Ain't No Mom Jeans

Friday Fun (And Reader Finds!!)

WOOT WOOT Weekend, Mamas!  The last two weeks have been very, very long.  I have been inexplicably sick (with a cold!  It's just a cold!) for over two solid weeks.  This nasty virus has robbed me of motivation, sucked me of enthusiasm, and taken my patience out for a looong vacation.  Grrrrrrr.

Even my kids have been attempting to cheer me up.  "Mom, it's OK!" Raines said to me yesterday.  "You're the best mom EVER EVER...even if you're always grumpy!"

Awesome.  Let's put that on a mug for Mother's Day, shall we?  "World's Greatest Always-Grumpy Mom!"

(NOTE:  Mike, you had better freaking NOT.  Just so we're clear.)

So.  For this issue of Friday Fun, I have exactly ONE find.  Happily you, lovely Mamas, have been doing a little shopping while I've been sniffling, and have been emailing me all sorts of fun finds.  

Stephanie is pregnant and is wondering if this pair of silky, printed, elastic-waist pants from Anthropologie would be rad, or bad?  Call me crazy....but I kinda love them.  Add a white tee and flat, metallic sandals, and WOW.  Summer perfection.  Either color is gorgeous, but I'm leaning to...pink?   

Helen writes:

After moving to New Jersey from LA in January I was looking for a long sleeved dress that is relatively warm, nursing friendly and pretty enough for a date night.   I stumbled upon your post about affordable dresses on Zappos, and that's how I discovered the Patagonia brand dresses. I ended up buying two of them!

Helen ended up with Patagonia's Bay Laural Wrap Dress in black (currently on sale for $36!!), and the sleeveless Margot dress (also on sale for $36).  They are both nursing friendly, and Helen reports that they can also help disguise a small pooch, as well.

Belinda's been on the hunt for the perfect boyfriend jean, and thinks she found them.  I agree!

Heidi makes a pretty convincing CPW (cost-per-wear) argument for this gorgeous maxi dress:

I really, really loved your style resolutions for 2013 article a few months back, and thanks to you I have the beginnings of a decent wardrobe that's not full of things that sort-of-but-not-quite-fit for the first time in five years!

I love, love, loved the gray maxidress you featured two years ago, but couldn't find it anywhere when I started looking for something to wear this summer. I live in Jordan right now, and it's already 80 here most days so summer starts a bit earlier for me. A few years ago I would have bought a couple of dresses that I sort of liked from Old Navy and never have felt good about them...but I remembered your point about cost-per-wear and held out until I found something I loved. And I did! This maxi dress from Shopbop is exactly what I was looking for: beautiful drape, pooch-hiding blouson top, modest enough that I can get away with wearing it here in the Middle East, but still sexy thanks to the V-neck and the drape of the skirt.

Instead of a half dozen crappy dresses, I have one that I truly love and that makes me feel beautiful.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for encouraging women like me to find what makes us feel good about ourselves and giving us pointers as to how to get there!

Yay, Heidi!  Love this!

Jenny found a fleece moto jacket in taupe.  Yessssssss!  Only smalls are left, but they're on sale for $40!

Patricia has me dying for this scarf....so Lem-Lem-ish, yet roughly half the cost...

And lastly...my one lone contribution:

I love this shirt.  Pooch-hiding, nursing-friendly perfection.  Sadly, I did not buy it.  Yup - too grumpy.

 

Here's to a weekend without tissues, red noses or phelgm!  

Wow.  And here's to never having to hear the word 'phelgm' on this blog ever, ever again.

Now I'm off to find my Kindle.  My sister got me hooked on Game of Thrones during my long two-week lie-in....and I'm totally hooked.  (Although, I may never sleep peacefully again.)

