Ain't No Mom Jeans

Shop Your Closet: Make Boring Sweaters More Interesting By Rolling the Cuffs

You know the boring sweaters that we all have in our closets?  We first introduced the concept of boring sweaters here.  They are typically plain, have a nice fit, and overall are very...nice...at best.  Most are a little 'meh', perhaps.

One easy fix for boring sweaters is to simply layer them over a long-sleeve shirt...then roll the sleeves of the boring sweater back, exposing the shirt beneath.  

One of my clients, B, was gracious enough to let me use a picture of a boring sweater before-and-after:

We first tried pairing the boring sweater with boyfriend jeans (in her case they were boot-cuts that we rolled like boyfriend jeans) and cute boots.  Not bad.

We then added a white shirt and rolled back the cuff of the sweater.  Voila!  Not so boring anymore!  (I'd also add a scarf for bonus style points.) 

This is a great option for strangely patterned shirts, or work button-downs that you'd like to repurpose.  Not much is showing (primarily just the cuffs and collar), so you can get away with almost anything.

However, this look works equally well with a simple long-sleeve tee.  I especially like the look of layered stripes.  Boden has a perfect example:  

(photo credit:  Boden USA - promo pic for their Must Have Jumper)

B, thanks for being a good sport!

xo,

S

 

Librarian Style For Moms

Gang, remember Amy of BiblioMOMia?  Last time she wrote for us, she schooled us in Southern Gal Style.  But she's also an academic working on her PhD in literature.  (SO freakin' cool!!)  So when we recieved Shannon's Mom Street Style submission and read that Shannon defined her style as "punk librarian"...well.  I knew BiblioMOMia would get a kick out of it.  And, if we were lucky, be inspired.

And she was.  And we are.  So here's Amy....

********** 

I might have spit out my coffee when I read “punk librarian.”  So cool!  And, I must say, Shannon totally rocked the edgy nerd vibe in her mix of floral and leather, especially with those amazing purple tights.  The floral dress is definitely something a librarian might wear, but she makes the whole outfit more interesting with the moto jacket and tough boots - yet keeps a quirky feel with the bright tights.  But her email made me start thinking - what is librarian style?  Why do I love it so much?  And how can it work not just in my professional life but in my life as a mom too? 

Like “secretary” with its pumps and pencil skirts, “librarian” has definitely evolved into a style inspiration.  Somehow, even adding one or two of these elements makes the whole outfit feel just a bit more bookish - a bit buttoned-up, a bit feminine, a lot intellectual.   Try adding one of these things to your style arsenal!  A little goes a long way, so don’t wear too many of these at once - you’ll look like you’re wearing a costume instead of a cool outfit.  

Librarian Style Elements

• Floral prints.  Sweet and old-fashioned and feminine, floral prints always remind me of dusty books (in a good way).
• Textured fabrics (lace, tweed, leather, velvet).  Very Victorian, and very librarian.  And, most of the time, very soft!
• Librarian shoes (t-straps, oxfords, loafers, granny boots).  If it looks like a teacher might have worn it in 1915, it’s a librarian shoe.  Luckily, there are tons of these styles out right now, to fit every taste and budget.
• High bun.  Have you ever tossed your hair high on your head (and maybe used a pencil to keep it there)?  I dare you to do it and not feel like a librarian!  It’s an easy and flattering hair style for pretty much every face shape, too.
• Glasses.  Ummmm...obviously.  Any kind of glasses, from tiny wire rims to chunky black frames.  Even better if you put them on the tip of your nose and peer over them.
• Structured jackets.  Wool blazer.  Velvet jacket.  Tweed vest.  All of those jackets are definitely librarian-ish.  A flattering and structured jacket is totally feminine, too.
• Funky legwear.  I don’t know why I associate patterned tights and great leggings with librarians - maybe because all of my library science friends in school had great tights?  Either way, they’re often a great way to add some funky and whimsical style to an otherwise classic outfit.

There are a million ways to incorporate librarian style into outfits you’re probably already wearing, and things you probably already own.  A little goes a long way!  Shannon mentioned “punk librarian” as her style aesthetic - it’s amazing what happens when you add floral and leather to the same outfit.  However, it’s just as easy to add some bookish flair to jeans and tees. Here are my favorite options, with some outfit ideas.

