Does your appearance reflect who you are?

[Willow]

I guess people would see me as a boring SAHM, because that is what I look like and I am boring!!! That sounds really poor me. but that is honestly how I feel atm.

Oh hun, you are absolutely not boring. But I totally understand how you feel

[Fleur]

Hmm, nope, only occasionally do I feel that I look like 'me'... a lot of it has to do withmy weight, if I could wear what I wanted it would probably say more about me.
I look at DD1 who really expresses herself through her appearance & I think I would love to, but I just can't atm. One day ...

Mind you I often wonder what people think of me initially, no matter how I look - just how do I come across iTMS?

Interesting thread

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

Hmm, nope, only occasionally do I feel that I look like 'me'... a lot of it has to do withmy weight, if I could wear what I wanted it would probably say more about me.

EXACTLY what I was going to say! Obviously I only buy the clothes I like, but being the size I am, I don't have the same choice as if I were a size 12. In my head I look closer to my av, which has always been my problem - I just don't FEEL overweight. And I am really shocked when I see pics of myself, because I'm so much huger than how I feel, and then I ask the same question, 'What do people think of me, seeing me like this?'

I think they kinda see me. I get comments that I dress funky, and I always look pulled together and 'dress so nicely for my size!' That would just carry over if I were slender, the clothes would still be funky, but I'd have more range. And I'd have a dozen pairs of knee high boots, coz my calves would fit in them!

[Heaven]

That is so weird, I was just thinking the same thing this morning!!

I love to dress up and wear pretty things and dresses and makeup and jewelry but since becoming a mum I don't. Dresses aren't practical when BFing, hair and earrings get pulled, and nice clothes will just get dressed. So now I'm mostly in boring pants and tops. So I probably look more boring than I am. I am way more girly.

My DD is the first grandchild she she's always spoilt with heaps of clothes but I don't put all the cute ones on her when we're just home bc they'll get wrecked. So when we go out to mother's group or ABA or something I always dress her up all pretty. Then I always have people saying 'omg look at her clothes aren't they cute, etc' and I get the impression people think I have lots of money and buy everything for DD or something LOL. When really I've hardly bought her any clothes bc ppl give her heaps and I just like dressing her up when we go out.

[Inanna]

Great thread MD!
I too have given this reflection over the past little while. I put on lots of weight during my pregnancy with Imogen - largely due to the steroids. I was massive (for me). Then I didn't lose it I was a size 16 (I:m usuually 57kgs). I still felt 57kgs but I couldn't believe my reflection in the mirror. When I walked past I would get so shocked.

Now I am almost back to my "proper" weight I feel better - more like me. Being bigger I didn't buy clothes as it wasn't "my size'. So I didn't waste money on clothes etc. Now I can wear things again that reflect "me". I love clothes and makeup which is always interesting as I am a real greenie as well. People think stereotypically that I wouldn't. But my signature is my red lips (often with red nails to match!).

I always get dressed and put on makeup. Always. I wear an apron over the top during the day. I dress for me. Not for anyone else. It's about me feeling good. I love jewellery and accessories too. So people think that I would think a certain way because of how I dress. But I am often the opposite to what people expect. I like funky clothes and shoes. I like things that are interesting. Scarves, hats, berets and chunky jewellery.
I enjoy dressing my body - it's fun & it'sone of the ways I creatively express myself.

Like another poster said I work at not judging books by their covers though. Some of my favorite people dress completely differently to me and hold similar views! I form opinions over time of weather I will choose to persue a relationship with another & it has nothing to do with their outer cover!

[Traveller]

I feel I am finally at a point in my life where my clothing does reflect my personality. I am not afraid to wear jeans and doc martin boots (despite my sister reminding me how un trendy they are) because I am a mum, I am on my feet all days. I am also unafraid to experiment with clothing and I am finally brave enough to wear colour, not just black and grey. If something is in fashion or not is unimportant to me. If I like it, I will wear it. And that really reflects who I am. I try not to be swayed by trends, be it in clothing, career or politics. I was raised to think for myself and now I can extend that to my wardrobe.

Small anecdote: I have always admired rockabilly clothing, and wished I was brave enough to buy some. So last week I got a new bright red 50's wiggle dress. It looks amazing and I can't wait to wear it out. The irony is, it took me so long to work up the courage to get it, and now I have shown it to my friends their reaction has been "I love it, it's so YOU"

[Glamourcide]

I think I'm just too lazy to allow the way I look to reflect the 'real' me. In my head, I look just like my avatar bahaha... gah, unfortunately the mirror tells a different story.
I'm as insecure about my body as the next person - super-tall, but with huge, broad shoulders that don't give me the leeway I'd like when it comes to clothing. I have to pick certain styles that flatter me, but aren't really 'me', itms. In my head I have slim shoulders and can get away with wearing *anything*, but again, that old mirror betrays me!

I think the hardest thing for me, is that I'm getting to an age, and a stage in my life, where it's an extremely fine line between 'dressing my age', and 'trying too hard'. In my head I don't *feel* like I'm in my mid-twenties, nor do I really look it (I get carded for cigarettes still, and sometimes get funny looks when people see me out with the kids, and acquaintances have said they peg me at maybe 19, 20 tops, not 24). I walk past store windows and see an outfit and go, 'Oh, I love that,' and then I go, 'But it would be more at home on a 16-year-old than a mum of two' *sad face*. So I'm now finding that I err on the side of caution and go for 'boring' rather than the quirky styles I yearn to wear. I feel like I wasted a lot of time when I was younger, dressing 'trampy' instead of 'trendy', and now that I'm really into fashion and have the money to buy nice clothes, I'm getting too old to wear them!

Time is another factor - I'm lucky to get a shower at midnight, I can't put on makeup in the mornings because the kids get into everything, I usually scrape my hair into a pigtail because I can't find the 10 minutes I need to straighten it. And if my hair and makeup isn't done, I feel stupid wearing nice clothes, so it's singlets, tees, jeans and denim shorts with flats or thongs, rather than a cute dress with heels. I can't wait for the Sydney trip because without the kids around, I'll have all the time in the world to doll up and go out looking like 'me', rather than slapping together whatever's clean and running out the door with two kids in tow.

So... no. I guess I don't feel that the way I look represents the 'real' me, or the 'me' that I *want* to be. I always just feel 'blah' or way overdressed for the occasion, it's so awkward. It's a relief to know I'm not alone, though

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

Glamourcide, you're makin me feel old darl - whether or not I'm dressing my age at 24 was NOT a consideration I felt I needed to make yet!

[Mrs Jak]

I'm happy with the way I look.

People are often shocked at some of the things that I say and do because they percieve me as being sweet and very reserved because I am very quiet and look a bit lady like, but I grew up with 2 brothers and was part tomboy, part 'girly girl'. I guess I still am like that.

I do enjoy the 'shock value' at times