Ain't No Mom Jeans

The New Spring Basics 101

A few weeks ago I was driving Raines to pre-school (he's 5).  He was sitting in his carseat, a grumpy look on his face.  "What's wrong, buddy?" I asked.  He sighed.  It was one of those dramatic, drawn-out sighs of the long-suffering.  "I jus' don't understand what is happening in this world, Mom" he said.  

Whoa.  I'm not...how to even...begin with that?   I waited, concerned, for him to continue.

"I mean...what the heck is going on with the Sun?  Where is it?  Will I always have to wear this jacket?"  [pause]   I'M NOT COMFORTABLE IN THIS JACKET MOM!!"

Exactly, kid. Sing it.

 

Ready to talk Spring, Mamas?  Us too.  Most of these picks (if not all) can be worn while chasing kiddos around a park, and some can be dressed up for date-night (or the office).  All can be paired with pieces you already own for a fresh, easy update.  These are the new Spring Basics...101.

 

 

Reader Q | How to Style a Lace Top For Work

Reader Question:

First, let me say that I love your blog! I read it religiously. So much so that my husband no longer asks where I get new ideas from. Thank you for helping me feel kid-friendly, mom appropriate and sexy all at the same time.

Here's my question...I'm looking for some ideas for work appropriate layering of a lace shirt. I am an attorney and need office appropriate wear, but get bored with the same old dark suit getup.
If I can at least make the tops under the jacket interesting, I feel like I win. On non-court days, I have a little more freedom in what is appropriate. I'm 100% on board with the layering a turtleneck.  I tried a t-shirt today.

(wearing:  GORGEOUS lace tee is Lauren Conrad for Kohl's)  

Is there anything else? Would a button down work?

-Suzanne

Answer:

Suzanne - Thanks for writing in!  You obviously read the article (linked above) where I recommended a lace top.  If you recall, I claimed that it was oh-so-easy to style and soooo very versatile and...well.  I see that you are calling me out.  (Nicely, of course.)  Challenge accepted!!  It's time to put my styling where my big ol' mouth is, and attempt to style one up for the office.  Not just any office....but one of the most conservative of work environments. 

(I came up with six possibilities.)

A Maternity Workwear Capsule Wardrobe For Spring (and an ASOS Giveaway)

Maternity workwear.  Isn't that phrase just so...depressing?  Ugh.  It conjures up images of schlumpy, black, ill-fitting suits and those awful maternity button-down shirts.  (shudder)

We can do better, Mamas.  

I threw together a small Spring capsule wardrobe for working mamas-to-be.  And it's almost completely post-partum friendly, and much of it is pumping-friendly.  But best of all?  Maternity workwear (blaaaah) has come such a long way that not only would I happily(!!) wear any of these pieces NOT pregnant, but most are pretty. darn. affordable. 

 

Reader Q | How To Style A Gingham Shirt?

Reader Question:

Hi ANMJ!

First off, I have to tell you that if it wasn't for you, I'm not sure I would have left the house after baby #2. It wasn't so much the baby weight as it was the overall body changes and new shape. Plus it's so hard to feel sexy after giving birth! Empowered and in love, yes. But sexy? Not until I found your blog. I would read you hourly if you chose to post that often. And my husband has been loving my style lately--major plus!

My dilemma now is that I randomly bought this shirt from j. crew and now that I'm home, I can't for the life of me figure out what I was thinking!

Is there any way to wear this without looking like a prudish Daisy Duke??? You are tops when it comes to wearable, stylish mom clothes and I'm hopeful you can help. Thank you so much--for everything!

With love and gratitude,
Stephanie

 

Answer:

Stephanie - Thanks so much for your kind words!  And I'm loving your purchase.  Gingham shirts are a pretty safe bet.  They'll add a pop of color and pattern to just about any outfit.  The trick (for me, at least) is to prevent a preppy-overload, and, for you, to keep the look far, far away from those crazy Duke brothers.   Gotcha.  Here's what I found:

Reader Q | What An Engineer Wears To Work in the Summer

Mamas, I recieved this email from reader Tracy:

Here's my challenge.  I'm an aerospace systems engineer (yes, you MAY call me Madame Rocket Scientist) in Pasadena, CA and I have no idea what to wear to work when the weather gets hot.  Oh, did I mention California?  Yes, it will be 80-105 degrees here from now until November.  That's half a year by my Excel spreadsheet calculations.  My workplace is actually pretty casual, but the managers certainly dress nicer, and I've always heard you should dress like who you aspire to be at work.  So, what to wear when skin is in season at the beach/park, but no so for those of us sweltering in their desk chair? Cut-offs, short skirts, flip flops, maxi dresses (any that scream "I'd rather be on a tropical island than here in this meeting with all of you!), bare arms, etc. are really not options.  And, I am of course up to my elbows in mommy-mode (and other disgustingness) immediately before and after work so everything has to be kiddo friendly. 

 

Tracy, I have a soft spot in my heart for geeks.  Geeks who mention aerospace, spreadsheets and fashion?  We should be BFFs.

