Ain't No Mom Jeans

Wearing All Black in the Spring

 

Beth emailed a while back, wondering about all-black outfits.  She wrote:

I love to wear black. I know that may not be the "in" thing to do- but it works for me. Black, a rich midnight blue, dove or heather gray- those are colors I work well with. The problem is that those then look so drab for spring. Any thoughts?

Yup.  See, I'm with you, Beth.  While color is huge right now, I tend to be a more minimalist, neutral kind of gal at heart. From growing up in the 90's, perhaps?  Which also explains my oversized white t-shirt obsession.  But black is pretty fabulous - there's no reason you can't rock all black all year.

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

Sooooo....Are Leggings Pants?

I hate to bring this up.  But I've noticed that the line between leggings and pants is becoming blurry.  I mean YES:  college-age girls have been strutting around in their leggings and Uggs and not much else for years.  But I'm starting to see...uh, others (*cough* me *cough*) blurring the line between leggings and pants.

(wearing:  faux-leather leggings, Mike's v-neck sweater, cozy sweater-poncho - similar on crazy sale, old plaid scarf - similar,  target mittens - similar, DV Java booties, Makr Farm Rucksack)  

 

My bum, you guys.  Is right there.  Is this OK?  IDK.

Mom Street Style: Krista Went to Her Reunion...and Here's Her Weekend of Pooch-Hiding, Hot-Mama Outfits!

Mamas, you guys are amazing.  I'm always overwhelmed by the amount of support, insight, generosity, and great ideas that come out of our readers.  And one of my favorite examples happened recently, in the comments that reader Krista received when she wrote in wondering what to wear to her 5-year collage reunion.  (See This Poochy Mama Needs to Party!)  If you recall, Krista, who has diastasis recti, wrote: 

I feel like I'm twenty-something going on sixty-something, and it makes me sad. Usually I just ignore it and snuggle my toddler closer, but for this one weekend I'm going to be attempting to recapture my youth...and I just don't want to be the one who gets forgiven for her lack of fashion sense because "she had a baby".

Well. Krista's words certainly struck home.  Many readers commented that they have felt the same way.  Reader Courtney said, "I could've written this post, except my little guy is almost 3!"  Totally.  Others weighed-in with their own pooch-hiding tips, or linked to their fav pooch-hiding party clothes.

You guys rock.

And Krista was very appreciative of all of the advice.  So appreciative, in fact, that she's reported back!  With pics!! So keep reading to find out what Krista wore (and it's a far, far cry from sixty-anything).

*******

Hello again ANMJ,

 Can I just say—YOU ARE A LIFESAVER. Or maybe the correct word is sanity-saver. Regardless, I did some inspired shopping and skipped off to my reunion feeling emboldened by your post and the lovely comments from all the readers. I just…there aren’t words. Thank you. 

I may not have enough adjectives to adequately explain how wonderful this blog is, BUT I do have some pictures from my weekend, and some reflections on what I wore. I apologize in advance for the terrible quality of most of these, but my camera has been without a flash for the better part of a year now, oops.  

My first revelation in reading your post was the end-of-day stomach muscle surrender…clearly I am still suffering from baby brain because I never even thought about that before! I only knew that I felt defeated when I looked in the mirror after a meal or in the evenings, which is when I shower (so, lots of defeat going around). Just the knowledge that the evening slump was not on account of eating that extra dinner roll was a HUGE confidence booster, as weird as that seems. And with the nighttime pooch in mind, I Spanx’d it to within an inch of its life!!!

 Actually, it was a double-Spanx situation. The first day, we weren’t pulling into our old college town until evening—did I mention I was taking my engineering licensing exam THAT DAY and driving to reunion right after? I think I might be insane—so I knew I’d need some tummy control. I pulled on my pair of mid-thigh belly control Spanx, then a lace-trimmed shaping cami—another ANMJ brilliant suggestion. High-waisted pooch-containing jeans on bottom and something I’ve decided to call a trapeze top finished the look. I looked good. And you know what? I felt good. 

I’ve come to consider this shirt a magical shirt, and I wish I had run back out and bought more in every color while they were still in stock. It’s an Apt. 9 shirt from Kohl’s. The embellished neckline draws nice attention to the girls without showcasing the jiggliness of postpartum breasts, and then it flows down from that point, so it’s a pretty good pooch-hider, too. I feel extra confident in this shirt so that helps! I think it’s the same concept as the trapeze dresses you mentioned, just in shirt form. 

 

So that was the first night. The next day was our only full day in town, and there was a lot to be crammed in. For daytime, I had a pair of jeans that made my derriere look fabulous, and an older diagonal colorblocked top from Forever21. The top is a little bit loosey-goosey like the drapey tee you mentioned, and the black section being on the bottom (aka over the stomach) helps too, I think. Shaper cami in place, warm shoes for sitting in the freezing cold stands at the football game, and I was good to go! I even managed to squeeze some leopard print in with my trusty gloves and earmuffs. 