What are you doing this weekend?  Something fun, I hope?

xoxo,

S

 

 

Pair These Seven Pieces With Boring Basics To Nail That Pesky "Dressy-Casual" Look

Mamas, this article was inspired by a question I received from Martha.  She wrote:

I recently discovered your blog and I am loving the inspiration to step up my mom style a bit, and ideas for putting more personality into my basics. I'm realizing, though, that I have a weird gap in my wardrobe. I have plenty of casual mom clothes (jeans, basic tees and sweaters, comfy shoes). My work wardrobe for a casual but conservative engineering office is jeans, cords, or cotton pants, "boring sweaters", and flats or conservative boots. And I love the rare opportunity to rock a cute dress and strappy heels. But for some strange reason, even before I had kids, I've struggled with what to wear for a dressy-casual night out, like to a restaurant or parties with other "grown ups". 

It's true!  Dressing way up is easy: dress, shoes, clutch, done.  Wearing yoga pants is easy.  But nailing the dressy-casual vibe in an effortless way is tough.  It's easy to go overboard and end up with something that feels too fussy, too "done".  Or, on the other side (like at a business casual office) you end up wearing all solid-color basics.  Snore.  

In the past, I've done both.  Neither is fun, neither feel like "me".  But there are a few pieces that I find myself reaching for time-and-time again, whenever I'm in the dressy-casual zone, be it work or Play* related.  Keep reading to see both the list, and how I'm mixing up my own pieces.

(Play = Big Girl playtime and involves cocktails, play = kiddo play and involves dirt)

 

Stylemint Nicholls Blazer | Mango Lace Tee | Ann Taylor Floral Blouse | M Missoni Skirt | Topshop Check Trousers | Steve Madden Instantt Ankle Booties | Calvin Klein Pumps

 

 

Keep reading for a full explanation of the list, as well as some example pics of how I've been mixing pieces like these...

Weekend Inspiration. Yay.

Reader Emily clued us in on a little fun fact about Topshop:  they obviously love our name. 

Topshop, I love that you love it, but I can't get behind your message.  Or rather, more specifically, the length of that zipper.  Just...no.  Nope.  Have fun with that.  

Sorry to kick your weekend off with a crotch-shot, Mamas.  (It's hard not to stare, isn't it?  So inexplicably loooong....) but here are a few fun things I've been wanting to share:

Jennifer Garner is really stepping up her momiform game.  Oxfords and well-fitting skinnies?  Yay, Jen!

Rugged boots + winter white denim?  I'm dying to recreate this look.

We're not the only ones with leggings on the brain.  Refinery 29 shows 5 cool ways to upgrade your leggings and Sarah Jessica Parker solves the pants/no pants problem by rocking thin black cords that look a whole lot like leggings.  But are pants.

Shopbop has the best advice for making your workout gear look chic.  I do this more days than I care to admit.  :)

The Rookie Moms love cute winter coats, and want you to love them too.  Here's why.   

I'm going to give the Coconut Hot Chocolate on a Cup of Jo a try.  (Mine will also have rum.)

Also, you may have missed a few of our articles over on Mom.me:

Here's how to Dress Around a C-Section Scar

A week's worth of outfits that all do double duty (work date then playdate, gym than errands, etc.)

Styling Tips for New Moms 

Lastly, our Holiday Style Guide has outfits for any age and stage...and might work well for a festive Valentine's Day.

What are your plans for the weekend?  We're going to take the boys to see the Arden Theater's production of Cinderella.  I hear it's a great twist on the classic - no poufy dresses or simple happily ever afters.  We can't wait.  

Have a wonderful weekend, Mamas!

xo,

S

Reader Q | How To Wear Clark's Desert Booties (For WOMEN)

Mamas, in the last few months, I've received several emails/comments about Clark's classic desert booties.  Readers want to know how to wear them, if they are versatile, and most importantly, if they are comfortable.  Reader Amanda wrote:

I was just wondering if you've ever reconsidered getting a pair of Clarks Desert Boots (I just read your post where your husband got them and you decided against them for that reason).  For some reason I'm really drawn to them but I'm not sure how I would wear them.  My first instinct would be to wear them with rolled boyfriend or skinny jeans...but then I wonder if that would look too masculine.  I tried to search for styling ideas and I'm not coming up with much of anything...maybe that means I should nix the idea and buy another style of bootie or ankle boot? 

