When I first moved to Dallas after college, I was accustomed to a certain amount of laziness when it came to my clothing. In the small college town I had just left, it was normal to go to the grocery store in your sweats or shorts and t-shirt. I remember the first time I attempted to go to Kroger in Dallas wearing shorts and a t-shirt. The dirty looks that I got made me realize that something more would be required of me in regard to fashion in this city.
I learned a lot in those first few years in Dallas by watching other women, keeping up with fashion magazines, and shopping within a budget. It was pretty easy to keep up a decent wardrobe and take a little extra time in the morning for makeup and hair when I was single, and not much more difficult the first few years of our marriage. Then came two years of working from home, and two pregnancies in two years. Let’s just say that keeping my fashion sense became… challenging!
I’ll say one thing for hormone-related acne: it really kept me from going outside my home without makeup! Sometimes, the little bit of eyeliner and eyeshadow I coordinated with my huge maternity outfits was just the pick-me-up that I needed to get through a full day of work after a sporadic night of sleep being up with a baby. And never underestimate the value of creme highlighter on the inside of your eyes and white eyeliner under your lower lashes to trick people into thinking you get enough sleep!
The great thing about regular hair appointments is that they do force you to spend time away from your children. A quality haircut that works with my hair’s natural flow means that I spend less time styling my hair in the morning. I’ve also found that I look more put-together, even in my varying states of weight, when I have a stylish cut.
The clothing aspect is a little more tricky. I have to really fight to keep from slipping into lethargy in this area! This is the first September in two years that I have not been pregnant. In the meantime, I’ve donated all of my lower-quality and ill-fitting pre-pregnancy clothes, leaving myself with far fewer items in my closet. I find myself in need of an almost entirely new wardrobe! Preferably one that is a little more flow-y around the middle section than my previous wardrobe might have been.
When I visit stores, I almost always have two small children with me in a stroller. Mall trips just aren’t what they used to be, and I’ve pretty much given up on thrift stores for now. Online shopping seems appealing, but there’s really no substitute for trying something on to see if it works in real life.
I need a little accountability to work on restocking my closet! How about you? How do you keep up your sense of style with kids?
I have several blogs that I love. And one of them is Keeping up with the Kellys. She lives in Texas. I LOVE her style, her fashion sense. I generally go to sites that she has recommended. Especially threads for thought. They have comfortably cute clothes, and it helps charity. How great is that? I have learned that accessories can really make a simple effort look extra put together. I also love Banana Republic. It is inexpensive and has the best basics. Every lady needs, I think, a classy blazer, a classic t in black, white, and grey. The perfect dark jean (to fit your size). A trench coat. And, of course, the little black dress. Boots are timeless I think, the trick is to find a pair that isn’t trendy. And then get a trendy pair too, if you can. A closed toe stilleto is awesome too! For those nights that may come up, you never know!
I can certainly relate to needing a whole new wardrobe! I had a baby 8 weeks ago and just tried on some of my pre-pregnancy clothes and absolutely nothing fits! Right now I’m still wearing my maternity clothes and wondering when I need to just face reality that these extra pounds might be here to stay and start buying bigger “normal” clothes. I’m looking forward to the Fall weather…at least then I might be able to wear some of my old sweaters.
I know EXACTLY how you feel Jenny! I realized this summer that I had no clothes to wear for the season. I was pregnant last summer and I had a baby at the beginning of the summer before, so all of my regular clothes were from three summers ago and just didn’t quite work for me anymore. With two babies to care for, buying new clothes was not really in the budget. I have bought a couple things at a time, but it’s taken time to rebuild my wardrobe.
I have also recently learned how much better I feel when I have a little bit of makeup on. Makes a huge difference in my day when I take the time to shower and look presentable. Sometimes I even shower with the little one just to make sure I can get one in. 🙂