After the evening game, we made plans to go out downtown. This was where I pulled out all the stops and decided to be a little bit less-than-subtle. I liked your idea of fun, printed skinnies, AND I seemed to remember a post you did that briefly discussed gold pants. (Mentioned briefly here.) My alma mater’s colors are black and gold, so…I bought shiny gold leggings. 

And I rocked them. 

I saw the leggings at Forever21 and knew they were going to be my “I’M AWESOME” piece. I surfed some websites before settling on Forever21’s charcoal sweater tunic—I definitely wanted a shirt that would cover my butt, and with it being late October, I also wanted something a little warm. Plus the purposefully-shapeless drape of the sweater let me look trendy AND hid my pooch, so I’m chalking that up as a win. I decided to forego a skinny belt, even though it looked cute on the model—my torso is essentially all the same size now, so there’s no “smallest point” to place the belt for emphasis. And did I mention statement earrings? I love them. Honestly, all the earrings I own are statement earrings. They’re such an easy way to amp up an outfit! 

Again, I double-Spanx’d under the leggings (a must for leggings-as-pants, anyway), broke out my favorite pair of killer black heels, and spritzed on my happy-place perfume. We went out on the town for several hours and every single person I talked to thought the look was fabulous. I can’t tell you how much of a goofy grin I had on my face all weekend as former classmates would say, “Wow, you look amazing! And I’ve seen pictures, your daughter is precious!*” I couldn’t get a very good pic of the leggings while I was actually at reunion, so I redid the look when I got home, and included my toddler to up the cuteness factor. These are SO much shinier in real life.

 

*Just to be clear, I do enjoy when people ooh and aah over my girl, obvi. But this particular weekend it was nice to have some of that positive attention comin’ my way, as well! 

 

*********

Krista, you gorgeous girl, you did so well.  What fun inspiration for the rest of us - and just in time for the holidays!!  Thank you thank you thank you for sending in pics!!

xo,

S

 

Fall Trend: Leather (For Mamas!!)

Have ya heard, Mamas?  Leather is huge this season.  Whether you rock it in small doses, or go hardcore-hot-Mama in leather jackets/pants...without a doubt, leather makes an impact.  Leather can make even the meekest Mama look like a badass.  

Think of leather as our version of a superhero cape. DA DAH DAHN!

Scared?  Don't be.  I'm the world's biggest wardrobe wimp (if it's uncomfortable in the slightest, I'm not interested) and have a couple of leather styling tricks up my sleeve.  

Mom Street Style: Kristen's Genius Style Tip For Baby-Wearing

Mamas, check it:

When you're all covered up by baby, let your legs take center stage.  As reader Kristen writes...

Forgive the crappy photo, but I believe I may have found the perfect baby-wearing accessory: fancy pants! These particular floral pants are leggings which, in my book, makes them eligible for: ignoring my 4 year old at the playground, reading a magazine in the YMCA lobby when my husband thinks I am "working out," and going to a friend's birthday party when my real-life clothes don't fit (see reading at gym, above, haha.)

Brilliant, Kristen!  I love it.  We need to add this little gem to Lane's Baby-Wearing Style Basics.

Kristen's chambray tunic was from Old Navy (now gone, but Gap has one) and her leggings are from Stylemint.  Sadly, they are sold out, but a wait-list is available.  Otherwise, Urban Outfitters has a pretty pair, but I also like their muted paisley legging.  Mamas, are any of you rocking crazy legs these days?  Mind sharing your finds?  I can't quite decide....

 

Kristen, you look gorgeous, girl!  Love this look - thank you so much for writing in!

xo,

S

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.  

 

Wearing Rainboots: Inspiration Through the Seasons (And $100 Giveaway to Bogs!)

This post is an update to our original How To Wear Rainboots - For Moms article, originally published in March of 2009.  It was in dire need of an update.  Especially since it remains as one of our top-hitting posts.  Crazy.  

When I wrote it, rainboots were being worn everywhere by celebrities and just starting to be embraced by the general population.  But rainboots still seemed a bit out-of-place unless it was actually raining.

Since then, rainboots have come into their own and are now considered a valid boot-about-town.  And while I still think they look silly on a sunny day walking down a dry sidewalk, I've amended my original "rules" (which were totally annoying anyway).

When Moms Should Wear Rain Boots

1. When it is raining.
2. When it is wet -- meaning puddles are on the ground.
3. When you might be wading in a stream, mud bed, or pond.

Let's just summarize things into the following statement:  Wear rainboots whenever you feel like it.  I'm going to guess that most moms will probably feel like it when it's raining, snowing, generally wet, muddy, or on a cold, gray, day.  Or during a cool summer downpour.  

What Kind of Rain Boots Moms Can Wear [Again, from the original article]

1. Tall plain ones - hunter green, dark gray, bright yellows, red, etc.
2. Tall black patent leather ones -- the sheen of these boots will look a little more sophisticated.
3. Some patterns are OK for the brave -- but proceed with caution on this one.  Skip the Hello Kitty boots, skip the ladybugs, skip anything with rainbows or anything that you think an 8 year old would want to borrow.  If reading this makes you nervous, stick with plain.

