Does your appearance reflect who you are?

hmmm, I'm a young mum and all of my mum friends are about 10-15 years older then me (lol) I don't usually socialise with younger mums because I just don't get along with them. I find alot of them are still into partying etc. I started talking to a young girl in the parents room and she looked about 12-13 so I asked her how old she was and she was older then me! In turn of course she asked me my age and she said she thought I was about 5 years older. I don't know I'll be appreciative of looking older when I am actually older lol .. but ATM it makes me feel better because I think my maturity is up there with the age that I seem to other people .. If that makes sense?

no not at all md, i sort of see me in my head with a 1940-1950's dress and apron on each and everyday that to me feels complete and home i wish i was great on the sewing machine. Lots of button's and pretty prints and poka dots, i really honestly see me like that. Just thinking makes me feel warm and fuzzy and right. Maybe your question is helping me discover me. i also see the 1900's as me too.

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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.

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

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 :)

No. On the outside, Ilook normal.

I guess so. This thread has actually made me realise how boring I am :(. I dress neat and tidy, but that's about it. I live in jeans and tidy looking jumpers/jackets in winter. It does reflect me, I am just a boring SAHM!

I said to DH, "I really am boring!". There is nothing exciting about me at all now I'm a mum, that sounds terrible! I look after three kids, take my eldest to school every day, cook and clean our house. I run a small business on the side, that's about all there is to me.

Years ago I used to work in women's fashion and had two wardrobes full of great clothes :D. I used to surf and wear a lot of beachy wear, but I'm too old for that now!

I like to wear nicer clothes, but I don't see the point right now while I'm at home all the time. I'd almost feel fake if I wore anything dressy!

I am happy with who I am now though, I'm where I want to be in life. I'm just boring :lol:

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I guess so. This thread has actually made me realise how boring I am :(. I dress neat and tidy, but that's about it. I live in jeans and tidy looking jumpers/jackets in winter. It does reflect me, I am just a boring SAHM!

I said to DH, "I really am boring!". There is nothing exciting about me at all now I'm a mum, that sounds terrible! I look after three kids, take my eldest to school every day, cook and clean our house. I run a small business on the side, that's about all there is to me.

Years ago I used to work in women's fashion and had two wardrobes full of great clothes :D. I used to surf and wear a lot of beachy wear, but I'm too old for that now!

I like to wear nicer clothes, but I don't see the point right now while I'm at home all the time. I'd almost feel fake if I wore anything dressy!

I am happy with who I am now though, I'm where I want to be in life. I'm just boring :lol:

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I could have written this post Trish. :hug:

Willow - Thanks. I really need a make over..but I've to find my own style again

On the other side of the coin - I never judge a book by its cover. I can only hope others are the same ;-)

Once a person starts talking, THATS what use to make a decision about the person - what they say and how the say it. As a working example, I treat everyone I deal with equally, until they open their mouth and spill out a few sentences...this is probably something I've adopted from my employment being a blue shirt.

As for do I think I appear the same to others, I think possibly. I don't have a deep, wise, thoughtful side to me (although I wish I did). I get around in my sports and surf wear on a daily basis and am generally light and bubbly in personality. However I love the fact that few could pick me as being a blue shirt - and in saying that, when it comes to work most underestimate my level of knowledge in the male dominated area of policing, traffic. So I quite like the fact people might not be able to figure me out (must be the Aquarian in me lol)!!!

I am confortable with my appearance now, I wasn't about 9 mths ago though.

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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.

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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!

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.

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!

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"

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 :)

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! :rofl:

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 :)

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This thread has actually made me realise how boring I am :(.

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I feel the same :hug:

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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?'

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EXACTLY how I feel!

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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!

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I reckon it's all about how you wear it, not how old you are. I have seen older women wear some really trendy, 'out there' stuff & they carry it off so well. I dont think it's age, I think it's attitude.
So, apart from the fact that you are SO not old, I reckon you can pull it off, Glamourcide... I can't wait to see what you pull out at Sydney!

Urgh definitely not. In my head I can fit into those super nice Roxy jeans - in reality, they won't even come that far up my legs. I so don't feel fat, but whenever I look in pictures - I look like a big fat slob. I try to avoid mirrors because I hate what I have become - it doesn't feel like me at all. I think back to when I was 19 (a loooong time ago!) and thought I was fat, worried about my "fat thighs" and now realise I shouldn't have been worrying about that, because I wasn't fat at all!!! I just wasn't as super skinny as my other friends.

I don't even wear all my rings that I used to (and I loooove all my rings) because I'm afraid of scraping the kids - so even my accessories don't show who I am any more :(

Urgh. I'm such a dag. Lucky I live in Tassie though cos there are a lot of bogans down here, so I just sorta disappear amongst the masses.. :lol:

At a BB meetup last year I felt like wearing plaited pigtails... but I am 40 for goodness sake!!! But I still wore them :P I knew that the BB girls wouldn't judge me harshly though... oh and i got chatted up by a suit at the club we went to! haha! But yes... I am also conscious of not dressing as lamb when i am well and truly mutton hehe BUT if it's authentic then why not? For me pigtails have never been that unusual... :dunno: