Ain't No Mom Jeans

A Tale of Two Playground Moms

I was at the playground with little man.  He’s too little to do anything except watch - which he loves.  He could watch kids run around all day.  It gives me a good chance to watch also, and look for style tips from the other moms.  There was the usual contingent of moms wearing workout gear (which I don’t love, unless you are actually just finishing a workout...but hey -- it happens), a couple of moms in t-shirts with animals on them (never do this - never ever do this) and two moms who had obviously spent time getting ready.  Let’s call them Mom A and Mom B. 

Mom B was wearing a perfectly matched outfit:  brown tank with ruching, brown shorts with a pink flower embroidered on the leg, brown flip flops, and a matching pink flower in her hair.  She had lipstick and eye makeup on and her hair was down, with the flower tucked in.  The overall effect was very....overdone.  And too young. 

Mom A was also wearing shorts and a tank top.  She was wearing long-ish flat front shorts in bright yellow, a plain white tank top and patterned flats.  She had her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and was wearing lipgloss.  She looked fantastic.  Not too fussy, but stylish and cute.

So...what made the difference?  Why did Mom A look so much better in her version of tshirt ‘n shorts?  Mom B made three key mistakes:
Mistake One:  Mom B’s first mistake was pairing a very done, dressy hair and lots of makeup with a very casual outfit.  Shorts and flipflops are very, very casual.  Eye makeup, lipstick, and done hair are not. 
Mistake Two:  Let’s call this mistake a matching overload.  I often like monochromatic outfits (slimming, can make you look taller), but in order to pull it off, you really need to vary the texture, and the overall effect is often dressy, not playground worthy.  Think a drapey brown merino sweater paired with brown flat front shorts and heels.  
Mistake Three:  Her third and final mistake was to add accessories that were simply too young.  The flower embroidery on the shorts was reminiscent of the little girl jeans you can buy at Target with flower patches (pictured above).   And wearing a flower in your hair is OK - as long as the hairstyle is sleek enough to pull it off.  Mom A could’ve easily thrown a flower pinned to her ponytail.

So...how to fix Mom B’s outfit?  First, keep the brown ruched tank and flip-flops.  Replace the embroidered shorts with plain, flat front shorts in khaki, navy, army green or even a bright burgundy.  Ditch the eye makeup and lipstick for something more subtle.  She can keep her hair down, but pin the flower to her belt.

To recreate Mom A’s outfit, or Mom B’s new outfit, here are a few ideas (click on any link or photo to be taken to the website to buy):

Mom A’s Outfit
 

1. Chino 9” short in sour lemon at JCrew
2. Perfect Fit Tank in white at JCrew
3. Printed ballet flats in fuschia at JCrew

Mom B’s New Outfit

1. Tank with Crochet Trim in brown at Target
2. Rolled Cuff Shorts in butter at Target
3. Chiffon Rosette Belt in navy at Jcrew
4. Havaianas Slim Flip Flops in brown at flipflopstyle.com

xo, S

Upgrade the Basics -- Pick a Drapey Tee

And by drapey, I don’t mean the oversized tee in XXXL that was given to you for free at the last conference you attended.  Also to be ruled out are tees that are given out on race day, or God forbid, any tee that says “Hard Rock Cafe” or “Planet Hollywood”.  The tees I’m talking about come from a different planet completely. 

Upgrading your standard tee to a drapey tee is a great way to infuse a little style into the tshirt-n-jeans mom uniform.  Drapey tees will float over the body, hugging in just the right places, hiding flaws and will make you feel just a little bit sexier.  The ideal drapey tee shouldn’t be 100% cotton (usually doesn’t drape well - but there are exceptions), and it should be machine washable. 

Here are two of my favorite drapey tees available online now:

Both drapey tees above come from the Simply Vera by Vera Wang collection at Kohls (click on the photos to be taken to the Kohls website - both are available online).  I like the fact that she used two different fabrics to make each a little bit special, and both will conceal a pouchy stomach. 

Styling Tips:

The tee on the left is not a good choice for breast-feeding mothers, or anyone who is very large on top (boobs, arms, etc).  For the rest of you, this top would look amazing over skinny jeans and flats - either flat metallic sandals, flip-flops or basic ballet flats.  You could also pair this top with straight leg jeans and a cute neutral sneaker.  The sneaker would ideally be something lighter - think something from Ked’s new line - and nothing too athletic looking.

The tee on the right would work for a variety of moms - it covers ugly nursing bra straps, lifts up easily, and the light color helps to hide spit up.  I would actually pair this tee with some low slung jeans, tuck it in and throw on a belt.  Shoe guidance would be the same for this tee -- metallic flats or sandals - or, even better - a cute sneak with a flash of silver on it somewhere.

xo, S

 

August 2008 Mom

This is my mom in 1975, in what is now considered vintage.  I actually have those shorts.  It’s August, it’s hot, and summer style should be easy.  Throw on a cute tank, shorts, sandals.  Done.  This summer, style is looking reminiscent of ‘70s fashion, so I thought a real-life ‘70s example would be good.  The daisy dukes are cute (and they are cute again now), the sandals give a very ‘70s vibe, and the oversize zip sweatshirt thrown over a little tank keeps the outfit from being too revealing.  A perfect blend of casual-cool, not trying-too-hard-with-lots-of-skin (and avoid the comparison to Lindsey and Britney).  Just remember to keep the colors simple, and the top not skintight.  You want to go in a chic, vintage-y direction, not like you raided your teenage daughter’s closet. 

ps.  She’s pregnant in this photo.  This look works for pregnant, post-baby belly and otherwise.

Ideas to recreate are below:

1.  Daisy Dukes -- don’t buy these.  Just find some cute fitting jeans at a second hand store, chop them off and wash them. 
2. American Apparel makes great zip hoodies (pictured below).  If you are small, you can probably get the same vibe as the photo with the women’s version...if not, try the men’s.
3. The good news is that these types of shoes are very comfortable.  For a real ‘70s vibe, try the Elba Sandal at Nordstroms for $185 (below left).  A cheaper option would be the Birkenstock Madrid, at $70 (below middle).  If you are a real shoe hound, I think the Sam Edelman Gemmas (below right) ($99) at Piperlime.com would be completely amazing.