Ain't No Mom Jeans

Fall Denim Part 4 of 4 - Skinny Jeans

Skinny jeans are hardly news these days.  I know some of my friends were hoping they were on their way out....but no.  Despite the fact that wide leg and trouser jeans are making another appearance, skinny jeans are still going strong.  With good reason -- they are edgy, sexy, and, in the winter when the ground is covered with snow or slush, immensely practical.  There’s nothing I hate more than coming in from the cold only to have the bottoms of my jeans soaking wet.  A pair of skinny jeans tucked into boots is the cornerstone of my winter uniform.  I do think that all body types can pull off this look.  When skinnys are tucked into boots, the boots provide mass in the ankle region, which offsets mass in the hips/butt region.  My only word of caution is to the faint hearted -- if you go the skinny route, they need to fit all the way up.  There’s nothing more unattractive than skinny jeans that are tight around the ankle and loose on the butt.  We don’t need stuffed sausage tight, but the fabric should actually be touching your skin.   So this fall, if you haven’t tried the skinny, let’s get you in touch with your inner Kate Moss.

Fall Denim Part 3 of 4 - Destroyed Jeans

I am too old to dress like a teenager.  I have been for several years now.  It started when I hit age 27.  I realized that certain styles no longer looked quite...right.  Despite the fact that I’ve never really looked my age, after I hit 27 I no longer wanted to look teenager-y.  Young is OK, illegal is not.  This is an important point to make, because I’ve often heard fashion experts say that ripped or destroyed denim should be left to the younger set.  I disagree.  How you wear this kind of denim makes all of the difference in the world.  And this fall, destroyed denim is back in a big way.   I love this look for moms -- done correctly, it manages to give you a slightly edgy look, like “Yes I am a Rock Star, now watch out before I run you over with my Bugaboo”. 

September 2008 Mom

I loved this outfit.  It was the first time I felt both dressed up and comfy since little man was born.  I'm wearing a Marc Jacobs nylon tote instead of a diaper bag, a flowy DVF strapless dress and long grandpa cardigan.  The dress is loose enough to hide my post-baby belly, and long enough to allow me to bend down to pick up baby (ps. I also wore it while pregnant).  For chillier days, I'll add tall boots and a scarf, for warmer days, flip flops keep the outfit easy, but a gladiator sandal would sex it up a bit.  If you want to make the look even trendier, add a wide belt at the waist.  Here’s a few suggestions for similar items:

Fall Denim Part 2 of 4 - Trouser Jeans

Ah, the Trouser Jean.  One of the easiest and fastest ways to look pulled together in a tshirt and jeans combo.  Trouser jeans add just enough polish to elevate your look a notch, without giving anything up in the comfort department.  The trick is to find Trouser jeans with real Trouser details -- you need more than just a wide leg.  A real Trouser jean should have the wider leg, a slightly higher rise (very mom friendly!), a tabbed waist, front slash pockets, clean back pockets (not jean styled back pockets), and be made out of a thin fabric that drapes nicely.  You want them slightly slouchy -- you should be able to easily put your hands in the slash front pockets.  Trouser jeans come in all kinds of colors, but my favorite pick for fall is a nice dark wash.  Expecting?  There are some amazing trouser maternity jeans on the market.

Fall Denim Part 1 of 4 - The Boyfriend Jean

I love fall - the cool evenings, the crunch of the leaves underfoot, back to school shopping, cozy sweaters, a new pair of boots....and jeans.  Sigh.  The jeans.  I am just SO very excited about the denim options this fall.  We are truly in a time where everything goes -- wide legs, skinnys, bootcut, straight leg.  Often the trend is to channel a specific fashion decade - think the very 70’s look from this summer, or the 50’s dresses that were big a while back.  But this season, the trends are channeling all of the decades -- and mixing decades to create new cool styles.  So pick your favorite denim look and rock it!  In order to help those of you who aren’t quite sure which look you’d like to “rock”, or those of you currently looking for a new look, this month the Ain’t No Mom Jeans blog is going to dedicate each weekly blog to a different denim look.  I’ve chosen the top four denim looks that are both mom friendly and also help to upgrade the mom uniform with an extra dose of cool.  So, if you have found yourself in a bootcut denim rut, keep reading!!