This email was quickly followed by one from reader Dana:

I've been coveting these for awhile, but I'm not finding much style inspiration on the web. I'm mostly seeing pictures of men wearing Clarks, which of course makes me think that maybe I should just return them and look for a different style of ankle boot.

Amanda and Dana are so right.  If you try to google "desert boot" or even "desert boot women"...hardly anything shows up.  Like...no women.  No women at all.  So.  Challenged accepted!!  (Happily, Clarks was willing to send me a pair, gratis.  Thank you Clarks!!)

But here's the thing:  My plan was to receive the boots, then spend countless hours in front of my mirror, perfecting three/four outfits that best showed off the boot.  If all went well, I'd write some slick article about how best to wear Clark's Desert Booties.  Instead...they arrived.  I tried them on.  I fell in love and wore them everywhere.  End of story.

So.  Instead of some "best of" article...here's the (roughly one billion) ways I've been wearing my Clark's.

Reader Question | How to Style Frye Moto Boots - Prettily

Reader Question:

Ladies,

Last fall I fell under the spell of one of your posts and ordered myself a (second...ahem!) pair of Frye boots - these boots, as a matter of fact. I love them. But I didn't and don't know how to wear them. In order to justify the percentage of my nearly non-existent clothing budget that they took, I need to wear them every day of winter and fall for the next approximately twenty-five years. I am plumpish and 5'4. I like to wear dresses and tights and leggings, and find that they look good with the shorter lengths. But I need more outfits! How do I wear them with different styles of jeans? How do I not look too masculine/punk in them? How do I make them look like the everyday shoe I need them to be for me?

Help? Thanks!

Axon

P.S. Love you guys! 

Answer:

Axon, I feel you Mama.  Boots like these really stand up to the babies in all weather, all kid-gunk situations, and they truly are classics.  But you're right, the vibe can be kind of tough, and a bit masculine, or too punk if you don't think out your styling before hand.

Fall Basics 101: A Starter Mom-Drobe

Mamas!  Fall is around the corner, and we're juuust about ready to start talking Fall trends.  In September. So stay tuned.

However, each time we start discussing trends here on Ain't No Mom Jeans, our inboxes flood with requests from Mamas asking us about the basics.  

Reader Lauren wrote in:

"...my clothes are woefully worn, outdated, and too big.  I've been saving money for a "reward" shopping spree when I hit my goal weight, and that day is coming quickly.  I feel overwhelmed with where to start with my buying, though; I literally need a whole new wardrobe."

Reader Kammy agrees: 

"I'm a long-time reader, but am ashamed to admit that my wardrobe has consisted of the same sweatpants and tank tops since my first son was born over 3 years ago. I'm ready to dress like a grown up, but am feeling so completely overwhelmed!  I've glanced back through your mom-drobe series, but I am still feeling so lost and just don't know where to start!"

And by the sheer number of requests we've recieved over the last two years, these Mamas aren't alone.  

So.  Before we start yapping about trends, let's talk basics.  Below I have gathered up 14 key pieces that can be considered a cornerstone of any Mama's wardrobe.  These items represent only the business of being moms (including a simple date night look).  Black-tie event?  No.  Workin' Out?  Nope.  Going to the office??  Not unless your workplace is very casual.  But for trips to the park, days at the museum, afternoons running errands...this is your starting point.  

DISCLAIMER:  The starter mom-drobe shown below is based on my style sensibility.  Which may not be yours.  That's OK.  This list is intended to be inspiration for the types of pieces to look for, not necessarily the exact pieces.  

 

Shop Your Closet / Reader Q: Baseball Hats! (And Other Hat Baby-Steps)

Reader Question:

Hi Ain't No Mom Jeans --

I love reading your blog, and I have a burning fashion question. In recent years my eyes have become super sensitive, and I find myself wearing a baseball hat with sunglasses almost every time I have to stand outside for a long time. I'm thinking there has to be a cuter way to shield my eyes, but I'm a little bit afraid of a fashion statement hat. Any hat suggestions to stand in for my sloppy baseball hats?

thanks!!

