The Uniform - Tops

Most moms I know have jeans that they like and fit them well, but they get stuck in a shirt rut.  It's just easy to  go out and buy variations of the same cotton scoop or v-neck tee shirt in the summer and sweater in the winter. Shirts should be easy - what's better than throwing on a flattering pair of jeans, a top that you know looks great, picking out a few accessories and walking out the door knowing that you look polished and pulled together? But it does require a tiny bit of effort!  Jeans and a tee can be a great look if you are mindful of a few details. When you are shopping for shirts, think about:

Washing Instructions:

Unless you really, really, really love it, buy shirts that are machine washable.  On a rough day, you'll be lucky if your shirt makes it through naptime before you need to change it.   

Length

With jeans, shirts look best when they hit below the hip - usually between one to three inches above the crotch.  Try on a few tops and judge for yourself what length looks the best.   After multiple pregnancies, I usually choose shirts that are a little longer - definitely don't want to be flashing my belly any more! Tunics, of course, should be longer. 

Sleeves

Sleeves are important! I think that 3/4 length sleeves are pretty universally flattering. Sleeveless shirts are often very flattering as well.  Even if your arms aren't super toned, by baring the entire arm, sleeveless shirts add length.  Cap and short sleeves intersect the largest parts of the arm and are harder to pull off, unless your arms are toned.




Fit

When you are trying on a shirt, think about where it hits on your hip and also how it feels across the shoulders.  If your shirt is too tight across the shoulders, it simply won't be comfortable.  To hide a post-partum belly, try on loose fitting tunics, patterned shirts that will distract, shirts with ruching around the waist, or woven button down shirts.



Color

Do you know what colors flatter you the most?  Think about what colors you've worn when you have been complimented and choose shirts in those colors.  Love a color that doesn't flatter you?  You can get away with bottoms or shoes in just about any color, but shirts are close to your face and should compliment your skin tone. If you need to wear it on top, use a layering piece and add a more flattering color over it.  I love yellow, but it looks horrible on me, so I wear it in pants, jewelry or camisoles.

Woven or Knit

Basically a woven shirt has no stretch to it (think most button down shirts) and a knit shirt has a stretchier feel to it.  Because their fabric is usually somewhat stiffer, woven shirts can hide a bunch of figure flaws . And if you think button downs are dowdy, check out Forever 21 where the button downs are inexpensive, abundant, and embellished with ruffles, ruching, and patterns.  And yes, if you over 30, you can shop at Forever 21.



Neckline

Do you know what neckline looks best on you?  If not, stick to V-necks, scoops, and boat necks until you can experiment with a few different necklines and throw out your crew neck tops - it's a very unflattering cut.  There are a bunch of articles and blog entries on the internet and in style books, but the mirror won't lie - just check yourself out in various necklines with a critical eye and look to see if they flatter shoulders, neck, and face shape.



The Detail

Three seasons out of the year, my uniform is jeans and a top, so I make sure that each top I buy has some sort of interesting detail to make it stand out.  Although a plain old white tee-shirt and jeans can be stylish with the right shoes, belt, and bag, there are so many ways to add to your outfit by picking out a shirt with detail.  Whether it is with stripes, buttons on the sleeves, a ruffled neckline, or just a bright and flattering color, pick tops that are visually interesting.

Boho Dress

Look at what I found at Target this weekend!

I think this will be a workhorse in my mama-wardrobe.  This morning, I wore it to my local parent center with a pair of gray leggings and bronze flats.  It warms up here in the afternoon, so when the girls wake up from their naps, I'll take off the leggings and pair it with my platinum Jack Rogers sandals.  And when true fall hits, I'll pop it over a pair of skinnies and boots.

Jeans and a tee shirt

Like I said before, in my previous life, I was a teacher.  It was a lot easier to dress to stand in front of a classroom all day!  Standing on my feet all day imposed the only limitation - I needed comfortable shoes!  A typical stay at home mom day includes chasing children, cleaning, cooking, working out, and running errands.  Finding outfits that can stand up all of these activities and kid-dirt...well, it's no wonder yoga pants are so popular amongst SAHMs.

For what it's worth, I have nothing against yoga pants -  they are comfortable and flattering.  I've seen some SAHMs pull together very cute looks with yoga pants and I will blog about them sometime in the future.  But to pull it off well, even a yoga pants outfit requires some effort and care.  A jeans and a tee shirt outfit can be easier to pull together and look much more polished.

