Mommy style

[dgie]

As a new stay at home mom, I'm trying to rebuild my wardrobe to go with my new casual lifestyle. I used to be a lawyer that worked all the time, so my closet is filled with great cashmere sweaters, pants, button down shirts, suits and high heel shoes. But those don't work so well with a 6 month old baby, so I now need to revamp my whole wardrobe. I'd love to see what other moms are wearing or what you would wear on a casual weekend!

 

[ibimus]

Jeans and khakis are great. Polos, tshirts (nothing frumpy!), layered with tanks and cardigans. Flattering, comfy, and stylish.

 

[PerfectPerfect]

In my opinion, I wouldnt completely revamp my wardrobe. Then it's someone elses style. Stick to yours. I would say pair some of your pieces, even if they are a little dressy, with more casual ones. Like, trousers with plain tees. Sweater sets with jeans. You might only have to change your shoes. Get some flat knee hi boots that you can wear over or under your pants. Some ballet falts, sandals. Dresses might also be helpful since they eliminate having to buy a top and bottom.

 

[LaurieAnn]

I have a 10 year old son so I've been working on this for quite a while. All very good advice so far. I especially like the advice from PerfectPerfect to mix some of your dressier pieces with jeans, khakis, etc. This way you retain some of your identity and still look appropriate. I made the fatal mistake of thinking I had to dress more "Mom-like" for a few years and it wasn't good for my mental health.

Great fitting jeans have been my best friends as have good quality ballet flats and boots. A great handbag is worth it for a confidence and style booster. Since I'm no longer in the diaper bag stage my Birkin works well to stuff my son's books or jacket into.

Buy some washable tops in shapes that flatter your body type so that spit-up's won't ruin your best pieces.

Since you have a six month old you may not be able to accessorize much. If you can save some $$ for when your child is older and not grabby with the necklace and earings to treat yourself to some new accessories.

Most of all have fun with your baby!

 

[jenmkat]

i have a 2 1/2 year old, and after a year of wearing clothes while I lost the baby weight, i started going back to dressing myself for me, which included buying some new clothes that fit my new mama body.

one thing I realized is that no matter what i'm wearing, if my hair looks nice i feel great. If I'm wearing yoga pants and a tank, I feel slumpy if I have my hair dirty and pulled back in a ponytail.

Like laurieAnn says, make sure things are washable and you like it and it makes you feel good. Of course, there may be no need to wear your cashmere around the house when you are on the floor, but why not dress up a little to go to the grocery store and run errands? you'll feel great and more efficient.

happy mother's day by the way!

 

[LaurieAnn]

but why not dress up a little to go to the grocery store and run errands? you'll feel great and more efficient.

happy mother's day by the way![/quote]


That's excellent advice. I do that and it certainly does help me feel great; and I receive much better service as well. Just for the heck of it yesterday I wore some new Jimmy Choo's with a simple (read inexpensive and washable) shirt dress to my local Starbucks. I felt great and fell into a fun conversation with the Barrista about our mutual longing to visit NYC for some shopping.

I admit that I came home and got ready after I took my child to school which you can't do with an infant or toddler, but every so often it might be good to try it.

 

[dgie]

Thanks for all the advice! I've been having a really hard time making the "fashion transition" to mommyhood, so I appreciate it! Any outfit ideas (or even better, pictures of practical yet fashionable outfits) would also be so helpfull!

 

[Autumn]

Jersey, jersey and more jersey. I've gifted most of my "dry clean only" items to my younger sister because they'll never work with a little baby.

I ordered this shirred cotton skirt and it's super comfortable. I've been wearing it with tanks mostly.

credit: shadeclothing.com

 

[Aradia-Renee]

anythin but M O M J E A N S.

 

[Aradia-Renee]

Hear is the Saturday Night Live MOM Jeans skit...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEdWVkGgUK4

On a side note there are "Not your daughter's Jeans" that are okay. I bought my wife a pair in brown. They were a very fine whale corderoy I think. She had to go down a size and with heels they are really too short for her.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I find the fit of that brand very odd ...

 

[Aradia-Renee]

I suppose it was now that I think of it. I would not buy another pair I do not thnk.

 

[tourist10]

The whole mommy style thing has been on my mind, as I'm due with my first child in a month. I really enjoyed all the advice in the thread. Definitely agree with trying to maintain your pre-mommy personal style and also the advice about having washable tops! I feel lucky in that a lot of what I already have is pretty casual, lots of things are machine washable. Since I'll be nursing, definitely tops that have buttons down the front are a must. For me, this usually means henley style peasant tops (have a few from Isabel Marant). I'm looking to get a casual blazer to throw over these tops as well as a pair of low heel ankle boots to go with cropped pants and straight leg black jeans. The whole casual, boho, Marant look is definitely my version of mommy style.

 

[D A N A]

Good investment pieces like handbags Louis Vuitton and Prada
Perfect fitting jeans/trousers
Great heels Louboutins and Choo's

 

[tourist10]

per softgrey's advice, I'm reviving this mommy style thread. So what do you mommies wear when you're spending time with the kids? Has your style changed much since having children?