As you know, engineering is a funny field from a dress-code perspective.  It's not as conservative, as, say, some crusty old law firm, but neither is it consider creative, like marketing or a hip ad agency.  And while my company flirted with a denim dress code in the heady dot-com days, the pendulum seems to be swinging back to fairly conservative roots. 

Personally, I tend to favor a professional look, with touches of casual ease thrown in (especially in the summer).  Here's a weeks worth of outfits:

MONDAY:  Cheap, Modest, Summer Dresses

(wearing:  Target dress, J. Crew belt, Marc Jacobs heels)

A few of my favorite places to find cotton summer dresses include Target, Shabby Apple, Modcloth, and  Forever 21.  Look for classic cuts with a bit of a sleeve in dark, conservative colors.  I keep them professional with belts and closed-toe heels, and add cardigans (or blazers) to battle the air conditioning.  The second I leave work I strip off the outer layer, and just run around in what is really just a cheap little cotton summer dress.  Sometimes I'll even change into flip-flops.  

NOTE:  When buying cheap, you sometimes sacrifice fit.  The Target dress above cost me $24, plus another $40 in alterations.  Considering how many times I've worn what became a $64 dress, the CPW (cost-per-wear) is still in the pennies.

 

5 Maternity Bottoms That All Legs Will Crave (Pregnant or Not...)

Mamas, have I shown you my favorite trousers?  They are perfectly slouchy, menswear inspired, and oh-so-comfy.

Know what else?  They are maternity pants.

(wearing: Preggo me - Isabella Oliver Garbo pants and ruched cami, DVF jacket, Chan Luu scarf...regular me - Isabella Oliver Hepburn pants, Stylemint tee, hub's watch, necklace from Nordstroms and Nine West booties)

Ooooh, yeah.  

The Garbo trousers have been, by far, my very favorite maternity pants.  I wore them through two pregnancies, post-partum, and continue to wear them.

I mean seriously.  I know that carefully chosen maternity dresses & tops can go the distance, but pants?  Isn't that crazy?

(oh wait.  I'm still wearing my maternity jeans as shorts.  Maybe not so crazy.)

However, in my internet travels, I've come across more and more maternity bottoms that I think could easily be worn loooong after a baby is due.  Here are my 5 favs:

How To Inject a Dose of Spring Into a Basic Work Wardrobe

 Reader Question:

I'm headed back to work full-time now that my kids are older, and I work in a pretty conservative field.  I've bought a few basics, but am at a loss now that it's (slightly) warmer and I'll have to pack away my black boots, tights and sweater dresses!

I'm a size 4 (which I've worked hard for post-babies!) but so many of my old clothes look frumpy.  While I'm over 40, I don't look it and don't want to!  Could you give me some tips to use what I've got to be stylin' in the office and budget-friendly?

I went out and bought a black skirt suit with a pencil skirt, some stretchy black belts for the pencil skirt and sweater dresses, two camis - white & black, and a no-wrinkle crisp fitted white shirt.  I have a few cardigans (a bit dated and baggy) but one classic charcoal cashmere sweater set that still works, kind of.  I also have three pairs of dress khakis and a pair of dressy washable black slacks.  And I have one cute silky scarf in neutrals.

A lot of my friends are in the same boat - starting over with a closet full of jeans, t-necks & tees, and no idea where to start.  Can you show us a few looks that could build on the basics for spring but would work for .... well, work?  

Thanks!  I love your blog and read it daily.  I love when you feature other blogs too - I'm starting to follow a few more but yours is the most fun (and fashion-forward).  

Julia

 

Answer:

Julia, thanks for writing in!  What a fun question - and I love that you gave us an idea of what you already have in your closet.  Your basics are very relatable...I'm willing to bet that most mamas have some version of what you described.  So how to perk up a fairly dark and and basic wardrobe for Spring?

Here's a sample of the types of items Julia has in her closet:

Tahari jacket | Tahari skirt | Tahari pants | Gucci Button-down shirt | Jackie Cardigan | Jackie Shell  | Gap Classic Khakis | Neutral Scarf

 

To perk these pieces up....we need to inject a little color, and some patterns.  My recommended shopping list is actually pretty short.  Ready?  

Shop Your Closet: Layer a Tee Over a Blouse (or Button-Down)

My least favorite thing about Denver?  These guys:

Super-sized Miller Moths.  They are almost as big as these guys:

I swear! Really!  And I'm terrified of them.  Terrified.  

Where I come from moths are tiny little things, much smaller than a butterfly.  So imagine my surprise upon moving to Denver to find that my house, almost every Spring, would be invaded by these furry bird-like moths.  That swoop at my head and get tangled in my hair.  [shudder]  The worst, however, the absolute WORST, was that these things would lurk in my shower, just waiting to pounce.  Once, I was happily showering away, reached for the shampoo bottle and BAM!  A Miller Moth jumped out and flew - through the shower spray -  straight at my chest.  I was wet, of course, from the shower, so he stuck there.  Stuck. To. My. Chest.  I shrieked some inhuman kind of scream, clawing at my chest and tried to run and open our shower door and ended up doing all of it at once so I ended up just smashing my head on the half-opened shower door and knocking myself - still screaming - on my bum.

