to think its odd how some mums get dressed up to the nines for going to toddler group?

[sneekychanger]

a couple of mums in the group had knitted dresses on and knee hign high heel boots.
not exactley preactical for playying with toddlers is it?

one of them had her hair all tonged curly and full make up.

i wonder how long it takes them to get ready/made up in the am.

i'm with you wittyusername. i got a no7 voucher in boots the other day and couldn't see anything i wanted to spend it on! on mat leave and frankly v pleased not to have to feel i need to put slap on.

i live in jeans, but they are nice jeans (mostly)... i admit to saving my howies jeans for wearing to places i might see someone else - as if they are going to notice and think to themselves ah, asics is always so ever so slightly stylish in a very non yummy way

then again i kind of envy the 'put-together-but-still-casual-looking' mummies. one friend of mine looked great at the weekend in knee length red wool skirt, nice knitted top, flat suede boots and a long leather coat. i would like to do skirts (i have some great knee high boots, tho' they are flat ) but i hate tights... sigh.

oh and i am truly horrified that someone might notice the state of my eyebrows

wittyusername - I am with you on that. I'm sure we're not alone but don't have much to contribute to this particular discussion.

I have never understood people caring so much about their appearance but then I felt that way pre baby too and besides I'm naturally beautiful in no make up and whatever I wear .

I have slouching clothes that are the reserve on Sunday Mornings or being poorly but the rest of the time I try to wear well fitting well put together clothes... they aren't always the most fashionable but I do make an effort.

hair always clean and tidy and make up if I can be faffed but mostly just a bit of lippy.

I don't think it is dressing up to the nines... I thought you meant full on going out gear not a knitted dress with some boots.

I like to make an effort. I wear jeans alot but am making more efort to wear dresses/skirts more as I have some lovely boots I'd like to get a bit more wear out of.

I've only recently started wearing make up again, most days just a bit of mascara but other days a bit more.

It takes me no more time to dress and I feel alot better if I have dressed nicely. Even when I wear jeans they are always worn with a nice belt, top and cardigan. If I feel like I look good, I feel more confident and generally feel better.

Just bought a knitted dress in Asda £16

I once met a mum from playgroup on her way to church. She was wearing a glamorous kilted miniskirt and long boots, very different from how I had ever seen her. Usually she wore jeans and an anorak. She was an artist as well. I suddenly realised she had been pretending to be this frumpy mum just for playgroup. Maybe we gave out this don't you dare upset us by being glam vibe. Or maybe playgroup was depressing and Church was Fun. As for myself, deeply frumpy in dress, when I went to help in primary school library, suddenly realised v. important to be glam role model reading books, so took to wearing makeup, jewels and fitted tops. The glam teachers presumably know that they are going to be in the company of various sweaty snotty, smeary children yet still come in in lovely colours, and textures. I do think children notice how you dress, and they love their mums to smell delicious and glitter. Ds1 & 2, let alone Dd1, loved fondling my necklaces or ripping them off. I wish I had tried harder to ditch sludge colours. ON THE OTHER HAND, feeling angry with your children for ruining your smart clothes is the reason we tend not to. I always thought I was natural beauty but as I get older require more maintenance.

I once met a mum from playgroup on her way to church. She was wearing a glamorous kilted miniskirt and long boots, very different from how I had ever seen her. Usually she wore jeans and an anorak. She was an artist as well. I suddenly realised she had been pretending to be this frumpy mum just for playgroup. Maybe we gave out this don't you dare upset us by being glam vibe. Or maybe playgroup was depressing and Church was Fun. As for myself, deeply frumpy in dress, when I went to help in primary school library, suddenly realised v. important to be glam role model reading books, so took to wearing makeup, jewels and fitted tops. The glam teachers presumably know that they are going to be in the company of various sweaty snotty, smeary children yet still come in in lovely colours, and textures. I do think children notice how you dress, and they love their mums to smell delicious and glitter. Ds1 & 2, let alone Dd1, loved fondling my necklaces or ripping them off. I wish I had tried harder to ditch sludge colours. ON THE OTHER HAND, feeling angry with your children for ruining your smart clothes is the reason we tend not to. I always thought I was natural beauty but as I get older require more maintenance.

sorry not very good at pressing buttons

I went to a very messy, painting, crawl on the floor type toddler group today with my usual make-up jeans and a Boden top and felt very underdressed. There were lots of spiky heels over skinny jeans and tight "nightclubby" tops. Seems a bit silly to me as the children never leave you alone to chat so you might as well get dressed to muck in.

Today, I am not very glam (as opposed to Mon and Tues) - at work, we all woke up late due to being up most of night with baby. But still have on those skinny/flared jeans, stripping long sleeved tight top, little black cardigan over the top and white converse style trainers. Dirty hair (which was straightened on monday) in a hair pony, not much make-up but a fair bit of concealer and then blusher to make me look vaguely mammalian.

