Redesigning Women

Since having children, I've started living in sweat pants.  Some days I wear the same clothes I slept in.  Which are the same clothes I wore the day before.  And I'm not lying (actually, I wish I were), but every time I take a shower these days, Meggie asks me if we're going to Bible Study or "Mommy? Go to church?"

Almost eight long months of not sleeping through the night, and even five minutes to take a shower seems like too much sleep time to sacrifice.

Well, it's high time for a redesign.  The having-no-clothes (that fit), messy bedhead, wardrobe-of-pajamas has got to go...for the most part anyway.  I know as a stay-at-home-working-very-hard mama to two little girls, my fallback fashion will always be yoga pants and a t-shirt. :)

My first step is to dig through my closet and find anything that will work.  As in:  right size, long enough, bright colors, classic elements.

Most stuff will have to be donated.

I love and am amazed by what my body did (and continues to do) to bring forth these girlies into the world.  (And speaking of...I'm going on over 3 years and 2 months of continuously being pregnant, nursing/pumping breastmilk, or both!!!)  But after all this time, my body's changed in ways that I don't think will ever go back.  I'm proud of this accomplishment, but I need the clothes to better show off my new...curves?! :)

So that means bye-bye to all my clothes from high school and college that I've been moving around. 

The next step (to be completed this weekend, hopefully) is to replace essential elements of my "mama uniform" with comfortable, sturdy, trendy clothes through a shopping spree courtesy of Christmas gift cards.

These last few days, I've been challenging myself to create new looks from existing, workable stuff that I already have in my closet.  Everyday feels like a treasure hunt.  I'm also challenging myself to carve out the relatively teeny amount of time it takes to get ready for the day in the morning.  My Allie V is slowly working through this acid reflux dilemma and sleeping for longer stretches - that means it's my time to return to the land of the living...and I want to take care to look like it.  If, for nothing else, my own sense of accomplishment and feeling of preparedness.

The first outfit I "created" was one I wore to church on Sunday.  Between the scoping my closet for clothes, shower, make-up, and shaving my legs (you don't even want me to go there, just use your imagination)...getting ready took 3 hours. 

3 HOURS.

Whoo - this is gonna take some practice.  But, thrilling practice, really.  And, it didn't hurt when I finally walked out of the bathroom and Meggie cried, "OOOOHHHHH, Mama! Preeeeettttttttttttttt - ty!" :)

 

I dug through my closet and found a dress that used to be my mom's (Hi, MOM!), and thought: let's go vintage, here!  I paired it with a large black and silver belt to add definition around the waist.  

(Really, it was to cover a gaping hole where I buttoned myself into the dress and my baby belly overflowed between the buttons...still working on those last stubborn pounds.)

I also found a black cardigan.  Not only are cardigans of any shape, size, color IN, but they also add depth and variety to your wardrobe.  In this case, I felt the cardigan updated this dress from the 1980s to the present.

Now, for the accessories.  My favorite part! 

Because the red and black dress is so vibrant, I chose a simple, but versatile black, beaded necklace (Premier Designs: Arabian Nights) to add style without being too busy.  I chose a fun pair of beaded, silver hoops (Premier Designs: Fun) to tie in with the silver of the belt buckle.  Then, I paired a silver/black watch (Premier Designs: On Time) and silver bracelet (Premier Designs: Cuff 'Em).  With the final addition of a black/silver statement ring, my jewelry finishes the look.

I don't have any close-toed, black pumps.  Shame, I know.  They're on my list.  So, I threw on a favorite pair of off-white, closed-toed heels and repeated the look by carrying an off-white vintage handbag.

For one of the first times since bringing home baby #2, I felt collected and confident.  All with stuff I already owned...who knew?  

What outfits have you "created" from your own closet?