Hi!
My name is Leslie, I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now because I love your sense of style! I am an Army wife living in (the middle of nowhere) Missouri, although we are moving to Washington next month (SUPER EXCITED!). I have a 7 month old daughter who I am just in love with.
I need some fashion advice if you get a chance. I was wondering if you could give me some ideas for stylish, casual, summer outfits. Unfortunately with a soon-to-be-mobile baby it is not practical for me to wear many skirts and dresses, except to church. I am trying to break free from the "mom uniform" of jeans and a tee. I've been eying some pieces from Anthro: the Springboard Short shorts, Joe's Honey Kicker crops, and the Pearly Glow Tank for starters! If you could give some tips on how to pull casual summer outfits together I would really appreciate it! Thanks so much! Keep up the fantastic style inspiration :-)
God Bless,
Leslie
Never fear Leslie! Krameymartin is here, with some fabulous ideas for you this summer! I decided to use some celebrity moms as examples, as they tend to need to both look great and be mobile.
First up, we have Jessica Alba.
Items in this set:
Tee-Shirt Skimmers, $60, Forever21.com - New Arrivals - Accessories, $7.80, Dominique's Sunglasses - $9.00 : Fashion Sunglasses at LuLus.com, $9, JP Loafer | ButterBoom Hong Kong's Daily Blog, Trail Trotter Crops - Anthropologie.com, $78
Tee-Shirt Skimmers, $60, Forever21.com - New Arrivals - Accessories, $7.80, Dominique's Sunglasses - $9.00 : Fashion Sunglasses at LuLus.com, $9, JP Loafer | ButterBoom Hong Kong's Daily Blog, Trail Trotter Crops - Anthropologie.com, $78
Ms. Alba has seamlessly gone from bombshell to mom-shell (hee). She makes motherhood look chic and relaxed with a lower-maintenance hairdo, casual rolled up pants, a printed tee and cardigan. I chose a brighter colored tee and cardigan, lighter weight pants and some bright accessories to make the look a little more spring/summer. The flats I chose are made of t-shirt material, so even Leslie's toes would be comfortable!
Next, is Michelle Williams.
Items in this set:
Springboard Short Shorts - Anthropologie.com, Ecote Elastic Sandal, $38, Jessica Simpson Collection HANDBAGS, $88, Blouses - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $68, Silver Streak Aviators, $28.
Springboard Short Shorts - Anthropologie.com, Ecote Elastic Sandal, $38, Jessica Simpson Collection HANDBAGS, $88, Blouses - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $68, Silver Streak Aviators, $28.
Michelle looks cool, comfortable and yet put together with this Bohemian look. I substituted Michelle's flowery top for this new plaid tunic from Anthropologie, used a pair of denim shorts Leslie has had her eye on and added a cream bag and sandals, instead of the black bag since we are in the warmer season. Some aviators top this look off nicely and are perfect for Leslie while she's running errands.
Katie Holmes, despite her sometimes crazy husband, has mastered the art of mom dressing. She chooses chic, classic pieces and pairs them with a casual hairstyle or a brighter color to dress them down. See?
Items in this set:
Gap Flutter sleeve top, $60, Gap Linen Bermuda shorts, $45, Kimchi Blue Whipstitched Flat, $34, Nine West: Handbags > Neves Shopper Tote, ships 4/20 - Flower shopper...., $110, Wee Flower Pot Posts - Anthropologie.com, $24.
Gap Flutter sleeve top, $60, Gap Linen Bermuda shorts, $45, Kimchi Blue Whipstitched Flat, $34, Nine West: Handbags > Neves Shopper Tote, ships 4/20 - Flower shopper...., $110, Wee Flower Pot Posts - Anthropologie.com, $24.
Katie's crisp white top and structured bag give off a put together vibe, while her loose bun and jeans add a casual flair. For Leslie, I chose a pair of cotton city shorts since they are lighter, and substituted the emerald bag for a turquoise one. Pink rose posts and light pink sandals pull the look together perfectly.
Rounding out our lineup of Hollywood moms is the ever-glamorous Heidi Klum.
Items in this set:
Women's new arrivals - pants - Linen-silk cargo pant - J.Crew, $90, Old Navy Womens Faux-Leather Looped T-Strap Sandals, $20, J Crew belted beach tunic, $68 white, $68, Silver Streak Aviators, $28, Women's Clothes: Women's Clustered Bauble Necklaces: Necklaces Jewelry..., $15.
Women's new arrivals - pants - Linen-silk cargo pant - J.Crew, $90, Old Navy Womens Faux-Leather Looped T-Strap Sandals, $20, J Crew belted beach tunic, $68 white, $68, Silver Streak Aviators, $28, Women's Clothes: Women's Clustered Bauble Necklaces: Necklaces Jewelry..., $15.
