Ain't No Mom Jeans

Reader Q | Recommendations for Flirty Yet Modest Summertime Dressing?

Mamas, when we received the following reader question about modest summertime dressing, I was stumped.  There are many words to describe my style....but modest isn't one of them.  Most of the time my bra is hanging out (even my work shirts tend to be low), my shorts are usually inches away from dangerous territory, and I'm generally confused by the boobs or legs rule and usually end up going with both.  TA DAAAA!

My theory?  Flat shoes make up for a lot of skin.

But I had the best of intentions, Mamas.  I thought about the modest question and was all "oooo, maybe I'll try dressing modestly for ONE WHOLE WEEK!  I'll do a fashion experiment, blah, blah..."  So I busted out some turtlenecks and gypsy skirts and mom capris and then - THANKFULLY - saw an email from Style With Shannon.  Fellow mom-blogger Shannon specializes in modest fashion and was happy to take a crack at our reader's question.  And guess what?  Her style is fabulous, flirty, fun...and modest?  Crazy, I know. 

Reader Question:

I'm an LDS (aka: Mormon) mommy of three little cuties.  Our religion is a strong advocate of modesty (not too high, not too see-through, not too low), in a world that's not-so-modest. Hence my dilemma.  I wholeheartedly support modesty, but my advocacy doesn't make it ANY easier finding cute, stylish mommy gear.  I LOVE your style!  And while most of it I can wear, some things I can't... like super-low (way cute, btw) v-neck shirts.  And yet, I know those shirts are also very flattering to a small chest (another problem of mine)... so what's the compromise?  I hate the look of your basic white t-shirt under a v-neck shirt--it's so lame!  Where I live, that is what we Mormon Mommies are subjected to day in and day out, especially come summer, and it's getting out of control!  Away with the underneath shirts I say!  And while we're at it: Boo to khaki cargo capris!

Help the Mormon Mommies think outside of the box! :)

Sincerely,

Modestly Frustrated.

 

Shannon's Answer:

Being a modest dresser myself I can understand how hard it is to find something stylish and covered up in the summer! But I do have a few tips on how to stay cool and look stylish at the same time.

1. Layering

 Ok, living in Utah I know what you are talking about with the white "Shade" shirts that EVERYONE wears under EVERYTHING. Instead, try a collared shirt under a sleeveless dress.

Mom Street Style | My Mama

Mamas, meet my mama.  She taught me how to love.  She taught me how to laugh.  She taught me how to pass on a two-lane highway, how to do my own laundry and how to walk away from boys who weren't very nice.  And she taught me how to dress.

So when she popped over last week on one of these 95+ degree days we've been having, looking cool and crisp in this effortlessly posh and oh-so-current shirt dress, I knew it was high time to feature Babs here on ANMJ Mom Street Style.  She's wearing an unknown maker gingham shirt dress, Chanel sunnies, sliver wedge Clark's sandals and an LV Palermo GM bag I've been coveting like crazy.

Shirt dresses are having yet another major moment.  They're practically papered over every collection this year, and this versatile, preppy staple is a great counterpoint to less structured summer dresses, confusing capris and shorts. 

Whether you're at work, running around town with the babes or meeting up with the fam for brunch, it's almost impossible to go wrong with a shirt dress.  And with the addition of a belted cardi or slim cut jacket and boots, it will take you through three seasons.  For a less conventional take, pair a shirt dress with a slouchy bag, shortie boots and a low slung belt.

 

- M.

 

Enjoy Your Last July Weekend...

 

Oh Mamas.  We have been having so much fun.  There's just something ah-mazing about summer.  Perhaps it's the lack of responsibility, or just the sense that these unscheduled days are fleeting...but we've been thoroughly enjoying our days.  The downside?  Bedtime is 11PM.  11PM!!!  IknowIknowIknow!  In my defense, we're so far north (U.P. what-what) that the sun doesn't set until after 10PM.  Thankfully, both boys are rolling with it for the most part, so I've decided not to stress too much (even while I try to inch it back to something less crazytown).  

My sister gets married next weekend, so things will start to get crazy for us.  Happily, Mike will fly in again for the wedding.  We have MISSED him.  The next time you hear from me, I'll hopefully have some adorable pics to share (R is the ringbearer....think bow-tie, suspenders and a fedora.  Yessssss.)

Some good stuff:

Love this mom & daughter pic that the Sartorialist captured.  

The Style Bakery has recommendations for the best strapless bras for full busts.

You know those ugly plastic cars for kids?  They are usually bright red and yellow, and work like Flinstone cars?  Yes?  The Rookie Moms have a solution to make them cooler.  It's hysterical.  Yet brilliant.

Still looking for a swimsuit?  Girl's Gone Child covered some awesome post-partum friendly suits...and ANMJ favorite Sirens Swimwear has just restocked their fab line of retro suits and bikinis.

