Ain't No Mom Jeans

Shopping: Insanely Cool Sweatshirts (Including Nursing-Friendly Ones)

Mamas, the boys and I all got hit with disgusting, nasty colds this week.  UGH.  But I wanted to get this article out...based on your emails & comments, many of you are planning to do a little shopping this weekend.  So in true shopping enabler fashion...here are my, uh, nineteen favorite sweatshirts. 

*NOTE:  While I did find some great options under $40....I have also included sweatshirts in the $100+ range.  Why?  Well...conventional wisdom may recommend only spending money on classic items like wool blazers, for example, but that's just not applicable to this stage of my life.  By my own personal CPW (cost-per-wear) calculation, something like a wear-everywhere sweatshirt is a much better bet than a blazer.  For those interested, I talked about this debate in the quality vs. quantity article.

 

 

1. Riller & Fount Raglan Sleeve Sweatshirt, $165

This is some serious chic, all wrapped up in a comfy sweatshirt.  The sleeves are chambray.  LOVE.

 

2. Billabong High Note Sweatshirt, $35

A more playful, younger vibe than the Riller & Fount, but just as cool for a fraction of the cost.  

 

3. Quilted Faux Leather Shoulder Sweatshirt, $58

Yup.  Still loving leather detailing.

 

4. Topshop Dip Dye Cutout Sweatshirt, $60

So insanely sexy.  Have you ever heard anyone complain about "fat shoulders"?  Me neither.  

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.

 

 

Shop Your Closet: Pair Bootcut Denim With Off-The-Shoulder Tops

Readers Lauren, Ginny, Maggie and Kendra called me out recently (in the comments section of this article) for always showing so much leg.  Lauren started the chain with this comment:

So many of the looks and trends you feature and recommend are leg-centric. Which look great on lots of ladies, just not me. And, I suspect, on lots of other moms. Any shorts with a less than 10" inseam, booties of any kind... so not working on me. Nothing, and I mean nothing, turns perfectly fine legs into shorty tree stumps like booties.

So...what can you recommend for a little excitement this fall that is NOT shorts or booties?

 

 It's true.  Sigh. I love me some short-shorts...and some ankle booties.  It's totally where my head has been lately.  But I get that this look is not for everyone - especially Mamas with shorter legs.  

So.  If you are looking for a leg-lengthening style...look no further than bootcut denim.  IknowIknowIknow!  Bootcut denim, one could argue, is the new mom jean.   But don't freak out!  Pretty much anything goes these days (and if you're interested, here is are my full thoughts on the topic of skinny vs flare vs bootcut).

I suspect many of us have a pair of bootcut denim lurking in the back of our closets.  To make them feel fresh again, try pairing them with something a bit trendier on top.  Something that mixes in a decade other than the 90's or early 2000's.   Something like...an 80's off-the-shoulder top, perhaps?? 

(wearing: Rich and Skinny Bootcut denim, Dansko Rhianna boots - almost sold out...these are similar, and an old top from Anthro.  Here's a similar one...or this!  For less!)

I actually pulled this top out of my Send To Goodwill pile.  I was going to donate the thing because every time I put it on (previously only with skinny jeans) I always felt too Flashdance-fabulous.  Like I was one sweatband away from dancin' fo-or my life.  

Take your pass-ssion (spin-spin) and make it happen (big leap then crouch-and-pose!)
Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life.....

<<inset S's dance solo here>>

For the record:  I do have a whole dance routine for that song.  Choreographed by moi, age 7.  If you are interested, I would be willing recreate on YouTube. (no, you crazy people, NOT really) 

But here's the thing:  The bootcut denim saves the top.  Instead of skinny jeans and legwarmers, bootcut denim actually makes the top feel modern and fresh again.  At least for those of us old enough to remember wearing off-the-shoulder tops the first time around.

Anyone recognize this pose?

All I need to do is lose the pants, add some heels and then...I AM. MUSIC NOW.  My 7-year old self is in ecstasy.  

