Ain't No Mom Jeans

Can Short-Haired Mamas Look Cute in Winter Hats? The Happiest Mom Tests 'Em Out

Mamas, have your read our round-up of super-stylish winter hats?  Some of the comments we received were from short-haired mamas, noting that hats are tricky (at best) with a super-short haircut.  Reader Erica said: 

I like the idea of adding style via a hat...but don't think they'll work well with my super-short mom hairstyle. :(

Bummer, right?  Then reader Meagan B responded: 

Erica, when I had super short hair I found that I needed to wear a really feminine hat or one with a brim. If you wear a beanie style you can easily be called "Sir" (trust me, it happened to my sister!). 

 Hmmm....where there's a will, there's always a way, right?  But it's clearly a tricky situation.  And I wanted more...proof?  Inspiration?  And it just so happens that Meagan Francis (The Happiest Mom) had somewhat recently cut her hair.  Short.  Really, really short.  And it looks great.  I love how a short hairstyle can be so chic, and in Meagan's case, makes her bright blue eyes pop.

So cute.  And since Meagan is a super-fun, up-for-anything kind of a gal...I emailed, asking if she'd be willing to test out some winter hats.  As a leeetle expirament, if you will. 

Yup.  She was.  And she did.  (OMG LOVE HER)

Reader Question: What to Wear With Bespoke Olive Flats

Having been an English lit girl and lover of period piece cinema, I'll just confess now that I've oft dreamed of hand selecting a bespoke wardrobe (in it, I sit atop a tufted setee, surrounded by bolts of lustrous fabric <sigh. . . >) , so when ANMJ reader Valerie L. wrote in with the uncommon dilemma of styling her custom made olive green ballet flats (pictured at left), my ears perked right up.  She writes:

I'm an Air Force wife stationed in South Korea right now so I had a pair of shoes custom-made for me - olive green ballet flats.  I like them (olive green is one of my most favorite colors), but they didn't turn out ~exactly~ like I had in my mind. I'm at a loss.  What can I wear them with? I don't want to be too match-y match-y. I feel like it might be a delicate balance and with my luck, I'd go the wrong way.

Please help!  What would you recommend?

Mom Street Style - Kate's Perfect Maternity Outfit For Touring Italy....With a Toddler in Tow

Mamas, after all of our joking last week about being shopping enablers, we received this little gem from reader Kate:

I saw today’s post referring to yourselves as shopping enablers and I just couldn’t resist sharing this photo of me and my screaming toddler in front of the Vatican on Christmas Day as evidence of your culpability! Please note that every single item on me was inspired by a post of yours: Plush fleece-lined leggings (absolutely love them), MIA Buckaroo boots (spotted in several of S’s posts - wore them for days trekking around the cobblestones of Rome with absolutely ZERO discomfort!), Michael Stars Calloway Cashmere hat (inspired by your hat suggestions) and over-sized Vero Moda sweater (for disguising my 4 1/2 month pregnancy bump)... so yeah, I think it’s safe to say that you have enabled the you-know-what out of me! And I have to thank you for it! Sometimes I can get a bit lazy with my wardrobe (think gym clothes all day long... hey- it means I'm one step closer to going to the actual gym... right??), but then I see your posts and it gets me back on the wagon. 

I hope you both have the happiest of holidays! And M-- congrats on Alexander. He is so handsome and you look stunning! 

- Kate from Stuttgart, Germany

 

Kate, you look stunning as well!  This is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect maternity outfits I've seen.  It's totally comfy, cute, and has this effortlessly fun vibe...while still be practical enough to chase toddlers in.  LOVE.

Thanks so much for sending the pic and for your very kind words!  Your note made my day...and made me laugh.  :)

xo,

S

 

Warm and Stylish Winter Hats For Moms...a Roundup!

Hats are, hand's down, one of the easiest ways to add style to any outfit.  This pic is of my adorable sister-in-law (mom of three boys, therefore a super-star) rocking a totally adorable hat that I'm STILL coveting, almost a full year later.

So when we received the following question from reader Michelle, I was only too thrilled to hunt for hats: 

Love, love love your blog! Discovered it last week and have been reading all of the articles for this month. Funny, fashionable and relevant! My favorite ones so far are the "How Sleep Trained Us" and "Your Pre-baby Body Called, It's Not Coming Back". Hilarious!

My question is about what kind of winter hat to wear. I feel like I have a big head! Living in Kentucky, it's not tundra cold, but it does get chilly during the winter. I would like to find a cute, warm hat to throw on for days when I don't have a chance to do my hair (which is always with two boys under age 3)! Thanks!

Michelle

Yeah, I feel Michelle's pain.  I, too, have a big head.  However, hats are having a moment right now, so choices abound, which helps when fit is an issue. And don't be shy about checking the men's department - I'm wearing my husband's hat here.

5 Very Cool Ways to Wear a Puffer Vest (And Hide A Poochy Stomach!!)

Try saying this three times fast:  Perfect Post-Partum Paunchy-Pooch Puffers!  Perfect Post-Partum Paunchy-Pooch Puffers!  Perfect-

I'll stop now.

(wearing: On S - J.Crew puffer, Madewell boiler shirt, Levis denim leggings, Mia Bukaroo boots, H&M hat, LOFT skinny belt.....On R - Joe's Jeans, Puma sneaks, Crewcuts v-neck tee, Splendid hoodie, Oakley flannel, 77kids hat....On Little P - Gap flannel-lined jeans and camel jacket, Old Navy hat, Robeez fur boots)

Anywho.  The point is that puffer vests provide some major pooch control.  If you can find a puffer that you can juuuust barely zip up - that's the perfect fit for pooch-taming.  The side view, if you are truly post-partum, will be slightly thicker.  My pooch is almost gone (unless I eat, then Hello, food baby), and so the side view is still not the best:

Four Perfect, Pooch-Hiding, Nursing-Friendly Outfits For Fall (Including Date Night!)

