This is one of the things that happens when you blink, and all of a sudden you're 10 years older

These days, you'd hardly know that I used to be stylish. Of course you wouldn't know: I don't do anything that requires me to be stylish. I don't think I even do anything in which I get extra points for being stylish.

It's very sad, really. I used to be able to buy all my clothes in thrift stores and throw anything on, and I looked amazing. This lasted until I was about 25. I don't know exactly what happened then, but clothes didn't matter as much. Now I don't often bother with thrift stores because they're too depressing and the clothes aren't cool by any stretch of the imagination.

(Also, has anybody else noticed that thrift stores have crazy prices? Like $20 for some horrible turquoise polyester dress. Gack.)

I am probably better looking now than I was 10 years ago, and I can still dress, but... I used to be better at keeping myself occupied. It is hard for me to concern myself that much with how I look when nothing requires me to change out of my bathrobe and pajamas.

There are lots of days when I don't leave the house, which means that I don't even put on makeup. Me!

I conclude, therefore, that I need something to do out of my house during the day, preferably something that requires me to look decent.

Today, for instance, I spent most of the day cleaning house while wearing jeans, a gray t-shirt and black heavy-duty rubber gloves. Not an outfit I'm proud of, but totally appropriate to the task.

If I continue with the whole cleaning thing, which I might, eventually I'll get to the point where I try to analyze what's in my wardrobe. It's not like I'm planning on ironing everything in there, but I might cull out a couple of oversized linen dresses and anything I still have that came from Benetton.

Not that this will help my style any, but at least I'll know what I have.

before - after