Ain't No Mom Jeans

How We Wear It: A Ladylike Cardigan!

Mamas!!  This is our new monthly series called How We Wear It, where *we* show all of the different ways to rock a wardrobe basic.  And by "we" I mean...all y'all.   If there was One. Thing. our readers communicated LOUD AND CLEAR via the survey, it's this:  You want to see a wider range of body types represented here on ANMJ.  

So.  I'll show you how I've been styling my old standbys, and so will Cam.  And then, dear readers, we want to hear from YOU.  You can play along via our Linky party at the bottom (you can sign up at the bottom of this article or on Cam's page), you can send us an email (send it to either Cam or I), upload a pic to ANMJ's Facebook page, or use Instagram with the hashtag: #howwewearit.  As reader pics come in, I'll be keeping this page up-to-date.

Ready?  

 

Fresh Ways To Wear Tall Boots

All last week, Superman, Raines and I were relaxing oceanside in Gulf Shores.  We had gone down to visit my parents, who, since turning sixty-something have become devoted snowbirds.  

My parents didn’t want to move to Florida, but they turned sixty, and that’s the law. - Jerry Seinfeld

Also?  Weather channel. To say I returned home well informed about the snowstorms swirling about the country would be an understatement.

Anyway, fearing the worst, I had tall boots on the brain, expecting that we'd all be tromping around in snow up to our eyeballs.  Nope.  None, nada, nuttin'.  

But still.  I haven't worn tall boots all season, and I was (shockingly) in the mood.  So here are a few tall boot outfits for early Spring/Late Winter:

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...

Fall Trend: Ankle Booties (And How To Wear Them)

Mamas!  The easiest way to give your old standbys a modern spin?  Yup - the ankle bootie.  These guys aren't new...in fact, two years ago, a very pregnant me wrote an article called The Short Boot Dilemma...where I tried to figure out how the heck to wear the various short boots that were popping up.

Well.  Two years later, I'm happy to say that I've figured it out.  Feel free to applaud.  Two years in the making, baby.  TWO.

Ok.  Here's what's working for me:

Fall Trend: The Peter Pan Collar (And Three Easy Ways To Style It)

 

Mamas, there's fun, 60's Mod vibe afoot. I love it.  And one of the hallmarks?  Yup - the Peter Pan collar.  Retailers are currently stocking a range of Peter Pan collared blouses, tees and sweaters (remember M's adorable pullover from J.Crew?)....but I'm kinda loving the Peter Pan collar.   As in, just the collar.  A detachable Peter Pan collar.  Why? 

Well....it's slightly more cost-effective and versatile...but I just really like the way it dramatically changes the look of my t-shirt & jeans uniform.  

Besides, the collars are totally mom-friendly (unless you find a jewel-encrusted one, they are soft enough for babywearing) and just look so...cute?  But in the coolest possible way?  Cute-cool?  Is that a thing? Gag.  Let's go with...charming insouciance.  BAM. 

After lots (and lots and lots) of searching, I fell in love with Very Vague's detachable Peter Pan collars.  They are simple, hand-made, and gorgeous.  She was kind enough to send me a black one and a plain white one to try....but she also makes fab patterned collars.  Polka dot, anyone?  And at $18 a pop, they are an easy way to transform the daily mom-i-form.

Here are the three very mom-friendly ways I've been wearing my Peter Pan collars.....

Reader Q | How To Style A Navy & White Striped Knit Blazer?

Reader Q:

Hello!

I am 9 month postpartum with twins and your site has really helped me get styling ideas for my new lifestyle and new body (read - huge boobs and poochy belly).  I recently picked up this knit blazer at Land's End to help me look polished but be able to move freely to keep up with my now mobile twins...

...but everything I try it on with looks boring and predictable (like the model's outfit).  Do you have any ideas for mixing interesting colors or patterns or silhouettes with this blazer? 

Thanks for all your help!

- A

Answer:

Yeah...these blazers are surprisingly tough.  When they first popped onto the scene I was excited:  stripes AND a soft, sweat-shirty knit in a blazer?  Yessss!  But then...these blazers often look so darn preppy and, as you mentioned, predictable.  

The key, I think, is to pair these with slightly subversive pieces.  Which sounds scarier than it looks.  Here's three ways I'd style these babies up:

*Note:  In the collages, I'm using this Juicy Coture Blazer instead, simply because the pic was cleaner.  But the LE knit blazer will work nicely here too.

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.

Happy Friday, Mamas...

Popsicle time!!  Have you tried these silicon ice pop molds ?  LOVE.  They slide right off once frozen, and the base keeps little hands from getting too sticky.  I've been filling mine with juice and fruit blends...or this vegan pudding.  OMGCRAZYAMAZINGFROZEN.  

I've also been meaning to mention...I just bought these straight-leg jeans from Abercrombie.  They are shockingly fabulous.  A perfect color, a perfect amount of distressing. 

In other mom-style news, Refinery 29 did a piece on cool running shoes.  Totally worth a look.  And I found a bit of inspiration in WhoWhatWear's recent accessory report on bikes.  Some very chic, yet mom-friendly looks - I'll pin a couple.  And hat's off to Tori Spelling.  She rocked the sexiest pregnant-at-the-pool look I've ever seen.  Yowza.  That takes balls.  Or...uh...lack thereof.

I wanted to thank you again for all of your kind words about my cah-razy flight last week.  You guys.  Perked me right back up.  And on the same topic...this?  Made me laugh so hard.  Sing it, Sister.

xo,

S

 

Summer Style Rules For Moms - Part 2

 This article is the second in a multi-part series based on "rules" I've applied again and again when doing style consultations / closet clean-outs with moms....but updated for summer.  See our Part 1 of our Summer Style Rules For Moms series here....

Mamas, I loved your comments on Part 1 of our Summer Style Rules series.  But just to clear up some confusion:  I don't actually wear denim skinny jeans all summer.  I was just showing the different shoe/bag combos against a standard "momiform"...and was too cold that day for shorts. 

Now feel free to give me grief about wearing a sweatshirt in the pic above.  IknowIknow.  But unless it's 90 degrees, this Mama is cold.  (Exception:  When pregnant.  A little clue for future use.)

(But we still haven't decided on #3 or not.  So you may never get to use the clue.  Not sure why I feel the need to Spell Out My Childbearing Intentions here...perhaps because my husband and my mother read this blog?  Sigh.  I can hear your thoughts, "Who cares, S?" Ok, moving on....)

SUMMER STYLE RULES.  FOR MOMS. YES.  Here we go with the next two rules...

RULE TWO:  Stylish Sunglasses = Stylish Mama

Wearing a pair of stylin' sunnies?  You look cool.  Period.  We've talked about the power of It-Girl Sunnies before...and it really is amazing.  It-Girl sunglasses can make even a pair of mom-jeans look...uh...ironic. (not really)

But the message here?  Get yourself some crazy-awesome sunnies.  And by crazy-awesome, we mean quality, Mamas. All the way.  Aaaannd, of course, a full dose of style.

Our advice will be no surprise to longtime readers -  you know where we stand on the quality-vs-quantity debate, and we've urged Mamas to consider cool sunglasses as an accessory-of-choice before.

But let me also add this to the mix:

Big 'ol sunnies with polarized lenses prevent you from squinting in the sun.

Me...not squinting.

(wearing, on S: J.Crew sweatshirt - similar here, Abercrombie & Fitch Classic Straight Destroyed denim, Salt Hathaway sunnies, Essie Turqs & Caicos Nail Polish on toes)

That's big, isn't it?  I mean...no squinting has to equal no wrinkles, amiright?  How else do we get wrinkles besides sun damage or squinting? (Don't tell me...gravity, shmavity.)

The downside, of course, is that polarized lenses are expensive.  But we managed to round up eight fairly affordable pairs of oh-so-cool sunnies (all with polarized lenses), that will take any momiform up a few style notches...while preventing wrinkles (and, you know...saving your vision, blahblahblah):

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.