I can hear some of you saying that this is what you wear almost every day, you didn't need to come to a blog to find out that jeans and a tee is an outfit that works for a SAHM.   It's true - most mom toss this outfit on at least one time a week A few details, though, will elevate this look.  Today, let's focus on jeans.  The wardrobe of a SAHM should include at least two pairs of flattering jeans.  When you go jeans shopping, find a store that carries many brands, like Lord & Taylor, Macy's, or Nordstrom.  If you have limited time or know that you want to stick to a certain price point, check out the usual suspects - Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy.  They've got tons of stylish jeans, too.  If you are plus sized, Lane Bryant has a good selection of very current looking jeans. 

Good Fit

No matter what your weight, jeans that fit your body are going to be more flattering.   And with stretch, they can hold the parts you don't like in  and accentuate your best features.  Look for jeans with just a little bit of stretch.  I think that 97% cotton, 3% lycra is a good balance - it's enough that  they'll stretch and fit your body, but not so much that you'll start the day in a size 6 and end the day in a size 10. 

Wash


Light wash jeans are coming back in style, and they do look nice as a very casual jean particularly on younger women, but I think that a dark wash is more versatile and sophisticated.  Other washes, like black or gray, are also an interesting addition to your wardrobe.


Skinny vs. Boot Cut

Just a few years ago, skinny jeans were edgy, but now they are totally mainstream and very versatile.  My jeans wardrobe includes a few of both in different washes.

Skinny Jeans

Like it or not, skinny jeans are here to stay.  A lot of women are intimidated by them, but every body type can wear them.  For mamas with straight bodies and few curves, I say go for jeans that are marked as skinny.  Hourglass or pear shaped moms should stick to jeans that are described as straight legged.  The difference is in the leg opening.  Skinny jeans will have a leg opening that hugs the calf, while straight legged jeans are a little more forgiving in that area.  If you've got hips, they'll create a more straight and lean leg line.  If you are larger on the bottom than the top (like me!), a dark wash will help to de-emphasize your butt and thighs.  If you are self-conscious about your thighs, wear them under longer tunics or short dresses in place of leggings.

Boot Cut Jeans

If the styles in Paris are any indication, boot cut jeans will soon be overtaken in popularity by skinny jeans.  I hope I am wrong because that will be a shame.  Skinny jeans are really versatile, but boot cut jeans are super flattering for just about every body type.  A dark boot cut jean with stretch can take off a few pounds and for those of us who have thighs that are proportionally smaller than our calves, a boot cut creates balance.  Let's keep the boot cut alive!


Rise

Rise refers to the distance between the crotch and waistband of pants.  Thank goodness the low, low, crack bearing, muffin top creating rises of a few years ago are gone. The rise is going back up, hopefully not to the dazzling, belly-button covering heights they once achieved.  If you are young and have a flat stomach, feel free to wear low-riders, though I think very low rise jeans will soon look dated.  Most moms will do well with a mid-rise jean - it's high enough to hold in any traces of mummy tummy, will avoid the dreaded muffin top, but it's low enough to look current.

Length

Length can be tricky for SAHMs - most SAHMs I know wear flats most of the time, but still have occasion to don a pair of heels.  Having jeans hemmed so they break just a hair below the mid-foot will allow you to wear them with flats and a low heel. It's always nice to have a pair of jeans that are specifically meant for taller heels, too.

Next post - The Tee Shirt!

Welcome!

Welcome!

For some time now, I've been fascinated by blogs and the glimpse into someone else's perspective and world that they provide.  As I've been refining my Google Reader, I've noticed two common threads in the blogs I read - I love blogs about fashion and food!

I'm a stay at home mother of two magical girls - at the time of this writing, my eldest daughter is 2.9 years old and my youngest is ten months old. I adore them and I am so grateful that I am able to spend each precious day with them.   I love staying home with them and really don't miss the daily grind of going into the office.

But I do miss the clothes.  In my former life, I worked as a teacher - but not in a school where October brought orange and black skeleton socks and December meant red and green sweaters.  Just outside of New York City, every day I walked into work and found fashion inspiration - my colleagues and students had style!  With teachers wearing fab polka dot skirts and students donning the latest trendy styles, I looked forward to going to work every day simply to see what people were wearing.

It's the one part of my former life that I miss.  As a stay at home mom, it's been only too easy for me to slip into a rut of wearing the same uninspired outfit day after day.  No more!  From time to time, I might post an occasional recipe or let you know about a wonderful book I've read, but mostly I've created this blog to help me maintain a sense of style - and hopefully to inspire you, as well.