I wrote earlier today about my feelings and “letting go” around my teenagers’ dressing choices and wardrobe. I feel it only fair to share with you that this relaxed allowance for individuality does NOT go both ways and that I am constantly subjected to unsolicited fashion advice. My daughters have gone so far as to invite me to watch the television program “What Not to Wear” with them on The Learning Channel (TLC) to give me added inspiration for staying reasonably hip.
I knew I was going to be in for a few bumpy years about two or three years ago when one of my daughters stood at my open closet door and announced (with plenty of emphasis and disgust) that she “would not be caught dead wearing anything I owned!” Alright, that’s fine, I thought, I don’t see myself going out and about in anything from your wardrobe either. So, there!
Well, the years have passed and they’ve become a bit more tactful (just a bit) and a little more persistent. While I had always considered myself reasonably stylish, I was certainly getting plenty of comments, suggestions and advice on how I could “upgrade” my fashion choices. Finally, after my third or fourth episode of “What Not to Wear” over winter break, I started to get self-conscious. After all, most of the unsuspecting individuals on the program were middle-age moms just like me who thought they were doing just fine! I started to get a little nervous, develop a complex, and decided maybe it really was time to do an overhaul of my closet.
I have to admit, it felt pretty good to start tossing garments into the hall—According to Clint and Stacey on WNTW—the horizontal stripes had to go, as did any tapered leg pants. It was all about fit, fabric, color, style (Oh, my). No elastic “buffet pants” as they called them (fortunately, I only had a couple pairs of pants with elastic so I got some kudos points there). My eldest daughter made me dig out all my jeans (about ten years’ worth) and try them on—I forced myself to say a tearful good bye to the khaki cotton short overalls (“Mom, a forty-year-old woman has no business wearing these!”) and the tapered faded eighties jeans. I was actually amazed how many decent pieces I had bought in recent years but hadn’t been wearing since I had my trusty favorites.
Now that I’ve had my teen wardrobe intervention and created so much space in my closet—I’m thinking it’s about time to go shopping (but I don’t think I’ll take the girls with me!)