I always talk about how "stuck" I am being a young mom with regard to friendships, but I'm stuck with the fashion too. Like, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO WEAR?

I'm 23 but I have babies. And a husband. And a mortgage. And childcare bills. I'm don't have oodles of cash to throw at the nearest clothing store.

I don't have disposable income. My income gets disposed paying bills.

I admit, I'm not a real frumpy mom. Since my last post about the childless chicks upstaging me, I've made the effort to do better.

But I'm still slacking, y'all. When I get up in the morning to figure out what to wear to work, my closet laughs at me. "Hahaha! You have no clothes!! You're gonna go to work NAAAAAAAAAAKED!"

I have about three good outfits. You know the ones where you wear them and everyone in the office stops you: "Oh, you look so pretty today." Emphasis on today, like every other day I strolled into work I looked like hell. Since I work in the office four days a week, this is a problem.

I even went out and bought some pretty jewel toned shirts and belts to spice things up, but there they sit, in my dresser drawer because I have no confidence to pull it off.

Part of my confidence issues stem from the fact that my body is radically different than it was three years ago. Weight has shifted in ways that I frown upon. (You hear that, Fat?)

I stand in front of the mirror and run through the same questions starting from the top down:

How do my boobs look? Crap, do I need a new bra? Maybe if I had on the black bra, this would look better....

Then moving to the belly/hip area:

Oooh, man, I need to lose ten pounds. What IS this? Fat? Loose skin? Ugh. Maybe if I get a larger size, this would look better.....

It's insanity, ladies! I talk myself out of buying things that are cute and funky and keep going for the ol' reliable. Why would I want to spend $100 on jeans when a) I haven't lost all the baby weight yet, b) I've got bills to pay and c) they will be covered with sticky fingerprints within minutes.

Tell me: Does motherhood get in the way of fashion? How can I do better? How do you stay stylish?

Update: I just bought these shoes. They make me feel like Beyonce.

Update again: I wore them to work yesterday and now my left knee is tore up. Like, I'm limping. Baby steps, I guess...

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