<p>hmom and BunsenBurner - yes, indeed! I’d love to drive the mean boys & mean girls crazy! </p>
<p>I love the Neiman Marcus tops and jeans! But those tops are outside of my price range. </p>
<p>I’m off to check out Garnet Hill - I do not want to look matronly!</p>
<p>oaklandmom - if you like those tops, try Macys. Often they’ll have something similar, but at a better price. I would also try some discount stores. Around NYC we have Century 21, Daffys, Loehmanns, and the Woodbury Common.</p>
<p>At Loehmanns you can get awesome premium denim (Guess jeans, Lucky Brand, etc.) for about 2/3 or 1/2 the regular retail price!</p>
<p>I love that floral top at Nieman Marcus - but $865! :eek:</p>
<p>I don’t even go into that store. Luckily L.L. Beans is fine for work clothes for me.</p>
<p>OaklandMom- look on J crew. They have some cute tank tops that paired with a cute sweater would look great with a pair of dark jeans.</p>
<p>oaklandmom, if there is a Nordstrom Rack in your neck of the woods, and if you are not afraid of “treasure hunt”-like shopping, I highly recommend checking them. You never know what you get when you shop there, but I’ve never left my local Rack empty-handed (therefore, I limit my trips there).</p>
<p>I was just thinking the same thing BunsenBurner. If you can wear them and are willing to pay around 90 dollars they sometimes have a great selection of high end designer jeans.</p>
<p>If “hotness” is the aim, then maybe not Garnet Hill…
I wouldn’t wear flats either. </p>
<p>Ha, I can’t imagine going to my 8th grade reunion. Mind boggling.</p>
<p>As a public service I would like to provide these tips for avoiding looking matronly at a reunion. Feel free to add your own:</p>
<p>No pleated pants
No high waisted jeans that get narrower down the leg. High waisted wide legged pants can be very flattering but no pleats!
No gathered skirts
No skirts that end at the knee
No matching sweater sets
No khaki
No pastels. They tend to be universally unflattering. If you like color, go for richer tones.</p>
<p>mousegray - that’s a nice list, but basically nothing from Talbot if you want to look hot.</p>
<p>Interesting turn the thread took! (like it!). On the ‘how to look hot’ thing-- heels seem to always work well. At back-to-school night one of the moms had heels & jeans & she kept turning heads (looked the same as other moms, otherwise!). </p>
<p>Also–my son has advised me in the past that my (long–probably too long) hair needs to look ‘smooth & silky’ like ‘the girls in high school.’ Okay, I’ll do my best, thanks. lol. Hot irons are good for that.</p>
<p>Also – um, a little cleavage in an otherwise subdued outfit can be very cute & not too much.</p>
<p>Not sure if this is all what you are looking for. Also, if it was a religious 8th grade class…lol…maybe not!</p>
<p>Check out Nicole Miller and David Meister websites for their collection of daytime dresses. IMO both lines have an updated (yet not trendy) style and a form flattering fit. The prices aren’t bad either, if you hit a good sale somewhere. Both always have some very pretty dresses in a range of colors and styles.</p>
<p>Personally, I would wear dress pants or dark jeans (but no pleats, I agree with mousegray) and HEELS.</p>
<p>
Assumes one has a cleavage…then flaunt it. that would definitely make mean girls mad.</p>
<p>I have to vote for cleavage if you want to look hot and don’t want to wear heels. The last reunion I went to, I went with jeans and a cleavage-oriented red top… it was a joint cocktail party with the local boys school (I went to an all girls school) and every single guy I’d had the hots for in high school came over to talk to me. Note that I’m gray and a bit… well, plump would be the kind word for it. </p>
<p>(I notice that every single TV show, the women wear ridiculous heels. You see Gray’s Anatomy, and there are all those women, doing major six hour surgeries, and you think “yay for that image” until you notice the four-inch heels.)</p>
<p>Go dmd77! :-)</p>
<p>Re: heels–you can keep a spare pair of comfy flats in your (big & stylish) purse. 
Just in case there’s a long walk to the car/earthquake/whatever! I was at a wedding recently, and all the girls in heels changed our shoes a short time into it. A few had sparkly flats on from the get-go.</p>
<p>I know you said that you’re not the little black dress type, but the beauty of the LBD is it can be hot without trying too hard. How about this:</p>
<p>[White</a> House | Black Market - Ruffle Tank Dress](<a href=“http://www.whitehouseblackmarket.com/store/browse/product.jsp?maxRec=249&pageId=1&productId=300114064&viewAll=true&prd=Ruffle+Tank+Dress&subCatId=&color=&fromSearch=true&inSeam=&posId=29&catId=&cat=&onSale=true&colorFamily=&maxPg=2&size=]White”>http://www.whitehouseblackmarket.com/store/browse/product.jsp?maxRec=249&pageId=1&productId=300114064&viewAll=true&prd=Ruffle+Tank+Dress&subCatId=&color=&fromSearch=true&inSeam=&posId=29&catId=&cat=&onSale=true&colorFamily=&maxPg=2&size=)</p>
<p>Okay, I wasn’t going to mention this, but there is a book I got from the library not long ago called “How Not to Look Old.” It’s kind of fascinating. I think mousegray might have read it already.</p>
<p>If you dye your hair make sure the roots aren’t starting to show. Have your nails professionally done. If you blow dry your hair straight consider having a wash and blow dry at a salon the day of the reunion.
Also if Hot is what your looking for skip Chicos.</p>
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<p>amen!!! :D</p>