Last week I posted our first fashion tip from Shana from Ain’t No Mom Jeans. It seemed that y’all loved it. Today we have allowed her to go on an anti-sweatsuit rant and provide you with another alternative. Without further ado…
Up there in the cool-mom creed, right next to “Thou shalt not wear mom jeans” is another commandment: “Thou shalt not wear sweatpants in public”. This lesser known commandment went through a period of disregard (primarily due to the popularity of the Juicy sweatsuit) but is now experiencing a revival. While I will admit to strolling out for morning coffee clad in the de rigueur Juicy sweatsuit SEVERAL YEARS AGO it is now time to move on. It’s over, people.
For those of you still in denial, let me reference the exact moment that the Juicy tracksuit died: April 30, 2004, at the release of the Mean Girls movie. I watched, in horror, as Mrs. George, her fake boobs tightly zipped into a hot pink Juicy tracksuit claimed, “I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom.” God forbid we start following her definition of cool. Next we’ll all be asking, “What’s the 4-1-1 girls?”
The lure of the sweatsuit (whether it’s of the Juicy variety, Adidas, Target, or some other lesser known brand) is that it is comfy and easy. But the problem with actually wearing sweats outside, out into the real world, where not everyone has kids or are sympathetic to those of us that do….being clad in a sweatsuit is a little like admitting defeat. It’s the cause of embarrassed glances your way, of pitying looks – “she just can’t keep it together”. Which I would actually be OK with, some mornings, if those pitying looks actually translated into HELP. But they don’t. It seems that the more desperate our appearance, the more people avoid making eye contact, lest they somehow catch what we’re carrying: The Mom Who Has Let Herself Go Disease.
Ironically, slick on a little lipstick, make an attempt to look cute, and people will jump up and carry your groceries, hold open doors and give you big smiles – even while your kid is doing the limp-yet-screaming thing in the middle of the intersection.
So the goal, then, is to come up with some no-fail outfits that look cute but are insanely easy – easy enough for those mornings when the sweatpants are calling. Errands with a little one are tough enough. You want all the help you can get. Here is an alternative:
Hoodie + Scarf
Never underestimate the power of a good scarf, cherie. If there was one thing I learned during my first visit to Paris, it was this: stop over-thinking the scarf. Find a scarf you love (a lightweight one will be more versatile), and throw it on with everything. It need not even match. So for for errand day, zip on your favorite jeans, a hoodie, and wind your scarf haphazardly around your neck. One can Google how to tie a scarf, but it isn’t necessary. Just wind it around anyway that you like it, tie once, or not. Whatever. I like to finish off the look with cute ballet flats.
My current pics for great scarves are…
Gap’s Lightweight Floral Scarf
Uzbek Alive’s Ultramarine Ikat Silk Scarf
My all-time favorite hoodie…Alternative Apparel’s Eco-Heather Hoodie (Unisex)
Pictured on Shana (above) are J Brand 10” Ankle Jeans in dark wash, American Apperal gray hoodie, her own scarf, and J. Crew ballet flats. Pictured on the babe are Nano plaid pants and a Daily Tea short sleeve hoodie.
Shana Draugelis is a contributor for Ain’t No Mom Jeans, a mom fashion and lifestyle blog dedicated to all that is cool about motherhood. She’ll be inspiring us with one more sweatsuit alternative next week!
The hoodie is the best way to dress something else, especially a cashmere one. I bought a black cashmere hoodie from Target a few years ago and go everywhere with it. I am going to add the scarf next time.
I like it… another benefit I see is instead of my 8 month old trying to rip the necklace off my neck he’ll want to play with the scarf, which is harmless.
Thank you!
I second the black cashmere hoodie! It goes with everything and it’s *more* comfortable than a sweatshirt.
Amen! There a reason moms dress there kids so cute! To distract from ourselves!! There’s no reason we can’t be as cute as our kids!
Where did you get this wonderful-sounding black cashmere hoodie? I mean, is it still at Target? But not washable, so what do you do about that? I’m flummoxed.
I agree it’s not chic too leave the house in sweats, but I do it. I really shouldn’t and I try not to, but I do when I just want to get something done and know that if I don’t leave the house right this second in what I’m wearing, it won’t get done.
I also had my daughter two weeks after graduating college. As a college student, and better yet a pregnant college student, it is 100% acceptable to wear sweats everywhere. I never had the opportunity to transition from the sweats to adult clothes.
I guess I’m a little stuck or need intervention.
