Help me find a SAHM uniform

[VerityClinch]

Having just made the momentous decision not to go back to work at the end of my maternity leave, I feel I need to up my game in the style stakes.

Slobbing about the places in jeans with a different top (or not!) depending on how covered in sick/milk/food/general baby grimness it got during the preceding day is no longer going to cut the mustard if I can't tell myself it's just a temporary situation and soon I will be back in the suits.

When I thought I was going back to work, it didn't matter that I hadn't worn a skirt or make-up for 10 months. Somehow, now it does.

But I still need EASY clothes (DD is 8 months and will be crawling soon) and flat shoes. I am aiming to get dressed for the day in about 10 minutes flat, if you get my drift.

Help me.

Verity I've just cross-posted another thread with you asking for help to find skirts & dresses to wear, for roughly the same reason (though it's taken me 3 yrs). Am fed up of tops & jeans - esp tops & jeans covered in snot. My feeling was that skirt outfit covered in snot was more the look that I needed...

I've had a bit of a go this winter - have two skirts that I've worn loads with tights & boots and made a real effort to go for a 'capsule wardrobe' idea to get with the 10 mins a day thing. This did help - but do feel like I've been wearing black all winter now. Spring/summer seem harder somehow.

Will be interested to see what comes up.

I find summer is easier because I can wear skirts without tights - to me putting tights on just feels too 'officey', so I'm afraid I'm a bit stuck in a jeans rut (or rather warm cords this winter). I just can't get into Boden loud print dresses/skirts either. In summer wear capris or plain skirts (and fake tan legs). I also want to throw out all the black stuff I've been huddling in this winter as soon as it gets warm.

One thing I do spend a bit of money on - jackets - have a, okay puff anorak thing! (worn to death this winter), from Max Mara (Bicester outlet) and a warmish one from Comptoir - who manage to do 'nice' casual jackets.

Dresses (easy, only one choice per day to make) with patterns (to hide the sick and weetabix)

Ooooh, and congratulations on not going back to work

Depends on shape, but I really like the t-shirt style dress, for feeling comfortable, but not restricted or slobby (I don't really like having clothes on my waist). It feels like I have made an effort with no effort at all.

My favourite is a cotton purple 3/4 sleeve dress from h&m, £12.99 - I am fairly straight up and down but with ample norks.

Yes H&M will be your friend in finding a comfortable but stylish SAHM wardrobe. Their accessories are fab and can really make a difference to an outfit.

My basic SAHM wardrobe would be:

• Jersey dresses or tunics with leggings (ensure you have them in different colours otherwise constantly wearing black leggings will feel like wearing jeans).
• Gap khakis with ballet flats (the ones at ASOS are fab, practical and funky)
• Loose vest tops
• Long sleeve tees for layering (Top Shop & Zara)
• a couple of bright coloured cardis and one marl grey.
• slouchy knitwear layered over vests or long sleeve tees (eg something like this from Top Shop
• cotton tops that are a bit more dressy than t-shirts (again, Top Shop & H&M have loads) but wash easily
• skinny/straight leg jeans in indigo
• Converse
• Scarves can turn a meh outfit into something you feel great in. To me, I just feel more "finished", iyswim.
• some cheapy bangles or necklaces that if DD bites or breaks you won't be hugely gutted.

For summer, I have always loved 50's florals - which actually work very well for hiding baby gunk

Was just about to post exactly the same thing. I have 2 pairs of jeans worn on rotation, and to be honest, I probably ignore stains way longer than i should.

DS2 is 12 months now and I need to accept that this is no longer baby weight but just weight and do something about it! So don't want to buy masses of clothes that obviously I will be far too slim and glamourous for by the summer (although probably not)

Part of my plan (feel free to tell me I'm insane ladies) is to just get rid of a lot of my clothes. I don't have enough storage space so end up just gazing into the drawer every morning and pulling out the thing that is on the top, which has obviously only jsut been washed. Loads of it doesn't fit, doesn't go with anything else etc.

I think I want the wardrobe equivalent of menu planning .

Sp here's to a brilliant summer at home with our little ones

My SAHM dress code is very basic. It includes lots of tea dresses with patterns (mostly ditsy floral) and range from ultra short, to knee length. I wear these with long leggings from topshop and either ballet flats, or boots for winter. The prints on the dresses hide food stains brilliantly and leggings are so practicle for SAHM lifestlye (mostly spent on the floor! etc)

I don't tend to do jersey dresses because of the required ironing element and some of the cheaper ones gpoing out of shape very quickly. I do have 1 jersey dress from Zara which has kept shape and is viscose so dries without the need for ironing (I do now look for clothes which are viscose for this very washable reason!

Dress and leggings combo takes minutes to get dressed in and in winter pop a long sleeved T underneath.

For summer, I am - dare I say it out loud? - going for playsuits! I have not bought any yet though and I am thinking of getting some converse to wear with dresses, kind of with the top rolled down so they are slouchy.

