Sometimes the best outfits are the ones you literally throw on and walk out the door. The effortless, easy and casual look of a t shirt and jeans will never go out of style.
When wearing a simple t shirt- look for fun details to help it stand out. In this case, this shirt has this interesting twisted hemline. It adds a cool touch to and otherwise very plain shirt. I also added long necklace to break up the solid color- and then swapped out my tennis shoes for my cute pointy toed leopard flats. I went from a blah outfit, to a fun and stylish one. So easy!
It will be chilly this morning, so I’ll start the day with this cute blue jacket over my t shirt. Wearing the same color from top to bottom is a good trick to look slimmer.
One of the things that bugs me about fashion is the idea that you have to constantly be buying new stuff. It seems like everyone is trying to sell you something- and that you have to have this top, or these jeans, or this purse for your life to be complete. Let me fill you in on a little secret. YOU DON’T!
Your life will not be better because of new clothes, new shoes, or new anything. In my opinion, the secret to happiness is threefold.
Finding fulfillment through work, hobbies, exercise or whatever excites you
Service to others
Gratitude
That’s it! Period.
What you do for that fulfillment is up to you. For me, it’s doing this blog, practicing yoga, playing tennis, volunteering, reading books, getting lots of sleep and spending time with my family and friends (not in that order!!)
So why do I bother with this blog? Because I do think taking care of myself and putting some effort into my appearance is important. And, strange as this may sound- playing with my clothes is fun for me! I love looking in my closet and seeing potential. It’s sort of like my friends who are excellent cooks who can look in their fridge or pantry and whip up a gourmet meal (I could NEVER do that! And I admire those of you who can!)
Anyhow… enough of my preaching, let’s talk about my outfit! Today’s look is my ripped jeans and a bright yellow silk tank. I used to wear this top paired with this grey cardigan, but doesn’t the blazer look a little more polished? So what if I don’t work in an office? A blazer can be worn anywhere- it adds instant style to an otherwise simple outfit. And, it helps dress up these very casual ripped jeans! My cute neutral Paul Green flats complete the look.
So- back to the idea that we have to be constantly buying stuff… my challenge for you (and me) the next month is to not buy anything new to wear. I have a ton of clothes already, so I’m going to ‘shop my closet’. Can I really last a month without buying anything? I’ll admit- this will be really hard for me. But I’ll give it a try. Who’s with me? (Do I sound like Jerry Maguire?!)
It’s funny, whenever I do a post on shoes I get more comments than usual. I think it’s because so many of us suffer from foot (or back) issues- and we know how incredibly important it is to wear comfortable shoes.
To be honest, I get so tired of seeing other mom blogs with pictures of moms in stilettos. To me, that just doesn’t seem practical or reasonable. There is NO WAY I would (or could) wear those!
Yes, on days when I work I sometimes wear heels- but I am uncomfortable most of the day and rip those babies off as soon as I walk in the door of my house (and immediately put on my beloved Birkenstocks! LOL)
So anyway, after that rant I thought you all might like to see more options for cute shoes that are also comfortable and realistic for moms!
These are made by Clark and can be found here! They can be worn with socks (which is nice in the winter), or tights and would look great with jeans (as long as they are NOT wide leg). Opt for straight leg, or better yet- skinny or boyfriend style!
Here is another style option, the Oxford.
These can be found here. Oxfords can also be worn with socks (as long as they are very low profile and can’t be seen), but are cuter with bare feet. Pair these with jeans (rolled at the ankle to look cute), or skirts.
Another cute style of shoe, the driver (or loafer as some people call them), which can be found here. These don’t work with socks- but are a cute substitute to ballet flats. They can be worn with anything as seen below in this great collage by The Glitter Guide.
A great alternative to my Puma’s are Chuck Taylors- these are super sporty and also really cute with jeans rolled at the ankle. They can be worn with socks but make sure they are very low profile.
Another cute, option- (also similar to the Pumas) are made by Clark and can be found here.
This is a brand I’ve never heard of before, Ahnu. They can be found here:
I could do this all day- there are a lot of options out there! My point is, don’t be fooled by pictures of Hollywood stars (or other mom style blogs) strutting around in their crazy high heels, believe me- they are wishing they could wear comfy shoes like us sensible moms! 🙂
By the way, if I missed a shoe that you want to share, please let me know!
Let me share with you a little story… if you are a long time reader you will know one of my all time LEAST favorite looks is tennis shoes with jeans, especially ‘mom jeans’.
Well, about a few months ago I was down at the school bus stop waiting for my daughter to get home from school. One of my good friends was standing there in jeans, a cute shirt and flip flops. It was 45 degrees out. I exclaimed, ‘oh my gosh, aren’t your feet frozen?’ to which she answered, ‘yes but I didn’t know what shoes to wear. You (meaning me) are always writing about how you can’t wear tennis shoes with jeans, so my only other option is flip flops.’
Sigh… I realized that she didn’t quite understand what I meant when I said no tennis shoes with jeans. She thought I mean NONE. EVER. PERIOD.
The thing is, there are some versions of tennis shoes that are actually quite cute- and will look adorable with skinny jeans, or whatever you are wearing. Puma in particular has come out with an incredible line of ‘tennis shoes’ that are actually styled to look like ballet flats (which happens to be my favorite shoe of all time).
So readers- when I say don’t wear tennis shoes with jeans I mean the old clunky tennis shoes that you wear to work out in (as seen above right). Instead, invest in some cute, streamlined ballet flat style ‘tennis shoes’ and your feet will be comfy, and toasty (although you CAN NOT wear socks with these. EVER) and stylish!
Obviously my favorite are the Puma ones, which you can see here but there are some other cute ones as well, as seen here or here.
Here are some more examples of outfit for you!
Mom jeans and tennis shoes- a HUGE ‘no no’ in my book!
By switching out the mom jeans for dark skinnys, my legs look leaner and the ballet flats (my Pumas would have looked cute here as well) complete the look.
Even if all you are wearing is a tank and a zipped up hoodie, these streamlined tennis shoes are so much cuter!
Very simple and casual ‘everyday mom’ look!
*These are all old pictures that you might recognize from older posts, sorry! I’m still flat on my back wearing my sweats.
As I look back over my outfits these past few weeks, I noticed that I haven’t been wearing much color (which shouldn’t be a surprise since I feel most comfortable in neutrals). But today I decided I needed a little burst of color~ something about the grey skies and lack of sunshine I guess!
That being said- here is today’s look. I’ve decided to wear jeans and a bright orange top. I love this top- it’s a great color and super comfy. For my first look I simply paired it with jeans, added my orange bracelet and brown boots- easy does it.
Then I decided that I should maybe add another layer- especially for working moms- so I tucked the shirt in and added a blue blazer. Instead of the boots, I chose ballet flats (and yes, my feet will probably freeze- this look is for you lucky moms who live in warmer climates). I also chose my leopard belt as a fun little surprise.
Now let’s take a moment to discuss my ‘before’ look. I chose an old one for you today (so I apologize if you’ve seen it before) but it’s perfect to compare with today’s look.
This is another example of how to wear a bright shirt- yet this outfit isn’t working for several reasons. The tight orange shirt with the high collar and strange cuffs looks awful (especially tucked in), and the mid calf cropped jeans are really unflattering for many reasons. The high waist being one of them. Lastly, the tennis shoes- please, please don’t wear tennis shoes with jeans. It’s not cute. We’ll talk more about that another day…
Another lame title by me- but surely by now you’ve come to expect a lame title, right?
I’m actually showing what I wore on Saturday, since today I have to go to Physical Therapy for a little sciatic nerve problem I’m suffering from. So, if you see me out and about today in sweats, you’ll know why!
On Saturday I went to my daughter’s indoor soccer game- so technically, this is a soccer mom outfit!
I wore my dark skinny jeans, a cute polka dot blouse and a bright pink (or is this purple?) cardigan. I liked the bright cardigan over the neutral blouse- it’s a good contrast, and so much better than the outfit on the right (do you notice that you can see right through this blouse? Yikes! Hello belly button! I need to add a tank underneath!).
I decided that since the blouse has so much going on (between the polka dots and the ties) that I should skip a necklace. What do you think? Should I have added a necklace?
Unfortunately the lighting is so awful in my bathroom that you can’t even tell that I’m rocking my purple jeans- but trust me, I am! (As much as a 42 year old can rock anything! Not!)
This is a great outfit for those days when you are running around town and want to be comfy, casual and cute!
As mentioned, I chose my purple jeans, a white tank (notice the little ruffle detail around the neckline) and this cute beige open cardigan. To add some fun to the look, I wore my leopard flats and added a cute Stella and Dot necklace.
I’ve said this a million times- but it bears repeating:
I know I’m not the most fashionable person out there. And yes, I’ll agree that this outfit is a little on the ‘safe side’. I realize that for many people the idea that I am giving fashion advice is crazy… most of my friends are far more fashionable than I am!
But that being said, having this daily journal to document what I am wearing has inspired me to re-think my clothes, try new looks and get great advice from readers. Please remember that this blog is for us real ‘everyday’ moms who just want to look pulled together- not like we stepped off the runway (or are trying too hard to look young, hip and fabulous!). Enough said!
As you all know I have an obsession with stripes! I just can’t get enough of them- and I apologize if you are getting bored with seeing me in stripes day after day…
Today I am wearing a blue and camel colored striped sweater. As you can see- the stripes on this sweater are much wider than I usually wear- and I will warn you that you have to be careful with stripes this wide- they can add bulk to your frame. That’s why I went with the skinny jeans- the contrast of large on top means the bottom must be small. It’s all about balance.
On the right I have left the sweater all alone- and simply paired it with skinny jeans and flats. I think this works- its plain, simple, yet I like it.
On the left I have added a light blue oxford shirt under the sweater, and then also switched out the ballet flats for my ever present Target brown boots! By adding the shirt underneath I have added a layer of interest- and warmth. I like the shirt tails peeking out under the sweater- and I love the boots because I can wear socks and my feet will be toasty warm all day!
For most people, Friday is a casual day- so I wanted to show an outfit that is casual- but I still looks like I put a little effort into my look.
In my outfit on the right I am wearing jeans, a t shirt and a jacket. It’s a common look I see moms wearing all the time- and let’s face it- there is really nothing very cute about this look!
To improve the outfit, I replaced the casual t shirt for a cute checkered shirt– then I added a gorgeous cable knit sweater over the top. I like seeing the collar, sleeves and the tails of the shirt peeking out under the sweater (this look was inspired by Dreaming in Cashemere’s cute outfit seen here).
For my jeans I have on these straight leg, dark wash J Crew cropped jeans- and I have replaced my Birks (I do wear these around the house) with black patent flats.
As for the finishing pieces, I decided this sweater has so much detail that I felt like it didn’t need a necklace, but I added a cute black bracelet.
It’s basically the same style outfit as my before look- but so much cuter, don’t you think?
By the way, thank you so much to everyone who took a minute to write yesterday! I loved hearing from everyone what their opinion was on my outfit! I think you all have great points- and I love hearing from you!
Be sure to check in tomorrow when I am going to be answering all my reader’s questions! If you’ve ever wondered anything about me- here is your chance to have your question answered. Email me at: everydaymomstyle@gmail.com
A close up of the cute details of this sweater.
Just take 5 extra minutes this morning and put together an outfit that makes you look and feel great!
It’s another gorgeous day here in the Pacific Northwest!
We are having the best summer/ fall I can remember (according to my friend who runs the local farmer’s market, we are on 20 weeks straight of sunshine)! Thank you Mother Nature!
I’m wearing one of my favorite fall looks today- cropped jeans, ballet flats and a cozy wool sweater. It’s a good outfit for running errands, attending soccer games, going out to lunch… whatever the day has in store for you!
I know I’ve shown this before pic already- but I think it does a good job of showing how easy it is to change small details- and yet have a much better look.
Let’s start with the jeans- the cut of these jeans is too wide- making my legs look wider than they are- and the length is all wrong (cutting off mid- calf is awkward). Next we have these goofy black shoes- which make my feet look strange. As for my top- this plain crew neck top is a boring color, and you can see the outline of my potbelly (gasp). To make matters worse, the open cardigan is actually drawing your eye right to my belly- almost framing it if you will…
On the left is my re-do. These cropped CABi jeans are a much more modern look. Here is how the Cabi describes them:
The new wash is a bit more beat up with subtle whiskering and a slight blue-grey cast. Strategic hand sanding is slightly darker on the sides to create a longer, leaner look. This denim is a nice weight with a touch of spandex for great recovery.
On top is a camel wool sweater layered over a denim shirt (yes, you can do denim on denim- I swear). One of the things I love about this sweater is the back (hence the picture of me from behind!). It’s a small detail, but I think it adds interest to the look (not to mention a few comments of “did you know you have your sweater on backwards?”. As for my shoes- these ballet flats match the color of the sweater- tying the whole outfit together. And of course, a necklace finishes the look.
Everyday Mom Style 
