Out of a Rut

This past week a friend messaged me with a question that has plagued us all…

“How does one get out of a fashion rut? I am without a doubt a jeans and t-shirt girl, with little ones it is easy to wear and easy to wash. But as of late i just feel boring and dowdy – Any bright ideas?!”

Bright ideas? Of COURSE I have bright ideas! But wait… what are they?

I seriously had to message her back and let her know I would think about it, because let’s face it, we ALL get into a fashion rut at one point in our lives AND having a bunch of littles running between your legs day in and day out does not make that avant-garde dress-shirt-thing-a-ma-jig seem remotely appealing.

I get it. I’m there. Most of the time I look like this:

Minus the make up and filter, of course. 🙂

BUT! There is hope for all of us, no matter what type of rut you’re in. And you don’t have to break the bank or your precious little brain (oh my goodness, the stress of trying to figure out HOW to break a rut)! Watch how I turn my comfy, Mom-leggings and basic black tank into an ultra-swanky, “I don’t stay at home with my kids all day” look.

First, take off that super comfy hoody and running shoes. (I know, be strong). Replace them with a cute flowy blouse (this one found at H&M) (those of you who know me, know my love for long tops) and a versatile pair of heels (flat boots would work, too).

Now, add a jacket. (This one is from Dynamite.)

See how easy that was? No need to completely throw out your existing wardrobe! You simply need to know which items to replace. Plus, the versatility of these items allows you to go back to those stay-at-home kind of days and reuse the more classy pieces in other outfits.

Take 2.

For those of you, like my friend, who is glued to her trusty blue jeans; Denim does not go out of style, except for the TYPE of denim. This might be difficult but take those old friends out and look at them on you. How do they fit? How do they feel? Where are the pockets hitting?

Jeans are one of those items that can either kill your style or build it.

After I had my beloved babe I went to Joe Fresh and bought a bunch of jeans for a GREAT price that made my post-partum body feel AH-MA-ZING. But then that post-partum body changed again and those same cheap jeans began to sag in the bum and accentuate all the wrong places. Are you still wearing THOSE jeans? For the love of your sanity, throw them out. Get a pair of jeans that you feel INCREDIBLE in.

For me, that’s back pockets that are not placed too far apart from each other (this widens your sweet tush), a straight leg, medium rise with STRETCH! Oh good mercy do I love a stretchy denim! I’m playing with cars for most of my life these days, so denim HAS to be comfortable, but that doesn’t mean I have to sacrifice the style. (These are Rich & Skinny).

Okay, now for the t-shirt. T-shirts in themselves are not bad. BUT the kind of t-shirt can totally change the look.

Look.

All I changed was the t-shirt (from Simons) and it went from frumpy “I just cleaned the tub” to laid back chic. Am I right?

Wait for it:

Remember this jacket? OH THE JOY OF VERSATILITY!

Here’s a few other easy to wear, kid friendly, keep-your-jeans, options;

Top: Cabi 

Denim Top: Simons

And that my friends, is how you get out of a rut without completely upheaving your wardrobe.

I hope that helped.

Outtake. Because, come on.