Thank you SNL for an image we'll never forget: Mom Jeans
Now that Monkey has started going to school with a uniform, getting him dressed five days a week has been super easy*. Getting myself dressed has not. I've never been very trendy, but I do try to dress in a wardrobe that belongs to the same decade as the one we're in and have a modicum of style. Lately, I have found style to be a little harder to achieve because I'm getting old, and getting old means that my feet hurt after walking Monkey to and from his bus stop twice a day. Ergo, I have to wear tennis shoes. With orthotics in them. Every day. Monkey's bus stop is almost a mile away and despite 3 1/2 years of walking all over the city pushing or carrying some combination of 55lbs of children, it's walking these 3.5 miles a day, five days a week that has left me at a loss for what to wear.
These tennis shoes prevent me from wearing cute capris (assuming there is such a thing), flattering skinny jeans (feeling doubtful those exist too) and made me look less than stellar when wearing those to-the-knee shorts moms like me are supposed to wear. I've started to feel that I'm giving into the dreaded and purportedly bland mom uniform: jeans, ill-fitting t-shirt and clunky shoes.
This dread, combined with the fact that I have to interact with people at Monkey's school and at committee meetings means I need to step up my game in the wardrobe department. Of course, I checked out what TLC says, home of my favorite show What Not to Wear and they not only offer 5 Tips to Create a Mom Uniform but also 10 Fashion Staples You Should Own Now That You're a Mom.
In the last few weeks, I've been digging out my fitted shirts and dragging out my boots to wear with skinny jeans. They are suitable for school and warm, which is good since the temperature just dropped about 20 degrees. I don't think I'll look like this stylish mom anytime soon (unless my legs grow 8 inches longer), but at least I've taken a step in the non-baggy, non-stained, right direction. This mom Meagan Francis even makes an argument for purchasing quality (read: expensive!) new clothes, which is both valuable and inspiring considering I still feel some guilt about shopping when I'm not bringing in an income.
Even though I don't want to be someone who only thinks about fashion or external appearances, I have realized that the decision to dress nicely vs frumpily (is that a word?) comes down to my children. I want my children to see a mother who cared enough about herself to put some thought into her appearance every morning. I want them to know that even though I put them first, I don't put myself last. I want the kids to know that being at home does not mean I opt out of society, it means that I made them my job and I can still dress up to go to "work." This is especially important because I hope that by the time my kids are parents, both moms and dads will be able to stay at home full-time if they wish.
Right now I'm wearing somewhat fitted jeans, a tailored shirt and tennis shoes, but when I go to the PTA meeting tonight with both kids and my tray of food (Bolivian cornbread if you must know) for the potluck, I'll put on the boots in the picture. My kids will be proud. My mother will be proud. I'll be proud.
*It wasn't so hard before either, but word on the street is that dressing baby girl Munchkin is going to be a lot harder.
These tennis shoes prevent me from wearing cute capris (assuming there is such a thing), flattering skinny jeans (feeling doubtful those exist too) and made me look less than stellar when wearing those to-the-knee shorts moms like me are supposed to wear. I've started to feel that I'm giving into the dreaded and purportedly bland mom uniform: jeans, ill-fitting t-shirt and clunky shoes.
This dread, combined with the fact that I have to interact with people at Monkey's school and at committee meetings means I need to step up my game in the wardrobe department. Of course, I checked out what TLC says, home of my favorite show What Not to Wear and they not only offer 5 Tips to Create a Mom Uniform but also 10 Fashion Staples You Should Own Now That You're a Mom.
In the last few weeks, I've been digging out my fitted shirts and dragging out my boots to wear with skinny jeans. They are suitable for school and warm, which is good since the temperature just dropped about 20 degrees. I don't think I'll look like this stylish mom anytime soon (unless my legs grow 8 inches longer), but at least I've taken a step in the non-baggy, non-stained, right direction. This mom Meagan Francis even makes an argument for purchasing quality (read: expensive!) new clothes, which is both valuable and inspiring considering I still feel some guilt about shopping when I'm not bringing in an income.
Even though I don't want to be someone who only thinks about fashion or external appearances, I have realized that the decision to dress nicely vs frumpily (is that a word?) comes down to my children. I want my children to see a mother who cared enough about herself to put some thought into her appearance every morning. I want them to know that even though I put them first, I don't put myself last. I want the kids to know that being at home does not mean I opt out of society, it means that I made them my job and I can still dress up to go to "work." This is especially important because I hope that by the time my kids are parents, both moms and dads will be able to stay at home full-time if they wish.
Right now I'm wearing somewhat fitted jeans, a tailored shirt and tennis shoes, but when I go to the PTA meeting tonight with both kids and my tray of food (Bolivian cornbread if you must know) for the potluck, I'll put on the boots in the picture. My kids will be proud. My mother will be proud. I'll be proud.
*It wasn't so hard before either, but word on the street is that dressing baby girl Munchkin is going to be a lot harder.
I wear these when I attempt to be trendy. Don't tell Stacey and Clinton that the boots are at least four years old.
Do you have a "mom uniform?" Is it trendy? Frumpy? Clean?
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