Ain't No Mom Jeans

Winter / Spring Mom Uniform Idea: Dress + Leggings + Rainboots + Warm Accessories

One of my very favorite things about blogging?  Hearing from our fabulous readers.  And one of our readers sent in a pic so gorgeous, I knew I had to post it!!

Girls, meet Amy.  Amy is (obviously) pregnant, and rocking a very cool version of a daily mom uniform. 

Amy says she's been trying to "stretch the wardrobe I already have through these months of maternity madness--an infusion of scarves, cute shoes (that are actually flat), blousy dresses, and a few extra pieces that will work from now all the way through postpartum and nursing". 

She's right.  Cozy dresses, accessorized with an array of tights, scarves and flat shoes are one of the easiest and most stylish ways to get dressed in the morning.  And so flattering for new moms. 

When describing her outfit, Amy says:

"It's pretty much my uniform these days with all of this snow--drapey cashmere dress, cute tights, snow boots, and a big scarf.  I love this outfit because I can carry all of the stuff in my purse to make it a "nonsnow" outfit--a pair of ballet flats and a light silk scarf.  I seriously wear some manifestation of this getup at least 3 or 4 times a week.  And...none of it is maternity!"

This mom uniform works for both pregnant, new moms, and experienced moms alike.  For a non-pregnant version of this look, see our post on Gwenth Paltrow's Daily Mom Uniform. (Amy, you're in great company, style-wise!!)

For moms chasing a toddler around, swap out the tights for leggings - they'll give you a bit more coverage.

Amy is wearing a cashmere blend dress from Banana Republic, funky purple tights from J. Crew, Nordstrom's cashmere scarf and armwarmers (I love these things!!), and J. Crew Galoshes.

Galoshes (or rain boots) are a really great way to start transitioning winter outfits into Spring, and would probably be my first choice for rocking this mom uniform now!

Here's what I came up with, using Amy as inspiration:

  

I'm loving American Apparel's Chambray Henley Shirt Dress, $62.  It's completely on trend, and would look equally amazing this summer with a pair of nude platforms for date night as it does all cozied up here.  Wear this dress with a pair of black tights (Gap's are shown here), and some fabulous rainboots.  I can't stop thinking about Hunter's Original Gloss in Violet, $115 at Zappos.com.

To make this look winter-friendly, add in some fun armwarmers (I'm showing Michael Kors, on sale at Nordstroms for $29) and a gorgeous wool scarf.  I tend to wear lots of solid color clothing, so I like to add in a bit of pattern with a scarf.  The 100% Merino wool Gray Floral Scarf pictured above is a more interesting twist on the standard gray scarf, and can be found at SFMoma online for $65.

If things are still really chilly in your neck of the woods, you can further cozy this outfit up by adding thick wool socks over the tights (showing above the top of the rainboot), a long-sleeve layer under the chambray dress (let the sleeves peek out from underneath the chambray's rolled sleeves), and throwing the whole look on with a warm parka. 

Ugh.  I hate that I'm still talking about parkas....but March is often Denver's snowiest month.

Amy, thanks so much for sending in this gorgeous pick -- we just LOVED it.  And congrats on the new baby!  I remember well the "grandama-sized panties" you mentioned in your email...here in Denver the nurses referred to them as "sexy panties".  snort.  And as awful as they are....I LOVED them.  "soooooooo comfortable....aaaahhhh."  Disposable or no, I washed and wore mine more than I'd like to admit. 

xo,

S

Pic is courtesy of Jennifer Wilson of jennifer/brooks photography.  Offices in Washington, DC and Seattle.

  


 
 

Mom Street Style - February 2010 Mom

One of my dear friends was visiting from Minneapolis last week.  She and I grew up together in the beautiful (but oh-so-cold-and-snowy) Marquette, MI.  Despite my background, I spent the entire weekend cursing the weather gods for all of the snow and cold that suddenly blew into Denver.  My friend, on the other hand, wasn't fazed in the least.  She pointed out that Denver was still about 20 degrees warmer than our hometown (or Minneapolis for that matter) and that Denver didn't get "real" snow.  Just something fluffy that more closely resembles the fake snow they use on stage.  Certainly nothing you can make snowballs out of.  And this stuff often melts at the first sign of sun.  A far cry from our hometown, where the last snowbanks sometimes finished melting in June.  So yes - I've gone soft.

One of my favorite things about living in such a climate as Denver is the ability to wear ballet flats.  I've always loved the Audrey Hepburn inspired outfits that involved ballet flats and slim little capri pants...but the reality was that in Michigan, ballet flat season lasted approximately 6 weeks:  From the beginning of September (after the summer thunderstorms and muggy heat stopped) through mid October (before the first snowfall).  Not practical.

