4 Must-Haves For Every Stylish Mom

For a while, the notion of being a mom turned a lot of people off from thinking that a mother could be stylish. Maybe it was the term “mom jeans” that scared everyone away. The term has actually been added to the dictionary and its definition is surprisingly succinct: “unstylish women’s jeans.” Yeesh. OK, now what kind of reputation does that give to mom style!? Not so great, you can imagine.

It’s not that your sense of style goes away when you become a mom (that’s ridiculous), but it does evolve. Certain outfits become a little less appropriate when you have to worry about your kid’s friends (or worse, their moms) talking about you. Luckily, fashion has come a long way over the years, and there are lots of items that are functional enough to work for a mom while staying stylish to satiate her love for fashion.

A Pretty Tote/Diaper Bag

Gone are the days of hideous diaper bags that are so obviously diaper bags. Now, you can find designer totes that double as diaper bags and last you way beyond your kids’ diaper days. Read Parenting’s “splurge alert” to get an idea of what I’m talking about, though, because you can definitely find cheaper versions that are still cute!

A Wear-Anywhere Tee

T-shirts aren’t as sloppy as they used to be. Lyst’s editorial staff recently dedicated an entire article to “The Perfect Summer T-Shirt,” which states, “Not all T-shirts are created equal—indeed most of them have something wrong with them be it an overly stretched neck or a frumpy cut.” As a mom, the elevated, well-fitting tee is your savior. You can dress it up with a beautiful statement necklace, and you can wear it with your boyfriend jeans for a model-off-duty, mom-on-duty look.

Stylish Sneakers

Heels are great and all, but not when it comes to chasing little ones around the house. If it seems like the majority of your days are spent running errands or hustling around the playground, skip the stilettos and treat your feet to functional and fashionable sneakers. You can get all kinds of inspiration from Instyle’s celeb coverage of “chic sneaks.”

Go-To Accessories

When you’re on-the-go constantly and don’t have a ton of time to plan out every ensemble down to the last accessory, it’s helpful to have your go-to add-ons that instantly add style to any outfit. Like online publisher Elina Furman tells NY Daily News, “’Right before I’m out the door with my kids, I keep last-minute add-ons in a box in the entryway closet,’ she said. ‘Maybe a Missoni summer scarf, a bangle, Oliver Peoples sunglasses, and instead of sneakers, a nice pair of Bernardo sandals.'” Just grab and go!

** Collaboration with Tara Burns