do oyu wear the mum uniform?

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A nice alternative to trainers are Camper or Diesel shoes. Look nicer and are more dressy (or at least, less sporty) but still very comfortable for long walks.

You are right flamebat. I am a size 14/16 and used to be a size 10/12. I know it might not seem huge but being not very tall and now very busty, I do feel very self concious. I have also put a lot of weight on my face which makes me feel much fatter than I really am I guess. I lot of women carry of my seize easily but on me I look like a size 20.
Right - that is it. I am going shopping at the weekend for a new jacket, decent cut casual trousers, pair of boots. Gonna book myself in for a hair cut and demand a trendier style instead of the same shapeless shoulder length mess I have had for 5 years.
I need a total overhaul and it is about time I stopped wallowing and moaning and did something about it. Who knows, might even spice up life in other areas aw well. (Think my lemsip must be kicking in now )

I am a size 16 and still manage to dress ok, i think

now wheres my fleece?

Yay!!! I went from a 12 to a 16 (techinically I went to a very tight 14 with no new clothes) - it doesn't matter what size you go up to, if it is big for you then it matters.

Very busty causes the most of my problems because I need big sizes to cover em. I find low cut or v neck helps to flatter them and not look mumsy.

basketcase, fio, flame bat, ditto ditto ditto.
low cut/v neck tops are the way forward. boot cut trousers - god why didn't I know about those years ago.
I compromised by buying new clothes but from cheap shops. don't scrimp on the haircuts either.
I mean we were gorgeous before, now seriously why would a few extra pounds matter one way or another, right?

tis October at the weekend, the signal for Enid to don her wellies and not change them for 6 months

After pregnancy I went from size 12 to something undescribable (no idea as I refuse point blank to buy more clothes), I have lost a lot of weight but no matter how hard I try it seems I can't go smaller than a size 16. However, last year I paid for a style consultation with Colour Me Beautiful, and.... I think it has been worth the money I spent... People compliment me on how thin I look even when I'm about a stone heavier

I like "undescribable"

Haven't read thread but saw Thinny feeding Peacocks in Holland Park two weeks ago with daughter and Filipino nanny. Daughter very cute in jeans and some peasanty top. Thinny in jeans and... a bright green jacket in the style that my binmen wear when they make my borough brighter!

"Know that you will fit back into your old clothes eventually"....hmm, how true is that?

basketcase - 14/16 is gorgeous!! Spend some cash this weekend and if you get smaller another time buy MORE!

Mostly this season i shall be wearing baby vom and stretch marks. It's the new black.

Black used to be THE colour... and now it highlights baby gob to look like a slug has merrily wandered across my shoulder. Not the latest look...

I , up until 24 hours ago, felt OK, but not happy about my figure. I now, after a non arrival of a delivery pizza, feel like never eating anything again coz of my white flab. Sorry to bring a downer into the conversation but I do hate what my gorgeous babies have done to my body.When, if ever, can I not want to slice my belly off with a pair of scissors?

had my baby 4 months ago and got through the whole pregnancy without any stretch marks. However the little tinker decided to be 12 days over due n my belly went huge and i got a few stretch marks along my back n belly. I used to love wearing belly showing tops, but as soon as i got back from hospital i threw them all out coz i hated my belly. However, over the last month i've come to accept my wobbly 'baby belly' n strech marks because, yeah they may not look fab, but they remind me how amazing my body was during preganacy, how much my stomach could actually stretch, and no matter how much my belly wobbles my baby will always love me!!!!

For those with new stretch marks - this summer, 2 years down the line, I realised how much they had truly faded - it no longer looked like I had a street map for a belly... if I'd had the willpower to do some exercise to get tummy muscles, then all would have been fine

I think there comes a time in every woman's life when you have to give up showing your stomach - stretch marks or not. I think it's a young woman's pursuit and I have definitely given it up. This season I shall mostly be showing off the two inches below my knees and above my boots - and that'll be covered in opaque tights. I LOVE winter.

Do we really care what the fashion police think? Frankly by the time I've been up at 4,5 and 6 am to be sick, then been sick twice more (10 weeks pg) before walking in the rain and mud to take my dd to nursery I couldnt give a c~~p what I wear to the school playground! Really, they're just lucky I've changed out of my vomit stained PJs for the occassion.

Yeah, its nice to dress up, and I do for the right occassion but why should the school playground be the place to flaunt our wealth, fashion and trim bodies? Isn't that giving the wrong image to give to our children when we want them to be happy in their own skin?

Whatever happened to being adults and at last being able to wear what we feel comfortable and happy in, instead of having our wardrobe dictated to us by the class bullies, that frankly have just grown up to be T & S.

Give yourselves a break ladies and be who you want to be!

hear hear hockymum!!!!! you go girl, I'm right there with you.

Still haven't presuaded me to show my stomach hockeymum

I like trying to look nice (please note I say trying) and don't feel good about myself when I'm slobbing about in tracky bottoms etc. I tend to wear skirts, love the fuller styled knee length type that's around at the moment, and cropped trousers are also fab. It only takes 2 minutes to put something nice on and for me it's worth it as it makes me feel better for the whole day. Just don't examine me too closely for yogurt and playdoh smears....

Surely the important thing is that WE feel happy with the way we look.
A couple of friends of mine recently started a fashion business locally. They have wonderful inexpensive stuff (plus some pricier things) and really fab accessories, and they are Trinny and Susanna mark two, in that you can go to them and they will make you look - and feel - great with v little effort and not a lot of cash. Since they started their business, I have had time to shop (which is a big issue if you don't live in town) and have gained so much confidence in trying out things which actually make me look great. I live in the country, a pretty mucky life really, but just putting on a bright raincoat or a fun-coloured belt is easy and really helps me keep my head up and helps me to pretend I sometimes feel human. I'm not saying everyone should do it, but it works for me, and that's what matters.

It doesnt matter what I wear, by 9am it will be covered in snot and vomit, so hence the reason I just don't bother

i think that head teacher wouldn't have dared be so nasty to me if i had been made up & dressed in something other than jeans & a t-shirt. This is the problem with "dressing down", as practical and comfortable as it may be!

Sophable - sounds like you need a totally different cut of jeans. Why not book perseonal shopper at Selfridges and try 'em all? God wish I was a size 14 let alone ten. Hate my giant flabby body. And it's NOT FAIR. Exclusive breastfeeding to six months, still breastfeeding and not a bloody ounce lost. I think it just stops my metabolism stone dead.
But I did buy some really funky gold, pointy-toe pumps from Office yesterday, which look quite cool with jeans and my nice belt with turquoise stone buckle. I do what I can.