Neither stylish nor beautiful, but help me look human again!

[Petsville]

DS is 6 months old and I'm about to go back to work. I realised while I was sorting things out that I haven't bought a single garment, other than maternity clothes and nursing bras, in the last five years. I'm not, objectively, in terribly bad shape (5' tall, hour-glass shaped, size 8), but since having DS any physical confidence I had has completely gone and I've been dressing to be invisible.

I need to start gently with the process of making myself look like a person again. Work clothes are fine: I have to wear suits anyway, and all my pre-DS ones still fit, but where do I start looking for non-work stuff? I can't go for anything too daring - spent part of the afternoon wandering round the shops and thinking "but I'd look stupid in that" every time I looked at something.

When I could be said to have a style, it was very plain - trousers, plain-coloured tops and shirts, no frills, nothing clingy or tight but fairly fitted. I suppose "classic" would be the polite word for it - at least one of my friends reckoned "boring" was more like it! My budget's about £500 to freshen up my wardrobe. Oh, and I'm 36, so I need to be careful not to look as though I've stolen my teenage daughter's stuff.

You sound as if you're my size, shape and age and I have a 5 month old, so I'll post links to a few thigs I've bought, am thinking of buying, you might hate them, but worth a try .

simple denim dress

long jumper dress

smart top

these cords

Figure they are all long enough to wear over comfy leggings and loose enough to cover my baby belly.

What about finding a particular shop where you really like the style or "vibe" , something that fits your lifestyle and where you could buy several things that are all interchangeable? I def think its best to do that rather than try buying things from different shops and end up with lots of random items.

A few shops I like for smart/casual are Banana Republic and Mint velvet Also think Oasis great for mid 30s style

I'm sorry, but I think 36 is way too young to dress in a classic style. You sounds like you have a great figure , please stop thinking of yourself as middle aged, wearing trousers and shirts out of work and dress to suit your age and figure. I don't care if you have a teenage daughter

What are your best points? Wooild you ,Ike to wear more casual dresses and skirts or are you are jeans and leggings girl at heart?

I'd go for classics that won't go out of fashion, and I agreeit is worth finding a shop you like and mixing and matching from there. Try Kew or Wallis, Ted Baker, monsoon, fcuk or maybe Per Una? Personally I would avoid Next- not great quality and everyone in the playground seems to be wearing the same next outfit where I live!

Thanks so much for all these - Mint Velvet and Banana Republic look like good starting points, and I've never shopped in either so wouldn't have thought of them. hmmSleep, I really like that jumper dress from Hush too, and the cords.

Hmm, good points - part of the problem is that I'm not sure any more. Legs are definitely a bad point (short and fat - I always wear heels, which makes me look a bit more in proportion, but there's nothing I can do about the fat calves), so I'm after jeans and trousers rather than skirts. I've never in my life felt comfortable in a skirt: they make me feel like a drag act. I can wear skinny jeans or leggings, but only with a long top and knee boots. Small waist, I suppose, but buying very fitted tops isn't really on at the moment as I'm still breastfeeding.

Boobs, have no idea, currently a 28H (!) but no doubt they'll shrink once I stop feeding, and I suspect they won't be a good point by then! Slim arms, long neck. V-necks are good on me, but because I'm so short I have to be careful or I end up flashing far more cleavage than I want to. I suppose probably a reasonable bum, since I've never actually found myself thinking that I hate it. (Actually, thinking about it, that's really depressing: I know exactly what my bad points are but I have to do a process of elimination to work out what the good ones might be.)