All of this, by the way, is my way of apologizing to our Northern readers for our February Mom.  Get ready for severe ballet flat envy.

I love Nicole's outfit, pictured at left.  I love the rolled jeans and ballet flats, I love the sophisticated black and white palette with a pop of color (pink!!), I love that she's carrying a fancy bag full of diapers instead of a diaper bag.  

Nicole is really wearing a glorified (and sophisticated) take on the basic t-shirt & jeans mom uniform, and her outfit is a great example of using a fabulous coat to dress up your t-shirt and jeans.

A note on Nicole's jeans:  Nicole is wearing CJ by Cookie Johnson's Faith jeans, $117 at Nordstrom's.  These jeans have a higher rise, but due to a special waistband, they won't gap at the waist.   Nicole tried to claim these jeans were her version of "mom jeans"...but if all mom jeans were this hot, the name of this blog would be different.  

Lastly, check out little Caroline in her matching black-white-pink outfit and rainboots.  Sigh.  Little boy clothes are getting better....but this is a whole different category of cute.

xo,

S

Mom Street Style - January 2010 Mom

Gang, meet Jocelyn and her little guy, Jasper.  She was shopping at Whole Foods, Jasper and hubby in tow, looking adorable in the middle of January in her vintage polka-dot dress. I was impressed by two things:

1.  She was wearing a dress (something I never think about putting on when out and about with the kiddo).

2.  She was wearing a dress in a winter-appropriate way.

Not only did she throw thick tights on underneath her dress, but she added warm, furry winter boots.  And somehow, the whole look works.  The key here is to not over-think it. 

Also, a dress with a fitted bodice and full skirt is not only easy to move in, but universally flattering - especially for moms with curves. Think Mad Men, think 50's housewife.

Here's how I'd recreate:

 Modcloth.com is my favorite source for vintage-looking dresses.  Their Be My Valentine Dress, $80, would be a welcome sight on a gray winter day.  I would pair this dress with the insanely adorable Knitted Bobby Cardigan, $160, from Topshop.com and the Joan of Arctic Sorel boots that I've had my eye on all winter.  They are now on sale for $120 at piperlime.com.  While cream cable-knit tights would be cute, thick black tights go with everything, and that's what I would wear with this outfit.  Again, don't over-think.

Cute, easy, comfy, and more festive than most of my everyday "mom outfits". Thanks, Jocelyn!

(Confession: My husband actually pointed Jocelyn's outfit out to me.  He's such a sucker for a skirt).

xo,

S

Mom Street Style - December 2009 Mom

I know, I know.  It's February.  But I was about to post our January mom (late) and realized that we hadn't yet posted our December mom.  Sigh.  Prior to becoming a mom, I had a slight problem with getting places on time. (I can hear my friends all snorting with derision).  Now that I'm a mom, time has ceased to have any meaning whatsoever. 

But our December mom is too good to miss.  Meet Emily - she's actually Raines' nanny.  So not technically a mom, but Em certainly knows how to look cute and be comfortable around the kiddos!  I'm always amazed at what she puts together: she could seriously be a regular feature.

In any case, I wanted to highlight a cool trick that she taught me this past December.  You know those shirts that come with their own sash?  (Or belt, or whatever)  Em layered the shirt under a boyfriend cardi, and then used the sash belt over the cardi to better define her waist.  Genius!

I love that you could also pull this off with any cute sash belt.  Try also a skinny scarf or a man's tie.  Just layer a thin boyfriend cardi over a longish tunic, and tie your sash of choice around your natural waist, like Em. 

xo,

S

Mom Street Style - November 2009 Mom

Girls, meet Evyan, our super stylish November Mom.   Not only does she have one of the coolest names I've ever heard, she is wearing an outfit that I could call, "How Moms Can Look Smokin' Hot in Leggings".  At the park, no less.  That's hardcore dedication to hotness.  

Confession - Evyan has said that she wasn't PLANNING to go the park that day....sure, sure.  

Evyan is wearing my new favorite legging look: the denim legging.  Don't confuse this with "Jeggings", which are leggings that are printed to look exactly like jeans (including fake pockets, etc).  The denim legging is a slightly thicker version of the legging, in fabric that looks slightly denim colored.  The denim color is perfect because, like actual denim, it matches everything.

Mom Street Style - October 2009 Mom

Setting the scene:  My dear friend Amber, who is not yet a mom, has just finished reading my article, The Uninspired, The Unflattering, The Trends of Fall 2009.

Amber: Seriously?  You said no to over-the-knee boots?

Me: Well, I said they weren't PRACTICAL.

