Staying hip during motherhood

Shopping has a whole new meaning for our family now that our daughters are entering their teen years. I can no longer shop for them and expect them to wear the clothes I have picked out. It now requires long hours of sitting in dressing rooms with them as they critique every item and decide whether it is “trendy” enough. The stores in our vocabulary have changed from Gymboree and Gap Kids to Forever 21 and Angl. They also have taken more of an interest in what I am wearing. They “offer” to help pick out my clothes which really just means they want to approve of anything I purchase for myself.

Remaining stylish is something that many mom’s struggle with after having children. When the days and nights are spent feeding, burping and tending to a little one, the last thing on our mind is getting dressed up, or sometimes getting dressed at all! Moms with older kids often find that when you spend most of your day in the car driving to and from school and sports, that sweats or even pajamas work just fine. With very limited time to get ready, it can be challenging to spend time coordinating outfits. Many moms will spend hours shopping for our kids and making sure they look fabulous but what about taking care of ourselves?

We have gathered some tips from moms who have found simple ways to stay hip even when they only have a few minutes to get ready:

• Never wear pajama pants outside the house.
• If you don’t have time to put on make-up, just add a dab of lip gloss and some mascara for a little color.
• Invest in a great diaper bag, handbag, and a few pieces of timeless jewelry so no matter what you are wearing you will feel more put together and trendy.
• Spend a few minutes on your hair – avoid always putting it back in an easy ponytail! You will be amazed at how much better you feel when your hair is styled.
• If you are out running errands in jeans and a tee, add a fun belt and shoes to give your outfit some style. You can also add a scarf or some jewelry to your outfit for a quick fix.
• Treat yourself to at least one new thing a month – this can be a necklace, earrings or a dress.
• Avoid buying/wearing clothes that need to be dry cleaned.
• Have some ‘go-to’ outfits — a dress, blazer and pants and a jeans outfit.
• Some things to avoid: Mom jeans, tent dresses that hit mid-calf, tops-pants-dresses that are too tight, monster shoulder pads and stretchy pants that lose their shape.
• Have fun with fashion and take an extra minute to make yourself feel good before leaving the house.