- ali. (bay area, CA)

 

 

Answer:

Ali - Thanks for writing in!  Baseball hats are so crazy-relevant right now that I say, keep wearing 'em!  Seriously!  Want some inspiration?  Try this...

 

(photo credits, clockwise from top left:  J.Crew | Style Activist | Sartorialist for Style.com | Philly Weekly Style Blog)

 

Personally, I'm kinda loving the look of keeping your hair down with the cap (like that cutie in the glasses), or in a low, messy pony (like the J.Crew image above).   I'll bet a romantic half-up/half-down do' would work also. 

Here's my take:

 (wearing: Levi's denim leggings, Frye Carmen 3 strap boots, J.Crew factory chambray shirt, J.Crew sweatshirt, Anthropologie poncho)

See that "C"?  It's for the Coopertown Padres, Mamas.  

Reader Question | Homesteading Style

Reader Question:

Hi,

I've been really enjoying reading your posts and have found a lot of inspiration.  I recently had my first baby who is now 4 months old and I have a husband who doesn't seem to find anything wrong with the big belly and junky tees and baggy pants that I have been wearing.  He doesn't seem to think that I should need to spend money on clothes to feel like I look better.  It is a nice sentiment but I still would like to dress more attractively!

I am a stay at home mama and I have a small homestead to run.  I grow a lot of our own food and on any given day need to move from weeding and planting(so getting my knees very muddy), hosting drop by visitors, chasing hawks away from my chickens, nursing a demanding baby, harvesting from the garden to make dinner, etc, etc.  I would love to look better while doing all this and the way my day works it would be really impractical to frequently change clothes from task to task.

Please help with ideas for outfits that could help me pull all this off while still looking pulled together myself!

Thank you!!

Emily

 

Answer:

Emily, what an amazing life you're leading!  At heart I'm a pioneer woman/hippy, so when I saw your email, I pounced on it before S. could get to it!  I love that you're living off the land--and, you want to look (and feel) good doing it : ).  But as I thought about what would really work for your lifestyle, I got a little nervous.  It occurred to me this might be kinda super hard to pull off--I mean, your days (and I assume nights) are spent not only caring for a babe who knows exactly what s/he wants, but actually planting, tending and cooking you family's sustenance.  So. . . not just spit-up, nursing and playground sand, but mud, dirt and manual labor.  Hmmm. . . I thought. . . you might not be too far off the mark with tees and baggy pants, but I think I've come up with a nice update to freshen up your look and keep it functional.

 

Homstead Style by dynamama featuring hats

First, I'd start with accessories.  If I were a homesteading mama, I'd make a fabulous hat, sunnies and a large, airy cotton scarf my trademarks.  Not only will they pull your look together, they'll keep the sun off your face and shoulders and the wrinkles at bay.  Nobody needs that business after stretchmarks and postpartum pooch onset.  Nobody.  Throw the scarf on when you're out of the vegetable patch and company stops by, and in addition to wrapping it around your neck, you can use it as a nursing cover, shawl, baby shade, head wrap, etc. (so get one you really like).  If you can avoid losing them, accessories also get lot less wear and tear if you care for them well, so even the junkiest t-shirts and baggy pants will look instantly updated when you wear them. 

Footwear.  You're one of the lucky few who actually has an excuse to wear wellies on a regular basis, so I say go for it!  Besides Hunter boots, which are pretty spendy, Target, Old Navy and Lands End (everything is 30% off right now, too!), all make great versions.  I'd wear them with shorts, skirts, skinny jeans and under cuffed boyfriends (see S.'s update on how to wear rain boots).  I am also a long-time lover of 90's fav Georgia work boots.  I just know in my heart of hearts that these babies will be back with a vengeance, and they're arguably on-trend as lace-up boots--but they actually work (like, as work boots).  I seriously had a pair for 15 years until they mysteriously went missing and I'm coveting them again as I write this.  Wear them unlaced at the top with boyfriend and cuffed/cropped skinny jeans and with shorts, or if you're feelin' it, skirts, too.

