Are they nice sweats? Or cheap, ratty ones?

They're cheap, but not ratty. My ultimate limit (as in, "I will never do this, EVER!") is going out in things that have holes in them or stains on them. They're definitely not the kind you buy at the mall (more like Goodwill) that are supposed to co-ordinate with a bottom with lettering on the butt (I hate that anyway), but they're usually a size larger than what I need and a bold, solid color.

Edit: Had to define what an "ultimate limit" was, since I read it and thought, "maybe they'd think that meant that that's something I WOULD do. Horrors!"

I have a coat that I've had for....are you sitting down?... about 20 years now.

It's black. It's ripped in one spot. It's probably hideously soiled although, being black, you can't really tell.

The pockets are ripped out. It's been used as a dog blanket. Yo, this coat is trashed. Add to that the fact that, due to my having lost a lot of weight in the last 4 years, it's now five sizes too big for me. My girlfriend fits inside it with me. Which is, you know, not a bad thing for cuddling but not so great for walking around in public.

But it's the warmest coat I've ever had and I love it.

Now, do I wear this coat where anyone will see me? I do not. I wear it to walk the dogs, and since one of my dogs is not very good with other dogs when she's on a leash, I only walk them in places where there won't be anyone there. My mom's nickname for this coat is "the bag lady coat."

And yet, I own this coat. I wear it, even if it's just to walk the dogs. I feel very attached to it.

I do have sweats, but I use them mostly like pajamas. Same with my Xena: Warrior Princess hoodie. It's kind of my bathrobe. I sleep in oversized t-shirts. But when I go out, as in, places where people will see me, I do change out of my jammie/dogwalking clothes and at least try to dress in such a way that, were WNTW secretly filming me, they'd say, "Sorry, nothing to see here folks, move along."

I even have a nice bathrobe that hangs on a hook in my bathroom for when there are people there or I have to answer my door.

I work out of a home office, and I get dressed every morning in clothing I wouldn't mind answering the door in, or running to the grocery store. I don't look fancy, but I look fine. It makes me feel more professional.

So the short version of this very long answer is: I don't think it's good to own things and wear things, on a regular basis, that we'd rather not be seen in on television, but it's possible to do that without tying yourself in knots. If clothing is unflattering, ruined beyond repair, or ugly, get rid of it. Don't keep it. For god's sake, don't wear it.

Unless it's my bag lady coat.

True, and I don't really tie myself in knots about it... I just wonder from time to time, especially when I go out about town (this is in Austin, too, where culture is very diverse when it comes to dress), if other people do the same things I do. I mean, I'm sure everyone does (everyone surely has some article of clothing like the bag lady coat), but I guess I like the confirmation.

It's like, right now I'm in a bit of a hell because I'm on vacation and brought all of my good clothes and nothing like my sweats or favorite hoodie. The closest thing I have are my pajamas, which I'm really grateful for on a day like today, even if I can't wear them outside.

I condider myself reasonably well dressed. I work in an office and normally wear clothing that fits well, is flattering for my shape and, of course, four inch heels.

That being said, if I wake up on a sunday morning, discover that the gods have frowned on me and I am out of Peets coffee or half and half, I will go to the store in whatever the heck I have on or can throw on quickly, pull my hair back into a pony tail and off I go. I have been known to run to Blockbuster in a pair of purple sleep shorts and a pink cami shirt.

I honestly don't stress that much about it. If What not to wear's camera ever caught me at a bad hair moment in my ancient sweats that I wore when I was pregnant with my oldest child on my way to Pearl Bakery to pick up chocolate croissants...and they decided to acost my closet...pffft. There is a time and place for everything...be it Xie's bag lady coat, or my purple sleep shorts.

I don't really stress much about it, myself, but sometimes the odd thought hits me. Like, "Huh, I keep up with x and y, but I'm running around in z, 1, 2, and 3..." It's more funny for me than it is stressful.

My "bad" item (which I didn't bring on vacation with me that I'm craving right now) is a gray hoodie, men's size large. It's got a nice, thermal mesh layer, the front pocket is huge, and the sleeves are long enough to cover my hands but baggy enough to easily pull back. Compared to the rest of my closet, it's like "What the hell is this? An ex-boyfriend's?" But it definitely has its uses, and I'd never get rid of it unless it got a huge, ugly hole or stain on it.

Ah, I understand this perfectly.

I'd like to fancy myself as someone with a fine, unique taste in fashion who owns a collection of nice things. I'm up to date with fashion magazines -- namely Harper's Bazaar & Vogue -- and I frequent Fashion forums, always scoping trends and finding ways to keep things fresh.

But I just can't bring myself to not turn into unpolished and scruffy when no ones around. Seriously, most people would cringe if only they saw the things I own.

Personally, I like very classy demure Audrey-Hepburn-with-a-modern-twist-esque clothing. My closet consists of blacks, grays, browns, taupes and other very muted colors. But I have these stupid jeans that I just cannot stop wearing. They're these lighted colored, washed out denim jeans, with holes, rips and bleach stains. They're atrocious. They're hideous. And I wear them constantly.

They're also quite unflattering. They've always been too big on me, since I'm pretty much a beanpole, so they're always falling off my hips and baggy on my bum. Yup, ew. My mother used to (yes, my *mother*, that should indicate how old they are -- I got them way back in highschool) used to threaten to burn them they're that bad.

And I don't even attempt to make them look cute, or anything. I wear them with old t-shirts and boots. It's like when I put them on I completely revert back into my old wild self, clad in boots, a leather jacket, tomboyish and all.

The point is, while I feel like I dress myself fashionably and quite nicely, I'm hardly like that all the time. When I'm not in my little high necked sweaters and fine trousers with flats, when I'm at home or at the store or taking my dogs out or getting the mail or whatever, I'm in my jeans with and old shirt.