Ain't No Mom Jeans

Worth The Splurge (Maternity): Isabella Oliver's Grecian Tunic

Have you seen Isabella Oliver's Grecian tunic top?  It retails for $129, and is, in my humble opinion, worth every penny.  And then some.  

I had my eye on this tunic for quite some time, and purchased it the second I found out I was pregnant with #2.  I'm so glad I did.  This tunic was my go-to piece for my first, second, and third trimesters.  It looks amazing dressed up (I wore an exact replica of the pictured outfit many times)...and is so comfortable (and washable) that it quickly became an everyday favorite. 

The low v-neck and large swingy sleeves are flattering to a large pregnant bust and forgive a multitude of upper arm sins.  And the tunic is cut longer in the front, ensuring that your belly is covered...even if yours is an epic size.  (And mine was.)

While the empire-waist left me looking a bit pregnant post-partum, this tunic was still a much more stylish option for those first few weeks when you have tons of visitors, and no one is surprised by your post-partum pooch.  You can also nurse easily in it.

Styling possibilities are endless...but here were my favorite ways to wear it:

Moms Bloggers Dominate the 2011 Weblog Awards

Congratulations 2011 Weblog Award Winners!

No.  Sigh.  That's not us, but Mamas, thank you so for your overwhelming support throughout the Bloggie awards experience.  We are ecstatic that we made it into the finals and we're going back for more next year!

Congrats to Best Fashion & Beauty Blog winner, Go Fug Yourself, seven-year blogging veterans whom we were utterly flattered to call opponents, and to all the mom blogs that represented, especially in "non-mom" categories:

Babyology - Finalist, Best Australian Weblog

Mother, Inc. - Finalist, Best Asian Weblog

Attack of the Redneck Mommy - Winner, Best Canadian Weblog

Her Bad Mother - Finalist, Best Canadian Weblog

Pundit Mom - Finalist, Best Weblog About Politics

Mommy Wants Vodka - Finalist, Most Humorous Weblog and Best Writing of a Weblog

Geek Mom - Finalist, Best New Weblog

Girls Gone Child - Finalist, Lifetime Achievement

And, of course, to The Pioneer Woman, who swept it in a crazy number of categories, including Weblog of the Year, Best Photography of a Weblog, Best Food Weblog, Best Parenting Weblog, Best-Designed Weblog, and as a finalist in the Most Humorous Weblog and Best Writing of a Weblog categories.

Moms positively dominated the 2011 Bloggie Awards.  Do you know what this means!?  Mamas are going mainstream.  Social media has given moms a seat at the table.  We can work and juggle babies and drive minivans (or not) and also be a powerful, loud voice for change, and not just in the aisles of Target. 

Next thing you know, we'll be having rallies, burning mom jeans.  It's a movement ladies, and we're thrilled to be part of it.  We hope you are, too!

- M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Moms Wear: Amy's Fabulous, Flattering Poncho

Amy and I did a closet consultation together last Fall.  In preparation, she had pulled most of her clothes out of her closet.  As we went through the consultation, I noticed this striped poncho hanging in the back.  "Aim, what's this?" I asked.

"Oh, that's just some thing my mom picked up for a couple of bucks at a garage sale.  I don't think I've ever worn it.  It's cashmere, maybe?  Mom always makes it a policy to buy any cashmere pieces she finds at garage sales."

Um.  Good policy.  Not only is this baby cashmere...but it's a Vince cashmere striped poncho that retails for about $300.  Holy Moly.

This poncho can be worn a multitude of ways, but in this case, we paired it with an easy black and gray striped long-sleeve tee, jeans, vintage heels and some of her fun Stella & Dot jewelry (she's a Stella & Dot stylist).  But Amy has also thrown this outfit on with her more comfortable Danskos and still looked adorable.

Whenever we feature poncho-type items, we tend to get comments from moms saying that they like ponchos, but that they are a bit out of their comfort range.  But seriously....just throw 'em on.  With virtually anything.  These things look cute with skinnies, flares, bootcut, etc.  And they are crazy-flattering. Post-partum or pregnant?  Perfection.  Nursing?  You can even go without the nursing cover.

Ponchos are also a perfect transition piece for when you want to ditch the winter coat, but it's still a bit chilly.

xo,

S

 

Try It! Wear Your Long Cardigan As A Dress

You know how when women live together their menstrual cycles synch up?  Well....no sooner had I jotted down a note in my idea file, "try wearing long cardi as a dress"...than Em (our much-loved nanny) showed up in this little number.

Whoa.  We're sartorially synching. 

But seriously - let's discuss.  The looong cardigan?  Try wearing it as a dress.  It can be a bit body-con, but there are a few ways to work around that.

