Ain't No Mom Jeans

For Men: A Gift Guide For Moms

Moms - do yourself and your man a favor.  Forward this link to him.

Dads/Partners --
All year long, the mother of your children wipes noses, kisses knees, comforts crying, changes diapers, feeds, hugs and loves your children.  She also has sex with you.  This Christmas, thank her for all that she does by getting her a real gift.  A definition of a real gift is one that, at a minimum, meets the following criteria:  it doesn’t plug in, it doesn’t require batteries, isn’t something that YOU actually want, and wasn’t bought at the mall in desperation on Dec 24th surrounded by other terrified looking men.  To make this easy, we at Ain’t No Mom Jeans have pulled together a list of amazing “real gifts” that will make you look like the hero.  And may even get you laid...whether you’ve been naughty or nice.

Amazing Everyday Jewelry

As any mom will tell you, that delicate little chain from Tiffany’s (the one she used to wear all of the time), rarely makes an appearance when the little ones are around.  Unless you want to be taking it in for repairs on a weekly basis.  And those amazing chandelier earrings?  All it takes is one tug and those earrings end up in the date-night only pile.  But we moms do like to look cute on a daily basis.  To the rescue:  casual, cool but still gift worthy jewelry that can stand up to curious little fingers, teething gums and the occasional tug.

November 2008 Mom

Amanda, our November mom, understands the power of perfect proportions and flow.  While many recommend that if you wear something wide on the bottom (EX: wide leg trousers on Amanda) then you need to wear something slim on top.  While that is a safe approach, I actually think it’s more interesting (and stylish) to wear a piece on top that echos the flow of the pant.  How to get this look right?  Let’s use Amanda as an example:

 Her trouser jeans are nice and wide, and hemmed to the perfect length.  Because of the great lines and tailoring, they look pretty dressy.
 Amanda’s shirt hits right below her hip bones, and the slight A-line of the shirt echos exactly the flow of the trouser jeans.
To keep the outfit looking cohesive, the dark print of the shirt is in the same color tone as the jeans.  Matching your color tones or intensities is a great way to make sure your outfit goes together without looking too match-y match-y.  (NOTE:  This rule can certainly be broken, but it’s a good rule of thumb.  And one I taught to my husband after I caught him leaving for work wearing pale green and dark red....don’t even get me started.)

Bonne Nuit, BPA Plastic Sippy Cups

Not only does plastic not biodegrade, but now studies are coming out about how plastic can be hazardous to your health -- especially babies’.  Why I’m worried about this one small piece of news when my son chews on everything (including an ancient cafe chair at one coffee shop that will remain un-named...his mouth came away black)  is beyond me.  However, upgrading his old sippy cup to a plastic-free SIGG bottle is something that may not make me mother of the year, but makes me feel slightly smug nonetheless.  It also doesn’t hurt that the new SIGG bottles for baby are in the super cool and stylish category.  But really I’m concerned about his health.  Really.

My favorite SIGG baby bottle is the Bonne Nuit mouse (pictured above), but there are a tons of cute choices.  You can also buy sippy-cup like handles if your little one isn’t ready for a water bottle.  They are surprisingly easy for the little ones to drink from.  And they don’t leak.  EVER.  Not even when upside down in your diaper bag.  You can find SIGG bottles in many stores (including Whole Foods), but I found the best selection at http://www.mysigg.com/  However, the frustrating thing is that each SIGG retailer appears to be carrying a different style, so you might want to look around.  The Bonne Nuit mouse is from http://www.getngreen.com.

Each baby SIGG bottle holds .3L and retails for about $18.  The handles are about $6.  www.mysigg.com is offering free shipping for all orders over $30, so get yourself on too.  Especially if you are breastfeeding.  The plastic free bottle will help offset all of that holiday booze and chocolate.

xo, S

Arm Warmers

I have a love-hate relationship with 3/4 length sleeves.   I love them because they are perfect for showing off an amazing cuff bracelet.  I hate them because it’s a warm day (and I would rather wear short or sleeveless) or it’s a cold day, and I’m wishing I put on a full sleeve.  But I love them again because they are arm-flattering - they make your arms look longer and slimmer (and cover up any upper arm flab).  But I hate them again because the are annoying to layer under a long sleeve sweater (the sleeve always bunches).  And, let’s face it, the 3/4 length sleeve has had it’s moment.  So unless you are just coming out of a 4 year shopping freeze, chances are your closet is filled with 3/4 length tshirts, henleys, cardigans and jackets.  So how to revive this slightly tired style, and make it winter appropriate?   Long fingerless gloves.

