Hooker vs. Hillary

"Ding Ding Ding!"

In this corner we have the hooker...

She's wearing low-cut skinny jeans with her g-string hanging out.
A spaghetti strap tank top with her lace bra exposed and belly button ring showing.
5" clear plastic heels.



In this corner we have Hillary...

She's wearing tapered ankle polyester pants with a plastic button digging into her upper abdomen.
A silk dress shirt tucked in tightly, with pearl buttons down the front.
Navy blue penny loafer flats, with a real penny in them (ewww).



And then there's me...

I don't fit into either corner. I hang out somewhere in the middle.
I look for trendy, comfortable and classy clothing.
I like to wear clothes that hug my curves appropriately, without making me look like I'm trying too hard.
I want work clothes and sophisticated clothing that doesn't age me 20 years.

Problem is, there aren't a lot of options for those of us who are in the middle when it comes to fashion. Shopping can be a frustrating experience for the 30-something year old woman. It's a constant battle between dressing like Miley Cyrus (she'll probably be a hooker before we know it) or a wannabe presidential candidate.

I've noticed over the years that I have only two options when shopping for clothes--the juniors section or the women's section. The juniors section caters to the teenagers (which I'm far from), and the women's section caters to the middle aged women (which I refuse to age into). While both sections appeal to me in some ways, neither section has an abundance of options for my age group or style. I either walk out of the dressing room in the juniors section feeling like a street walker, or walk out of the women's side dressing room looking like a frumpy grandma. Neither of which, I'm comfortable with portraying.

I've come to find a few stores that I feel cater to the 30-something age group. Here are my favorites:

1. The Limited (This is where I purchase a lot of my work clothes, and some street clothes too!)
2. Vanity (Awesome jeans and street clothing!)
3. New York & Company (I only purchase work clothes and accessories here...they are really lacking in street-wear)
4.Macy's (One of the only department stores that "get it"...plus they carry Silver Jeans which make any female's ass look fabulous! ...I promise!)

And here are my least favorite stores for 30-something clothing:

1. Kohls
2. JCPenney
3. Express (primarily based on quality vs. cost)
4. Aeropostale, Abercrombie or any of those

(Disclaimer: I must admit I made a leap of faith and purchased a pair of skinny jeans recently from American Eagle. I love them! And yes contrary to popular belief, 30-year-olds can wear skinny jeans with the right shoes.... Like a pair of tall boots or a sling-back heel! And no, you can't wear skinny jeans with your kids' Vans tennis shoes when you're our age...that would be considered trying way too hard!)

Maybe someday I will open a 30-something clothing store. That's a big maybe, but wouldn't that be fun? I would LOVE to read any suggestions for other stores that cater to the 30-somethings, or read your stories about shopping treasures or disasters! I'm always on the hunt for trendy and age-appropriate clothing... Shopping is yet another passion of mine...yeah go figure!