HELP, too scruffy!

[redredpants]

Ok, am newish to forum, so plese be gentle with me.
I have a huge problems.
I always look so crumpled. Even if I try to look smart, I end up dressing like a student. It doesn't help that I have a nearly three year old, and 9 month old, so I have five minutes, just, to get dressed in morning.
Even if I iron something, it looks just scruffy!
Lots of mums in my area, look so smart, I can't keep up with them. I suspect they look down their noses at me!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, tell me how I can smarten myself up! In a practical way, because I have to do everything at the speed of ...........well, just speedy.(Also, how I can increase my vocabulary).

what kind of clothes do you wear normally? i am no style queen myself so probably can't give too much advice!

but as for vocab... read, read, read! get a good dictionary so that if you come across words you don't understand/know you can look them up....

Well, I wear jeans, and converse, so I supose that might be the problem. But, surely I can do smart without being uncomfortable.
I have ttried wearing skirts and knee high boots, but not very practical to mum and toddler group. The other mums that go there, look so sharp, and so do their children. My kids get everything all over their clothes, and all over me! So becuase of that, I always dress casually.
I just wonder if there is some sort of secret to looking good, even though SAHM with two little ones.
kWhen they go shopping, the women around here, ar what my mother would call 'well turned out', I have never felt this pressure before.
Maybe, I am having mid-life crisis! AT 38!

They're not looking down their noses at you, they're wishing they could look so cool with minimal effort.
(at least thats what i tell myself when i drop dd at school, wearing tracksuit and sopping wet hair straight from the shower! and they are all glammed up and ready to go.)
I do glam up on days when i have business meetings but then i enjoy all the other days when i don't need to - the beauty of working from home!

speaking as a not-long-ago student myself...

the toppest tip is to wear fitted tops and stretchy jeans - don't need ironing, never look crumpled and give the impression that you're tailored and elegant, even if you just slung it on.
I find the other popular tricks (always wear lipstick, do your hair properly etc) take too much time, but it's just as quick to put on a little jacket as a baggy jumper.

sorry, no tips on avoiding the banana stains though

looked at that thread, but not really answering my problem
I wish someone would come and sort out my wardrobe for me, I will lay on chocolate fingers. (only 25 calories for one)

i have the same problem -- I can make nice clothes look crap just by putting them on... but I am improving ...

I agree with Mrs B that wearing fitted tops that have some lycra in the them is a lot better then wearing something like a cotton shirt that needs ironing .. and again when you put it on...

Also, stick with quite a plain style fitted top and a jacket with a waist or at least darts.. always make your lines long and lean accept that you have to look away from the overly layered, loose clothing and go for lean clean lines...

make sure hair is always brushed and I have been transformed since I discovered GHDs... sleek hair rather than wild curly is not very exciting but at least I look smart rather than a mess..

Then to make it all a bit more cheerful, I have now bought a load of scarves and neckclaces just to add a bit of glamour to my plain clothes... am already looking better than before... really get rid of anything baggy and unstructured -- it does help!!

what do the 'sharp' mums wear?

Have a great haircut - regularly - and blow dry it! And wear lipstick!
Cords are smarter than jeans, and leather boots are smarter than converse. Agree about ditching anything baggy.

Wear accessories - jewellery & scarves - and stick to one colour scheme so things are more likely to go with each other