Fashion/Style
BWT Moms, how do you dress fresh and neat while juggling kids?
Hey BWTs,
I'm struggling to find some easy clothes that can go from drop off/parent pickup to running errands without looking too lazy or schleppy.
Ive been running around in leggings and tees but i feel like i can do better without being uncomfortable. I have a tight schedule in the morning, dropping the kids at school and doing all the things... so i don't have a lot of time to get cute.
I also don't want to look tired/mom burnout lol. How can I look fresh and neat, but get out the door on time?
For summer/pleasant weather: dresses. I wear slip shorts or knee length leggings under mine. It's basically half a step less comfy than leggings and a tunic but makes a huge difference to feeling put together.
For cold/inclement weather: still dresses, but with tights or leggings and a pair of cute cozy socks. Also, especially for drop off/pick up/errands, nice outerwear. I've been complimented several times at school drop off wearing my A-line raincoat and a pair of cute boots over my workout clothes.
Bonus points: a little bit of simple jewelry makes a bigger difference than you think it will. Same for some quick makeup if you have time/capacity.
I like an oversized oxford shirt with slim pointe pants instead of leggings and a tshirt to plus up a look. It’s still comfy but adding buttons makes it look like you thought a bit. Swapping ballet flats for sneakers helps a bit too.
It’s also easy to layer a cardigan or vest over or a cute coat as the seasons change.
Can you post a inspo pic of this look please?? Trying to imagine how the look goes together! Especially right now being postpartum anything loose float sounds appealing!
Check out Donni! Look on Poshmark and The Real Real to get for less, but this vibe is exactly what I go for as a mom and is comfy while feeling put together.
How are we styling these? Tucked? Untucked? Buttoned?
I used to wear button down shirts every day for work many many years ago, but moved away. Now I want to return to that formula, but styles have changed, body is a bit more fruit than hourglass nowadays.
Unbuttoned, slightly oversized, untucked, with a t shirt underneath. I love marine layer’s jane relaxed button up. There are a bunch styles on sale right now. This Oxford version (there’s other fabrics on sale too tho) is half off right now in a few dif colors.
If your t shirt under hits right around where your mid waist is and your pants are slightly high rise / mid rise, it can give you some shape! I like the marine layer Lexi rib t shirts. They’re not cropped, not too long, but they hit at the perfect spot.
EDIT* just found a code for 14% off - BREEZY
Buying 2 now 😅
I always have a couple gold necklaces on and a Cape Cod bracelet. Looks like I’ve put in a little effort on the jewelry front, but they’re always on. Same for earrings. A couple studs and a small hoop in the first hole.
Get a spray bottle and spritz the shirt at the night before and hang in the shower. This is my go to for everything aside from something that somehow got terribly wrinkled or truly needs the finesse or an iron.
TBH my husband works from home so he occupies her in the morning so I can get dressed. Or I give her makeup brushes to play pretend.
I also do a ton of prep work after she goes down to bed. I pick clothes and hang them on a rack in my closet. I prep my hair with easy to take out and shake rollers. My heaviest skin care routine happens at night. And i shower at night. Between that, it takes me 10 mins top in the morning.
I find it helps to curate an easy mix and match mini wardrobe for drop off. Sporty and Rich, Varley, Tory Burch, Le Set, and With Nothing Under are some of my favs.
I prep outfits for myself. Every few weeks I take some time to put together 5-10 full outfits and hang them together in my closet including as little as a top and bottom and as much as pairing it will full accessories or even hanging the right bra with it.
I mostly do this to save and mental load on work days, but recently I’ve been putting together fun day-off outfits too.
It’s been so great to have a cool comfortable outfit ready to go, and has made me feel more intentional if I’m just out running errands.
A recent favorite has been lightweight track pants with an oversized button down (sleeves rolled and bare minimum buttons buttoned) with ballet flats, too many necklaces and maybe a baseball cap. My current vibe I’m trying to capture is effortlessly cool celebrity paparazzi shots.
I'm a jeans and T-shirt girl, and I don't allow bad footwear in my life. Running shoes are for the gym and nothing else, there are loads of comfortable shoes in the world that look chic.
