After becoming a mom I can totally understand how compelling it is to just throw on a comfortable v-neck tee and sweatpants or jeans and go about your day.  Because so much of my mental energy is now taken up by a kid it can feel like a huge hurdle to put energy into looking presentable.  (Especially now that I work from home more than ever before!)So, today I’m excited about teaming up with Lily Jade to present mom uniforms that are incredibly easy to throw on but look a lot more presentable than sweats.  I need that help for myself, and who better to inspire chic mom looks than Lily Jade?

Lily Jade makes gorgeous diaper bags that you wouldn’t even know are diaper bags.  Their bags are simple yet beautiful, they’re durable and organized well with tons of pockets, and they can be toted around at a park or carried into a meeting.  They help polish off a better looking mom uniform while still being super functional as a diaper bag.

Below I’ve adapted three drab mom uniforms and tried to create better alternatives for each.  (Though, I definitely don’t think these are limited to moms!)  I tried to use similar pieces so that the alternative outfits didn’t feel like too far of a stretch and felt really doable.

I also created alternative versions for a) playtime and errands and b) meetings.  The “meetings” looks aren’t necessarily suitable for business mode (definitely not for business dress, and probably not for business casual) because I figured moms who need to dress for getting down to business wouldn’t have kids in tow and would also probably have a different wardrobe for that.  Rather, the “meetings” looks were for things like doctor appointments, meeting teachers or principals at school, and PTA meetings.

Here we go!

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First up is a white tee, jeans, a grey hoodie, flip flops, and a plain old diaper bag.  The easy swaps for each piece are written in the graphic above, but I’ll highlight why I love wearing a few of them:

Cargo jacket.  It’s durable and has large pockets, both of which are good for mom duties like holding snacks, toys, and treasures found through out the day (like rocks…).  It also gives an outfit more shape and structure than a hoodie while serving the same function.

Shop for the Look:
Tee: JCPenney (similar)
Jacket: c/o Conversation Pieces (similar)
Jeans: Old Navy (similar)
Shoes: TOMS (exact)
Bag: c/o Lily Jade (exact)

Knit blazer.  This is a fantastic alternative to a hoodie because it feels just like a sweatshirt but looks a heck of a lot better.  It’s pretty much the same outfit as the drab version, just with better pieces for an overall more put together look.

Shop for the Look:
Tee: Everlane (exact, v-neck version)
Blazer: Nordstrom (very very similar)
Jeans: c/o Lilac Clothing
Shoes: Target (exact, genuine leather version)
Bag: c/o Lily Jade (exact)

Diaper bag.  This brown leather Lily Jade bag is my favorite.  It instantly makes you look like a chic mom and can be appropriately taken from the playground straight into a meeting.

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Next is a cotton jersey dress.  They’re really soft and stretchy and therefore comfortable, which is a huge plus.  However, they can often be drab or shapeless by themselves.  The “drab” version isn’t terrible, but it still doesn’t seem put together.  The good news is it’s really easy to do that just by adding a few details, as described in the graphic above.

Playtime.  This actually works for meetings or for playtime and errands.  This outfit is almost the exact same as the drab version except with a belt to give the outfit a focus and adding “real” shoes.  These tan flats are very basic, but they are still a step up from flip flops!  And of course a leather diaper bag totally beats the blue one.

Shop for the Look:
Dress: H&M (similar, similar)
Jacket: Old Navy (exact)
Shoes: Target (exact, genuine leather version)
Bag: c/o Lily Jade (exact)

 

Meetings.  This is still a jersey dress (and is suuuuuper stinking comfortable), but adding a necklace, wedges, and a professional looking diaper bag dresses it up for a meeting.  Yes, that silver bag is a diaper bag!  Plus it has a really cute yellow lining.  Win!

 

Last is a good old workout outfit.  This was the outfit I’m compelled to wear.  It tajes quite a bit of energy to move away from it!

Meetings.  The jeans and striped top are basics, but they can be brought to life with some colored shoes, a necklace, and a pretty bag.

Shop for the Look:
Top: c/o SheInside
Jeans: LOFT (similar)
Shoes: Gap (similar)
Bag: c/o Lily Jade (exact)

Seeing the side by side comparisons helps me to remember that looking decent can be just as easy as throwing on sweats and a tee.  Hopefully it helps you too!  Whether you’re a mom or not, do you default to any of the drab outfits?  Like I said before, mine is numero 3!

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This post was created in partnership with Lily Jade.  Check out their awesome diaper bags!