First of all, Em nails it by buttoning up her boyfriend cardigan over leggings and topsiders.  Then tones down the body-con nature of this outfit by finishing with a lightweight army parka. 

Here's another view of her outfit:

Go Buy Now: White, Long-Sleeve Rash Guards (And Tips On Cleaning Them)

"Go Buy Now" is our section dedicated to the stuff that sells out before you even know you critically need it.  As soon as we find out one such crucial item is available, we'll give you a heads up, regardless of the fact that the timing of the content seems absurd.

If we're gonna stick our kids in long-sleeves, on the beach, in 80+ temps...we can do them this small favor and choose a light color.  I'm not sure if you've ever worn a rash guard yourself...but the dark ones get hot. 

And I prefer long-sleeved rash guards simply to reduce the time I spend wrestling sunscreen onto a screaming/running toddler.  (Who is surprisingly fast). 

Lastly, because I'm picky, I prefer plain rash guards.  No puppies, trucks, slogans or brands splashed across the front.  And while I don't mind an occasional surfer dude, it's getting old.

So yeah - the pinnacle of rash guards for toddlers is the plain, white, long-sleeved version.  While the white rash guards are almost exclusively sold for boys (apparently girls don't get hot or sunburned?), I think these white rash guards would be adorable over a little girl bikini or swimsuit.  Nothing wrong with a cute little surfer girl...especially one who's not screaming from sunburn.

Drool-Worthy Flare Jeans For Petite Moms

I've been on a quest to find the perfect pair of flare jeans.  My problem, however, is that while many people lie about their age, I lie about my height.  And while it's one thing to tailor a pair of skinny jeans, tailoring 6" off of a pair of fabulous flare jeans...results in a weird-looking pair of skinnies.  So totally NOT the goal.

And while Gap does have some cute flare jeans that come in a shorter length...I am, as most of you know, a total denim snob.  My bum looks best in high-end denim.  Sadly, many high-end denim brands have ignored us petites.  Favoring, instead, the long-legged model set.  BOOOOOO.

However....I finally found (with Amber's help) THREE pairs of drool-worthy, high-end denim flares for petites!!  And we're talking real flares.  None of this "are you a bootcut, no?  flare? hmmmm..." jean.  These are fabulous, bellbottom-y, flares. 

Beyond the Empire-Waist: The New Shape of Pooch-Hiding Sweaters (Perfect Now and Into Spring)

 After R was born, pooch-hiding was a cinch.  Empire-waisted tanks, sweaters, & tops were everywhere.  This time around?  The whole empire-waist silhouette feels a bit...tired.  Boring, even.  Instead of looking cute and fresh, my trusty empire-waisted tops are just making me look (and feel) pregnant. (It could just be that my pooch is bigger this time around.  But let's not go there, shall we?)

It took me some time, and a bit of trial & error, (shopping research, of course!!)...but the good news is that there is a new silhouette that does a killer job of hiding the pooch.

What Moms Wear: Rachel's Flares, Sneaks, and It-Girl Sunnies

Whole Foods is like a haven for cool moms.  Anyone remember Krista?  Love her.

My newest Whole Foods find is Rachel.  Rachel sauntered into the little Whole Foods in our 'hood (not even the fancy WF in Cherry Creek) wearing her version of sweatpants & sneaks.

Um, yes.  If by sweatpants you mean on-trend, super-soft, wide-leg denim paired with a cashmere sweater, classic converse and gorgeous $400 sunglasses.  And, of course, crazy-adorable children.

So cashmere always drapes well and washes easily, sneaks are totally mom-friendly, but let's talk about her sunglasses.  Her sunglasses elevate her look to a whole new level of chic. I will go so far as to say that all moms would do well with one pair of crazy-amazing sunglasses.

My Spring Babywearing Uniform

I've been wearing the heck out of this outfit.  It's comfortable, goes virtually anywhere thanks to the wellies, and looks good with or without the jacket.

The backpack as diaper bag concept we first explored here... and I'm happy to report that it works as well as I'd hoped, especially when babywearing.  Pax is a chunk (85th percentile, baby) and babywearing with him is a whole different ballgame (R, my first, was in the 5th percentile).  So YES - carting around a diaper bag with the weight equally distributed on my shoulders has been crucial.

But let's talk about the jacket. 

Vote for Ain't No Mom Jeans!

 

Well mamas, we're in the final stretch and the February 20th voting deadline for the 2011 Weblog Awards is fast approaching.  If you haven't already, please, please take a moment to click through and vote for Ain't No Mom Jeans in the Best Fashion & Beauty blog category!