Ok - I admit, fingerless gloves conjures up images of certain 80’s pop stars, which invariably reminds me of my worst fashion choices ever (big bangs, unflattering high waisted pegged jeans, jelly shoes, etc etc etc)....but WAIT.  Like most things, when something comes back into style, it comes back in a much improved fashion.  Gone is the lace and the scary neon colors.  This time around the look is cozy-cool, and very mom friendly.  Wear these with all of your 3/4 length sleeve shirts or jackets or layer them over a long sleeve T.  It’s an easy way to add a little extra style to your fall wardrobe, and will transition nicely into winter. 

Best Cozy-Cool Winter Coats for Moms

Embrace the winter coat.  There is no easier way to look pulled together than to throw on a really great coat.  This is one item I would advocate spending money on.  You want to stay warm, you’ll wear it every day, and you’ll want it to last (and look great!) all winter long.  To be honest, if you get a good coat, it should last (style-wise and durability-wise) for several seasons. 

When choosing a great winter coat for moms, you need to keep a couple of things in mind:  color and fabric (stains happen - winter white suede is probably not the best choice), warmth (moms spend more time outdoors at the playground, etc), proportion (do you wear heels all day long, or flats?) and finally, style.  A bad coat is an easy way to look dowdy.  Here are few pitfalls to avoid:

•  Sports Teams - your winter coat should not have any  sports team logos on them.  Bad, bad, bad.
•  Ski Jackets -- these are great for skiing or outdoor activities, but if this is your only coat, you need a stylish update
•  Quilted -- I don’t care if it is made by Burberry....these coats are for 60 year old women.
•  Oversized Parka -- unless everything else you are wearing is stylish (think stiletto boots, skinny jeans)...you might as well throw on a pair of mom jeans.
•  Beware of puffer jackets -- yes, they are warm, but the wrong puffer can make you look laaarge

  Watch the hemline -- if all you wear are flats, a long coat, while lady-like, will make you look short (unless, of course, you are model-tall and skinny.  Then wear whatever you want. Bitch.)

In my mind the best winter coats for moms hit at the hip (so they look good with flats), are warm, have a really great flattering shape and have some kind of cool style element - either a great color, pattern, button or other detail.  Read below for my favorite coats of the season.

Found! A Comfortable High Heel Boot!

No really -- it’s like the Holy Grail, I know.  But I found it.  Quite accidentally, actually.  My parents were visiting and one day we ended up at the mall.  When my Mom and I shop, we usually hit Starbucks for coffee, then do the JCrew/Banana/Gap/Ann Taylor circuit, then break for Godiva...but since my Dad was with us, we went to the Clarks store.  You know Clarks -- they make comfy dress shoes for old men.  My Dad wore Clarks to work almost every day before he retired.   Imagine my surprise when we entered the store...and saw scores of cute shoes for women!  Shoes...for...women...that were actually CUTE.  At Clarks.  But the one pair that made my heart beat fast....was the Somers. 

They are booties, actually.  Which means that NOT ONLY will they look cute with any great pair of jeans, but they will especially shine when worn with skinny jeans, or skirts.  The heel is a reasonable 2.5” chunky heel, they have enough detail to stand out, and they come in my very favorite color for shoes: Stone.  Seriously.  This beige-y color goes equally well with brown or black tones and just looks so sophisticated.  However, if you want to wear these as part of the skirt-black tights-bootie combo that is so big right now AND you have short legs, stick to the black.  I’d skip the brown altogether.   And they look and feel like you paid much more than the $130 listed on the price tag.  Thank you, Dad.

xo, S