I also had a cashmere hoodie, but from J. Crew. I did wash it (hand wash cycle, no dry) and it shrunk. But not too much….am now wishing that I bought it a size or two larger…..
What do the rest of you do?
My cashmere hoodie was a gift, but I’m pretty sure it came from Macy’s as that’s about the only place my husband buys gifts for me (that and Best Buy). I hand wash it and lay it flat to dry, but not too frequently — maybe once every 10 times I wear it? I always have something on under it so it doesn’t get sweaty and if the baby snots on it or something I spot clean with a wet washcloth.
I love this idea about telling us (read: me) exactly what to do. I am hopeless when it comes to fashion and it has just gotten worse since becoming a mom. Thanks for the tips!
Oof. This is going to sound completely tiresome and humorless, but it’s kind of been bugging me since I first read this, so. While in my vast experience (hahaha) as the mother of a six-month-old I can appreciate the lighthearted tone here and know not to take it too seriously, I was pretty anxious when I was first starting to try to leave the house with my baby, and I think reading something joking about “embarrassed glances and pitying looks” would have freaked me out a little. So, if there are any shy new moms reading this who are a little nervous about this whole going-out-in-public-with-someone-tiny-who-screams-and-poops-on-them thing, I just want to reassure you that I have never been someone who plays the fashion game or cares about appearances, and I have found that everywhere I go people are friendly and sympathetic and helpful. I don’t wear lipstick, I don’t “look cute” – I don’t even shave my legs, which is like performative femininity 101 – and people will still cross the street to help my hairy-legged self struggle my stroller through a heavy door and or carry things when I just don’t have enough hands. My theory is that there are just a lot of really nice people in the world. The one thing I do is smile a lot to look welcoming. By all means don’t wear sweats if they don’t make you feel strong and confident, but don’t worry that you have to girl it up to deserve kindness and respect, either!
Amy, please don’t be afraid to speak up here! Thanks for acknowledging that the whole thing is meant to be lighthearted, but you are also totally right on in terms of defending the true rookie.
I’d be taking our blog way too seriously if I said that we “encourage debate”, but I do adore the comments of readers who are going to help us keep it real. Rock on.
This is one of the areas that I’m glad I had my babies in my 30s — I spent my 20s gathering up stuff to wear in the professional arena, so rather than permanently retire all those items, I have continued to wear it as a stay-at-home momma when we “hit the town” to grocery shop, run errands, go to playdates, etc. Mind you, the “dry clean only” stuff is currently in semi-retirement, but I was always of the washable workwear mindset — lots of cotton tops/fun chinos/etc. But this post has also inspired me to get a new scarf — I wore mine literally until it was an unraveling mess, and it is high time to find a new one!
And I’ve gotta say it: I commend the ladies who are wearing cashmere hoodies with kids. We don’t have a dry cleaner where we live, and I know it would end up balled up in a bag waiting to be hand washed
[...] suddenly obsessed with scarves thanks to this post over at Rookie Moms. In a quest to de-frumpify myself even slightly, I am throwing scarves on with practically every [...]
I think it’s funny to read these. If you are a stick it’s easy to suggest that a scarf is going to get you through as a mom. I would love to see someone that has curves (i.e. she hasn’t lost her baby weight like most of us) giving suggestions. I like the idea of a scarf with ballet flats. I just want ideas for me when I am a size 12. Ballet flats and skinny jeans are not going to be my ideal for running errands.
Hi Melanie! I have to be honest: I get all kinds of grief from my Ain’t No Mom Jeans readers about skinny jeans. I think it’s safe to say that most moms think they can’t pull them off. However, I continue to disagree. (Respectfully, of course!) Anyway, it appeared we had a stand-off, until I came across another fashion blogger who had put together a really great outfit involving skinny jeans. And the best part? She’s a Size 12, and looks amazing in her skinnies. She even gives a recommendation for her favorite pair. Check it out: http://www.aintnomomjeans.com/2010/01/wwrtw_fashion4ecochallenged.html?cid=6a010536e87b53970b0120a8642c50970b
Lastly, if you like the idea of a ballet flat, but are looking for something a bit more comfortable (I can only wear J. Crew satin ballet flats or the Me Too brand due to comfort)….you can also try TOMS shoes. And for each pair you buy, they donate a pair to a child in need. Not bad! http://www.tomsshoes.com/default.asp
Could you get the same chic look with a cute black track jacket and scarf? I have an adorable black track jacket I bought last winter along with some yoga pants, but ditched the pants. The jacket, however, is super comfy, fitted and cute. Would you think I could achieve the same easy look?
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