It’s no secret that mom’s prefer comfortable clothes. We’re bending over to pick up toddlers, wrangling to get a diapers on them, wiping boogers, and making meals, and oh the snacks…! The SNACKS!!! Not sure why in the summertime especially the kids must ask for a snack every .2 seconds but that’s beside the point here… the point is we have to wear real clothes for real life moments! One trick I’ve learned is to find quality clothing items that can be worn from day to night. From play date to mom’s night out if you will… Listen up because today I’m sharing allll the goods!
But how do I decide what to buy and what not to buy? I have a little rubric that I follow that really helps keep me in check. If I’m being honest I used to buy clothes that made me feel frumpy just because they were comfy. I sacrificed any sense of style for something that at the end of the day, I didn’t feel comfortable in and that I couldn’t really wear proudly to an event or fun girl’s night. Now don’t get me wrong! I’m all about old tee’s and comfy bottoms… but I don’t let those take over my wardrobe. Not anymore. There is a better way and I’m going to show you how! Here are the questions I ask myself when deciding on day to night looks for myself:
Is it One Solid Color and/or Piece?
One piece looks will not only lengthen you if you are a bit shorter like myself… A one piece has this amazing effect just like magic that makes you look SO put together. It makes it that much easier to pop on a statement piece of jewelry if you want to dress it up. And ironically, I can also add a two-piece style to this category so long as it’s one piece together. Here’s an example of a recent two piece I bought that I tie into the “one solid color and/or piece” group.
Does It Look Effortless?
So this is funny because the younger fashionista me (think high school and college days) would wear things that just looked like I had spent a lot of time putting together. Like if I bought the pink pants, I had found a coordinating multi-colored top AND the chunky pink bracelet, matching shoes AND matching necklace. And yes I totally used to wear bright pink pants… Like highlighter pink! I was extreme you guys haha. Now, if that’s your thing that’s AWESOME, love it! DO YOU!!! This post is dedicated to headache-free and timeless looks for busy moms who just want to get out the door and buy less “shtuff”.
On the contrary to pink pants are looks that are effortless but look SO dang good, and everyone will ask where you got your clothes from. Effortless looks are brought to us through staple items such as a favorite denim jacket, faux leather purse, delicate gold earrings and or necklace, and neutral colored shoes. In my examples at the bottom of this post you will see how using staple items that can be worn again and again really make an outfit look effortless. Like you put it together in 2 seconds and still look fab because your style is ON POINT. I mean your style is on point but I’m Just sayin…
Is It Easy To Care For?
If I need to dry clean it, I AIN’T DOIN IT! I can barely keep up with laundry around here so there is no way I’m spending (wasting) money on something that is going to be a pain in the butt to care for. Ask yourself… Can I throw this in the wash? Or is it just TOO delicate to take care of. We take care of enough things.. let’s not buy precious clothing items that require yet another responsibility out of us that we don’t have the time or energy for. There are plenty of quality items that are easy to care for too. Keep the quality and drop the hefty care instructions. Not to mention, if it’s hard to care for it’s probably on the pricier side… which leads me to my next question…
Is It Affordable?
I know we most likely ALL already ask this question but sometimes if something is just SO cute it’s easy to “accidentally” spend money on it. This in turn leaves us with something a bit (or a lot) overpriced and not very practical. I’m all for buying quality staple items as mentioned above. BUT if it’s a main clothing item (top, bottom, dress, romper, etc.) then I cannot buy it if the price point is too high. I do a visual exercise with myself where I imagine getting finger paint or pasta sauce on it and think how I would feel about spending X amount of dollars on it. Bottom line is If I can’t justify losing the item to pasta sauce or finger paint then it’s no deal!
Who Am I Supporting?
This last question is one way to be extra mindful about what comes home to my closet; it doesn’t have much to do with style but still ultra important to me. As you may know I truly am a Target girl at heart! But I try and incorporate as many small shops and boutiques into my wardrobe because I want to support real people! Being a small business owner myself, I get it. That’s why I was so excited when The Pomegranate Boutique reached out to me about collaborating with their brand. The whole line was created by a busy mom herself who KNOWS all about this kind of style rubric for moms. Their clothes meet each and every one of the checkpoints above! That’s why I’ve chosen to share an example of a “play date to mom’s night out” look featuring a few recent outfits I snagged on my last visit to their shop. (Don’t forget to use my unique coupon code at the end of this post for 20% off your entire order!)
Get on With the Examples Please
Here is a pretty and super comfy dress I bought from The Pomegranate Boutique that checks all the boxes when it comes to the perfect “Play Date to Mom’s Night Out” look! Bonus this dress is ridiculously gorgeous with the blue tie-die pattern that is so IN right now… I can’t get enough! Here is how I styled it for the daytime:
Adding in the staple items, like my favorite sneakers and faux leather backpack really create a look that is effortless. Oh and I tied the bottom of the dress into a “rosette” as I like to call it. This gives the dress more shape for my petite frame. I’ve saved a simple “how to” on my Instagram stories here.
Let’s Get Out of the House
And like magic, by switching up some simple accessories like my favorite neutral heels, statement earrings, and nude purse this dress wins again! No one will ever know you cleaned up play dough messes with this little number… But they will be asking for deets on your OOTN.
Ready, Set, Style
And now you are ready to conquer your day with a little bit more style and a lot less fashion anxiety! Looking cute has never been this easy and I hope you enjoyed these two looks from my recent stop in at The Pomegranate Boutique. Please enjoy my coupon code: thethrillofhome20 for 20% off your entire order! You can shop online on their website www.thepomegranateboutique.com or on site in midtown located across from Rick’s Dessert Diner.
I’d love to see what you picked out so be sure to tag me on my Instagram @thrillofhome. And of course catch up with me on Pinterest and Facebook for more inspiration + momlife fun. This post was crazy fun, and I’m excited to share more style finds with you all. Stay tuned and thanks for all of your love and support!
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