Mod Apron

Down with yoga pants (Part 2)

(If you missed it, here’s Part 1 of this series.)

So, last week I left you dear readers at the edge of your seats, wondering what oh what could possibly be my solution for the replacement of lowly yoga pant, the “mom uniform” of ill repute? Well, friends, I think I’ve found something that checks all the boxes and has allowed me to downsize my wardrobe significantly. 

I needed a style solution that:

• is easy to wear, dress up and dress down and suitable to varying SF weather
• is comfortable and not at all constrictive, because being a mama means carrying babies, squatting down, sitting the the floor, bending over, twisting, running, etc.
• is easy to launder, no dry-cleaning or ironing, thankyouverymuch
• and - perhaps most importantly - makes me feel pretty and confident (the way that yoga pants FAIL MISERABLY in this regard)

My solution? Are you ready?

Dresses.

Easy, breezy, beautiful dresses. I have collected 6 of these now, in varying lengths and patterns. They’re all 100% cotton and feel absolutely dreamy to wear. 

I can dress them up with boots or flats, a belt and a scarf or a cute jacket. Or I can dress them down with sandals, Toms or flip flops. In the summer, their simplicity is a thing of beauty and in the winter, I can pair these with tights and boots and a long-sleeved shirt underneath, or a cardigan over top. I can add jewelry and a cool belt if I’m feeling fancy, or I can simply wear them plain and feel just as pretty.

I LOVE DRESSES.

Look how pretty!

Dresses are just perfect for this San Fran mama’s lifestyle. I can move around freely and with ease. I can bend, lift, twist and turn just as easily as I can give a piggy back ride to a 3-year-old. All of my dresses can be thrown in the washer and the dryer. The light cotton dries quickly and with nary a wrinkle. Why have I not thought of this before?

I wore the purple one in the photo above to a Cinco de Mayo party in the park today. I wore it with leggings and slouchy boots and brought along a light cardigan although it was so hot today I really didn’t need it at all. I spent the afternoon playing with the kids, sitting on the grass, carrying Henry on my back in the Ergobaby carrier and chatting with the other parents. I overheard Maya talking to another kid on the playground, proclaiming, “That’s my mama over there. The one in the beautiful princess dress!” Yup, that about sums it up, sweet girl. Mama does indeed feel like a princess these days. Viva la dresses!

I have officially tossed out ALL my yoga pants (which were all worn out and pilled anyway) since starting my personal dress revolution, save for one pair that I will use for actually doing yoga. I’m done keeping stuff that isn’t working for me. And yoga pants were doing me no favors, let me tell you. From now on, whether I’m hanging out at home or going out for dinner, it’s dresses. I’m building my whole wardrobe around this concept. No looking back.

And, in case you’re interested, these dresses were very frugal purchases. I already owned 3 of them but 2 of them never really fit quite right so I had them altered to fit me perfectly ($16 for both of them to be altered). The other 2 I found on a clearance rack at a cool vintage shop in my neighborhood (2 dresses for $10!). And one I bought just before I realized I was pregnant with Henry and I’d completely forgotten about it, only to recently discover it again, misplaced in an old box of clothes I thought didn’t fit.

I’ll continue to be on the lookout for a few more dresses like these (and I don’t expect much trouble with this because San Francisco happens to be the hippie dress capital of the world). Because dresses are so multi-functional and multi-seasonal, I consider them to do the job of several pieces of clothing. In other words, 1 dress = at least 5 outfits. In this regard, I think having several dresses makes sense (and by “several”, I mean maybe a total of 8-10. Because aside from a couple of pairs of jeans, a few t-shirts, tank tops, and a couple of cardigans, this will be my whole wardrobe. 

What, you think I’m done with this series? Not even close! Stay tuned for Part 3, coming soon!

Down with yoga pants (Part 1)

This post has been swimming around in my brain all week but I didn’t have it mentally constructed enough to put it down on the blog until now. Actually, it’s still not quite ready but I’m going ahead with it anyway because I think writing it out will help me organize my thoughts. 

This post is about my wardrobe, and my ideas on where I’d like it to be. I’ve got a lot to say here so you better strap in. This post will be Part 1 in a series of posts on this subject.

First off, as the title suggests, I’m kinda sick of wearing yoga pants. Actually, no, I’m really sick of them. Yes, yes, it’s the “mom uniform”, I know that much. And with good reason; they’re easy, comfortable, stretchy and black. Prêt-à-porter. Right. I get it.

But I’m so tired of these silly yoga pants. Moreover, I’m so tired of me in these silly yoga pants. When it comes to my style, I’ve been phoning it in since Henry was born. I live in middle of one of the most fashionable cities in the world. I can do much, much better. I want to do better. I want to wake up every morning and put on clothes that make me feel pretty and confident. Even if I’m not planning on leaving the house. Because not only will I feel better, but I will be setting an example for my children that says their mama cares about herself.

I refuse to give up on my style. (I’m only 35, for goodness sake.) 

It’s time to seriously cull my wardrobe. I want to minimize the contents of my closet to just a few smart pieces that I actually wear and love wearing. In additional to my raggedy yoga pants, I have far too many clothes that I really don’t need or wear. I have several pieces that I don’t even like, and I honestly don’t know how or why I ever acquired them in the first place. Much of my thought process for this post centered around simply trying to figure out what I truly need in terms of my clothing, trying to determine the bare minimum. I truly believe that simple is always best, and wardrobe is no exception. More on this later.

One of my challenges is that I’m still about 10-15 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight. This means that my closet currently holds a lot more clothes than I’d like because I’ve got several different sizes happening in there. Shamefully, I’m even still holding on to some maternity stuff. Man, it’s embarrassing to even type that.

So with that said, I made a firm decision today to return to my old size once and for all. I haven’t really tried to lose my baby weight until now and I feel like it’s finally time. However, I’m not a dieter, I’m in no rush, and I’m not planning anything drastic. I’ll simply be eating mindfully, reducing my portions, focusing on fresh fruit and veg, and [mostly] avoiding the white stuff (white rice, refined flour and sugar). I already walk everywhere (we don’t own a car), and my walks average at least a few miles a day, which I feel is enough for me for now. I am quite confident this easy strategy will elicit the outcome I’m after. I know how my body works. As I said, I believe simple is always best.

I am really, really, REALLY committed to this. 

Ah, but getting back to the wardrobe issue, specifically the yoga pants issue, I think I’ve figured out a solution. And I think it might just be a pretty darn fabulous solution. But you’ll have to stay tuned for Part 2 to read all about it! Ha!