Updating my wardrobe... - YouLookFab Forum

I'm a 36-yr-old mom of 3 boys and was married for 10 years, and I've always had kind of a "comfortable" style sense, in that I didn't really pay too much attention to trends and styles, but just went with what was cute and comfortable. Ive' since adopted more of a "mom" look of just jeans or capris with t-shirts. While I have a few cute outfits and some sexy "going out" shirts and dresses, it's probably a little outdated or just overall boring. I've been making some positive changes in my life, got a cute hair cut, started wearing more/better makeup, working out and losing weight, etc. and generally feel pretty good about myself. Except for my clothes... I've started seeing a younger guy (27) in AZ who is used to those 20-something girls wearing the size 2 jeans and short-shorts with crop tops or whatever. lol. (I'm a 12-14, for now, so that wouldn't work, lol.) He has a pretty good sense of style and dresses pretty sharp, and while I'm never going to dress like those 20-somethings (his tastes have matured a little since then), I would like to be able to keep up with him and the trends a little. I wouldn't even know where to start to pick out some new clothes. I haven't shopped for myself in so long, anyway...and when I did, it was usually just Walmart stuff. :/ Where do I go? What kind of stuff do I look at? I'm really just looking for casual daily wear stuff, and maybe a few "going out" things. Nothing too flashy or revealing or anything like that. I still want to be classy, but just with a little younger vibe, or something that gives the impression I care about how I look (because I do now!) haha. Thanks for any advice or suggestions!

9 years ago

chirico (Chiara)

(website)

Veteran

Hi Julie!
I have spent some time thinking of a possibile answer to your question, as it's not an easy question. I think you want to look modern without losing track of who you are in the process.
The first suggestion that came to mind was to stop a moment before buying and gather inspiration. This would be to figure out what is the style you like and you feel like it's really "you". You can do this by browsing Pinterest, blogs, magazines, this forum, but also by taking a walk and sitting in a cafè looking at what people are wearing. Or window shopping. Something will resonate with you! You can collect images of looks you love and see if there is a common element. After you have defined what you like you can check if you already have something in your closet that has the same vibe of your inspirations.
This can take quite a while, BTW. And I understand in the meanwhile you might want to have something for the new "you".
So, while you are doing this job of trying to define what you like/want, you can also go and buy something to start this whole style journey. You don't want to go crazy with shopping at this point, but some cute new shirts/tees, bottoms (jeans or pants/skirt depending on what level of dressiness you need and you feel comfortable in) will refresh your wardrobe.
I know my advice is a bit generic, but style is such a personal matter that I can't say "go buy such and such".
Remember to be "you", that this forum is extremely helpful, and that the best advice is the one that comes from Angie: have fun with fashion!

Welcome Julie!

Loft has cute items and they have frequent discount promotions. White House Black Market has some good stuff on sale right now.

However, before you buy anything, check out Angie's posts on how to dress for your body shape. Also figuring out capsule areas you need to buy for first: Work capsule, date night capsule, etc.

Don't be shy about asking questions. We are happy to help!

Firecracker (Sharan)

Welcome, Julie!
You might check out Angie's posts in the category Mom on the Go. She offers a lot of tips and style ideas in these posts, for any of us who may not be dressing for an office role or work outside the home but who wish to be stylish! I'm not a mom, but I find lots of inspiration in these posts.

As you're browsing through some of the posts, you'll see items collected in the "Finds" feature, which lets you click through to sites where they are sold. You'll probably soon find yourself visiting certain stores this way more than others, which will give you an idea where to put your time into more shopping, online or in person.

p.s. I see that a lot of the Mom on the Go looks that I like are from a couple of years ago, but there is also a lot of fun inspiration in the Ensemble posts generally.

Julie J.

Member

Thanks so much, guys! All great ideas! I can't wait to get started!

Where would I find Angie's posts on how to dress for your body shape? I've kinda searched around, but can't find anything about that. Lots of other great info, though!

rachylou

Welcome! A fun quest!

I like to walk through Forever 21 and H&M just to see what's up. What's interesting to me about them is they're where the ages collide.

Sally

I'm in my 40s and wear clothes from H&M etc. As Rachylou said it is a good idea to wander around those shops and get an idea for what people are wearing. Also check out pinterest as there are good ideas for street styles etc....also lots of options for different ages and sizes

Caro in Oz

Welcome At the top left of this screen there is a "Blog" tab click through to that & you'll find the archives - everything good is there Have fun.

Thanks! I do love H&M, but haven't shopped there in quite a while. I'll have to go browse again! (BTW, that's my guy's favorite place to shop, haha! Perfect!)

Diana

Welcome! I think the trendy Euro brands like H&M and Zara are a good place to look. I feel like they are less overtly young looking than a lot of the trendier American brands at those price points. They're not the highest quality (but you can get lucky with quality) but are a good way to try out different trends and see what you like without investing a lot of money.

DonnaF

Also, if you haven't had a bra fitting since your last child or if your weight has fluctuated by five pounds or more, you may be due for a bra fitting.

DonnaF, that's a good point! It's been 3 years since my last kid (and I breastfed all 3 of them), so I've definitely changed throughout the years! Haha. I've gone back and forth between 36-38 and C-DD. I recently got some new bras and I think I've found a good fit, but it's a good idea to get a professional fitting, just to be sure. Thanks for the idea!

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