After a decade spent on unfocused fashion in my late teens and 20's, I feel as if I am FINALLY coming into my own. I've found what works for my body shape, what I personally like and suits who I am and what I do all day and have learned how to purchase within that dreaded budget. I won't ever be the woman who has $1,000 to blow at Nordstrom's or Saks- I just won't. Hell, I don't even shop there!
All of my clothes have to fit my lifestyle- working, homeschooling Wife and Mom. I work from home but also have a job outside the home which requires "work casual" clothing. I am a BIG time Soccer Mom and in the winter time you will find me braced against the Pacific Northwest wind and rain schlepping across muddy fields in the morning and then heading to work in the afternoon and then capping off the day with a dinner date with the husband. In between a week filled of shuttling the kiddo off to homeschool classes. So clearly my clothes have their work cut out for them!
I have found that the easiest way for me to accomplish a wardrobe that fits all the facets of my life is to keep it to four colors; white, black, grey and pink. I talk more about why and how I do this and what my closet looks like in this blog post here. But for now, just know that by keeping to these colors only, I am able to more easily mix and match my wardrobe and to stay within by budget. Win win! And for those of you wondering, here's another great blog post here on shopping within your budget AND lifestyle.
Alright....so with that being said, I feel like there are MUST HAVE pieces of clothing that every Mom needs in her closet. These are the items I reach for time and time again, will stand the test of time and and they get me through my crazy life.
#1- Jeans. Well duh right? This category is SO big and I could seriously drone on and on about the importance of finding some kick ass denim but here's what you need to know.
- You need a pair of normal/everyday jeans in the style that best suits your body. For me, this is boot cut, medium wash and because I'm ridiculously short, I just buy them in the "short" length. Yeah, that's a thing. If you buy nothing else but this one pair, make it something versatile that you can dress up and then go casual. I recommend a medium wash which is perfect for just this reason.
Torrid Slim Boot Cut Jean $58 - Skinny jeans. Listen, not everyone can pull off the skinny jean but you'd be surprised that most of us ladies can. Skinny jeans are awesome because you can pair them with a casual tank or dress them up with a flowy top. They work in all the areas and in all the seasons!
Torrid Jegging $58- it's all about fit!
#2- Black dress pants. Every single woman needs a pair of basic black dress pants. These need to fit your shape well, be easy wash & dry (no ironing here please!) and have absolutely no shine or stretch to them. Just simple, plain black pants.
These are NOT for everyday wear. Please hear this! Black pants are not cool, they just aren't and no amount of printed tanks or glittery sandals will make this so. Reserve these bad boys for work, a stuffy event, a business thing or even a funeral. That is all.
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| Torrid brand Noir All Nighter black pants $58 |
These are NOT for everyday wear. Please hear this! Black pants are not cool, they just aren't and no amount of printed tanks or glittery sandals will make this so. Reserve these bad boys for work, a stuffy event, a business thing or even a funeral. That is all.
#3- Khaki's or alternate dress pants. These could be grey pants, white pants even but a basic pair of easy wear khaki's will work with literally everything. Be careful here though not to go into "old lady territory" as this is seriously a slippery slope! Find a modern cut and then dress it up in unexpected ways.
A word to the wise on this one- khaki pants should only ever be worn in a business or work environment. Nothing screams "MOM" like a pair of pleated khakis, so just stay away from these. A modern cut in the right length will suit you just fine for the office.
If you want to maximize your dollars, I suggest buying white pants first. White pants go everywhere. If you can get away with it at work- buy these in denim. By simply switching your blue jeans for white jeans, you've upped your "cool" factor 10,000%. No joke. And they look great for work or sports events.
A word to the wise on this one- khaki pants should only ever be worn in a business or work environment. Nothing screams "MOM" like a pair of pleated khakis, so just stay away from these. A modern cut in the right length will suit you just fine for the office.
If you want to maximize your dollars, I suggest buying white pants first. White pants go everywhere. If you can get away with it at work- buy these in denim. By simply switching your blue jeans for white jeans, you've upped your "cool" factor 10,000%. No joke. And they look great for work or sports events.
