The Perfect Size

Buying clothes for myself has always been a bit of a chore. From the time I hit puberty, my hips and thighs grew curvy, while my waist stayed small so that I needed a size that not many clothes manufacturers accommodated. I'd buy clothes that were too loose around the waist or too tight in the thighs.
One time, while home from college when my weight had really crept up, I remember shopping with my mom at an Elder Beerman store and we went into the women's section. I got a pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. The thought of them still makes me shiver in disgust.
My own experiences make me appreciate having a daughter who looks good in basically everything.
For her birthday last month, I went clothes shopping for her. I planned to buy her a new work outfit (she has to wear black) and a shirt she can wear for new headshots. She's an actress so she needs headshots to take on auditions.
I ended up with about four outfits because I found so many things I thought she'd look good in.
Surprise! I was right.
Before her birthday, she was going out to celebrate with a bunch of friends. I asked her what she planned to wear that night.
"Maybe this," she said, gesturing toward a tan and black dress she was wearing to work. It was cute enough, but it wasn't sexy for dancing in the clubs.
As I was shopping, I had found a sexy, v-back sweater dress. I left it on her bed so she would find it when she got home from work.
She sent me some selfies as she prepared to go out that night.

The back of the sweater dress has a nice V and cut out to add to the sexiness. She had a marvelous, tipsy time with her friends.

On her birthday, I made her try on a few outfits. She's always into sparkle, and I knew she'd love this 20s-style dress even if it might be too fancy for work.

I caught her coming home from work in this striped, knit skirt.
"Horizontal stripes," my husband said, when he saw it.
"It'll be fine on Grace," I assured him. And it was.

At least I can live vicariously through her and her clothing choices.  

Wardrobe Issues

Today I feel like I should be on an episode of What Not To Wear -- you know, that show where friends or family nominate someone to be shanghaied and have their entire wardrobe criticized. I feel like that because I  am slightly fond of the outfit I'm wearing today; I can imagine myself standing in that 360 degree mirror explaining why my outfit would easily shift from day time college teacher to a nice dinner out with my husband. The hosts would be sniggering at me.
This morning, I'm wearing a dark purple silk shell with black velvet slacks; they're real women slacks with a zipper on the side. I have a black cotton cardigan on top of the purple shell that has one button at the top.
Then, I felt like I needed some color, so I put on a pair of red shoes.
The silk of the shell feels good against my skin and it comes down a little longer than the sweater, breaking up the solid black.
Yet, I'm certain that Clinton and Stacy on What Not to Wear would tell me that I'm off base.
This feeling about wardrobe uncertainties comes on the heels of me swearing last week that once my kids are finished with college, I fully intend to buy some new clothes. Of course, that's five years away, so maybe I better embrace the feeling of looking good, even if I wouldn't win accolades on What Not to Wear.