It - the moth - was still there. On my chest.

Somehow - I don't quite remember how exactly - I ended up getting the thing off of me, leaping out of the shower and running naked and crying into the living room.  Where Mike was calmly sitting.  SITTING!!!!  He looked up in surprise as he saw me crying.  "Didn't you hear me???????"  I sobbed.  "Geez Babe," he said.  "I heard a scream but it was, you know, just your moth scream."

He heard a few other screams then, if my memory serves.

But now, happily, Raines takes care of most bug problems when Mike isn't home.  And while Miller Moths are terrifying, they are not nearly as damaging as the fleet of teeeny tiiiny little moths that have eaten their way through many of Mike's sweaters and a few of my own.  And since I'm totally adverse to using chemicals in the house, I haven't been able to totally get rid of them.  Sigh. Any advice?

My point, however, is that one of my old standbys, a cream cashmere tee, has now been put to rest.  RIP cashmere tee.  I would wear my old cashmere tee like a sweater - over button-downs or blouses.  Like this, actually:

(photo credit: J.Crew)

Fabulous, no?  So I'm saving my pennies to replace it.  But in the meantime....I was wondering if I could use any other kind of tee?  Must it be cashmere, or even sweater-like?  For example, I have a silk tee, bought on super-sale at Banana that I use for work primarily because it covers the pooch nicely:

Color Combo I'm Loving: Camel + Black + Tangerine

Have you ever noticed that black pants, while a staple, actually look good with very little?  Black pants are often the default bottom layer in a rather tired work uniform.  Or what we throw on when we want to look dressier, but don't really want to try.  

"I don't know...I guess I could just throw on my black pants."

Right?

So I'm kinda excited about this color combo.  If you haven't heard, the Pantone 2012 Color Of The Year (Which Is A Very Big Deal Hence The Capitol Letters) is Tangerine Tango.  Aka this:

Pretty, no?   I love how it's a softer version of a bright orange, but still retains all of the impact of the bright, bright orange.  Surprisingly flattering, also.

Anyway, this color has been making it's way down the runways for...well, actually, for a couple of years now.  But lately it has been paired up by retailers with camel and black.  The camel adds a richness to the palette, the black grounds it, and the tangerine is fresh and fun.  When paired with black pants, the look is cohesive...intentional.  Not like you just threw on black pants because you weren't sure what else would go.  You can wear black and camel and orange like you mean it.  

Voila...

(photo credits: J.Crew, mytheresa.com)

 

Of course, if you are really lazy (and yes. yes I am), you can just use a pop of orange lipstick to perk up the ol' black & tan.

 (wearing: J.Brand cropped denim, J.Crew sweater, happy socks)

It's amazing what a little Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur can do. 

 

The color is "Le Orange", people.  Not orange, but Le Orange.  Not gonna lie, I kinda love that.  Being, you know, so fancy and all (in my striped socks).

xo,

S

 

ps.  We have a new winner for the Ashley Ann Snapshop course...Courtney L?  Shoot us an email!!

 

 

 

A Tiny Capsule Wardrobe For Post-Partum, Nursing Moms Going Back To Work

Mamas, I received an email from reader Vera.  She was thrilled with our advice during her maternity leave, writing, "I bought a pair of skinny jeans, some leggings, and then shirt dresses/dolman sleeve sweaters, the Dria cover, some awesome slimming nursing tanks and that pumpkin peel...and actually felt NICE immediately after having baby #4.  THAT is awesome - thank you!"

But now she's back at work.

Vera says:

My belly is out of control and I need help figuring out what to wear.  I actually lay awake at night and dread the next morning, mostly because I can't think of what to wear.  I have some suits to wear for meetings 2-3 times a month, but the rest of the time my office is business casual.  I want to be comfortable.  I'm pumping, so I need either tops I can take off or dresses that are nursing/pumping friendly.  I am working REALLY hard on losing the baby weight, and I don't want to spend a ton of money on clothes that fit me now.  I am probably a size 10 on the bottom (my legs are actually smaller than that but my belly...) and a 12/Large on top thanks to the porn star boobs (filled with milk) right now.  Even though I sit most of the day, I want things that are comfy and easy to move in.  So, can you help me find

*Work appropriate

*Cheap

*Comfortable

*Pooch-hiding, porn-star-boob-accommodating

*Nursing/pumping friendly?

 

Vera, there are two ways to approach this problem:

1. Buy a ton of cheap stuff

2. Select, very carefully, a few quality items that look amazing and that you can wear over & over & over again.

My issue with buying lots of cheap stuff is that you often sacrifice fit.  And when your body is going through so many crazy changes....you'll look and feel better in well-fitting clothes. 

However.  By choosing carefully, it's possible that you can invest in a few items that will still work once the weight comes off...AND make the most of what you already own.  

But I do recommend buying pants that fit.  That alone will do wonders for your morning closet conundrum.

So.  Here are five items that every new working-and-pumping mom should consider adding to her closet (and they all work together, too!):