I have an irrational fear of...

[QueenCadbury]

...wasting a good outfit on an insignificant day.

I found the quote on Pinterest and it struck a chord with me. I know there's been threads similar to this before but how do I stop myself doing it? I'm not talking about wearing the cocktail dresses every day but I have jeans, jumpers and blouses that I save 'for best' in case they get ruined by being at home with the kids. I'm a SAHM with 3dc (2 at school). It's half term, I feel fat, I have a cold and I need inspiration to not spend the week in old jeans and sweatshirt....

I'm the same (but with underwear [blush[)! I always save the 'best' bra and pants for days when I need luck. I have been trying to stop myself recently so I set apart one bra per week and say that if I haven't worn it by Thursday, I have to wear it then. Thursdays are quite a boring day so I often wear it on Tuesdays to avoid 'wasting' it on a dull day (irrational, I know).

You could always change after dinner to make sure that you get some use out of your nicer clothes during the week.

I used to save things for best.

Then realised this is as good as it's going to get [hgrin]

I do change after dinner...into my pyjamas

Tess, you are so right!

Tess you've hit the nail on the head there. I used to buy nice stuff and never wear it and live in the same jeans day in day out...but what's the point? Even if it does get worn out eventually/has juice/porridge spilt on it at least it's being used.

Wasn't there an ad a few years ago that said "Life's a catwalk?" That's how I try to think now! :) And it does actually make me feel good, to know I've made an effort and am wearing clothes I really like.

I am exactly the same but lately have been making myself wear my nicer tops etc even when just popping out to meet a friend for coffee. When I wear some of my 'best' things I worry about if I'll need to wear them the next day and whether I'll have time to wash them .

"Life's a catwalk" - I like that!

I was so bad that I actually ended up putting clothes that I had never worn in charity bags because they had gone out of fashion. How stupid was that?

I cured myself by 'downgrading' every single outfit. Tragic but true. Outfit hierarchy (excluding work clothes) for me goes something like:

1. black tie
2. wedding/posh dinner
3. posh lunch/evening out with friends
4. smartish casual lunch out with friends/coffees/out somewhere civilised with the DCs
5. supermarket run/toddler group/not a lot on today
6. proper slobbing clothes

So what I used to wear for slobbing went in the bin. What I used to wear to the supermarket became my slobbing clothes. What I used to wear out for a nice day with the kids became my toddler group clothes. And so on and so on. It meant every aspect got a little bit smarter. And means that I have to buy a really nice black tie dress next time I actually get invited to one .

Mentally planning outfits for the week helps too, as you're less likely to just fling on the nearest clean thing.

I have stuff I keep for 'best'. Decided to rebel against it this morning. Wore a skirt that's lovely but never sees light of day as keeping it for special occasion that never happens.
Beautiful velvet silk in navy, wore with nice white shirt for work.
Opened cupboard to get porridge- jar of jam fell out, smashed into my plate shattering plate and jam jar, covering me and whole skirt in jam!!!

Agggghhhhh!!!!!

Tess you are so right. I used to have clothes I didn't wear because they were for best, but then I realised that - with 2 DCs - I get the chance to wear them so infrequently they'd never get worn.

Wear your best clothes whenever you can!

I'm exactly the same....I really need to stop it! I need to wear the clothes for me, not who sees me in them. But them I worry that if I wear all my 'best' clothes i'll have nothing 'best' clean to wear when I do do something nice !! My main problem is not having enough nice clothes, so I feel like I have to wear the crap on days at home/not seeing people......

I'm so glad it's not just me. You're all right of course, this is as good as it's going to get. After posting I changed into a new jumper which had been sitting in it's bag awaiting a 'best' occasion to wear it to. It's a gap jumper ffs so not quite sure what I'm waiting for.

The wierd thing is I will happily wear nice jewellery, make up and nail varnish but I'm so scared of the kids ruining or staining my clothes yet in the 7 years since dc1 this has never happened!