A Crisis of Fashion

I'm buggered if I know what to wear to this auction tomorrow night. I went out last week and bought jeans. But now I don't know what to wear with them. And having jeans that actually fit makes me realize that, despite having lost 13 pounds, I still have a muffin top to contend with, so maybe jeans aren't the thing, after all...

Alison at the office tells me I have great legs and should wear a pair of shorts and "killer heels." Shorts? rilly? I don't think so. I do have great shoes, somewhere in storage at the old house. But I've no clue as to what kind of top to wear. I looked around last weekend while I was jeans shopping and I was completely out of my depth. Everything is very hippy-dippy this spring, apparently, and I just don't picture myself in a peasant top. I'm going to give myself an ulcer worrying over it.

Bob is being patient and keeping his annoyance under strict control. I know it bugs him, but he's not giving me a hard time about it, for which I'm grateful. We had lunch together and when I mentioned the auction, he sort of ground his teeth and said he thought it was "great." So kudos to him for being a sport, or at least not being difficult about it. We'll see how he feels about it when I'm obliged to go on a date with this Mystery Guy. I feel for him, I do. But what can I do about it???

Soooo, anyway, I'm going back to the mall this evening to take another stab at it. Surely SOMETHING will present itself. It can't be that difficult to get dressed to go out. I'm just out of practice. Right?

What's appropriate for a 42-year-old mom to wear on a date, anyway? On dates with Bob to various art openings, I've donned a pair of high heeled sandles and a snug sweater with jeans. But this seems like something I should kick it up a notch for. But where's the notch? I want to look attractive without looking too sexy. I want to be fashionable but still look and feel like myself... a real trial in and of itself, since I don't think I have much in the way of fashion sense. I want to look youthful without looking like I'm trying too hard to look young, and I need to look my age without looking dowdy or too mom-ish. And finally, I need to look, for Bob's sake, like I'm not seriously trying to get a date, like I'm just doing respectable time for a worthy cause.

Right, no sweat. Just shoot me.