Fashion ideas?

[malkin]

I think I just spent too much time wearing nothing but jeans and an Ibex Shak

Hey! That's what I wore to work today!

I spend a lot of time on my knees in order to get eye to eye with kids so the knees of my pants and the tops of my shoes get worn out. And every day is a messy day for us. If the kids aren't at school, I wear something a little nicer, like good jeans and a sweater with no spots.

[malkin]

I do have a pencil skirt that I have never been quite brave enough to wear. Bright red. Leather.

It may be "professional" but I'm not in that profession!

[maillotpois]

You win. !!!

Right.

[azfiddle]

My middle school encourages "professional attire". A lot of the male teachers wear ties. I wear skirts more frequently in warm weather, but during winter it's easier to wear pants- dress pants or something like khakis. Fridays we can wear jeans and school shirt (tee or polo).

I often find it really difficult to find clothes that fit or flatter- even when I'm willing to pay $$, (which I can't afford to do most of the time). At 5'1" and with a generous bust and very short waist, a lot of clothes are just not proportioned for my shape. Even petite sizes seem to be cut for much longer torsos and fewer curves. Pants are generally easier to find, especially since I've lost weight. And shoes! A bunion/arthritis in my foot eliminate about 90% of all shoe styles as impossibly uncomfortable- especially narrow toes and high heels.

All that said- this discussion is making me want to go shopping for a some new clothes.

[ehirsch83]

Check out www.ruelala.com and www.gilt.com

You can find great sales(some things are still crazy on the pricing, but if you get it right you can get amazing clothes for a fraction of the cost!)

[indysteel]

My middle school encourages "professional attire". A lot of the male teachers wear ties. I wear skirts more frequently in warm weather, but during winter it's easier to wear pants- dress pants or something like khakis. Fridays we can wear jeans and school shirt (tee or polo).

I often find it really difficult to find clothes that fit or flatter- even when I'm willing to pay $$, (which I can't afford to do most of the time). At 5'1" and with a generous bust and very short waist, a lot of clothes are just not proportioned for my shape. Even petite sizes seem to be cut for much longer torsos and fewer curves. Pants are generally easier to find, especially since I've lost weight. And shoes! A bunion/arthritis in my foot eliminate about 90% of all shoe styles as impossibly uncomfortable- especially narrow toes and high heels.

All that said- this discussion is making me want to go shopping for a some new clothes.

Do you ever get any of your clothes tailored to fit? I know it's easier said than done, but Stacy and Clinton (of What Not to Wear) strongly urge women to use a tailor if they have unusual proportions. That said, as a short- legged gal myself, one of the reasons I don't buy a lot of pants is that I hate to get things altered, so I wouldn't fault you for not going that route yourself. Obviously, it can get expensive, but there are some stores out there (Nordstrom maybe?) that will make some alterations for free.

[GLC1968]

Do you ever get any of your clothes tailored to fit? I know it's easier said than done, but Stacy and Clinton (of What Not to Wear) strongly urge women to use a tailor if they have unusual proportions. That said, as a short- legged gal myself, one of the reasons I don't buy a lot of pants is that I hate to get things altered, so I wouldn't fault you for not going that route yourself. Obviously, it can get expensive, but there are some stores out there (Nordstrom maybe?) that will make some alterations for free.

Yep, Nordstroms and Banana Republic both do alterations for free on full priced items and for a fee on sale items.

When I worked in retail and was dressed to the nines every day (by requirement), I'm fairly certain I put my tailors' kids through college. It was awesome because I could buy stuff that really wasn't my size off a clearance rack and he could fix it for me for a fraction of what it would have cost to buy it full price. I wish I could find someone similar here. I can hem my own pants and all the 'curvy' styles out there these days have helped. My problem is that if a jacket or dress doesn't fit, I just don't buy it because I am afraid to tackle waists. That's usually where things don't work (if they fit my generous behind). That's why I don't own any pencil skirts even though I seriously long for one!

Hmmm....maybe finding a tailor/seamstress should be my first order of business.

[indysteel]

If it helps at all GLC, I buy a lot of my skirts slightly on the larger side because I do have a bigger butt and thighs than the rest of my frame might suggest. So, they end up sitting low on my waist. With a sweater one, you can't really tell though. Perhaps that's something you could do with skirts, too. I find that a lot of skirts don't have to fit as "just so" as pants do.