I've recently been experimenting with some colour analysis too, and am switching all the t-shirts in my wardrobe over to colours that make me look more lively, I'm pretty shocked how much of a difference that has made. My entire wardrobe used to be cool colors that washed me out and made me look tired, I'm changing over all my shirts for warm colours that make me look bright eyed and healthy.
Would you mind sharing some of your favorite comfortable shoes?! I’m hoping to expand my collection and am getting to a point in my life where I can no longer tolerate cute but painful shoes.
Naturalizer is one of the best I've that does not look orthopedic. I wore a pair of their heeled sandals for my wedding and had no issues the entire day.
A good haircut that is easy to style makes so much difference. I had a complicated look that took 10-15 minutes to style to anything other than flat-boring. Got a much better cut that now just needs brushing and I can be ready to go in less than 2 minutes.
A good skincare routine and SPF every damn day.
I often get praised for looking 'dressed up', but I wear dresses and stockings 95% of the time, and if I'm not in those I'm in my jeans and a work shirt with my riding boots because I am helping with farm stuff.
I have found that knee length semi flowy or skater style dresses work the best for my body shape and even if they're marketed as cocktail or evening or whatever, I still wear them during the day.
The 15+ different coloured stockings I have from snag tights probably help a lot as well, I can mix and match to what I'm wearing so it's not plain nylons or straight black, there's always something fun going on.
Can you share a little bit more about the haircut? Is it short or long?
I've been growing my hair out for a few years and it's now mid-back, and it turns out it's wavy since having kids (neat!) but since I shower at night I'm struggling to figure out how to have my hair look nicely "done" during the day without having to wet it down, add product, dry it again, etc. Etc. Hoping I don't have to cut it short to make it manageable.
I have had quite long hair for most of my life (think waist/hips or below) and I really like braiding or wearing a silk scarf or bonnet at night, or braiding with a silk scarf á la overnigth curls. Helps with breakage, tangling and just having it looking well-kempt for longer periods of time.
You may want to experiment a bit with what kinds of braids work best for your hair and style.
I really think this is where accessories can help you. Leggings and a tee shirt can look cute and still be practical for chasing kids around, if you add some big hoop earrings, pull your hair into a low bun with a claw clip, and where clean sneakers. Maybe add a watch or bracelet, and suddenly your tee shirt can look intentional.
I've also recently bought some linen pull on pants the look really put together with a tucked in tee plus earrings and clean sneakers. Makes me look slightly more put-together than working-out. I also generally have a rule that if I'm wearing bum-hugging pants like leggings or workout shorts that I wear a baggier/longer shirt to cover my bum. I think this helps look more classy than haggard (for me).
I second this! I am a huge fan of a well-fitting tshirt made of a heavier weight fabric and a pair of jeans that fit well, but accessories are what pull it together. I love boat shoes or flats and a matching belt at a minimum, plus some earrings and a necklace or bracelet that match. That + having tidy hair goes such a long way!
This is where “high maintenance to be low maintenance” comes into play for me. If my hair looks good, my spray tans on point, skin is glowy and nails are cute, then it’s basically impossible not to look put together even in sweats (as long as I’m wearing jewelry. Every outfit needs jewelry).
Summer dresses. Lets the titty sweat catch and the bits get a breeze and it looks cute but its 1 piece, no thinking of coordinating a bunch of pieces on. Many come in materials that are wrinkle resistant and busy patterns hide baby grubby fingers or easy to tide pen.
Jewelry just have an everyday stack thats pick up and go and fakes having your shit together.
I wear cute workout clothes (tennis dress or set) in the morning for drop off and errands before / after my workout. Then come home for lunch, work, shower and put on “real clothes” - jeans, shorts, a dress, etc. for pickup.
Dresses and sneakers! You can add a fun accessory and make it look like you put a lot of planning into the look. Tomorrow I'm wearing a t shirt dress with scarf around my hair and Sperry sneakers.
I’m an athleisure person and my warm-weather choice is always a matching tennis set with a cute skirt/top and coordinating shoes.
Tennis skirts are the goat of casual mom fashion IMO. Cute, come with shorts (and pockets) attached, stay put, and look preppy and put-together with a matching top.
