Ain't No Mom Jeans

Mom Street Style: Gwen's Babywearing, Spring Transition Outfit (And Upcoming Giveaway Info...)

Readers, I ran into Gwen at the Denver Botanic Gardens.  It was one of those "warm? cold? now warm again?  Nope - there's the wind!!" kind of days.

Gwen looked adorable and perfectly dressed for the weather in her soft gray and stripes.

Here's what I'm loving:

1.  When in doubt, go striped.  I'm always amazed at how much stripes can lighten up a whole outfit -- even under an Ergo!

2.  Lighten up!  Swap out your dark-wash denim for a lighter wash, or gray.  The whole outfit will feel more Spring-like.

3. Monochrome bottom - keeping your footwear and legs in the same color family (or same tone) visually lengthens legs. 

Gwen's top is the maritime J.Crew hoodie I've been coveting for a while, her skinny cargos are from Brass Plum (Nordstroms) and her boots are the infamous Ugg Cardys.

Now, about that giveaway...

The Key To Cool Layering (Hint: Think Three)

Spring fever has hit pretty hard.  But despite our collective longing, Mother Nature rarely responds.  And if you are in Marquette, MI?  Hello, snow. 

Even if you are dealing with snowdrifts, the easiest way to deal with a bit of Spring fever is to infuse a little dose of Spring into your outfits.  We've talked already about gorgeous trench coats, and bright pops of denim...but one way to feel Spring-y and stay warm is by layering.

Layering, however, is not throwing a cardi on over your t-shirt.  Well, technically, it is...but a cooler way of layering is to follow the rule of three:  Wear three tops*.

*tops - a loose definition.  Tops can be dresses, vests, actual tops or even a big fun scarf.  Two tops and a scarf is kind-of cheating in this layering game.  But will still look great.

The rule of three keeps you a bit warmer, and...even better?  It makes any outfit just. so. cool.  It requires a bit more thought, however.  At least for me.  But the end result is effortless style.  Look at your fav fashion mags or bloggers - some of the coolest looks follow the rule of three. 

Wanna see?  I found some really great inspiration, and came up with a few tips to keep in mind:

A Must-Have For Moms: Cute Loungewear

New baby.  Sick baby.  Sick Mom.  New Mom.  Blizzard.  Freezing temps. Crazy morning. No sleep last night.  Whatever the reason...there are days we never venture outside.  And in the winter, these days can start to pile-up.  Contending with cabin fever is bad enough, but too many days spent in pajamas and no-makeup?  Horror.

In all seriousness, nothing plummets my self-esteem like the combination of poochy post-partum stomach + saggy sweatpant bum + no makeup.

UGH.

Obviously, slicking on a little blush can do wonders, but I've found that I'm a happier trapped-in-the-house-mum when I'm wearing cute loungewear.  To me, cute loungewear must be insanely comfortable (for me, leggings are out..too much tightness bugs me after a while), warm, and most importantly, make our bums look cute. (Ability to nurse is also one of my current requirements...so I included a few options below).

Here we go....

Translating Your Styleboard to Mom-Uniform Possibilities: Amanda's Example

 One of the comments we received on our Determining Your Personal Style article was from reader Amanda.  She wrote:

"I started this today but got a little stuck. The pictures speak, but they say so many different things. Sometimes "that's beautiful," "she's beautiful," or "wow, that look would really work for next week's baby shower / wedding / playgroup / family function." I think I should be focusing on the whole look, pictures where I can truly say "that's ME," or "that could be me." Worried this might land me in the same rut I've been in for years though ... help!"

Once you've chosen your favorite pictures, translating them can be tricky.  Amanda was kind enough to send over her quick-n-dirty styleboard, and it's gorgeous.  It's also a good example of what complicated creatures we are.  Unlike the old Sesame Street, "one of these things is not like the other..." we are not trying to eliminate the outliers.  Our personal styles are often made up of seemingly disparate ideas.  Putting it all together is what makes personal style, well...personal.

Sooo...using Amanda's style board as an example, I've created three possible mom-uniforms.  Here's her styleboard: 

Momiform Style Inspiration: Straight-Leg Jeans with a Modern Sweatshirt

One thing made abundantly clear by our readers last week, is that weaning ourselves away from bootcut jeans is a scary, scary prospect.  (See our second style rules article for all of the great comments).  So I wanted to highlight some momiform style inspiration that focuses on straight-leg jeans (although skinnies would work just as well).

Remember Kyla of Blue Collar Catwalk?  We profiled her last winter, due to her spot-on advice regarding the tricky flats-with-tights pairing.

We're featuring her again, with an outfit that she created last February.  One, I think, that is even more relevant this Fall (talk about setting the trend - Go Kyla!)

Let's discuss:

Winter / Spring Mom Uniform Idea: Boyfriend Jeans + Sweatshirt + Girly Accessories

 Yesterday we showed a mom-uniform outfit idea based on a blousey dress (courtesy of reader Amy), and today we have another mom-uniform outfit idea coming in from our reader Esther!  (Esther, BTW, is the insanely talented children's clothing designer Chinny Chin Chin that we profiled last year.)

Esther, typically addicted to a large black parka at this time of year, was inspired to swap it out after reading one of our End of Winter Outfit Ideas.  I'm so glad she did.

I'm head over heels in love with Esther's outfit.  By now most of you know my long-standing love affair with destroyed boyfriend jeans (really, there is nothing more comfortable)...and Esther manages to up the comfort level even further by pairing hers with a comfy sweater and Ugg-like boots.  A gorgeous scarf, a cool spring jacket and movie-star shades completes this drop-dead cool look.

NOTE for other Ugg boot wearers:  Notice that Esther has rolled her jeans to hit at the top of the Ugg boots, instead of attempting to stuff all of that fabric into the boots.  Perfect.

Esther is pregnant, and I love that this look can work for both pregnant and not-pregnant moms.  Esther's "pregnancy denim" is actually Converse jeans from Target.  (Esther - would you leave a comment telling us about the rest of your fabulous outift?)

So...inspired by Esther, I came up with another version of her mom-uniform idea.  But since I'm optimistically thinking Spring, I put together a slighty warmer-weather version:

Items in this set:
Women's sweaters - merino - Merino boyfriend sweatshirt - J.Crew, $70
Gap Petite Military anorak, $70
Gap Petite Destructed easy straight jeans (light wash), $70
Women's shoes - ballets - Patterned classic ballet flats - J.Crew, $120

Forever21.com - New Arrivals - Accessories, $13

I'm loving the drape and ease of J. Crew's Merino Wool Sweatshirt, but any thin, drapey sweatshirt would work.  (FYI:  These kinds of sweatshirts are also amazing with tiny little skirts or shorts for date night - just add high heels).  I just bought an army green jacket like the one above (which is actually on sale for $44, BTW) and I find that I'm wearing it everywhere.  There's a lot of casual boyishness going on in these outfits, which makes them the perfect foil for girly accessories.  Add a pretty scarf, like Esther, and once the weather is warmer, swap out your Uggs for pretty printed flats.  I'm also into ribbon-tied bib necklaces for moms.  Not only do they look very, very cool with a simple sweatshirt, but the kiddos can pull on these things all day with minimal risk.  With Spring and it's widely ranging temperatures, having a pretty little something layered under the scarf ensures you're always lookin' good.

xo,

S