It's Official...

....I'm old.  Now that I've written it down it seems even worse than it did when I said it out loud.  I think I've probably been old for a while been either A. been in denial or B. didn't really know.  I'm hoping that it is more of A because I think being old and not knowing you are old is extremely awkward.

I worked at the College of Charleston for 6 years before I had the Little Guy.  It was major culture shock moving to the deep south and my wardrobe was unprepared.  I'd spent 4 years in rainy Western PA and 2 years back in Kentucky.  All of the sudden my collection of heels, sweaters and scarves had no place.

I was only 24 (yes you can now probably figure out exactly how old I am) when I started working at CofC so sometimes I felt like I was still in school myself.  I've never been much of a fashionista so I started paying attention to what people were wearing and copying it.  Don't laugh but back then it was pearls, polos and the popped collar.  Oh yeah!  And I did it too.  I don't think there are any surviving pictures.  Tragic.

Some styles took me a little longer to adopt.  When leggings came out I swore I would never give in. I mean, when I think of leggings I think of my favorite outfit in the 9th grade.  You're probably already laughing a little at me on the inside but picture this...loafers....a long pink crocheted sweater....a long gold necklace that may or may not have contained bubbles...and the kicker?....cream colored stirrup pants.  Yes you heard me correctly.  STIRRUP pants.  Half of you reading this are probably too young to remember those so I present the best Google image I could find.


The sad thing?  After Googling this it seems that stirrup pants may be coming back into style.  Oh my word.

So regardless of my initial hesitation I was soon rocking the leggings....and the rainboots....and an overabundance of Vera Bradley....large fake pearls...and even skinny jeans.

Then motherhood screeched that fashion train to a halt.

After I stopped working I was sucked into the "I don't work so I don't have to look super awesome all the time" warp.  Additionally I didn't have the gold mine of a college campus from which to draw my inspiration.  That was all ok.  I was still feeling good about my fashion choices until a couple of weeks ago when I went shopping at a little store called "Forever 21".

Sadly I will clearly not be retaining my "21" status forever.  Not that I really wanted to.  But seriously y'all!  This place was a nightmare!  First of all it is like a 2 story Walmart.  All filled with clothes.  Clothes.....that are organized, oh, not at all.  I got the wrong size in something and literally wandered the store for 5 hours looking for the rack from which it came.  I tried to find my way out of the store and ended up in the next county.  I mean seriously it is like miles and miles of clothing.  Second....the music.  IF you can even call it that.  It was SO loud.  SO so very loud.  I could barely think while I was in there getting lost.  And last...let's be honest.  I'm not 21.  And after 2 kids I do not have the body of a 21 year old.  I swear I fit into a size 73 there.  Not so good for the post-baby-body-in-a-fashion-rut confidence if you know what I mean.

So.  I'm old.  And honestly I'm ok with that.  Maybe my foray into the teen shopping scene will help me get motivated to finish my weight loss goals.  I don't know.  All I know is next time I go (which will be never by the way) I'm going to ask for a map!

My cutest fashion accessory!

linking with Things I Can't Say today