Life with a baby is hectic, ask any Mom. I used to love spending time putting together outfits. There was a time when I would go into my closet before going to bed to pick out my outfit for the next day. I'd spend time creatively mixing and matching my clothes in ways I never had before and even wrote outfit combinations down on my laptop. I think about that now and laugh. There just isn't the time any more and even if there was that's not how I would be spending it - honestly, I would just be resting instead.
With that being said though, I still love fashion and love the idea of looking cute. It's fun and makes me feel good. I don't think fashion and clothing should be where all of our confidence is coming from but it is nice to have clothes that you love and feel good in. They can help bring life to days that you are not looking forward to, they can be a source of creativity and fun, and they can help on the days that you are struggling to feel beautiful or confident.
Really I love clothing just as much as the next person, but as a mom I've found that I have different priorities than I used to have in what I look for in an outfit. My new priorities are...
That it is comfortable - I am always crawling around on the floor with my daughter
That it is cute - While I am a mom it is also important that I am caring for myself
That I don't have to put much thought into getting dressed in the morning - after all I am normally throwing something on while my daughter is with me chewing on my shoes or trying to crawl up my leg.
Recently, I realized that I unintentionally created a go-to recipe for these comfy, cute, and easy outfits. This recipe eliminates most of the thought of trying to look cute, it just comes naturally as an outcome. And with a few touches here and there it can look like you've put in a lot more thought into your outfit than you actually did.
Now, lets get to the "recipe"!
The base of these outfits include a pair of skinny jeans that fit well and/or yoga pants. As a new mom I know that jeans can be hard, our old jeans can constantly be a reminder of where we used to be and of where we currently are. I know that it can be tempting to just painfully squeeze into your old jeans no matter how tight and uncomfortable they may be just to say that you "fit in them" again. But, the reality is you can tell when a pair of jean are too tight, there are lines all around the zipper that kind of look like cat whiskers. These lines show all of the stretching and strain the material is under and it just doesn't look flattering. If your jeans aren't fitting well, I would highly recommend purchasing 1 or 2 pairs that fit you now to use until you get back to where you want to be. I promise while the number might not be want you want, you will enjoy how you look more in them because they will be more flattering.
Personally, my favorite jeans are from Gap Factory. They are called the mid-rise legging jeans. They are so comfortable, there is tons of stretch in them and they come in some great washes. They have always held up really well for me, especially for the price. Full price they are $60 but you can almost always get them on sale. It's a steal!
My favorite leggings are the Zella High Waisted Live In Leggings from Nordstrom. They are $54 which is a mid-range price for leggings, but they have held up really well for me. Mine have lasted years! They are really soft and comfortable and I love the high waisted fit.
The second base item involved in these outfits is some sort of basic tee. I love soft tees that are a bit loose fitting, with a scoop neckline, in basic colors or patterns. Note...a basic black and white striped tee is always a necessity in my book, I wear mine with everything! A couple of my favorites basic tees are the luxe tees from Gap Factory and the Caslon long sleeve scoop neck cotton tees from Nordstrom.
With the pants and top as the base, I then add a a layering piece - either a cardigan or a jacket. It is good to have basic cardigan colors - at least a black and white, and some other colors that you love and wear often. It is also good to have some basic jackets. Some versatile jackets are a black leather jacket, a denim jacket, and an army green jacket. Topshop has a great faux leather jacket on sale at Nordstrom, it's originally $88, but right now it's only $53. My denim jacket is at least 5 years old and I got it from Gap Factory - it has held up really well and I still love it. And, my green jacket is another very used and loved item in my closet that I've had for years. I got mine from Gap Factory but Madewell has a really similar one that I love.
The next piece to these outfits are the shoes. My comfortable go-to shoes are either little brown or black booties or basic white tennis shoes. When I'm looking for booties my priority is comfort meaning I am looking for the heel to be on the shorter side and preferable a bit chunkier. My favorite white tennis shoes are platform white converse, you can find them at Nordstrom - I'm obsessed!
Those are the basics! In addition to these things though, I add a couple accessories and do a couple little things to make the look a bit more complete.
As far as accessories go I will often add a scarf or necklace. Sunglasses can also be a great accessory to think about in the Spring and Summer seasons. And of course a bag - normal for me is just a basic beige or black one because they are so versatile! The Dreia Envelope Crossbody bag from Anthropologie has been my go to for over a year and I still love it. It's super basic and small - no pockets or anything so it's not for everyone but when I'm just running somewhere and need a couple things in my bag it's perfect. I also love it's cute little tassel detail - it gives an otherwise basic bag something a little special.
Last but not least there are a couple little touches I typically do. They are small but I honestly think they make a huge difference in the overall look. These simple touches make it look like you thought about the outfit more than you actually did. Here they are...
Cuff the sleeves of your cardigan. If you are wearing a long sleeve shirt underneath it is nice to cuff both so that your long sleeve shirt is showing on the cuff instead of just the cardigan.
Tuck a bit of the front of your shirt into your jeans if it is baggy. Just a simple tuck makes a basic shirt that could look sloppy otherwise look more polished, put together, and styled.
Lastly, slightly cuff the bottom of your skinny jeans so that they don't just run straight into your booties or tennis shoes.
That's it! It really is simple and the great thing is all of these items are basics. They will transcend seasons and trends so you won't have to update your wardrobe all the time and chances are you probably already have a lot of these things in your closet.
For a quick and simplified overview here is my go-to recipe for a comfortable and cute outfit:
THE BASE
Jeans or Leggings
Basic Tee
Booties or White Tennis Shoes
Cardigan or Jacket
THE ACCESSORIES
Scarf or Necklace (maybe some sunglasses or other accessories)
Bag
THE LITTLE TOUCHES
Sleeve Cuff
Shirt Tuck
Jean Cuff
I hope this helps you to feel comfortable and confident going through every day life! I've linked some of my favorite items below!
LINKS TO SOME OF MY FAVORITE ITEMS:
Gap Factory Mid-Rise Legging Jeans: https://www.gapfactory.com/browse/product.do?cid=1124498&pcid=1041624&vid=1&pid=759388001
Nordstrom Live In High Waisted Leggings: https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/zella-live-in-high-waist-leggings/4312529?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results%2FWomen%27s%20Clothing%2FLeggings&color=black
Gap Factory Luxe Tee: https://www.gapfactory.com/browse/product.do?cid=1127850&pcid=1127842&vid=1&pid=436062031
Nordstroms Caslon Long Sleeve Scoop Neck Tee: https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/caslon-long-sleeve-scoop-neck-cotton-tee-regular-petite/5157060?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FWomen%2FClothing%2FTops&color=white-%20navy%20stripe
Topshop Faux Leather Jacket: https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/topshop-rosa-biker-jacket-regular-petite/4972522?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results&color=black
Gap Factory Denim Jacket: https://www.gapfactory.com/browse/product.do?cid=1076557&pcid=1050905&vid=1&pid=232233001
Madewell Green Passenger Jacket: https://www.madewell.com/passage-jacket-L2512.html?dwvar_L2512_color=GR6195&cgid=apparel-jacketscoats&position=2&position=2&activeChunk=0#start=1
Platform Converse: https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/converse-chuck-taylor-all-star-platform-sneaker-women/4699111?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FWomen%2FShoes%2FSneakers%20%26%20Athletic&color=white%20leather
Anthropologie Dreia Envelope Crossbody Bag: https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/dreia-envelope-crossbody2?category=bags-crossbody&color=001&quantity=1&size=One%20Size&type=STANDARD