A totally agree with the jackets thing though. I have a beautiful tux jacktet (vintage) which is tailored, very fitted and makes any outfit look great, in a relaxed kind of way.

Jewelsandgems - I can only hazard a guess at what I would look like in a playsuit now, since I last wore one aged 15, 20 years ago, but think it might be akin to that hippo in a tutu from the yoghurt advert.

Dresses and leggings, on the other hand, I think I could do that.

I don't suppose anyone would like to post me any links to complete outfits, say, from Asos, that I could just buy? (Have lost confidence and imagination, clearly, over the last 10 months. Also, like assumetheposition, need to wake up to the fact that my plan to lose the babyweight in 9 months (9 months up, 9 months back down again) has not exactly been a triumph). A

nything gorgeously well suited to flat saggy norks (like a pair of old socks hanging off my chest) and a big arse for a stumpy 5'1" would be appreciated...

I wear skirts and knee high boots in the autumn and winter and wrap dresses and linen skirts in summer months but TBH you may well find that you revert to jeans more often than not if you have a speedy toddler to look after as they're more practical than skirts in the bending down and crawling/rescuing said child from various perils!
I try and wear a skirt at least twice a week...but often by 4pm I'm back in a pair of jeans (nice jeans, though, none of your highwaisted Marks' affairs)

When the weather gets warmer, you can feel more chic in wide leg linen trousers which look a bit more stylish than bog standard jeans. I think the key is good, stylish, quality footwear which can update any outfit and add the yummymummy element.

Now, this is cute. But too short for me to wear without leggings. But, what colour leggings? (Can you tell I'm not very good at this?)

here

That is lovely verity and I would take the darkest colour in the dress and go for that colour leggings. They look black or navy? In the summer months, you can always go for the knee-length leggings as opposed to the ankle length winter ones.

And I do agree about the playsuits - I was thinking they would actually be practicle because of them being shorts (much more pant-flash-friendly than a short summer dress and no tights) but the more I think about them, the more I am thinking and .

Hijack - but on topic!! - what shoes do you wear when you wear dresses and leggings?

I have some ballet pumps that were £5 from tescos (purple suade with large jewels and a bow on the front - may sound hideous but actually really nice) or boots for colder days. But I have to yet find shoes that don't look good with dresses and leggings - Uggs look fine, flat leather boots ditto, flats, gladiator sandals....etc etc....

Can I ask, on the whole leggings/dress front .....

My legs aren't great and I'm a little thick of ankle. What's the longest dress you can wear with leggings without looking like a numpty?

just above the knee?

Assume - I think yes, just above the knee is a great length. I think being able to see the knee is the key point.

Ha, Ha, playsuits, you are kidding no?

Wow, seriously, any shoes? OK I might rethink this...
have nice little furry edged ankle boots, they would be good wouldn't they?

verityclinch where are you going to get the leggings from?! that seems main issue to me!

Caz ok I got carried away

get your leggings from topshop! High waisted and long length they are grrrreat.

I work a split shift with clothes, first thing i sling on is a respectable tracksuit, i get all my jobs done and then shower and change into something nicer for the rest of the day. I wear a tracksuit for 2 days without washing it!!! I just feel too grimy by the afternoon and uninclined to tackle the mucky jobs if i'm wearing a nice outfit.

jersey dress I find dresses in this style very easy to wear. I have a cotton 3/4 sleeved purple jersey dress from h&m(£12.99) I feel really good wearing it and it works with lots of different colours, it is plain so wearing a scarf with it is good and cheap bangles.

Someone linked to a lovely floral dress from French Connection, not on this thread, it was pricey (£55 for a cotton jersey dress), but it drapes really well, and seems flattering without being clingy.

Short biker boots would avoid any cankle issues.

I like White stuff dresses dress I like jersey as they are so comfortable. I like wearing them with long boots or sandals so, spring is a hard one for me.
Or this from EastBlue dress Look carefully in east some things make you look frumpy.

How about a wedge shoes to go with them. ! haven't got time to search the internet but
something like this

The SAHM uniform at my DC's school is blue jeggings/leggings/skinny jeans, worn with long brown leather boots, a plainish top and very nice coat/jacket depending on the weather, and scarf. This works well for school run, toddler group, and standing in a muddy field watching cross country/rugby/netball after school.

I love dresses and ballet pumps but they are not good when your DC get older and standing around watching them compete in muddy, windy fields is necessary....

Verityclinch - do you only have a baby? In which case you're more flexible in what you can wear for now. Find some tops that really suit your shape (I have to stay away from Boden because I need loger tops... I buy a lot from FC as they're shape suits me) and buy a lot of them. Change your top often... I get through at least 2 a day, to try to avoid the patterned-in-baby-sick look.

Also, when you wear jeans, wear nice shoes or boots with them.

Lymond I have discovered the only way to stand in a field watch kids rugby is to wear theseboots with theses socks to think I own those two items