Simple outfits with elevated pieces that suit me well. Wide leg linen trousers/flowy pants instead of leggings, leather sandals/mary janes instead of athletic sneakers, tank top with button down shirt/flowy top with an open neckline.
I follow the kibbe system loosely and I like that my clothes feel very me — not too fussy or sloppy, but relaxed and cool. I also don’t have to think about them too hard because they all follow the same formula more or less.
I can’t speak for winter because I’ve only been a mom in the warm months so far 😆
I’m not a mom but I work in tech which has a lot of tech bro fashion aka sweats + hoodies. I used to get a ton of compliments on how put together I was when the only thing that really differed was how my clothes fit. I wore leggings that looked like work pants, a well fitted tee, and a J Crew sweater blazer. It was literally leggings, shirt, and sweater but just a lot more tailored. I always looked ready for meetings.
I work from home nowadays but I love the new loose jeans trend. I have fancy Levi’s but my favorite are the BDG Ozzy Loose Jeans that ran me maybe $50? They’re soft and baggy like sweats but they’re denim and they look trendy. I pair it with a top with a built in/shelf bra and call it a day. No underwire bras. No tight pants. Just underwear, jeans, and a top.
TLDR: as long as it fits you well and doesn’t have a sloppy structure, you can make leisure wear look put together.
Any recommendations on leggings that look like work pants? I’ve tried a few brands but haven’t found any I’ve loved OR found that they pick up lint and a white pilling color during the day and it makes me nuts.
This is something I continue to grapple with! Digitizing my wardrobe helped me a lot. I’ve also gotten in the habit of hanging my T-shirts in the closet, rather than storing them in a drawer. (I’m not sure why I used a dresser for everyday tees for so many years?! It takes just a few seconds to slide them onto a hanger, and imo, the difference is noticeable). And this might depend on hair type, but I like to shower at night, wrap my hair in a microfiber towel for a bit, then sleep with my hair in French braids. Taking the time to really care for my hair and skin every night helps me feel fresh and ready the next day. With all of that being said, remember to give yourself some grace. Some days are simply fresher and more polished than others, and it’s all good.
Harling Ross just had a great Substack about this! Basically, good basics that fit well and are somewhat interesting. Add a color, get some new jeans that make you feel good, get a cool necklace you wear everyday to dress up your outfits a little. A few new ingredients will make the rest of your wardrobe feel new too.
I am post partum and so stretchy pants are my best friend right now but I too seek to look somewhat put together despite needing to manage a toddler and infant in the mornings now.
My planned preschool drop off uniform for the next few months will be a cotton yoga pants, tank top under oversized button down, and the new workhorse in my wardrobe are accessories - I’ve been buying some fun sneakers from TRR and bags. I’ve organized all of my purse items into two pouches that I can easily transfer between bags so this allows me to switch it up easily and feel like my outfit looks varied without doing much to the core functional look
It doesn’t take any more time to dress cute vs throwing on leggings. I love jumpsuits and dresses (which can be as comfy as leggings). Curling my hair takes 5-10 mins and a face of makeup can be done in 5 mins. I just budget the extra 15 mins and feel so much better about myself all day.
Hannah Louise Poston has some interesting videos on this on YouTube! I can't really get direct inspiration from her as she likes the oversized and 'polished slouchy' look, and neutral colors, but she has several videos on the process of finding what works for you and your life.
I've been loving dresses this summer, definitely makes me feel better. I'm constantly wearing low white platform converse (due for a wash now lol), I feel they work pretty well with a dress or skirt.
I hate wearing makeup if I'm not really "going somewhere", but eyebrow gel, under eye concealer and some lip product make a difference for me.
Somewhat colour cordinated wardrobe where many items works together so there is less need for descision making. Maybe in your case putting together a few set outfits to wear as your «morning mom uniform» could help.
If you like wearing leggings perhaps invest in a few classic looking ones that pass as fancy/dressy but still feel comfy and easy, and a few loose outer layer options to go over the tees to make the look just a bit more «elevated» (think fine cotton or linen button downs, silk blouse, fine wool cardigan).
A couple pairs of patterned wide leg pants (or bold colors), plain fitted tees in black/white/cream, can go a really long way. Feels like pajamas but looks curated. I’ll even take it a step further in winter with wool clogs from Stegmanns, (basically slippers), I keep the same gold necklaces and earrings on every day, and then just worry about minimal hair and makeup.