However, I long to be at home with my very very comfy black ....VELOUR!!!!... track suit on - my guilty pleasure at home!

I really would like to make an effort but I am lazy.

I usually remember mascara. Hair always in a pony tail and ususally skinny jeans and a cardy with flat shoes.

I would love to be knitted dress woman.

I think you are making a good point that playgroup is not a nightclub. Maybe these ladies wish they were out more. In which case morale is boosted by pretending they are in a nightclub. But then what do you wear when at last the time comes to actually dress UP?

pamelat - wear a kniited dress over your skinny jeans and bung on a pair of boots.... you can be that woman girlfriend....
(music swells)
(All MN'ers stand up and cheer Pamelat)
(WE all start crying)

I do make an effort, but have an anti-glamour gene, so always look scruffy, whatever i wear! It is nice though to put on make up and skirts after years of working in a job where i dressed in paint and plaster spattered dungarees every day.

I don't think i judge the other mums at playgroup whether they are in fleece and jeans or glammed up to the nines in Gucci, but whether i get on with them or not.

That said there is nothing finer than a really elegant mum dressed in a beautiful wrap dress and high heeled boots doing the hokey cokey.

LOL Hazeyjane!

Me too Pamelat.

By the time I've managed to pin 2 dcs down to get them dressed, done countless nappy changes, and walked and then cleaned a dog, I've run out of time or enthusiasm to sort myself out.

For some of us toddler group is the social event of our week. We have nothing else to get dressed up for.

Some people just look fab in anything. I can't stand people like that

The point of this thread was that the OP was judging those of us who tong our hair. I do not judge those who don't, in fact I had very little opinion on their priorities as I presume SAHM's (of which I am one) all have pretty similar priorities eg- keeping our children stimulated, our house clean, our conversation interesting (sadly not shared by many at my toddler group) and our lives busy. Beyond that I had not made any distinction between me and the other Mums. I just like to make an effort as I have had self esteem issues and like another poster, terrible issues with depression in the past. My mood is very much relected in how 'done up' I am but I am never stupid enough to think I am substituting going to a club with going to play group FFS. I just like to look nice and am a bit put out by the idea that that is NOT acceptable

Oh and when I do go clubbing, I look like a footballers wife

I don't really care what other people wear. My own fashion sense varies wildy. At the moment I feel cold, sick and fat (7 weeks pg), so am spending every day in fleece, jeans, jumper and trainers. Sometimes I dress up nicely and put make-up on, usually when I have a job or audition. If I'm going out in the evening, I make a proper effort. Tbh I have never felt comfortable trying to look after ds all dressed up, and I'm not a "heels" type of person. But if other people want to do it, what's the issue?

But why would it bug you OP? You have your style and they have theirs.

Or are they somehow not showing the appropriate level of mummy-solidarity in that they've worked out how to manage a toddler and find 15 minutes for themselves. I've never managed it .

swanriver I do not wear knitted dresses to a night club or boots well when they were in I wore thigh high boots clubbing.

I look even more fab when I go clubbing :-D

Why does wearing heels class you as being dressed up. I have plenty of nice flat shoes boots for casual wear in which I still look good in.

I couldn't care less what another mother was wearing to anything if you want to wear your Pj's to drop your kids to school good on you if you want to look like Moria Mcqueen good luck to ya if you want to look nice then thats fine as well. As Long as I look good and my children look good thats all that matters to me

I think people like the OP who like to be judgey about what other Mums wear come across as very insecure. And what's this guff about make up being a trap? Sounds like something the Plymoouth Brethren would come out with. Try being jolly and not carping about other people, OP. Anyone who disses the way I look will be dismissed with a cheery wave of my perfectly manicured hand People should be able to dress down or dress up as they so wish, so long as they are looking after their kids properly. Shurely?

I really let myself go after having DD and also thought negatively of the "yummy mummies"- however I now realise that it was because I was extremely jealous of them. I felt insecure and worthless and invisible because I had become a mother...
But now you wouldn't see me so much as pop to the corner shop without my makeup on. Even if my only plan for the day is the school run I make sure I look decent. This is because it makes me feel like I exist and am not just a scruff with children!
It takes 2 minutes in the morning to put on a bit of makeup- and if you have nice clothes in your wardrobe then it is just as easy to put them on as a tracksuit.
The OP wishes she had the motivation to makke more of an effort I bet.

sigh, and here I am, I think I am dressing up to go out when I find a piece of clothing without sick on it...

I always used to dress nicely if I went to playgroups ect.For me,it was a change from wearing wellies & mucky jeans all week.