I just love the white and army green combo Heidi employs in this photo. For Leslie, I found this similar tunic at J.Crew and a pair of the softest, lightest capris I've ever felt in my life. I added some bright yellow accents and the same aviators as Heidi wears to round out this chic summer look.
What do we think? How about it Leslie? Any advice from you Moms out there?
10 comments:
I think all these looks are great! My sister has an 11 month old, and she still keeps pretty stylish. She mixes pieces from H&M, Target, Anthro, F21, and even UO. She used to live in 4+in shoes, now she runs around in flats.
Her basic outfit consists of pants, button down and cardigan.
You can definitely look like a stylish mom wearing jeans. Just keep experimenting with colors. Blouses always dress up a pair of jeans. Get flats in interesting patterns and colors.
I think Kaleigh did a very good job of rounding up some stylish moms. Their looks are dressy casual and stylish. They play with shapes and colors, keeping everything stylish and yet comfortable enough to run around in.
And never underestimate the power of accessories. Like the outfit Kaleigh wore the other day. Simple pants and shirt, but with the headband, she took up to another level.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the inspiration! I have definitely added the plaid blouse and t-shirt skimmers to my wishlist! And that bicycle tee is adorable. I think I'll be able to use a lot of things I already have in my closet...just jazzed up a bit. I'll be the most stylish mom at playgroup in no time ;-)
These looks are great-- I may have to add some of these to my looks! And I highly recommend the Springboard Short Shorts from the Michelle Williams set-- they have a higher waist (but still a very flattering fit), so there's no worries about flashing anyone your backside while crawling on the ground after the kids. :)
I love those Anthro crops. On my list for sure.
Hey! Great post! I'm a follower too! I've designed what I call a "Baby Momma Necklace" that's perfect for mom's who want to be stylish, but don't want their babies grabbing at their necklaces! I think they'd work great with any of the outfits Kasey picked out! Stop by my blog to see my Baby Momma Necklaces! Thanks! And when I'm a hope, I will definitely try to stay stylish too :-)
http://MyMississippiMudPie.blogspot.com
I love this! You did a great job. :) I too am a mom and this gave me some great ideas. I LOVE the Joe's honey kickers- highly recommend Lesley- they are sooo comfortable. By the way, love your blog!
-Erin
Great post! I'm a mom to a 2 year old, so I can totally relate.
As others have said, flats are a must have. I still wear my heels, but not every day. If money is a concern, Target is a great place to get some inexpensive flats in fun colors and styles. They aren't the best quality, but they're very affordable, and it won't break your heart as much if you end up chasing a runaway toddler through the mud and ruining your shoes.
Jewelry is a wonderful way to make an outfit more exciting, but necklaces and earrings can be tricky with a baby since they like to pull and grab. When my daughter was a baby, she broke two of my sister's necklaces, including a string of antique pearls. I would stick to post earrings, or at least ones that aren't too flashy and therefore tempting to babies. Forever 21 is a great place to get necklaces since they tend to be inexpensive yet still fun and cute, so it's not a tragedy if one of them gets broken by those little hands.
Another thing I would suggest is to always check the fabric care labels. I get food wiped on me just about every day from my daughter's hands no matter how hard I try. Clothes will get washed frequently, so dry clean only or complicated fabric care is a huge pain.
ModCloth has some really cute bags in a tote style like this one: http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Accessories/Floating+Away+Tote They're bigger than a purse, way cuter than most diaper bags, and most importantly of all, easy to clean.
Some days you just want to wear a skirt, and for that I recommend skirts in a nice stretchy jersey knit that hit just below the knee. I prefer the look of ones that hit just above the knee, but that length is not always practical when you're crawling around the floor with a baby.
And last but not least, when you just want to get all prettied up, put on your cutest skirt and heels, pack the baby up and head to the grocery store or the mall. You might end up changing when you get home so you can crawl around on the floor some more or hang out at the park, but sometimes just a few hours in those clothes makes me feel better.
Thanks for the tips everyone!
This weekend's shopping list:
-cute flats
-post earrings
-shorts/cropped pants
Kay, I totally do that too...get dressed up cute to go to the grocery store. If I didn't I'd never wear anything but sweats.
Ooo these are great outfits! I'm not a mom, but at 27-nearly-28 I'm realizing half the summer things in my closet are probably bordering on too young for me. Thanks for the inspiration!
Mom of three here, and these outfits hit the PERFECT note! I love them!
Les - I don't know what climate you are in, but my almost 7 month old LOVES when I wear a cotton scarf with my outfit, he's teething and he uses it as a lovey, almost - lol. It's actually entertained him endlessly, when I wear one - who would have thought?
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