threads

I posted on MamaDojo the other day that I’ve been putting some effort into my appearance. For me, 32 has been a particularly shifty year when it comes to my self-image. I’ve never been so at peace with my body, but I’ve also never been so proactive in changing it. Well, changing probably isn’t the best way to put it. I think I’m finally at a point where I’m recognizing how good this bag of bones has been to me and I want to treat it right. I eat well, making almost all of my meals with a focus on what my body needs, what will make it feel good. I exercise, but not so much that I risk hurting myself. I regard the tiny lines that are quietly etching their way around my eyes with a sense of, “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

Pretty much the opposite of what I was doing 15 years ago when my body was, outwardly, Holy Shit Amazing to most standards.

This is not to say that I’m “cured” of all of that nonsense. I still fret about the size of my belly and how weird it is that the meat on the side of my left knee is so much bigger than that of my right. Stuff like that.

But I’m noticing that I want to be more…visible? Like I mentioned in my MamaDojo post, Joan from Mad Men rocks my world. She’s got boobs. She’s got hips. She’s got an ass. And we know all of this, but more importantly, we know that she knows it. I’ve been trying to adopt some of that attitude while remaining true to the fact that I like being comfortable and somewhat conservative.

So, today, I was a little apprehensive about my outfit, especially when the husband sized me up and said, “What…what’s with this outfit?” I then peppered him with questions, paranoid that I was, to use a somewhat offensive and not at all feminist word*, skanky. Of course, this recalled another hilarious exchange between the two of us when I had some anxiety over a pair of shorts that were shorter than I usually buy.

“Are they skanky?” I fretted.

“I think you and I have very different definitions of skanky,” he replied. “You look like you’re about to go golfing.”

“But not, like, skanky golfing?” I confirmed, because you know how skanky golfing is totally a thing.

I just want to make sure that I’m not overdoing it and that I’m projecting a relatively youthful vibe without looking like I’m denial over the fact that I’m 32.

So, here’s me in the bathroom at work this morning while our network was down. (What else was I supposed to do? Write things down on paper? Pssh.) I’ll provide the inner monologue.


Conservative shot…terrified someone will walk in.


Try to emulate one of those ladies who document their outfits everyday…ow, I think I pulled something.


Getting really daring now. Attempting to look up without falling over. Oh, why does my posture look weird? Can you tell that I have a wad of paper towels in my left hand?


I need to stop messing around. Jaunty, flirty pose. Vogue.

Not pictured is a bracelet I was wearing this morning…until I remembered that I really don’t like wearing bracelets.

It’s shorter than I would normally go for and the addition of a belt was, to me, completely impulsive and weird. And I would have worn a necklace but I was so thrown off by the belt and the bracelet that I was worried my head would explode. But how do you think I’m doing?

* I’m usually really conscious of my language but sometimes I just have to go there.

8 Responses to “threads”

  1. bolt Says:

    If you had opted for a white belt, you could have claimed to be emulating the American flag as an early 4th of July celebration!

    And really, do you trust your husband as a fashion critic? He has a comment about everrryyythhiinngg. I gave up considering his opinions on clothes along with these questions: “What are you wearing?”, “What the fuck is up with your hair, blot?”

    Anyway, I think you look good and your clothes look summery, work appropriate AND comfortable. What more could you ask for in an outfit?

  2. burghbaby Says:

    Fact: You are ridiculously hot. Seriously, I wish I looked as put together as you ALWAYS FREAKIN do. You know, where “ALWAYS” is whenever I see you.

  3. Gaby Says:

    That’s a great outfit! You can tell that you put thought into the accessories, even if they felt weird to you (red shoes = adorable; belt = emphasizing your great waist). And it’s short, but summery short, not skanky short (not even golf skanky, the most polite form of skanky *golf clap*).

    The only thing that struck me in this post? The picture where you’re attempting to emulate people who often pose their outfits makes it look as though you have one leg and two feet. I’m going to guess that the mermaid look wasn’t exactly what you were going for and gently suggest that you pose in the way that you feel most comfortable because you look fantastic!

  4. alaina Says:

    What kind of shoes are those? Very cute! I feel weird wearing non-utilitarian belts; my boyfriend ALWAYS makes smartass comments about them.

  5. Frank Says:

    Wow. I haven’t posted a comment since your LJ days, but seeing this post… just, wow. You + confidence = amazing.

    That outfit somehow manages to be sexy in both a modern and a retro way. Perhaps sexy isn’t the best term, but it’s the closest my “wowie wow wow” brain can conjure at the moment.

    For the love of everything, don’t be afraid to flaunt it more often. You are freakin’ beautiful.

  6. Queen of the Click Says:

    Skamky? No way – sexy. You are saying exactly what you want to say. You look great!!!

  7. Kizz Says:

    Conservative but lovely. And the belt pulls it together in a nice way.

  8. Frank Says:

    Definately not skanky. Not even close.

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