 

Fall Denim: The Boyfriend Jean...Updated

I know the buzz this fall is all about the flare jean, and I get it - I too luuuve flares.  However, I recently replaced my old boyfriend jeans (which, uh, had literally fallen apart) with these babies:

 

These are like a hybrid boyfriend jean /skinny jean.  The result?  Crazy comfortable, yet they look a bit sleeker than my old boyfriend jeans. 

Not tight, mind you.  Just sleek.

Reader Question: What To Wear With Oxfords?

Reader Question:

I love love love your web site. It's incredibly well written, topical, helpful, inspirational, practical... the accolades go on. My husband is a little worried because I've been reading it obsessively since I came across it a few weeks ago after Googling "wearing flats with flares" and found your post with that almost exact same title (BTW, after reading your article I bought a pair of Banana Republic flares to try out the style -- waiting for them to come back from the tailor. I lost quite a bit of the flare by shortening them so much bu
t I think they're going to look great).

My question: I bought this pair of lace up oxfords from Madewell last spring and I'm not sure what to wear them with. I don't wear a lot of flowy/girly type dresses -- I prefer tailored (I'd say 75% of my wardrobe comes from J. Crew) and more body conscious (despite remaining pooch 5-years post -- the rest of me is in good shape, I swear!). I also am extremely conscious of dressing age-appropriate. They are super comfortable and super cute so I'd like to make them work with a few options. Any ideas?

 

 

- Jodi

DIY Maternity Denim Fix - or - Do It Yourself Maternity Jeans

It's shocking, I know, but these Seven for All Mankind maternity jeans have lasted me through three pregnancies PLUS loan outs, but not solely on their own steam.  In their original form, these babies were the brain child of some fabulously well-intentioned designer who had clearly never been pregnant, and were purchased by someone who had never been pregnant.  They started out in 2007 with one of those kooky, ill-conceived half panels, made out of dark blue cotton jersey that clung to everything, with a thick elastic band that cut into my bulging belly, creating a bizarre new type of waistline in the third trimester of my first pregnancy.

I was tempted to toss them whilst knocked up with numero dos, but they're the perfect kick-around, well-worn classic that's always a comfortable Sunday go-to, so I decided to work with them instead.  While I do have a sewing machine and am pretty handy, I didn't want to work with a combination of thick fabric like denim plus a super-stretchy panel fabric--seemed too tricky and too tedious--so I took them to my fav tailor and told him my plan.

  First, I purchased a belly band in my size from A Pea in the Pod in nude (I was only able to find black and  white in more budget-conscious versions, like Target's BeBand).  Err on the side of a tighter fit to make sure it's really going to hold up your pants!  The benefit of using a belly band instead of sewing up a piece of stretchy fabric is that a belly band is a tube made out of one contiguous piece of fabric, so no extra seams to irritate prego skin or interfere with otherwise smooth lines, and it's already about the right length to cover your tummy all nine months.  Then, I measured the front and back rises of some well-fitting full panel maternity jeans and let my guy run with it.  The result, $45 later ($25 for the band and $20 for alterations), is one of the best-fitting, most comfortable pairs of maternity jeans--or any jeans, really--that I own.  Voila!

For a truly adventurous and capable DIY-er, I'd go the distance and buy a pair of deep-discounted premium jeans in a size or two up from your normal someplace like Nordstrom Rack, hack off the waistband and stitch it on up--at $200 a pop, premium maternity denim hurts, Mamas, as we all know!

- M.

Oh, and hey!  Please don't forget to take a sec to vote for Ain't No Mom Jeans for Parents.com's Best Mom Fashion Blog award--we'd love it!  Just click the pic : ) xoxox

How To Wear Socks With Sandals...Mom-Style

The socks-n-sandals pairing have been all over the runways and the blog-o-sphere for....well...over a year now.  While there was some backlash initially, socks-n-sandals is now considered de riguer for the avant guard fashion set. And since I've never been one for following traditional fashion rules...I kinda like it.

The easiest way to wear this trend is to pair (thin) socks with wedges or heels in a similar color (as pictured from Burberry Prorsum Spring 2011 RTW).  You can mix up the colors a bit (gray with black, etc) but sticking to tone-on-tone is the most fool-proof pairing. Yes?  Heels are best?  No surprise there. 