I'm actually OK with this advice.  But I'd also add that rainboot styles have exploded in recent years.  If you aren't a fan of the typical wellie, there are now rainboot wedges, booties, rubber motorcycle boots and, one of my personal favs, duck boots.  Here are some super-cool, non-wellie rainboots:

Mom Street Style | Cheralyn's Layered, Vintage Vibe

Mamas.  Meet Cheralyn, who wrote in with the following darling email:

I found your blog a little over a year ago, pregnant with my second and feeling a little lost in the fashion department.  I didn't fit into my first pregnancy's maternity wear, it was too large.  And having a active toddler in tow is a challenge when your pants are consistently falling down!  But I couldn't justify myself buying a whole new wardrobe for four or five months and then again when I was nursing...  Your blog showed me not only how to make what I had in my closet work, but what to invest in to make my clothes last postpartum and beyond...  This outfit is one of my staples and I feel is a perfect example of how much y'all have helped me not only stay fashionable but push the bar a little even though I am a stay at home mom. :) I love wearing cowboy boots with my boho style, I feel like they are a classic and yet always have that vintage feel.  And they are actually a great alternative to wellies, perfect for playing in the wet grass!

Cheralyn's edgy, triple-layered (so interesting, right?) spring-transitional outfit over playground-friendly leggings and cowboy boots is perfect for chasing babes, grappling with erratic spring weather (much like toddler mood swings) and romping on the playground. The playful floral print and white tank read "spring" while the addition of dark, slimming leggings and a cardi speak to the fact that Spring sometimes stalls, like here, where I got a touch of sun burn over the weekend in 85 degree weather and it is now snowing <sigh> . . .

Cheralyn, you're rockin' that boho/retro/rockabilly vibe (even though you're a stay at home mom ; ) we love it!  Thank you so much for writing in, and Mamas, pppplease, keep 'em coming.  We're always inspired when we see what you're wearing!

- M.

 

My Newest Obsession: StyleMint for Cool, Affordable T-Shirts

Mamas, I've been meaning to post about Stylemint for quite some time now.  However, I owed it to you dear readers, to figure out how to successfully decline the monthly tee from what is basically a modern version of a CD-of-the-month.  But with t-shirts.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

T-shirts, you may have noticed, are a pretty big deal these days.  This wardrobe basic has come into it's own, and is often the focal point of an outfit.  Much like denim was revolutionized when "Sevens" came into existence, the simple t-shirt is now anything but.  Designers like Alexander Wang are turning out tees that are gorgeously drapy, with interesting little details like rolled hems, a slightly asymmetrical neckline or a flyaway shape.  These new tees manage to retain the casual charm of a classic tee "this old thing?" but they work equally well as part of a dressy ensemble. 

(photo credit: T by Alexander Wang at Shopbop)

My issue, however, is that many of these tees are dry clean only, and most have a price point range of $60 - $120.  

Which, OK, isn't horrible for something that you could wear every day.  The price-per-wear works out pretty well.  But the dry-clean thing doesn't work.  At all.

And while I'll admit there are other places to find tees (J.Crew's tissue tees being one of my favs)...when compared with the high-end tees, they don't quite measure up.  There's just a little more style, a better drape, and a few more interesting details in the higher-end tees.  Sometimes, you do get what you pay for.

Enter Stylemint.

I was hesitant, upon hearing about Stylemint's business model, simply because I was burned one-too-many times by the CD-of-the-month clubs as a kid.  (OK - just one time.  But my Mom said, "NO MORE!" and that was that.)  And I'll admit that Stylemint is hardly upfront about how things work.  Here's what they say:

You're in Charge

• It's FREE to look! Get a FREE StyleProfile. Never an obligation to buy!
• Start your membership with your first purchase!
• All T Shirts are just $29.99 each!
• You only receive what you order. We'll email you at the beginning of every month with your Showroom based on your StyleProfile.
• Choose to buy or skip a month in the first 5 days at
  no charge! [emphasis mine]
• Shipping is always FREE!
• Returns are EASY!

 

Ok - so I guess they do infer that you need to do something at the beginning of each month.  But it took me a few months (embarrassing, but true) to figure out how.  HOWEVER....the tees are so fabulous that I almost didn't care.

Mamas, these tees are soft, drapey, and oh-so-crazy-chic.  They are, without exaggeration, the new workhorses of my closet. I've been wearing my Stylemint tees constantly, and the price-per-wear is now shockingly low.   

Here are a few of my favs:

(wearing: on left - J. Brand Houlihans in navy, LOFT skinny belt, Stylemint Abbott-Kinney tee...on right - Stylemint Charlton tee)

I love how these tees are so chic that they work equally well hanging out with the kiddos as they do on date night: