Be a un respectable teenager for once in your life!
My Dad finally stood up for me & said if I feel comfortable in a sweater set then so be it. He went back & bought the outfit for me...as my Aunt wrung her hands.
So this old lady grew up. I now can wear what I want. And I do...oh yes, I do! First & foremost...it has to be comfortable. I have SIDs....... Sensory Integration Dysfunction so comfort is a must, not a want. SID basically means if it feels weird...I'm off all day & can't function.
Some times I can't sleep cuz my tum tum hurts.... because I'm having a bloated day & my waistband is killing me. So I strip off the offending tight undies. OHHH YEAHHHH my husband says...then he cries silently as I put back on my baggy sleep pants sans the tighter then heck undies.
I can't move...honestly move.... if my waist band is too tight, my butt is squeezed, my thighs are squeezed (let's stop here & give thanks for stretchy jeans! Oh my heck what a Godsend! remember when you would have to warm up your thick jeans? Auuggg, I shutter at the thought!) my bra is off center a millimeter, my socks have bumps in it, my neck is squeezed or my armpits restrained. Oh my goodness I'm a child!
So I now walk around town in this......
My Aunt & Dad argue about me...the problem child. How dare you wear a sweater young lady! Slut it up for Heavens sake! Be a un respectable teenager for once in your life!
My Dad finally stood up for me & said if I feel comfortable in a sweater set then so be it. He went back & bought the outfit for me...as my Aunt wrung her hands.
So this old lady grew up. I now can wear what I want. And I do...oh yes, I do! First & foremost...it has to be comfortable. I have SIDs....... Sensory Integration Dysfunction so comfort is a must, not a want. SID basically means if it feels weird...I'm off all day & can't function.
Some times I can't sleep cuz my tum tum hurts.... because I'm having a bloated day & my waistband is killing me. So I strip off the offending tight undies. OHHH YEAHHHH my husband says...then he cries silently as I put back on my baggy sleep pants sans the tighter then heck undies.
I can't move...honestly move.... if my waist band is too tight, my butt is squeezed, my thighs are squeezed (let's stop here & give thanks for stretchy jeans! Oh my heck what a Godsend! remember when you would have to warm up your thick jeans? Auuggg, I shutter at the thought!) my bra is off center a millimeter, my socks have bumps in it, my neck is squeezed or my armpits restrained. Oh my goodness I'm a child!
So I now walk around town in this......
O' my plum, velveteen sweat suit! How I love thee! You are like butter! & your waistband doesn't make me fart!
While I'm at home I need my house shoes. I have 2 pair...1 for summer & these...
for winter. (Note my winter thermals. RAWWWRRRRR) My shoes help me get through the day. When I can't find them I cry "MY SHOES! WHERE'S MY SHOES!!! I...CAN'T......FUNCTION!" "Shoes? SHOooOOooES?" (like...my shoes will answer me...I need meds!) Then I flap my hands as if I'm shaking off the dish washing water. I frantically pace, I moan & kvetch all the while flapping my hands until I find them.
My husband screaming "KIDS! Find your mothers shoes! FIND THEM!"
The house is in a panic. "For all the love that is holy...Find your mothers Dang SHOES!"
I find my comfortable, loved shoes & sigh.
My husband then cries a little.
I hope I never get too fug-tagualr with my wardrobe. I rely on friends that say "Seriously Jen? That won't do." I have a husband who is not afarid...no...he is afraid...but he does tell me when something might look...."off."
I hope as I get older I can continue to merge fashion with comfort. Lets face it....life is too short to have your butt get flossed everyday. I don't want to be the women who smells like mothballs as I wear my velveteen track suits. BUT...I do want the be the women who wears velveteen track suits....good luck peeling those babies out of my cold, clammy hands!
But I have confidence in my future. Really, I'm already out in public with plum sweat pants....I can't regress anymore....... can I?
8 comments:
And you guys wanted to give Andie crap over her clogs...
I think you look fabulous. I tried to follow in your footsteps this weekend and find a sweatsuit/combo, but haven't found "my color" yet. When I find it, we'll go out to Denny's together. :)
Count me in too. Most days I stay in PJ's. I babysit a little girl and she is always asking, "are those still your pajama's?" "My mom doesn't wear her pajama's all day". That's cuz your mom has a job where other people have to look at her all day and around here L doesn't count!
Wear that suit with pride!
Amen, Joy! My clogs are WAY better than those uh, I don't think I can even call them shoes???
But I still love you Jen. I am trying to find a happy medium with clothes. If it is too comfy, then I eat WAY too much. My current fave is the yoga pants I bought for the Christmas GNO. But I need to wear real jeans at least once a week so I don't get out of control.
We need to have a monthly Ladies Night Out! Track/sweat suits are mandatory to join. We'll meet at Denny's & comment on how awesome their music is. Oh yes ladies...the time has come! We have become "those women" we never thought we would become...& we...don't...care! Sweat suits...UNITE!
Tell me when and where! I will fly back to Normal for this event! :-) I ALMOST got the most RAD outfit, you would have rejoiced with me in the dressing room too. Once a week we have PJ day at our house. Call us lame if you will but that is fine. It's tradition! My kids will remember the cool momma who let them stay in their pj's until recess! :-)
The funny thing is I have raised one heck of a pj lover. Kaleb will ask how long we are going to be in once we have been out. If I say we aren't going anywhere, he disappears and reappears in his pj's! All other kids LOVE to get all dressed.
Ohh how I love your posts, thanks for making me pee my pants! :-)
I am dying right now....SO FUNNY!! I am not quite where you are with the velour suits but I am to a point where I won't buy jeans unless they have a lot of stretch in them. Yoga pants don't work for me cause they show my cellulite...must have structured fabric!
Best Post Ever! I laughed so hard my drink came out my nose... onto the keyboard. The purple velveteen pants picture totally got me... I call them Cougar Swag! Rawrrr is right :) What would I ever do without you Jen?
I love the description of the outfit you tried on -- it sounds very type 2! And you are so funny implying you don't care how you look because you always look cute! Maybe you're just lucky that way that you can pull off anything -- including really comfortable clothes. I, too, need a little structure or I just come off as frumpy. Very funny post!
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