Working With Style {WAHM Style Resolution}

I literally became a mom overnight. Most women do, right? One day you’re pregnant, the next day you’ve got a newborn in your arms. That’s not exactly how it happened for us. On a Tuesday, I was working at home editing photos and working my day-job. My husband, a touring musician, was in California or Arizona or somewhere and I had plans to go out with friends that evening. I got a call about our little “baby bread” that afternoon and the next morning I picked up this tiny, 5-month-old and took him home. Actually, I took him to Target to get bottles and toys and blankets because we didn’t have any of that stuff. Then I took him home. I never took a maternity leave or vacation because I’m self-employed and taking time off means not getting paid. Overnight, I went from an independent woman to a stay-at-home-working-single-mom. My husband travels about 10 days a month so that’s where the “single” part comes in. He’s either always home (and a HUGE help) or he’s gone and it’s just me. Just me trying to manage a full-time job as a marketing project manager, part-time job as a photographer, cooking, cleaning, and caring for an infant (now toddler).

In the midst of this insanity, I completely lost my style. I stopped wearing makeup unless it was date night and I wore my pajamas or yoga pants all-day-everyday. At the start of this New Year, I made a Style Resolution to get dressed every day. On top of that, I’m trying to lose weight and complete a 30 before 30 list so it’s makeover central over here!

In my honest opinion, it takes a lot of extra effort to get ready every day when you work at home. There are days when the only person I might see besides my now 17-month-old son is the daycare lady. I decided to get it out of my head that I’m getting dressed for the daycare lady, or the grocery store clerk, and decide to get dressed for myself. Yes, yoga pants are awesome and there have been many days already in 2013 that I have failed my resolution and worn a T-shirt and sweats from dawn til dusk. However, I really want to feel like my fabulous self again so I’m working on putting together outfits that are stylish, comfortable and multi-purpose. Here are some steps that are working for my WAHM Style Resolution that I want to share with you–

1. Define your style. This step is crucial! Look at your closet, your Pinterest boards, and pictures of yourself. What colors do you like? Are you into skinny jeans or skirts? Heels or flats? Are you a pattern-mixer or do you wear a lot of black? Do you wear classic silhouettes or are you always trying new things? I describe my style as vintage-grunge-chic. This means (to me): skinny jeans, vintage button-ups, chiffon skirts, old sweaters & cardigans, bold/basic colors.
2. Simplify. Less options might make getting dressed each day less daunting. Once you’ve decided on your style, get rid of anything that doesn’t comply. It’s been a year since I became a mom so I got rid of anything I hadn’t worn in the past year. I also got rid of anything that didnt fit my aforementioned defined style. Defining my style has helped when shopping for new clothes, too. I know what I will actually wear and what will compliment my other clothes.
3. Wear multi-purpose outfits. This whole idea is not a push for the old adage “fashion over function”. Your clothing styles should be conducive to your lifestyle; which means it should be multi-purpose. As a mom, I’m on the floor for playtime or carrying my kiddo from here to there. Being a working mom means sitting in front of a computer for hours and going out to meetings or photoshoots. Throw in my weight loss goals and I would have to change 100 times a day! So why not put together an outfit for the day that suits every need? For instance, there was a day when my husband was home but he was recording some songs so he took the kiddo to daycare. I had a 2:00 meeting and was going to go to 5:30 hot yoga. So, I kissed my boys goodbye and set about choosing an outfit. I started with my yoga outfit and then I added stretchy pants, a tunic and boots. (For a more important meeting I could have put on a blazer, too.) I was able to be comfortable at my desk, look semi-professional at my meeting, play with the kiddo when he got home and go to hot yoga. You cant tell that I’m wearing a sports bra under my blouse, can you? Don’t answer that.                                                                                                       
4. Accessorize. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of accessories. The right accessories can turn a T-shirt and jeans into a fabulous outfit. If you’re not into jewelry (or your kid rips it right off of you, like mine does) try accessorizing with hats (perfect for the unshowered WAHM) and scarves! Super easy.

­Remember, this isn’t about being the world’s most fashionable mom. This is just about taking an extra 20 minutes a day for you. You are worthy of that. If you can’t wrap your head around it, start small with a cardigan instead of a sweatshirt and work your way up from there! If you have any other tips I’d love to hear them. Good luck, gals!

Lindsy is a photographer, marketing project manager, foster-mom, and wife to a rock star.  Lindsy is a multi-tasker who’s pretty sure she’s never done just one thing at a time.  She likes running, taking pictures and thrifting for sweet vintage goods but spends most of her days trying to keep her family’s busy schedule in check.  With a husband that travels 10 – 14 days a month, she rarely has a minute for herself but she’s perfectly okay with that.  She blogs at LMR Photos and tweets, randomly, at @LMRphotos.