So now that we agree on how to wear socks-n-sandals on date night (which is just what our guys want to see - a man-repelling trend saved exclusively for our romantic nights)...let's talk about how to incorporate this trend into our everyday, toddler-chasing, outfit rotation.

Here are my takes:

 

(wearing: current/elliott boyfriend jeans in super destroyed, j.crew v-neck tee, madewell socks, dv by dolce vita regina sandals in blush, tissot watch, chan luu necklace)

Gorgeous, Wear-Everywhere, Pooch-Hiding, Nursing-Friendly Tops For Spring and Summer

While I'm still totally addicted to my pooch-hiding sweater, I do realize that once the temps warm up, I'm going to need a new alternative.  The hunt is on! Or...was on, rather.

On a quick shopping trip right before I took the boys to Gulf Shores, I stumbled upon two gorgeous pieces that are pooch-hiding perfection. 

They are effortless, cool (from both a temperature and style perspective), and best of all?  No shaper cami required!

Voila...

What Moms Wear: Jayme's Interesting Sweater & Cuffed Boyfriend Jeans

There's been so much chatter lately about skinnies vs. flares that the poor boyfriend jeans have gotten lost in the shuffle.

But I still love boyfriend jeans.  The biggest advantage to boyfriend jeans is that they show off cute footwear (like Jayme's gorgeous gray Fryes, which we first profiled here) or (my favorites) beautiful ballet flats...AND you can approximate a cute boyfriend jean with an existing pair in your closet.  Try an old pair of bootcut denim (you can chop off the bootcut to make it easier to roll), or the larger pair you bought when you were pregnant.  Comfy & cute.  Totally mom-friendly.  Pair with an interesting sweater or cute spring jacket.  Done.

Jayme's sweater is from the Gap.  Sold out online, but I have seen it in stores.

And gray just might be my new favorite boot color.  I've always given that title to a camel boot for its versatility (pair it with black, brown, navy, nudes, etc)...but gray is feeling really fresh for Spring.

xo,

S

ps.  Gang, I'm running out of my backlog of "What Moms Wear" pics.  If any of you have pics of outfits you are willing to share, send 'em over!!  In fact....if you have a pic of an outfit you'd like some help styling ('cause it's not quite working, or it's not as mom-friendly as you'd like...) send those over too!  We'd love to help!!  aintnomomjeans (at) gmail (dot) com

 

Poochy Stomach Styling Trick: A Deep V

Without a shaper cami, I still look 4-ish months pregnant.  Not bad!  I do look pretty good for a pregnant gal.  Too bad I'm not actually pregnant.

So I'm at that point, post-partum, where I still have a poochy stomach, albeit a much reduced one...and the big question is:  Can I bag the flowy tops? 

I.  Am. Just. SO. SICK. of. flowy. tops.

GAH

The Short Boot Dilemma

We've been talking so much about tall, flat boots lately...and while I still think that tall, flat boots are my first choice for busy moms, some Fall trends have been going in another direction:  The Short Boot.

After many years of my skinny-jeans-and-tall-flat-boots momiform, I was ready (or so I thought) to branch out to short boots.  

Easier said than done.

First of all, I'm pregnant (so clothing just looks a bit strange), and second of all, I have a 2.5 year old, so my "shopping" must be done either a) with him in 30 min increments (the time it takes R to finish his Starbucks steamer and a bag of Doc Popcorn)...or b) without him during our precious weekend family time.

And, as I discovered, there's not just one type of short boot.  This season, there are, by my calculations, roughly 8 billion different takes on the "short boot".  For example, in the category of "lace-up boot" alone there are several different iterations:  desert boots, military boots, granny boots, sneaker inspired boots - just to name a few.  And moto boots?  Try tough moto boots, mod moto boots, cowboy moto boots, lace-up moto boot hybrids, etc.  Instead of being inspired by choice, I'm drowning in it. 

(And yes - for the very observant, I was also drowning in paint color choices.  You'll be happy to know that none of the paint swatches on the wall made the final cut.)

So....did I figure it out?  Ummmm...sort of.  Keeping in mind my geeky nature, here's how I went about it: