Ain't No Mom Jeans

Reader Question | Can This Boot-Obsessed Mama Wear Her Boots All Summer? (Without looking ridiculous)

Reader Question:

I am writing in with a little style quandary that was inspired by your recent Style Rules for Moms part 1 – “if your bag is big and dark and leather, rethink the bag”.

It got my wheels turning, and made me realize I may be breaking a similar carnal sin - Wearing too wintery of a boot once the ice cream trucks are in full swing and the Hydrangea's start a-blooming.   While I always pack away the non-negotiably winter boot (black, over-the-knee, etc) I have one pair I just can’t seem to let go of for a whole season.  I invested in a pair of Fryes a few years ago, (specifically, the Carmen Harness Tall, in Brown), and ever since,  I think I may be guilty of wearing these bad boys a little TOO often.  I seldom put them away, even in the summer, and have been known to pair them with little sundresses  (even though I suspect the “boots + sundress” look might be slightly too Lilith fair 1994 for me to pull off at nearly 35 years of age..) 

Anywho,  I LIVE for these boots.   I wear them with EVERYTHING.  In the attached pics, you will see them worn last April (when I was 8 months pregnant):  

You will see the Frye Boots on the BEACH, in the sand,  in MAY.   Gasp!  I KNOW. 

See? I think I have a boot problem.

I have had my eye on ANOTHER version of the SAME boots, the Carmen Harness short, in a sand or buff color, in the hopes that maybe that would be a little more acceptable in the warmer months to come?   

Is this terribly misguided?  Am I boot blinded?   Save me.  Can I wear this kind of boot with a summery dress?  I love the way the slouchy distressed boot adds balance to my 5’10, size ten footed, size 12-14 bod.  And while I love the look of the shoes you posted last week, I fear the look might not work on my frame.  I tried the Madewells Whistlestop sandal you featured, they don’t work for me.  Not enough heel maybe, and I felt like they made my legs look stubby.  I need a little more of a heel, or else I feel like I walk like Shrek.     

- Sarah

 

Answer:

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.  

Mom Street Style | Mama McGyver Amy (Or, A Dress is Dress)

Smart mamas know how to improvise.  In the McGyver-like hands of moms, a stack of tupperware becomes a vacation toy, a popsicle-stained shirt turned inside out is now photo-opp worthy, and (ta-da!) a yoga skirt transforms into a date night-worthy LBD.  New mom and ANMJ reader Amy is only nine months into this gig and already she's pulling out all the mom stops, shopping her closet and making a statement.  She writes:

Last weekend my hubby and I went on our THIRD date since our NINE month old was born. Crazy, I know. But I was super excited about it, so I got all dressed up. I actually put on a real bra that didn't have nursing access. Sheer amazingness. (don't look too close- you can see it in that second picture!) I felt a little sneaky wearing my black yoga skirt as a dress, but nobody even knew. (Until now of course, since I'm sharing my secret.)

Just wanted to share with you all since you inspire me so much. Have a lovely day!

-Amy

We're loving everything Amy has going on.  She's rocking de rigueur boots with long socks, a fab long cardi (a la wear your cardi as a dress?), and best of all she turned her yoga skirt (also probably very nursing-friendly if babes are in tow!) into an adorable little black dress for a night out with hubs.

Amy, three dates in nine months isn't too shabby--I think we'd had exactly one-half of a date by that time with our first because we came home early.  Keep shopping your closet and thank you for sending in your pics--you look amazing!

- M.

 

Shop Your Closet: Layer Thigh High Socks Over Your Tights

Yup.  I'm still messing around with these things.  You first saw them here, where I used a little flash of thigh to distract from my post-partum tum and dark-circled eyes.  Pretty effective, actually.  And a thicker, less dressy pair here, when I channeled my husband's fourth-grade self (Wow - I just made Mike sound like a cross-dresser.  Just to clarify:  He was/is NOT.)  

In any case, I own a couple of thigh-highs, but they don't get used nearly enough to justify the enormous amount of room they take up in my sock drawer.  So I decided to mess around with the black pair, seeing if I could make them both daytime appropriate and mom-friendly.

Incidentally, thigh-highs (or over-the-knee-socks, if you prefer) always look spot-on peeking out over the top of over-the-knee boots.  

I do not own over-the-knee boots.  

So.  

I tried them on with my tallest boots:

(wearing: J.Crew cashmere v-neck sweater, Banana Republic scarf, Forever 21 shorts and tights, Plush thigh-highs, vintage Frye boots) 

Not bad, right?  But I hardly reach for my vintage Fryes on a daily basis.  So to keep this look mom-friendly, I tried black flats:

Shop Your Closet: Temporarily Shorten That Summer Maxi For Winter Snow Stomping

Reader Amber was one of our readers who tested out a pair of Hanes run-resistant stockings.  They tore as she pulled them on.  Needless to say, she wasn't impressed.  

I was impressed, however, with her outfit that accompanied her Hanes write-up.  In the pic above she's showing us the hole in her stockings, but what's actually going on here is the fact that she shortened one of her long summer maxi dresses - temporarily - for winter use.  Here's another pic:

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

 

No She Didn't!! Leather Pants (...aaaand an alternative for the rest of us)

Mamas:  Have you ever tried leather pants?  I have - years ago (long before Raines came around).  It didn't end well.  The knees stretched out, I couldn't bend (Somebody help!  I dropped a pencil!), and I found my thighs either sweaty (which previously had only happened in Bikram Yoga class) or freezing.  I also walked funny - ramrod straight and uncomfortable.  The soundtrack to my leather-pant-walking would've sounded something like  ernh-ee-ernh-ee-ernh-ee.  I'm sure some girls can carry them off with aplomb....but these are probably also the girls who look cool smoking.  Me?  Not only am I leather-pant-challenged, but I'm afraid of the fire at the lit end of the cig.  Sigh.  Hopeless, I know.

But I LOVE the look (of both leather pants and smoking - yeah, yeah, bad for you, yeah).  But I LOVE it.  Such an awesome rocker/cool-french-girl kind of look.  And while I'm totally over the smoking thing, I'm still craving leather pants. Luckily, faux leather options are everywhere.  From J Brand's waxed skinny jeans (cute, but not that comfy) to faux-leather leggings that do, surprise!!, feel a lot like leggings. 

BTW?  I ran across a pic of one the French Vogue editors rocking her leather leggings at 6 months pregnant. 

(photo credit: Jak and Jill)

Mamas, that's some serious dedication to leather leggings.  Yay, Geraldine.

Encouraged by Geraldine's pic...I bought some faux-leather leggings.  Just, you know, to see.  Strictly for research, Mamas.  We do serious research here at Ain't No Mom Jeans.  But my expectations were very low, so I bought the cheapest pair I could find.  Then rounded up a couple of pics for leather-legging mom-drobe inspiration (which sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but indulge me for a sec).  Anyway, here's my inspiration board for mom-friendly leather leggings:

Shop Your Closet: Update Your Skinny Jean Uniform With Long Socks

Shop Your Closet is a weekly series that is intended to help moms make the most out of what they already own.  These styling tips aren't always groundbreaking, but with the sleeplessness and general chaos of life, they (hopefully) serve as helpful reminders for our less-inspired days.

(wearing: ancient Gap sweater layered over J.Crew cashmere v-neck for extra warmth, Levis skinnies, Frye boots, Salt sunnies, and Lands' End Canvas socks)

This has been my old standby mom-uniform since R was born...almost four years ago now.  And, uh, I actually bought this ancient sweater while pregnant with R.  So yeah - well worn.

Needless to say, this outfit gets tired.  I still put it on because it's warm, comfy, and stylish enough thanks to the cool boots and skinnies, but wow.  I'm bored.

So I added socks.  Tall socks peeking out of boots is a fast and easy update if you are getting tired of your skinnies.  Socks with stripes lend a sporty vibe, cable knit socks go cozy-chic, and socks with a bright pop of color always look cool.

(wearing: on R - Joe's jeans, Gap checked button-down, Splendid hoodie, consigned tee, 77 kids hat)

Because your socks are going over top of your jeans, layering them over tighter-fitting jeans works best.  Or try leggings - this look was made for leggings.  

xo,

S

ps.  You can find all Shop Your Closet articles in our newly created category, Style - Shop Your Closet.

 

 

Tree Lightings, Holiday Parades and Other Freezing Events: Ideas for Styling Your Puffer

Gang, I have such a love-hate relationship with puffers.  I love them because I hate being cold...but...well, then I look like this:

(wearing: Calvin Klein puffer, Current/Elliott skinnies, Frye Buckled Carmen boots, J.Crew mittens and hat)

This is my old Calvin Klein puffer coat, bought at Macy's on super sale several years ago.  I mean...OK.  It's not horrible.  Just a little, ever so slightly, NOM NOM NOM.  Like it's eating me. (And wow - that hat looks a bit like a condom...sigh.)

I tend to buy winter-wear in desperation, the night before an event, and this, dear mamas, never ends well (*cough *condom-hat *cough).

Little Pax, on the other hand, is very clear about his feelings regarding this puffer jacket:  When I put it on, he cries.

Which is funny, because his older brother once mistook a puffer jacket for a lion.  And looking at this picture, I understand their confusion. (Can you imagine the scene if I put up the hood?  Madness.)

So when the nice folks over at Lands' End asked if they could send me one of their puffer jackets gratis....of course I said yes. And we've talked about these puffers before - I do think they are cute. Each puffer comes with this completely radical and novel feature:  a waist.  Genius!!  (Seriously Gang - how did I not get this memo the first time around?)

But....you know.  You can dress a puffer up, but can you really take it out? 

And I really wanted to take it out.  Knowing that we were about the venture into the City of Brotherly Love for a tree lighting...which probably meant that wine and pizza and a cozy little restaurant were in our near future...I wanted to look cute.  And be warm.  So here's my puffer compromise:

Festive Holiday Styling for Lazy Mamas: Four Day-to-Night Outfit Ideas

Cookie swaps, champagne brunches, dinner parties, gift exchanges, kid's pageants and a myriad of other festive occasions.  Sound familiar?  The kind of occasions where you want to look festive and fun...but a cocktail dress would be overkill.  And your definition of "festive" doesn't include this:

 

Although, to be honest, I would totally rock this one with teeny, tiny tuxedo shorts and lace tights:

 

In an ironic way?  Funny, right?  HA HA...ha?

Ok.

My point: There are a few styling tricks that I turn to all Holiday season long when I want to look "festive".  Really, I should've named this post, "Captain Obvious' Tips For Festivus Style"...cause there is nothing earth-shattering here.  But if you are busy (yes), tired (oh, yes) and prone to faking illness *cough* instead of venturing outside when the temperature dips (hi have we met?), then here are a few ideas for getting your holiday groove on.