It's funny to see my old post from when I was pregnant. I used to love wearing boho/peasant style blouses, and I always thought they would be a major staple of my mommy style. However, I don't know if it's just me, but the shapeless silhouette of this style only accentuated how run down and tired looking I was after my son was born. Wearing something a little more structured and tailored makes me look so much more put together than I feel, lol. I recently purchased a pair of Acne high waist, moderately wide leg jeans, and suddenly, I feel like I know how I want my casual style to be like. It's so easy to just throw on a simple (and washable) top and a pair of flats. Even when wearing a floaty top, tucking it into high waist jeans gives me just that extra bit of polish without feeling overdressed for the weekends. Here's a picture (and sorry, I took a photo before I had a chance to hem them!). In addition to flats, I'm also loving the idea of a sandal with a small, comfortable, walkable wedge for summer. These wedges from APC look perfect. Finally, I've been feeling like adding a tiny bit of glam to my look. It's a bit like what's been mentioned before, about dressing up to go to the grocery store. I've been adding these Chanel earrings to my outfits, which fortunately, my son hasn't tried to pull off yet!

(pic of the wedges from apc.fr)

 

[RedandNavy]

Hey mommas!

Well, that's my topic here. I'm the mum of a 2 years old son and a 3 months old daughter and I still suffer from some style crisis What I always knew is that I didn't want to be one of those women who look... well... as if being a very practical mum is their only destiny. I still want to look professional on my work days (I work part time) and chic when I go out. And so, when I do get to meet a friend without taking my kids along I always grap the possibility to wear some chic heels and something more dressy

I have to think more practical though. Flats are a wardrobe staple cause I walk a lot with the kids. Jeans... might be a bit boring but they are just so practical. I've tried going to the playground with skirts and dresses but I just don't feel like I can move as freely then. When I'm just at home for some hours without any visitors to expect I wear some pieces I don't want to wear when leaving the house BUT I nearly always try to wear make-up. That might seem unnecessary on the playground, too, but I have realised it's so important for me that I feel pretty and not totally run-down when I see myself in the mirror. Nothing worse then when you already feel tired and exhausted and then a super tired wrack looks at you from the mirror...

There are some girly and very casual styles that seem to young for me now as a mum. I still own some Juicy Couture stuff but it feels very wrong nowadays and belongs to the things I only wear when at home with the kids.

All in all I feel it's so important to still invest in YOUR looks and not only in cute baby clothes. Because it's important not to forget yourself completely when you have kids. I always think that the day will come when they will leave the house and when I have to find myself again... Therefore, I don't want to "loose" myself completely now.

 

[tourist10]

^ redandnavy - I agree with so much of what you've said. It really is all about the balance between practicality and not looking like you've given up. I don't really wear much makeup, but for me, it's really important to maintain my hair. I like an easy, wash and wear style, but getting your haircut regularly and maintaining a good shape is a must!

 

[La Vanguardia]

I'm a mom of a 1.5-year-old girl and my Mommy style is MY STYLE! I don't believe in having to dress differently just because I have a child. I'm still me after all. I think it's more about wearing an appropriate look for the occasion. Whether a mom or not, I don't think we go to the playground wearing heels, right?

I still wear my jewelry and accessorize. If my daughter pulls my necklace, I just tell her to be careful, gently remove her hand and distract her by playing with her something. I still wear dry clean clothes, cashmere, dresses, skirts and sometimes sequined/embellished clothing.

Anyway, I was never the sweat pants/track suits kind of gal. I think my clothing style had changed a bit not because I'm a mom but because I'm in a different phase/stage in my life.

*edit* Please no weight talk

 

[tourist10]

la vanguardia - I think it's great that you've been able to maintain your style after becoming a mom! I absolutely agree with you that we dress for the occasion, no matter where we are in life. I guess for me anyway, my "occasions" simply have changed dramatically! I used to be a total city person, but I guess you can say my life is much more suburban. For sure, no one wears heels to the playground, but previously, I had no reason to go to one! I don't know how you manage to wear dry clean only clothes ... at the end of the day, I can be rather a mess, with strawberry marks on my clothes, etc. Maybe the difference is in the personality of your kids, as my son is rather rambunctious and plays very rough. I've already had 2 pockets torn at the seams due to normal play, lol. I think these are temporary stages though ... I hope!

 

[La Vanguardia]

tourist10 - I agree with you about the personality of the children. I've been very lucky with my daughter though she's still quite active and we go out often. Hence, I bring tons of wipes with me LOL! Sure, once in a while, she'll spill stuff on my clothes or the likes. But I always think, hey, that's what the dry cleaners are for. Fortunately, it has been nothing major that cannot be removed.

If there's one thing that changed with my style due to motherhood, it's definitely wearing more flats and wedges. They're just practical and I can easily run after her (or with her) and push the stroller, especially in the cobblestone streets.