I’ve been kind of over skinny jeans for a while – I don’t think they’re the most flattering on me as I’ve got big, child-birthing hips, and I also find them constricting even with the stretch – but I’m having such a hard time finding anything else that fits ok. Everything is high-waisted which is terrible for me because I have no waist and a fat upper belly that hangs over the waistband of high-waisted jeans. Even when I’m thin, which I am not right now, that part of my body is always the biggest. I can do a medium high-waist on my less bloated days but even those are hard to find. I did find a regular-waisted straight-leg, crop pair of jeans on Nordstrom the other day that were on sale and I ordered them and they’re supposed to arrive today so we’ll see.

I have two pairs of skinny jeans I wear but don’t love, some wide-leg jeans that I do love but they’re like 4 years old now and are about to split down the ass so I can’t wear them anymore and haven’t found a replacement pair, and some Joe’s honey bootcut jeans that fit my curves really well and I don’t care if bootcut is not in style or you’re only supposed to wear them with heals. I wear them with my sparkly black and gold sneakers and huge fake fur coat and leopard print tote bag and probably look like try-hard Brooklyn mom of a certain age, which I am, and I just don’t really care.

When it’s time to re-integrate back into society, I think caring about my appearance might be a bit of an adjustment. I do get dressed every day – and out of leggings at least five days a week, and makeup usually 4-5 days a week – but that’s for my own benefit and my husbands who has to look at me. Thinking about other’s perception of me just hasn’t been on my mind in a long time. And I honestly don’t know if that’s a good thing or not so good.

I was an early adopter of skinny jeans. Prior, I had trouble finding any jean that fit right. Cheap, expensive, whatever. AG were about the best I could do and that was solely because of pocket placement and material. For most of my life, I’d consider my body shape to be a board. Yes. Board. Not just straight, board. I had a flat ass, small chest and very little waist. I could rock the hell out of shapeless dresses though. I still can. I’m finally a little curvier, mostly due to Pilates I think. And don’t even get me started on work pants/trousers. Those were even harder to find. I wore a lot of dresses and tights.

I’ve always had complicated feelings with pants and jeans.

The pasta was a success! We forgot to eat our chocolate covered strawberries, though. So I had a couple for breakfast.

I honestly hate jeans. Most pants, too, really. I’m a dress person, through and through. In the summer, spring and fall, I’m nearly always in a dress. Occasionally a skirt or capris and a top. But, the only time I wear jeans or long pants is when it’s event-dependent or when it just gets too cold not to in the winter, and even then, I prefer wool leggings or tights with dresses and boots.

No shorts, either, because I feel ridiculous in them at 42, even though I don’t think other women my age or older look ridiculous in them. It’s a weird quirk, I guess.

So, yeah, no real trend chasing going on here, although I do try to keep my dresses age-appropriate and more or less in style.

I’m having a devil of a time finding a good swimsuit right now. I have a long torso and small boobs, so I generally avoid one-pieces, but I’ve gained Covid weight and I am really not happy with my body right now – especially my mid-section. I’m going to start a 5K training program and cut back on the booze, but I really need to find a suit that I feel comfortable in as-is. I’ve ordered a couple of tankinis and a high waisted two-piece, so we’ll see.

Oh gosh. I, too, remember the long flared pants dragging on the ground and getting wet in the winter. Awful. I actually don’t know why most standard inseams are as long as they are when the average woman is 5’4″. I think most people struggle with jeans/pants, tbh. I have a butt naturally and over the past few years have intentionally been trying to grow it via strength training. Which worked, but it also came with strong quads and hamstrings. Finding dress pants in particular kills me. What fits around the waist often looks too tight around the butt/thighs. If I get a good fit in the butt/thighs, the waist is huge. There was one cut from Banana Republic that fit me pretty well and then they stopped making that style. I have one pair still hanging in there. I have read online that the black pants from Spanx look nice enough for work and offer a more forgiving fit, so I think I’ll order a pair when it’s time to go back to work and see what I think. I’ve been living in their bra-lellujah bralettes since COVID started.

@MissMJ I don’t know if my weight has crept up because I don’t weigh myself often, but I could tell my clothes were fitting differently even though they still fit. I cut back on alcohol at the beginning of the year and try to force myself to do some at-home dumbbell exercises a few times/week (I hate home workouts, but I have not succeeded in being a year-round jogger this year as planned because of the weather). I can tell the band of my bralettes and sports bras are fitting better now. Which is kinda funny cause I never would’ve considered that a problem area. But hey, I’ll take any signs of progress and small changes to diet/lifestyle really do add up!

@ktfran After several glasses of wine last night, we were looking up flights to Hawaii. Haha. I had no idea the 14-day quarantine period for visitors had been lifted. We’re really tempted. This weather blows and it just keeps coming. I told my boyfriend I’m planning us a trip to Zion National Park. I haven’t booked anything cause I’m not sure it’s a good idea, but I want to so bad.

Oh, and, also on the subject of clothes. I haven’t ordered a ton online this pandemic because I don’t want to deal with returns. But I did place a Loft order about two months ago that still has not arrived. I’ve been tracking the package and it has gone on many adventures. It started in Indiana, made its way to Chicago in mid-January. One day it said out for delivery, but it didn’t arrive. The updating went dark on the tracking site for about three weeks until Feb. 4, so now I can tell it inexplicably went from Chicago to Pittsburgh to Austin. As of Saturday, it’s back in the Chicago area. I’ve already been refunded and the purchase was made on a whim so it’s nothing I particularly need or care about, but I’m curious if it’ll ever get to me.

Those are cute! And I assume way cheaper than the similar-looking pairs I see in boutique windows.

I tried Maybelline Sky High mascara because of TikTok and thought it was pretty good. It’s not as inexpensive as my go-to drugstore brand, but definitely more budget-conscious than anything high end and I’d say delivered similar results on me.