#4- Black cardigan. All black, simple, plain- you really can't go wrong here. This cardi will work with your jeans and your dress pants. You can also use it over dresses and even with shorts! I suggest you go for one that is longer in length and "boyfriend" style as you'll get the most use out of this.
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| Make it fancy by pairing with a dress or skirt! |
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| Go casual with a cute tee & jeans! |
#5- White converse shoes. Why so exact here? Because ladies, these shoes literally work with EVERYTHING. Remember those white pants? You can pair the white converse and black cardigan with white pants for a more casual look. If you want to be "dressy casual" put these versatile shoes with a maxi skirt or dress for something young and fun and uber comfy. And wearing them with jeans is a no brainer mmkay...
Once you buy the white converse, do yourself a favor and buy them in another color that will work with your wardrobe. I consider converse an investment piece because it takes FOREVER for these shoes to wear out- they are well worth the money! I currently have them in white, pink and grey and yes- black ones are next up on my list to purchase!
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| Photo courtesy of AlexaWebb |
Once you buy the white converse, do yourself a favor and buy them in another color that will work with your wardrobe. I consider converse an investment piece because it takes FOREVER for these shoes to wear out- they are well worth the money! I currently have them in white, pink and grey and yes- black ones are next up on my list to purchase!
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| Lots of different styles available! |
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| Adorable! |
#7- Denim jacket. Just like with your jeans, a great denim jacket is staple. Works with any pant but jeans and goes well with all the dresses and skirts. If Brittany and Justin taught us anything, it's that NO ONE call pull of the denim tuxedo mmkay.....Now, if you are feeling ambitious I highly recommend you get 3 different types of this staple.
- Longer more relaxed style.
- Cropped.. This works really great for maxi dresses!
Cropped works great with maxi dresses! - Sleeveless and lighter wash. I pair this with almost every sleeveless maxi dress I own. Also works well over tank tops.
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| Sleeveless is so cute! |
#8- Hooded sweatshirt. Opt for a plain color and full zip- I suggest going with grey if you don't already have one. From there you can expand and add in one in a fun bright color, pink is my color of choice so you know I have a few of those in my closet. And because I live in the rainy Pacific Northwest and we live in sweatshirts here, I also have this one that expresses more of my personality like the one below.
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| Find on Etsy.com |
Pay attention to the FIT on whatever sweatshirt you buy. Mom's deserve casual and comfy clothes too but this can go all sorts of "schlumpy" in a hot minute so tread carefully here please.
#9- Black waterproof boots. Good black boots work with just about anything but be careful to keep the style simple. If you want to be able to mix and match these with work clothes and then dress them down with leggings and a tunic, you need to go with something fairly plain. I also suggest you get a pair that are mid-calf length. Too tall and it becomes difficult to pair them with a variety of other options and too short and they simply won't work for more casual outs- like leggings!
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| Love Zappos! |
#10- White linen top. I'm sure this one comes as a bit of a surprise, no? But the reason behind this is simple- white linen goes with anything and looks good on almost everyone plus it works in all weather! You can easily dress it up for work wear with your black pants and a cute cardigan, pair it with a basic skirt or pull on with a pair of cute jeans and sandals. So easy!
I highly recommend you go for a linen blend. These retain their shape more and are less wrinkly and because I'm a Mom, I seem to have an allergic reaction to the iron. Less ironing is always my end goal mmkay....
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| You can dress it up or dress it down. Perfection! |
I highly recommend you go for a linen blend. These retain their shape more and are less wrinkly and because I'm a Mom, I seem to have an allergic reaction to the iron. Less ironing is always my end goal mmkay....
#11- Black button up dress shirt. For the love of God, DO NOT buy a plain cotton one. I promise you that if you do this, you will instantly look 20 years old and land your dream job of Assistant Manager of Operations. Just no. If you can, go for silk or fake silk- otherwise known as, good old polyester. Opt for one that buttons all the way down the front and if you can find it- has those buttons on the sleeve so you can roll them up and turn them into a cute 3/4 sleeve option. It is ALL about the fabric choice on this one!