This post on Design Mom inspired me to set up a Pinterest board on the best pjs and loungewear.  This Mamas luuvs her jammies.  Let me know if you find anything gorgeous. 

Carrie from the Parenting Passageway wrote an article that brought tears to my eyes: I Hate The Mother that I Am.  Once I became a mother of two (and/or once R turned three - they happened simultaneously) being a mum became so much harder.  There have certainly been times I've watched myself handle situations with my boys and thought WTH?  Who am I?  FOR SHAME.  Carrie speaks from such a place of love and encouragement that I find myself buoyed by her words.  Certainly worth a read on those darker days of motherhood.

Are you getting Olympic fever?  Me too.  I'm loving Gap's vintage Olympic tees.  The women's version is surprisingly drapey and flattering (and Paris ahhhhh)...but I'm also loving the ones for little boys. Tokyo is my fav.

 Go USA!

xo,

S

Giveaway: An Effortlessly Cool Bauble from A Common Thread

Mamas, allow me to introduce my new favorite jewelry designer, Stefanie from A Common Thread.  Stefanie is based in Brooklyn, and makes all of jewelry by hand.  Her ascetic is one part minimalist, one part vintage, and one part sofreakingcool.

I've been wearing her Peter Pan Collar Necklace everywhere - to work, date night, even out with the kiddos (it won't break).

 

Even better?  She's shockingly affordable.  M's first response after perusing her shop? "She should start charging more!  I LOVE."  My necklace (and most others) can be had for $40.  Seriously, Mamas.  Gorgeous little baubles like these...all $40 or under:

Clockwise from top left:

Onyx Triangle Necklace | Delicate Silk Necklace in Red | Brass Bar Necklace | Silver Bird Bracelet | Whistle Statement Necklace | Crochet Rope Necklace with Metal Fringe

Check out her shop.  Everything is fabulous.

Stefanie is offering our readers a giveaway!  A $40 credit to her shop!  Which would pretty much get you...almost anything.  Or a couple-a-somethin'.  

To enter, leave a comment on our Facebook page (or below, if you must...) telling us which of Stefanie's baubles you'd most like to win!

xo,

S

**UPDATE:  The giveaway is now closed! Congrats to our winner, Maggie K-M!!**

Reader Q | What An Engineer Wears To Work in the Summer

Mamas, I recieved this email from reader Tracy:

Here's my challenge.  I'm an aerospace systems engineer (yes, you MAY call me Madame Rocket Scientist) in Pasadena, CA and I have no idea what to wear to work when the weather gets hot.  Oh, did I mention California?  Yes, it will be 80-105 degrees here from now until November.  That's half a year by my Excel spreadsheet calculations.  My workplace is actually pretty casual, but the managers certainly dress nicer, and I've always heard you should dress like who you aspire to be at work.  So, what to wear when skin is in season at the beach/park, but no so for those of us sweltering in their desk chair? Cut-offs, short skirts, flip flops, maxi dresses (any that scream "I'd rather be on a tropical island than here in this meeting with all of you!), bare arms, etc. are really not options.  And, I am of course up to my elbows in mommy-mode (and other disgustingness) immediately before and after work so everything has to be kiddo friendly. 

 

Tracy, I have a soft spot in my heart for geeks.  Geeks who mention aerospace, spreadsheets and fashion?  We should be BFFs.

As you know, engineering is a funny field from a dress-code perspective.  It's not as conservative, as, say, some crusty old law firm, but neither is it consider creative, like marketing or a hip ad agency.  And while my company flirted with a denim dress code in the heady dot-com days, the pendulum seems to be swinging back to fairly conservative roots. 

Personally, I tend to favor a professional look, with touches of casual ease thrown in (especially in the summer).  Here's a weeks worth of outfits:

MONDAY:  Cheap, Modest, Summer Dresses

(wearing:  Target dress, J. Crew belt, Marc Jacobs heels)

A few of my favorite places to find cotton summer dresses include Target, Shabby Apple, Modcloth, and  Forever 21.  Look for classic cuts with a bit of a sleeve in dark, conservative colors.  I keep them professional with belts and closed-toe heels, and add cardigans (or blazers) to battle the air conditioning.  The second I leave work I strip off the outer layer, and just run around in what is really just a cheap little cotton summer dress.  Sometimes I'll even change into flip-flops.  

NOTE:  When buying cheap, you sometimes sacrifice fit.  The Target dress above cost me $24, plus another $40 in alterations.  Considering how many times I've worn what became a $64 dress, the CPW (cost-per-wear) is still in the pennies.

 

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Picks

This is a little embarrassing.  S. and I discussed a top-five list from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale preview, and as I poured over the catalog, I just.  Couldn't.  Stop.  Which isn't really news, since this is the sale, all year long, that I truly look forward to. 

Fall is all about the details: texture, pattern and rich, saturated colors.  And as usual, Nordstrom doesn't hold out for the Anniversary sale--everything is spot on.  Well played, Nordies.  Well played (again). 

So. . . this list is well over 10.  We're especially loving short booties, fancy pants, textured accessories and more affordable splurge items for the kiddos.  Make the jump to take a peek at our picks! 

1 Piece, 3 Easy Ways For Mamas: The Bandage Mini

Now before you start rolling your eyes, I do realize that a short, tight mini skirt doesn't, at first blush, sound like something you'd throw on while kiddo-wrangling.  I get that.  But, if you recall Em's wise words in How to Rock Skirts With a Toddler Underfoot:

Short skirts can work...but watch the flowiness.  The shorter the skirt, the easier the wind flips it up...or the kiddos will want to hide in it.

With a bandage mini, there is no flowiness.  Literally ZERO.  And they are miraculously flattering on multiple body types:  Wear 'em high to show off curves, or low around your hips with a voluminous blouse to hide a pooch.  Also?  They can be had for cheap.  For reals cheap.  I have two.  My big splurge (Target) was $14.  But my Forever 21 number?  $7, Mamas.  Seriously. 

I think the keys to wearing these skirts while playing with the kiddos are:

• Keep it casual (you only paid, like, $10 for the thing)
• Wear swimsuit bottoms underneath for major playtime

If you've been following my instagram feed (@shanachristine) you've already seen my pink Target mini at the Bryn Mawr farmers market.  Here are three other ways I've been wearing it:

1. As A Beach Cover-Up....When You Want Something Outfit-y

 (wearing: Target skirt - similar, Gap factory top, J.Crew bikini, Reef flip-flops)

Whether you are running errands before/after beach-going, or headed out to a pool party with a confusing dress code, bandage skirts are pretty awesome as a swimsuit cover-up.  Pair with a top in a similar hue, and it feels almost like a dress.

And if the skirt gets wet at the beach?  It's cheap. Nobody cares.

Vacation Withdrawal

Oh how looooong the week back from vacation can seem!  We had a dynamite trip to Dave’s home state of Michigan, and it’s hard to get back in the groove after having so much relaxation and entertainment wrapped up into 10 days—what with older cousins entertaining our kids non-stop, jumping off of boats into crystalline lakes, running down mind-blowingly huge sand dunes and having time with friends and family, not to mention fireworks and a ladies-night jaunt to see Magic Mike (awesome and not at all squicky sitting next to your MIL through that one!).

Reader Question | Cross Body Handbags

Reader Question:

After having my third child last summer and said child is now running around (trying desperately to run as fast as the other two, I might add) I literally cannot carry anything on my shoulder and wrangle my trio.  But I NEED my purse, right?  

So...can you guys do a post on cross body handbags?  I haven't seen one yet and I would really like your style take on what's available.  As for me, personally, I walk everywhere, so comfort is important...and on days when we dart out for a quick errand, a cross body that is large enough for a diaper/wipes/outfit change wouldn't hurt either!

 

- Elana

Answer:

Elana!  Don't get me started on handbags.  They're my kryptonite, and Hubs does not appreciate giving up yet more shelf space for the collection (or the credit card bill said collection produces), but I do hear ya' on needing your hands free at all times with three babes in the mix, and my third isn't even walking (much less running) yet.

There just seem to be a lot of gyroscopic moving parts these days--once we finally manage to wrangle ourselves into the car, I find myself breathlessly counting them OCD-style (1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, "Henry, is the baby in the car with us?").  But it just so happens that I do believe something as simple as a handbag can help establish a modicum of sanity, even during these crazy days of early child rearing. 

Mom Street Style | Hipster Cruiser Mom

I may have mentioned this before, but, I have to tell you again: I have serious Mom Street Style issues.  I’m not sure if you’ve ever had to confront people to talk to them on the street before, but (despite the fact that they are without fail pleasantly surprised, flattered and delighted), it is still super-difficult to work up the nerve to confront fabulous-looking mamas, but I see so many of them. 

As such, from time-to-time I’ll throw together a Polyvore collage to illustrate said fabulousness.  Like this one, inspired by a hipster mama I saw riding her cruiser (with her babe on the back) around our neighborhood, on her way to the best burger joint in town.

She was perfectly dressed for cruising on the rare brisk early summer day here, with a jaunty tilt to her fedora and a perfectly mussed low bun.  At once a bit retro and very now.  Adorable, and—whilst I was juggling three babes a hungry/cranky husband and a thirsty dog on the patio—totally unapproachable : )

 

Cruiser Mom by dynamama featuring boyfriend jeans

This ensemble may be a bit warm for July and August, but I’ll file it for next spring and switch out a felted fedora, darker jacket and tweed TOMS for fall.

Happy cruising!

- M.