MWAH!!

S

 

 

 

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:

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.

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.  

 

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: Try Pairing Dresses and Sweatshirts

Mamas, I'm so bugged when I have something in my closet that I barely wear.  Especially when that something is crazy-fabulous, comfortable, and flattering.  Like my old DVF wrap dress that I "invested" in years ago.  (Snort.  Mike loves it when I use money-managing words to describe clothes.  Like when you "save" money by shopping sales...instead of...not...shopping?  I know.  I don't get it either.)

But it's been sitting in my closet, untouched, for years.  I mean yeah - I was too poochy to pull it off for a while.  But my problem with many dresses (and this wrap dress in particular) is that it's easy to fall into this old thought-pattern:

1. Wear only when it's warm
2. Wear under a cardigan
3. Wear under a jacket

Yawn!  I'm sick of cardigans, and throwing a jacket over makes me feel like I'm either going to work or out on the town.  Sometimes "too fussy" is the death of an item.  

So on a recent visit to the aquarium, I decided to give the wrap dress one final try.  

I threw a lightweight sweatshirt over it.  While most dresses are reasonably well-behaved under a topper, a wrap dress is knot.  That pesky knot bulges out unattractively.

I decided to use the wrapped fabric as a belt, and do a half-tuck of the sweatshirt to show off the knot.  The result?  Surprisingly flattering - it almost looks like a high-waisted skirt:

Reader Q: What to Wear to a Super Bowl Party - Super Bowl XLVI Style

Few things confound me more than dressing for sporting events/parties.  I like designer denim, tall boots, drapey tops, interesting sweaters. . . but these items somehow just don't seem to fit with queso dip and beer (much as I do love those Super Bowl standbys), so I welcomed ANMJ reader Tamar's question as a challenge and spent pretty much all week culling Super Bowl party-worthy ensembles.  See What you think!  Tamar writes: 

I recently got my body back down to its original size and I am looking forward strutting my stuff at our friends Superbowl party. Problem being I have no idea what to wear. I was thinking a cute outfit in team colors? Colored blue denim with a cute top? 

- Tamar

I love the idea of going in team colors, Tamar, particularly if you or hubs are big sports fans, and this year we're in luck, because the New York Giants and the New England Patriots have nearly identical color schemes of blue, red, white and gray.  (Or if you're a Patriots fan, Nautical Blue, New Century Silver--of course.  Totally different.  I'm sure that's complete sacrilege.  Sorry.) 

But pulling off team colors without going the distance of face painting can be tough.  I've put five looks together, including two traditional team-wear outfits and three other more-every-day looks, from edgy to preppy, that incorporate pieces you probably already have.

Super Bowl XLVI (Giants vs Patriots) 2012 Outfits by dynamama featuring tailored shirts

Have fun and congrats on getting your pre-baby bod back!

- M.

5 Very Cool Ways to Wear a Puffer Vest (And Hide A Poochy Stomach!!)

Try saying this three times fast:  Perfect Post-Partum Paunchy-Pooch Puffers!  Perfect Post-Partum Paunchy-Pooch Puffers!  Perfect-

I'll stop now.

(wearing: On S - J.Crew puffer, Madewell boiler shirt, Levis denim leggings, Mia Bukaroo boots, H&M hat, LOFT skinny belt.....On R - Joe's Jeans, Puma sneaks, Crewcuts v-neck tee, Splendid hoodie, Oakley flannel, 77kids hat....On Little P - Gap flannel-lined jeans and camel jacket, Old Navy hat, Robeez fur boots)

Anywho.  The point is that puffer vests provide some major pooch control.  If you can find a puffer that you can juuuust barely zip up - that's the perfect fit for pooch-taming.  The side view, if you are truly post-partum, will be slightly thicker.  My pooch is almost gone (unless I eat, then Hello, food baby), and so the side view is still not the best: