Stay-At-Home Mom Style: Tips

necklace, shirt, jeans: Target/ cardigan: Old Navy/ flats: WalMart (what?!)

I recently went from being a working mama in an office environment to being a stay-at-home mama in a very casual environment (ha), in a new climate to boot, so my wardrobe and style have taken some reworking in the past few months. I refused to fall into the "pjs all day" trap, and I feel like I get more done when I'm wearing real clothes vs. lazy clothes (lazy clothes=lazy attitude).

So, here are a few tips I've stumbled upon to help me feel more put-together and productive, even when the only people who will see me are my daughter and my husband. I also frequently go to places where other people might see me, such as the grocery store, the park, or the aquarium and I'd rather not blind them with my lack of style. California is a stylish place, guys.

How to not look like a stay-at-home mom (but with all the functionality a stay-at-home mom needs):

1. Add a necklace. I've found that adding a necklace (especially a bold one) makes an outfit automatically look more intentional. It elevates an outfit from "Did she really just wear all of those things together?" to "Wow! She must have really meant to do that. I mean, look at that necklace." Most moms don't bother with jewelry, so this helps you to stand out. If you have any little-little ones with grabby hands, a scarf has a similar effect (weather permitting--I'm not going to make you sweat for style here, that's just cruel).

2. Layering/completer pieces. I have a bit of a formula going on. Pants + shirt + completer piece. A "completer piece" is an added layer that makes an outfit look more "complete." Easy enough to remember.  Some examples would be blazers, cardigans, and vests. I have several of the first two, and would like to add at least one vest to my wardrobe at some point. I am a true believer in the power of the cardigan especially. I own several different styles (plain, patterned, bold colored, full sleeve, 3/4 sleeve...) that go with most-if-not-all of my t-shirts and tanks. I'll probably defend my choice of blazers in a future post, so look forward to that! Anyway, if you take a little bit of time to curate your wardrobe, you should be able to grab any shirt and any completer piece and have an outfit. Not sure if what you just put together looks put-together? Add a necklace to it. Fake it til you make it, y'all. The more you play around, the better idea you'll have for what works and what doesn't, what you like and what you don't. Have fun with it.

3. Pants. I cannot stress this enough: absolutely no sweatpants, track pants, yoga pants, pj pants, or mom jeans. Just, no. You won't look put together no matter how many necklaces or completer pieces you use. Find a good pair of jeans that flatter your figure (I tend to prefer bootcut ones, but also own a couple of pairs of skinny jeans, just for fun). Try something different and a little trendy, like cargo pants or colored denim. However, from one mom to another, unless you're brave, I highly discourage you wear anything white. Murphy's Law and all. I plan on discussing the possibility of wearing dresses and skirts in a future post. Spoiler alert: it's possible!

4. Flats. Flats are a stylish mom's best friend. They look so much more polished than tennis shoes. They are infinitely more attainable than heels to a chasing-a-toddler-all-day mom. It's a win-win scenario. When looking for flats, find something with a substantial sole. I have pair from Target that are just the cutest things, but the sole is thin so I can't wear them for trips to the park or the aquarium without my feet refusing to speak to me for the rest of the day. I have another pair (pictured) from WalMart (of all places) that have a thicker sole and therefore are the ones I reach for when I know I'll be doing a lot of walking. Other than that, the world of flats is your oyster. Pick whatever you like. Plain, patterned, neutral, colored, pointed or ballet: just go for it.

Well, that's all I've got for today! I've still got a lot of learning and evolving to do myself, but I hope you enjoyed my beginner's tips and are able to put them to good use. I'll be going into more detail on Stay-At-Home-Mom Style in future posts, so stay tuned!

special thank you to my photographer aka my husband