Amber:  Whatever.  They are fabulous.  FABULOUS.  And I know you want them.

Me:  [sigh]  Ok, mayb-

Amber: Seriously?  Like moms can't be HOT?  Moms can TOTALLY be hot.  I know lots of hot moms.  You're hot - you could wear them!

Me: Ummmm...thanks? But you are right, moms CAN be hot, but I just said they weren't practi--

Amber: Let your moms be hot!  Tell your moms they have a RIGHT to be hot!

Me: Ok, Ok, Ok.  I know. I KNOW. [weakly] I just said they weren't practical....for all moms...some moms may not like them....

Amber:  [silence]

Amber:  I'm wearing mine tonight.  You will LOVE them and be jealous.

And she did.  And I was.  They are fabulous.  AND...to make matters worse, a few weeks after this conversation I ran into hot-mom Amy, pictured above, wearing......[drumroll].....over-the-knee boots.  And a rather practical pair, actually.  

Mom Street Style - September 2009 Mom

There are few things, fashion-wise, that I like better than a great mix of high-end and budget-friendly items.  Leave it to our September Mom, Becky, to put together such a look. 

Beck is one of my dearest friends, and someone who lives by her own set of rules.  Her first rule?  "Happy, Happy, Happy!"  (You need three Happys, she says, in case life or toddler tantrums or anything else tries to tear down your first two).  And her second rule?  Nothing too fancy.  Instead, she uses classic, iconic accessories to add interest and a rich-girl feel to an inexpensive tailored outfit.

Don't be fooled - Becky's outfit looks tailored, but is really just an inspired take on the classic t-shirt-n-jeans mom uniform.

Mom Street Style - August 2009 Mom

If anyone has doubted that stripes are having their moment, just scroll back through our Mom Street Styles - we've seen a plethora of cool moms in stripes lately.  However, what I love most about this look (in addition to the twist on the nautical stripes) is that it shows a great way to wear our summer camis well into Fall.

Meet O.E. (a childhood nickname from when her younger brother couldn't quite pronounce Anne Marie).  She's our August mom for wearing killer denim, doing the layering thing perfectly, looking well-rested and relaxed, rocking the hoop earrings and having a cool nickname.  What's not to love?

First things first:  The denim is William Rast.  For those of you that haven't tried them, William Rast denim is butt-lifting at it's best.

Mom Street Style - July 2009 Mom

Summer is two-thirds over.  Let me take stock:

Daily Ice Cream Cone?  Check.

Flip-flops covered in sand?  Check.

Bubbles blowed?  Check.

Made strawberry jam, gotten sick on Smores, lost bikini bottom playing in waves, built sandcastles, watched a parade?  All check.

But I haven't yet gone canoing, or waterskiing or had grilled peaches or counted the stars. Sigh.  There's only a month left - I better get busy.  

  The end of July always gives me reason to pause - summer is almost over.  I take August on like a job.  And perhaps because of the heat, perhaps because I find myself more focused on campfires, swimming, and fireflies....I ease up on things like makeup, washing my hair, or what I'm wearing.  I tend to wear the same 3 outfits in rotation, just adding a sweater for cooler nights, with my hair in a ponytail and an SPF lip balm.  August should be easy.  And our July mom is wearing a perfect outfit to take on August - one that looks much better than my usual August rotation but one that is just as easy.

Jennifer, our July mom of 3 boys (pictured above with her oldest son, Jack), is wearing a swingy, cotton, navy tshirt dress from Target.  She paired it with a colorful Vera Bradley bag, a simple silver Tiffany necklace and nude flip-flops (and you know I love how nude shoes elongate the legs!).

Mom Street Style - June 2009 Mom

Meet Corey, our very fashionable June mom.  I ran into Corey while shopping, and was immediately struck by the perfect balance of sexiness (those legs!!) and sophistication in her outfit.  All finished nicely with a Vuitton bag, which never hurts. 

Corey pulls off short-shorts with ease, and adds a little height to her small frame with a pair of ever-so-slightly-wedge-heel flip-flops.  High heeled flip-flops can be tough - so many of them look made for teenagers, but Corey's are nice and sleek and therefore work for moms.

In order for moms to pull off short-shorts, it requires good legs, and getting the right proportions.  Showing so much leg should be offset by a slightly more conservative top.  Corey's is perfect.  Not only do the nautical stripes lend a bit of French-girl sophistication, but the higher neck and A-line shape get the proportions exactly right.  The shirt skims over the waistband of the shorts making her look nice and thin (I doubt that Corey is hiding a post-baby belly but the key here is that you COULD hide one) and the overall effect is a fantastic, flirty little outfit.