Poochy mamas, rejoice!  This season has a ton of adorable, pooch-hiding tops in store...and the best news?  Not an empire-waist in sight!  

Outfit 1 - Playing at the Park

I tried on the BB Dakota top.  It's like a strange, but sophisticated hoodie that is crazy-comfortable and totally pooch-hiding.  So comfy, in fact, it could easily double as loungewear with these.  Nursing girls, this top easily pulls down for nursing access.

 

 

Post-Partum, Nursing Park Outfit by aintnomomjeans featuring a floppy felt hat

Jack BB Dakota lightweight hoodie
$60 - modcloth.com

 

AG Adriano Goldschmied high waisted skinny jeans
$164 - piperlime.gap.com

 

Socks
$10 - topshop.com

 

Minnetonka boots
$90 - piperlime.gap.com

 

Old Navy floppy felt hat
$20 - oldnavy.gap.com

 

 

Summer Styling: 9 New Ways To Style Shorts and a Simple Tee / Tank

Shorts, especially denim shorts (which we talked about styling last summer), look best with something other than a t-shirt or simple tank.  A silk blouse, an embroidered tunic, a button-down, even a structured jacket or blazer - these are the pieces that pair best with shorts - denim or not.   All You Need Is Style nailed it. Voila...

 

Fabulous, no?  But not necessarily the first thing I reach for when I'm facing a day of hauling/chasing two small boys around in summer heat and humidity.  

My uniform, these days, is almost always shorts and a tee.  Or a tank.  But this uniform can get B-O-R-I-N-G fast, especially towards the end of summer.  And sure...throwing on some jewelry can help...but I wanted something different.

Soooo....here are a few ideas (and a bit of style inspiration) of easy, mom-friendly tweaks to a simple shorts-and-a-tee momiform.  Try one.  Try two.  Try 'em all.  If, however, you manage to get all of these ideas into One Glorious Outfit, you must send us a pic.   

Mom Street Style: Cool Grandma At the Airport

I was in Detroit airport this past week, flying with my two boys.  And the stroller.  And Ergo.  And huge diaper bag.  And R's backpack.  And was racing to make our connecting flight while R screamed for another ride on the train and P was trying to climb out of the Ergo.  So...you know.  No pic.  But oh my goodness, I so hope I look this cool someday.

And in the spirit of full disclosure, I don't really know if she is actually someone's grandmother.  But she was probably in her 70's, with a deeply lined face and a lively step.  She smiled at the boys, despite R's insistence on "NOTHER train ride, Mum!!" so I'm just assuming that she had children at one point.  And she was wearing her sunglasses indoors...and looking rather glamorous, despite her comfortable (yet chic) clothing.  Voila....

 

GrandmasTravelStyle by aintnomomjeans featuring flared leg jeans

 

 

A grandma in a fedora!!  How rockstar is that?  And I love that she matched was was essentially a cheap shopping bag to her shoes - it pulled the whole look together.  Her t-shirt was tucked in, showing a flash of a skinny, braided leather belt, and she had thrown a navy scarf around her neck.  Her blazer was just the comfortable cotton kind - nothing too structured.  I'm totally inspired to rock this look come fall.

I wish I had time to introduce myself and chat.  She seemed just so cool.

xo,

S

ps.  You have until Monday to enter our giveaway!  Adorable Ugg sneaks for the little ones...

Summer Hat Picks for Moms (Wear them Now & into Fall)

My bangs have looked weird lately.  Adrienne, my dear friend (and hair stylist*) pointed out all the new baby hairs along my hairline.  "You had a baby.  Eventually all of your fab pregnancy hair falls out..and then some" she said.  "But it's now starting to grow back in!"

Grrrrrr....

So hello, hats.  It's funny, a year ago a reader wrote in asking for summer hat suggestions, and M and I played hot potato with her email.

You want to do hats?

I could...but it was your idea.

No.  No it really wasn't.  It was a reader's.

Oh.

You want to do hats?

I could....but you seem more excited about it.

No really, I'm not.

No?

No.

Oh.

You want to do hats?

and on and on and on....

Suffice to say, neither of us were really feeling hat-ty last summer.  But between my weird post-partum bangs and the fact that oh, I don't know, HATS ROCK....(seriously M, what was our problem last year?)...I'm hooked on hats.

There are a ton of cute styles to choose from, and really, just grab the one you like best...but I have my eye on two styles in particular:  the fedora and the floppy 70's hat.  

Cover Up In Style - Six Ways to Look Great at the Pool or Beach

Looking good sometimes starts to feel like a New Year's resolution - especially come summer.  I mean, I know what I SHOULD do (*cough* apply self-tanner *cough*), but that doesn't mean I feel like slathering that stinky stuff on after the whole bathing, reading, lotioning, taking back to bed, nursing, crying, taking back to bed, rocking, taking back to bed, repeat 8 more times...craziness we call bedtime.

The point here is that while I'm a firm believer in swimsuit confidence...we all have those days.  And I know I feel a lot more confident (regardless of the state of my white pasty thighs and pooch) when I look good.  Having a go-to pool/beach outfit (yup, I said outfit) is like fake tan...but without the mess or smell.

So before we're in the throes of actual summer, put a little thought into your cover-up & beach bag.  The best pool outfits can go from the beach/pool out to the ice cream shop or around town running errands.

For some inspiration, I had a whole mess of fun putting together six outfits I'm now trying to convince Mike that I need.  (Despite the fact that he bought me this gorgeous one from Calypso last year.  Hmmm...one for everyday of the week? Yes? No.)

Anyway, check it (most everything is under $100...except the sunnies):