So I am having a bit of a fashion crisis at the moment.About a year ago I posted about my plans to transition to take the bus instead of paying the outrageous parking costs.  Well it was a successful experiment as I am still taking the bus, and I really like it (for the most part--touching the hand rails and seats still grosses me out and I will never grow accustomed to it).However, I have started to notice that my fabulous style has declined dramatically:

• I used to always wear high heels--now I still wear high heels in the office, but have opted for a more "functional" shoe for my commute (these tend to be flip flops, flats, or ugg boots).
• These new "flat" shoes have resulted in opting for shorter hem pants, or pants that can get a little bit wrinkled or dirty (from sitting on the seats and walking through the city).
• I have to carry a big 15 inch laptop (== heavy && doesn't fit into the cute purse-like laptop bags) which means I can't take my super cute handbag.
• I also bring my lunch (another good way to save money and watch the waistline) but it is another thing that has to be carried (and has the potential to leak--especially salad dressings or fruit).
• Since I live in Seattle (where it is frequently quite cold and rainy) I have been opting for more "functional" jackets than my very pretty stylish coats of the past (that just don't work that well to keep the elements at bay)

This makes me sad because I have gone from glamorous to frumpy in a short few months.  What made this all hit home was as I was walking into the office one day this week I saw a guy I used to to be a coworker of mine, and I was so ashamed of how I looked I hid.Literally, I ducked behind a mailbox and hoped he didn't see me.He did; and we talked (I made the excuse I dropped something by the way when he looked at my skeptically bending behind the mailbox), and since he is a guy he probably never noticed what I was wearing.  BUT, it hit a point home--I really need to do something to address my sloppy "bus" fashion--and pronto.