New baby. Sick baby. Sick Mom. New Mom. Blizzard. Freezing temps. Crazy morning. No sleep last night. Whatever the reason...there are days we never venture outside. And in the winter, these days can start to pile-up. Contending with cabin fever is bad enough, but too many days spent in pajamas and no-makeup? Horror.
In all seriousness, nothing plummets my self-esteem like the combination of poochy post-partum stomach + saggy sweatpant bum + no makeup.
UGH.
Obviously, slicking on a little blush can do wonders, but I've found that I'm a happier trapped-in-the-house-mum when I'm wearing cute loungewear. To me, cute loungewear must be insanely comfortable (for me, leggings are out..too much tightness bugs me after a while), warm, and most importantly, make our bums look cute. (Ability to nurse is also one of my current requirements...so I included a few options below).
Here we go....
Get Good Loungepants
Let's get right to the heart of the matter: It all comes down to the bum. Saggy bum? You could be wearing high-heels and a bustier and still feel dowdy. Loungepants must make your bum look cute. AND they must retain bum-cuteness through many, many wearings, being dropped on the floor, etc. If the lougepant requires washing after each wear to retain it's shape...pffft! NO.
The best loungepant for achieving and retaining a cute bum? Argh! I hate to even say it...but it's Juicy. Wait! Wait! Let me explain!! I, along with a million other 20-somethings, had a Juicy tracksuit years ago and wore it until it was literally threadbare. But after my husband burned it I had to retire it (RIP my sweet)...I never replaced it. Mainly because I was over the whole Juicy tracksuit thing. I then tried many, many other loungepant options in jersey, fleece, and countless blends by companies like Splendid, LA Made, J. Crew, Madewell and a few others...but invariably, after one wearing (in some cases, after just an hour or so)....the saggy bum would strike back. So I'm back. Back to the velour.
The good news is that Juicy loungepants are available in a multitude of plain colors, now often on sale, and can even be found on eBay (some for under $20, people). Also, the company So Low has started getting into the velour/terry trend, and are currently making my very favorite loungepant (pictured above): the Button Front Tab Pant. This is actually one of my very favorite gift ideas for new moms.
(NOTE: Tight, stretchy yoga pants might be a contender to the nice Juicy bum...but I personally can't stand wearing tight clothes when I'm lounging.)
So that's my case in support of the velour track pant. It's all about the bum. Readers, are there any others you love?
Add a Scarf
It's like blush, you instantly look better. Tie the ends together to make your own infinity scarf, or just wrap it around and tuck in the ends (which is what I did in the pic at right). Cute, lightweight scarves can be found at virtually all price points. (Scarf pictured was $9 at Younkers, of all places). For lounging indoors, I'd stick to lightweight, cottony scarves. Skip anything woolly.
Try an Updated Sweatshirt
We first talked about the drapy wonderfulness of the new sweatshirts here. Now they are even thinner, many have nursing-friendly necklines, dolman sleeves, and are crazy-flattering on post-partum bodies. Here's a cute lounging look based on an updated sweatshirt:
On Sale Cashmere-as-Loungewear
There is nothing better for lounging than cashmere. It's soft, drapes well, and is machine-washable (air dry, though). When looking for a cozy sweater to lounge in, you can relax your fit and color standards. I get my loungin' sweaters at the end of the season, on sale, several sizes too big, and in whatever color is left over. If you are a thrifter, this would be a good item to try and find.
"Borrow" Your Man's Sweater
Or just buy from the men's selection. Look for lightweight cashmere or fine merino wool. Again, oversized is fine - the fabric will drape well. This option is especially good for those of you not totally opposed to lounging in leggings.
$138 - revolveclothing.com
Elastic waist pants »
It's starting to snow...again. I know I shouldn't complain - Denver has gotten 1/16th the snow compared to most of the country. And besides, I have my hot chocolate ready to go, my blush, and cute loungewear. I love when a day indoors feels luxurious, not depressing. If only I could figure out how to take a bubble bath.....yeeeaaah....that's soooo not gonna happen.
xo,
S
