Reader Question:
Okay so I love love love your blog, your advice, and have a question! This summer I realized I officially hate shorts! With a passion! I hated them prior to the babe and hate them even more now. I do however, love skirts…especially Hard Tail roll-over ones - nothing more flattering on a tummy. My question though is what is a late-20s, mom-on-the-go, appropriate jean skirt? Much like you, I am a self proclaimed jean snob but shelling out $200.00 for AG’s Box Skirt (I’ve been stalking it and it never goes on sale) makes me, well more my husband, cringe. I refuse to do true minis but don’t know how I feel about running around in a denim pencil skirt at the playground. Any suggestions?
Thank you! xoxox
Julia
Answer:
Julia, thanks for writing in, and for your kind words on the blog!!
The AG Box Skirt you mentioned (pictured at left) is adorable. But how annoying that it's $200....I can get jeans for that price, and this skirt has roughly half the material! Boooo!
So. You are looking for a jean skirt that is (reasonably) mom-friendly, and less than $200. Got it.
The "less than $200" part is easy - there are a million options. Finding something that's mom-friendly is a bit trickier -- I agree that running around the playground in a denim pencil skirt is...well...humph. Not even sure how to describe. Too fashion-victim? Just plain scary? I mean....you can't even climb the steps to help your kiddo down. So yeah - I think the pencil-skirt-at-playground scenario is out.
Even if we rule out the denim pencil skirt, I think we have several other cool options. Here are my favorites:
Traditional Denim Mini
The Abercrombie & Fitch skirts pictured above aren't quite as fab as the AG Box skirt, but they are pretty cute, and only $50! I go to A&F for my short denim skirts because they are usually cut straight, rather than A-line, so I can order up a few sizes to get skirts that ride a bit lower on my hips, are a little longer in length, and don't wing out in a hugely obvious A-line shape. Some of the charm of the denim mini is that it's a bit tough. Too much A-line can soften the look. Finding the right balance of length and A-line is key.
The skirt on the left is A&F's Lara skirt (which is a couple of inches longer than their other denim minis), and the cool paneled skirt (it looks almost bandage inspired) is the Kiran skirt. Both are $50.
I think the shorter length will give you a slightly wider range of movement than a denim pencil skirt, but short skirts are still tough on the playground. To make this look even more mom-friendly, here's how I'd wear it:
Mom Friendly Denim Mini by aintnomomjeans featuring Old Navy swimwear
Items in this set:
Lara Skirt, $50
Old Navy Womens Bikini Bottoms, $10
Sperry Top-Sider Women's Authentic Original 2-Eye | TheShoeMart
Amazon.com: Nixon Time Teller Lime Watch, $54
Women's tees & knits - basic tees & tanks - Vintage slub polo - J.Crew, $40
Because minis are so bare, I love to pair mine with tops that have more coverage, like a slouchy polo (hello, nursing moms!). I also like the preppy accessories (am loving the orange Sperry Top-Siders and Lime Nixon watch) to keep this look a little more grown-up. But the number one tip to make skirts mom-friendly? Layer over a bikini bottom. You'll have total coverage (even when sitting), and if there is any kind of wardrobe malfunction, you'll still be OK.
Swingy Denim Chambray Skirt
A swingy denim chambray skirt gives you both a longer length, and a wider range of movement, making it more mom-friendly than the traditional denim mini. I'd still wear a bikini bottom underneath...just in case. The lighter weight the chambray the more you are at the mercy of the wind.
Above left is Gap's Pleated Chambray Skirt, $50, and above right is J.Crew's Denim Cavalry Skirt, $60.
Tops tucked into skirts like these will really show off the cool waist details (bows, pleats, etc), but depending on your proportions, a boxier top would also be adorable. (Not to mention easier to hide the pooch). Here's how I'd make mine mom-friendly:
Chambray Skirt by aintnomomjeans featuring TopShop swimwear
Items in this set:
New York & Company - Tops - Nautical Stripe Tee, $20
Frilly Waist Bikini Pant, $16
Women's Clothing: Women's Clothing: Pleated chambray skirt: Skirts..., $50
Shop TOMS Red Bridgeport Linen Classics At TOMS Official Store, 3 DKK
Platforms are cute, but if I were wearing this skirt to the playground, I'd skip the heels in lieu of a comfy pair of TOMS (I love these in red). In case you haven't noticed, I have no ability to resist stripes, so I'm pairing the skirt and with a nautical shirt, but any cute t-shirt would work well with such a feminine skirt. In fact, an old concert tee would be a really cool choice.
And Finally...A Denim Skort
I don't really know what to say about this one. Skorts have always struck me as weird...but now that I have a kiddo, I'm starting to appreciate the inherent usefulness of this item. This particular skort is from Forever 21, and therefore is only $19.80. I'll admit, I'm intrigued. Here's how I'd wear it, if I did decide to wear it. Which I haven't. But I might. Hmmmmm.....
Denim Skort by aintnomomjeans on Polyvore.com
Items in this set:
Rubbish Roll Sleeve Plaid Shirt (Juniors) - View All - Nordstrom, $38
Paul Green 'Estavan' Sandal - Sandals - Nordstrom, $255
Roxy 'Hot Ticket' Fedora - View All - Nordstrom, $26
Forever21.com - Bottoms - 2071299987, $20
Readers - what do you think? Skort, yes? Denim skirts - doable for moms? Or still not that practical? Julia...your thoughts? Have we gotten you over your AG Box Skirt addiction, LOL?
I'm such a shorts-or-boyfriend-jean kinda girl that I don't often go the skirt route for the playground, but now I'm thinking that it might be an option.
xo,
S
