I have said it about a million and four times. I am not a fashionista. I’m just not. I’m missing that gene, apparently. My mom, totally fashionable. My friends, totally trendy. But my current style might be labeled as “Target Cheap” or “Basic Mom.” Because being a momma of three little boys means that
a)I don’t have a lot of time to shop
b) I don’t want to buy anything too nice to wear on the daily because: mud, snot, blood, dirt, markers, and the like
c) My husband and my former clothing budgets for two are now spread out between 5. And those extra three need shoes and coats and star wars undies.
So, while some days, I get to get gussied up:
Most weekdays, you’ll find me looking something like this…
And why do I do a fair amount of snag and grab at Target? Because I’m already there to get other stuff. If Hy-Vee sold clothing, I probably would just have everything from there. But making a shirt out of bacon seems time consuming. And the biggest issue, I don’t even know how to pair a bacon shirt. Like when I go into a store, I can never figure out what goes with what. And then, I make the mistake of buying disposable clothing because I don’t want to spend real money on something that will stand the test of time because I’m pretty sure my children will say, “screw you, test of time! I’m gonna wipe my milk mustache on my mom’s shirt and white Capris.” Because this is where we are, friends. So, I’ve made a little listy-loo of my go-tos. My essentials. The things I gotta have. And anything else, well, that’s just a bonus.
My top 5 Mom Wardrobe Essentials
1: A black hoodie – Black hoodies are gold in motherhood. They hide all things including snot, toothpaste, ketchup, and glue. AND bonus is… you can throw them over any shirt without having to put on a bra.
2: Expanda-pants – There’s a lot of getting up and down that takes place with kiddos. A lot. A lot of crawling around on the floor. Carrying baskets of laundry. Scrubbing toilets. And so many other g-l-a-m glamorous things. So, for me, jeans are for the birds. Unless they have stretch to them. Otherwise, on the day to day, I am wearing something with expanda-waists. Because motherhood, at least at home, requires some function over form.
3: A great pedicure – Because women work hard, damn it. We deserve pretty toes.
4: Funny graphic tees – I pretty much only own plain-colored v necks from target, $5 tanks from target, or graphic tees. Because graphic tees pretty much make my day.
5: A coffee mug you love and a water bottle you can count on – Seriously, I love a cup of coffee in the morning. And even if you’re not a coffee drinker, you can put your morning Diet Coke or Tea in a cute mug. Or your day drink of choice {ahem. wine.}. Not only will the caffeine kick-start your day but also, having a mug that you love, well, it’s just a great way to start the day. And then, a water jug. Because we gotta remember to stay hydrated throughout the day.
So, I just made myself a mom meme, didn’t I? I am the cliche of all cliches. But truly, this is what I’ve been reduced to. Because it’s not worth it to ruin expensive lovely clothes OR to feel like I can’t do certain things with the kids because I might get my shoes dirty. And FWIW, my go-to shoes — converse slip-ons OR Birkenstocks. Because yes, I am cool personified.
And, I think that whether you are at home with your kids every day, part-time, or on the weekends – you, too can probably relate to the wardrobe changes that come with motherhood. At least I hope you can. Errrr… maybe you could confirm that with a comment of solidarity…
But really, what are your go-tos, mama? What is your mom uniform? I’m dying to know if I’m on trend… ha!