Am I too old (Posted 2008)

Ok, I am so lost when it comes to shopping anymore. I used to be quite fashionable and frequently gave others advice. But, now, here I am in this thirty-something period where I just have no idea what is appropriate. I know what I enjoy. I know what I hate, but I don't know what an almost-32-year-old woman wears without looking A) like she is trying too hard to hold on to her youth (which, by the way, I am NOT...I embrace each age without a problem...so far) or B) my mother (not that there is anything wrong with my mother's style, but come on, there IS a 30 year age gap).

I can usually ignore this issue because i have three small children and that simply doens't allow me the freedom to go to the mall and spend lots of hours and lots of money. So, I usually get by with what I have which isn't hideous, but certainly won't put my on Parenting Magazine's Most Fashionable Mommies list anytime soon. (No, I don't think they have such a list, but it makes my point).

But, this issue can no longer be ignored. We are going to Disney and to see some family in Florida in a mere 5 weeks. My parents are already in Florida, having left this past afternoon Saturday. In the name of keeping my sanity at the airport, I packed and sent our suitcases with my parents in their RV. This seemed like a good idea at the time, but upon further inspection (on,say, Saturday morning)I realized that I had purchased the children SO many cute matching things (yep, on vacation I am THAT mom), but I had neglected to purchase myself anything...not even anything near-cute...nothing at all. I pulled out all my old things...and I do mean old in the literal sense...and was very dismayed to see that I existed last summer (when I thought I may have been pretty stylish) in layered wife-beaters and distresed denim capris/bermuda shorts. This may be ok for ramming around the playgrounds, but this is CERTAINLY not what I want all my Disney pictures to capture me wearing...I mean this is FOREVER. I became very disturbed...to the point where my husband took my shopping for some new things. Hmmmmm...this is where is gets truly alarming.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SHOP!! If I don't have the Chico's girl there to put it all together for me I am useless! I used to have quite the dangerous shopping habit, but now I am a shopping moron. I couldn't decide on a store...I couldn't decide on a style. I mean, you are walking a lot in Disney and I know I don't want to be in my bare feet because my stilettos (note: Stilettos are a bit of a stretch...high-heeled boots may be a little more accurate)gave me a blister...but I hate sneakers...with a passion. That leaves the tried and true flip flops...I am ok 14 hours walking in flip flops...really I am.

Ok, fast forward, we arrive at the mall. We go to Kohls...can't find anything long-day of walking picture worthy in there...Saw some distressed demin on their website, but they don't have them in stock yet...of course.

I am off with my beloved to walk the mall. Kirby always says graet things about American Eagle...Ok, I decide to try there. My husband feels like a pervert in there because most of the very short shorts would fit my 7 year old. But Kirby swears by the belts in there...I fond none worthy of buying. Besides I am having anxiety over my last visit to AE...Let me flashback to THAT lovely experience for a moment:

(Before Christmas) My mom and I and ALL THREE kids go to the mall jeans shopping. My friend Susan had some terrific looking distressed jeans on a preschool dro-off and she told me she got them at AE. She couldnt' share clothes with my 7 year old so I am hopeful that there will jeans for me at the store.

My kind (and slightly crazy) mother takes the children across the mall to the TOY STORE...ugh...while I head into AE. I am greated by the cutest little girl...really, I think she was 12...I just wanted to put "Tiffany" into my pocket and carry her home...she was really teeny.

Tiffany cheerfully...very cheerfully...asked my what I was looking for. I told her about Susan's distressed jeans and she lead me to a rack. I can hear my children ACROSS the mall laughing and being loud...I must speed this up. I say "Tiffany, I want these jeans" to which she replies..."this fit"? I asked about the fit...She says "Well, they are tighter in through the thighs...I am wearing them right now (I was unaware that they made children's sizes in AE)..." and then she said - Are you ready for it - "You can see that I don't have much of a butt so they fit me pretty well"...I just stood there for a moment and then replied "Can you show me the big booty jeans"...She lead me to the distressed jeans that might fit someone with some junk in their trunk a little more flatteringly (is that a word?). So, I look at them and they seem good...I say "I will take them". My little stick-figure friend replies "What size?" I take a deep breath because I don't want to tell this little twig what size I wear (although I am pretty comfortable with my size most of the time) and at the same time I can here my monsters heading my way. I quickly say "A size 13 please". Silence. Skinny says "Oh, we are going to have to SPECIAL ORDER that size"....That's right...SPECIAL FREAKIN' ORDER! She leads me to a phone in the sea of stick people and dials a number...tells the phone pencil-sized person (I'm sure) that I need a special size in the distressed jeans. She gives all my info including my size *gasp* and then hands the phone over to me who is standing there with a 4 year old hanging on my oversized unsytlish pants and a 2 year old crying in the stroller while my 7 year old says "Who are you talking to mommy"? I give my information and thankk Too-skinny...I mean Tiffany and head home. Thankfully the jeans were delivered to my door free of charge and I loved them. End of story.

(Back to the present) I leave AE unsatisfies...and call Kirby to tell him that he gives bad advice...and head over to JCPenney. I decide I am just "at that age"...stores like AE don't work for me anymore....except for that one pair of jeans. I find on cute tee in Penneys that has some cute saying about saving trees and stuff. So, there I was with one shirt to go to Disney...terrific.

I decide to try Aeropostale...I wasn't convinced that I was too old for this store because it is where I buy my most flattering jeans. So, we head in there and I run into #1's teacher. Well, surely if Mrs. E was in there then I wasn't too old...she has teenagers for crying out loud. I did consider the fact that she was shopping for her two teenage girls, but then she showed me what she was buying for HER so I felt better. I asked her daughters if I was too old for a half-sip beeded logo hoodie and they assured me that I was not...like they would tell me the truth anyway. Well, I ended up purchasing this



in two colors as well as coordinating tanks and these bermuda shorts.


I immediately came home, ordered the distressed denim shorts from Kohls


and put everything - including a few of my own tried and true items - into my suitcase. It is all in Georgia on it's way to Florida. I will see it when I arrive at Disney. My question...am I told old for these items? Please be honest! Please! Should I just bite the bullet and buy everything from "comfortable" stores?



I know that stores like Penneys and Kohls and others certainly have nice things, but they don't "feel" like me. I do occassionally buy from Chicos (more often then I should), but I really only like their winter stuff. I buy from Coldwater Creek because some of their stuff is a little trendier, but it is also harder to wear when you spend your days giving horsey rides and wiping the various body parts of short people (those being my children...I do not randomly approach vertically challenged people to wipe their various parts). Anyway, I welcome suggestions...and I think I may put up a vote on here...let me know. Shopping is on hold until I hear from you.