This shirt goes amazingly well for so many events. I find myself wearing it in the summer with my skinny jeans and cute sandals, to work with my khakis and kitten heels and even to family dinners with leggings, boots and a sweater. Seriously- there's not a place or outfit this doesn't work with!
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| Sexy & Modern! |
This shirt goes amazingly well for so many events. I find myself wearing it in the summer with my skinny jeans and cute sandals, to work with my khakis and kitten heels and even to family dinners with leggings, boots and a sweater. Seriously- there's not a place or outfit this doesn't work with!
#12- Cheap black flip flops. Why cheap? Because the more expensive ones are just too bulky. They typically have more design/style and have a thicker sole and they just don't look as cute. I recommend buying a new pair from Old Navy each summer because at $2 each, you can afford it mmkay. Also, if you're feeling adventurous, you can also go out and buy a pair of Teva Mush flip flops. These ones are my go-to walking flip flops but I find them to be a bit "ugly" so I only wear them around the house or Disneyland. Seriously- that's it.
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| Old Navy $3.50 |
#13- Black heels. Well you need something to go with those work clothes right? I have a really great pair of 3 inch black stiletto's but I never wear them anymore because my work requires me to walk around a fairly large building. For this reason, I usually end up wearing my much more comfortable kitten heels- that's a low heel for those not in the know. So my recommendation is to think about your lifestyle and where you will be wearing these most often and then buy accordingly. A black ballet flat might be another option here. Now- because these are shoes and shoes are meant to reflect more of your personality, I say go for something FUN and perhaps just a bit different. These do NOT need to be plain or basic in any way. Live it up Mamas!
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| Simple & Classic- Nine West. |
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| More personality- Steve Madden. |
#14- Linen shorts. I can not even tell you how often I wear my tan linen shorts! So much so that I even went out and bought another pair in white. I wear these pretty much all summer and you can dress them up a bit or go super casual. For shorts, if you've got great legs (which thank the good Lord I do) I suggest going with something shorter. Bermuda styles scream all sorts of "MOM" so buy your shorts at least knee length or above. On the other side, if you are not a fan of your legs and don't wear shorts, you might consider buying a pair of linen blend pants. Linen is amazing and you'll feel so cool and breezy during the hot summer months!
A word to the wise on these ones- watch out for Mom butt. Linen can get droopy and loose it's shape. Trust me when I tell you that no woman wants a saggy butt.
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| So cute! |
#15- Puffer Vest. A what?!? I know, right? This one might seem kinda weird but pretty much any area you live in, you will have a need for more "cold weather" gear at some point and can rock this super cute look. Pick one in your color of choice and find one that slims you rather than makes you look fatter. For us big girls, this means it will need to be fairly lightweight (see, NOT thick & bulky) and will need to have some side seams going on.
I currently have a black one that I wear almost weekly in the winter months. Mainly because it makes me look pulled together, keeps me warm and I hate jackets. So this works for me in all the areas. I hope to buy a pink one exactly like this one shown in the photo- because I triple dog dare you to look at this outfit and tell me its NOT cute. Exactly....
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| Photo courtesy AlexaWebb |
Please make sure to also pay attention to the thickness/weight of the cotton. And yes- it needs to be cotton. You do not want to buy a t-shirt that is paper thin as once you hit Mom status, you are simply to old to be flashing your bra and other bits. Well...at least I am. I would also suggest you don't go for something super thick and heavy. The big benefit to a t-shirt is it's layering abilities and you take this all away when you buy one that's as thick as a sweatshirt. So while a t-shirt sounds so SIMPLE and BASIC, it is anything but. In fact, I'm still on the search for the perfect ones!
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| Photo courtesy AlexaWebb |
Well there you have it. These are items that I personally wear time and time again. While I will never be the most trendy and stylish, I really feel like I have my shit together. Most of the time that is....and these clothes have really helped me accomplish that and feel like my look is put together.
Happy Shopping Moms!
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