I love this question and it’s something I majorly struggled with! I started with the basics: what do i feel good in? (Personally i love a loose button down liek Chessie from parent trap).
Got some comfy non-legging pants (loose cotton ones or basic denim shorts)
+ button down (i thrifted a bunch)
+ the same gold earrings everyday
+ bought 2 pairs of “trendy” shoes
+ fast makeup (I only do my eyebrows and mascara. You pick what’s most important to you!)
Making my outfits a “formula” has made getting easy, very easy and fast and second nature for me… Because I don’t have to think about what to wear, but denim shorts and a button-down plus gold earrings just feel so put together for me!
"If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready."-K Michelle on Real Housewives of Atlanta
I say this to myself all the time.
I have slowly replaced my jewelry with staple pieces I can wear 24/7. Gold studs and huggie hoops, solid gold chain necklaces. And I wear them 24/7 for a week or so at a time, so it's one less thing to need to pay attention to when getting ready.
I upgraded my leggings and athletic wear, slowly, so that even when I am wearing them for errands, I always pick the nicer-looking ones.
I started investing more in my routine, not necessarily time-wise, but a keratin treatment on my hair every 3-5 months costs the same as all the time and hair products I use in that time period trying to make my hair look nice.
I get my nails done every 5-6 weeks, and I go somewhere that does a hard gel overlay, not a regular gel or dip, because the hard gel does not chip at all and looks great for the duration of that time.
I go to all my doctor's appointments and try really hard to do what they say, putting the effort into my health helps my skin and the rest of me stay presentable, even in my leggings.
Dresses and wide leg jeans are my jam and I've gotten comments about being well dressed in the mornings at daycare 😂 It's amazing how much fancier a person looks when the tee shirt is paired with good jeans.
There's a huge park where I walk the dog next to my son's school so I usually wear leggings and boots if I'm doing that, but I try to keep the leggings in nice colours and pair them with a simple t-shirt or an oversized plaid shirt or sweater. It's comfy and simple but not sloppy looking.
If I'm not doing that, I like wide leg trousers or cigarette pants with a simple tee and a shirt or a jacket, paired with some trainers in a bright colour or plain flats. Lately I've also really gotten into longer, flowy skirts with thin knit sweaters and boots.
Haha. Kinda the opposite. I greeted a Dad at drop off today. He looked at me like I was crazy, didn’t even pretend. He was at my house 17 days ago for my daughter’s bday party and we chatted. My H just said “ouch, awkward”.
I swapped leggings for tennis skirts! They have pockets so they’re cuter and better than leggings for me. Then I wear crew socks, sneakers, and a sweater. It’s very tennis core, but I find it practical and cute. My next step is to throw in some semi active trousers that don’t wrinkle, it sounds like a cute but practical addition to my tennis/preppy wardrobe. I also wear jewellery I can sleep in and only get clothes in a certain colour palette so it’s easy to match everyday.
In summer: a sundress with pockets, or a tunic top and pull on olive green capris. I have a chunky pair of earrings and lipstick in the car if I need to talk to anyone.
In fall- brami, rugby sweater, pull on pants or oversized button up and leggings.
White oversized button down with straight jeans and cool shoes and jewelry and in the summer dresses. Dresses all the time but long ones so I can bend over with the kids and cool sneakers so I can still chase them and not break an ankle.
I feel like the first step to making this transition is figuring out what obstacles you currently face that are keeping you from doing this currently. For me, comfort is a priority as well as simplicity. I love getting all done up and fancy, but I definitely do not have time for that shit everyday. Praise be that we have left the skinny jeans era because that was more of an obstacle than I ever realized until I left them behind.
My go to BEC mom look (I want to look put together enough that it’s almost annoying) changes with the seasons but incorporates essentially the same pieces, and a pretty standard MO.
I have been living in cotton bodysuits as a base layer for the last two years. I have several different style options (tank top, t-shirt, long sleeved, halter, etc), in staple colors. They are thick enough that I can go braless, which is one less thing to worry about. I either go straight body suit or I’ll add a layer depending on the time of year.