As a nursing, stay-at-home, homesteading mama, my other mainstay would be loose, interesting, not-too-expensive t-shirts and tanks.  Look for styles that fall away from the tum with details like bias-cut fabric, over-sized pockets, epaulets and snaps, and pair them with durable separates like already-destroyed boyfriend jeans, cutoffs or a cute pair of printed shorts.  I like styles with wide scoop necks that pull down for easy nursing.  I've been know to do some light gardening in skirts, so if you're having a fairly light-duty day, don't overlook the possibilities of a pretty, printed skirt this spring and summer.  Grab a light chambray shirt, too--it'll keep the sun off during peak hours and will look amazing thrown over any outfit here, either worn open, belted or half-tucked.

Oh, and don't forget knee pads, a fab pair of work gloves and lots and lots of sunscreen--not only will they help you do your job, they'll keep your pants and legs fresh and sun damage--the mother of all age spots--in check.

Thank you for writing in and for your kind words, Emily.  Happy homesteading! 

- M.   

Mom Street Style | Juliana's Pegged/Boyfriend Maternity Jeans

Are you old enough to remember tightening and rolling jeans?  When I read today’s Mom Street Style submission, it occurred to me that tighten and rolling was probably the brainchild of some frugal genius 80’s mom who was convinced the skinny jeans trend would soon be on its way out and right she was (for the 80’s at least!).  That mom was making it work, and so is ANMJ reader Juliana, who during those super-tricky postpartum weeks, repurposed her bootcut Motherhood Maternity jeans by pegging them to give a boyfriend jean effect.  She writes: 

I know you were still looking for mom style submissions last time I checked, so here's one of mine (MAMAS!  We are always looking for mom street style—please send your pics! – M).  (I'm the one behind the stroller; my sister is carrying my newborn daughter in the ERGO).  The jeans are bootcut maternity jeans from motherhood that I pegged (remember that from the late 1980s??) and rolled up to make into boyfriend jeans.  I bought them when pregnant in 2010.  The shirt is from Eddie Bauer, and the nursing cami is the full sling Gillian O'Malley from Target.  Mustard shoes are the Meghan Ruffled flats from Merona (Target).  They aren't available in that color any more, but are available in pewter, which I also have and like a lot.  

I've learned a lot of great styling tips from your blog since I discovered it earlier this spring, and I'm so thankful for the confidence I have to try new things, and tweak my style a bit!  I felt more confident during this last pregnancy than all my others, and I'm having an easier time styling myself postpartum too!  

- Juliana 

Well-played, Juliana!  Thank you for submitting your mom street style photo.

- M.

Reader Q: What to Wear to a Super Bowl Party - Super Bowl XLVI Style

Few things confound me more than dressing for sporting events/parties.  I like designer denim, tall boots, drapey tops, interesting sweaters. . . but these items somehow just don't seem to fit with queso dip and beer (much as I do love those Super Bowl standbys), so I welcomed ANMJ reader Tamar's question as a challenge and spent pretty much all week culling Super Bowl party-worthy ensembles.  See What you think!  Tamar writes: 

I recently got my body back down to its original size and I am looking forward strutting my stuff at our friends Superbowl party. Problem being I have no idea what to wear. I was thinking a cute outfit in team colors? Colored blue denim with a cute top? 

- Tamar

I love the idea of going in team colors, Tamar, particularly if you or hubs are big sports fans, and this year we're in luck, because the New York Giants and the New England Patriots have nearly identical color schemes of blue, red, white and gray.  (Or if you're a Patriots fan, Nautical Blue, New Century Silver--of course.  Totally different.  I'm sure that's complete sacrilege.  Sorry.) 

But pulling off team colors without going the distance of face painting can be tough.  I've put five looks together, including two traditional team-wear outfits and three other more-every-day looks, from edgy to preppy, that incorporate pieces you probably already have.

Super Bowl XLVI (Giants vs Patriots) 2012 Outfits by dynamama featuring tailored shirts

Have fun and congrats on getting your pre-baby bod back!

- M.