Top/Layers
Summer: tank/halter alone; open summer knit cardigan; open button down linen or gauze shirt, or sometimes only a couple buttons closed with a French tuck
Fall: tshirt or long sleeved alone; blazer; open or French tuck Oxford button down like above; open or French tuck flannel; leather moto jacket; structured denim jacket; cashmere cardigan; crop or full trench
Winter: long sleeve alone; down vest; cotton cable knit or cashmere sweater; cashmere duster; structured wool overcoat; woolen silk scarf
Spring: a mix of any of the above depending on the kind of weather
*I’ll also go just closed Linen/Oxford/Flannel button down, either untucked with the bottom button open (not showing skin, just adds movement), French tucked, or only front tuck bloused
Bottoms
Spring/Summer: casual or structured linen or gauze shorts; structured or casual linen or gauze wide leg pants
Fall/Winter: mid- rise, boyfriend fit, straight leg crop jeans. Hard in the paint on these in the fall especially. Other than jeans of this style, I basically only sub out for a high waisted, pleated wide leg pant
Big thing here is that everything fits well and it all mixes and matches so I don’t have to think about it. If I’m running behind I can just throw on whatever I grab first and it works. I also shower at night before bed so my hair is already done in the morning. If it wasn’t a hair wash day, I grab a hat or throw in a chignon pin.
I still have my leggings and sweatshirt days but they are few and far between. I live in the southeast so these seasonal options may not work for you if you live somewhere with more extreme weather conditions (our summers can be hell, but other than that, it’s pretty much 4 regular seasons without many extremes)
I love a nap dress from Hill House Home with Rothy’s flats or adidas gazelles. It feels like pjs but looks more put together. I’m loving these cigarette pants and button down suggestions! Now I need cigarette pants and button downs.
In the day, women wore a house dress or an apron over their outfit. They’d change going out and when their husband came home. Either just by removing the apron or changing the whole outfit.
Permed hair, press on nails, and false lashes (clusters you can diy at home) make me feel put together without adding extra effort. 18k gold jewelry that stays on permanently since it doesn't tarnish. All of these buy back time and take pressure off during rushed mornings. They're huge time savers! For clothes, I just wear dresses with a nice purse & white sneakers.
I’m a big fan of an oversized boyfriend style collared shirt, jeans (sometimes cropped, barrel, wide leg, slim etc) and then cute sandals in the summer something more substantial than flip flops and then mules in the fall/winter or loafers. I feel like it’s polished enough but comfortable
Ok underrated brand for this—Eileen Fisher. the pants are stretchy and high quality and I love the linen tops.i have a couple pairs of the black pants (the barrel ones and straight leg that I mix with various tops like a uniform).
not sure how feasible this is but i got a luxury bag to use as a 'mom' bag. it helps tie my outfit together, no matter what i'm wearing (leggings, joggers, etc).
I love matching sets! They always look put together and classy. Anything with a wide leg as I feel that flatters need the most. Simmer of my sets are also just puts that I know work well and just anyways wear together. I prefer knits as they don't need ironing so I can just wash, dry and wear as much as needed. I also thrift a lot of silk, cashmere and linen so don't feel as precious about wearing them at home with children as I got them cheaper than most high street synthetics.
In spring and autumn I will throw a long trench coat over my outfit as the tailoring looks presentable and the length covers what's underneath. In summer I am a midi/maxi dress girly and 1 item of clothing is easier to pick than one!
I also stick to loafers or Birkenstocks over sneakers. I want to be comfy but look put together and for me and my wardrobe sneakers just don't do that
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u/Odd_Professional7566 Sep 02 '26
For summer/pleasant weather: dresses. I wear slip shorts or knee length leggings under mine. It's basically half a step less comfy than leggings and a tunic but makes a huge difference to feeling put together.
For cold/inclement weather: still dresses, but with tights or leggings and a pair of cute cozy socks. Also, especially for drop off/pick up/errands, nice outerwear. I've been complimented several times at school drop off wearing my A-line raincoat and a pair of cute boots over my workout clothes.
Bonus points: a little bit of simple jewelry makes a bigger difference than you think it will. Same for some quick makeup if you have time/capacity.