A 12 Piece Stay At Home Mom Summer Capsule Wardrobe

Many don’t even know what their personal style is having lost it to post kids life, and I wanted to come on here to say that this is normal.

I’d say it is even more common than those who can retain their personal style through pregnancy and beyond.

It is a completely not only life-altering but also mindset-altering experience. And it really does a lot of damage to your confidence level.

There weren’t any online mom support groups, or at least not as we know them today, so any of the negative comments that I heard was from people I knew.

Which makes it even more of a kick in the face.

But one of the most common things I heard was “well, I guess you’re going to have to start dressing like a mom now”.

Like, what does that even mean?

But let me tell you how that made me second guess everything, purge my wardrobe, and embrace a style that I wasn’t even familiar with.

It was messed up, and it took me YEARS to switch up that mindset and figure out who I was again.

Years.

The process started with me first deciding not to care what people thought. I am who I am, and my style is for me and me alone.

It is my personal journey honed by my life experiences.

And seriously, in hindsight, I want to smack myself back into reality because when I look at who this was coming from, these aren’t people that I want to dress me nor did I admire the way they dressed…or admire them much at all.

So why did their opinion have such a detrimental impact?

All I can say is self-doubt.

There is no other reason, they caught me at a vulnerable time and now if those same women said something about my clothes I would laugh at them.

In a completely bitchy and condescending way.

So I am here to say that your previous self did not disappear, you just need to reclaim her and bring her into your new world to adapt.

You might not find it workable to wear those mile-high heels anymore, but there are alternatives that can give you a similar vibe but still allow you to walk, push a stroller, or chase a kid.

So when we are building a wardrobe for stay-at-home moms we need to create something comfortable yet functional that will accommodate the demands of daily activities while still allowing you to feel confident and put together, and most of all like yourself.

It was a bit of a struggle this week because now that we are actually in the summer season, stores are moving toward the next season.

Which means that most stores are starting summer sales (which is good) but that also means that there is limited inventory, and no new summer stock.

So putting together a 12 piece look that had complete sizes — at the time of this post — was harder than usual.

But I pulled together a look that combined elements of the minimalist capsule wardrobe with a little bit of an edgy vibe.

Even though this is a summer capsule wardrobe, I didn’t want too much white…because kids.

I also wanted to make sure that everything is easily washable because reading all the labels for special care items is a pain in the ass.

Especially if your laundry pile is like Sisyphus’ boulder.

So yes, even the silk blouse is washable.

I added a silk blouse because it is loose, airy, and chic. It takes zero effort to wear and really elevates an outfit.

I have one in black but I opted for navy in this capsule wardrobe because navy is a great alternative to black, since it is a bit softer.

The button-up is a cool beige colour which takes on the hue of grey and is often called greige. I actually really love greige. It works really well as a non-white neutral.

With this summer capsule, I opted for a more minimalist vibe, kind of the 90s minimalist feel because I wanted it to be easy.

When you are jumping back into the world of style, easy is important. I chose shoes, handbags, and accessories with a little more edge and some colour because that is one of the easiest ways to bring your wardrobe to another level.

This is my third wardrobe that contains the Frida Kahlo handbag. This week I chose the black option which is the exact colour that I bought.

It is a handmade bag that is like carrying a piece of art. Make sure your wardrobe has some pieces that tell a story.

It is an important quality that many people are missing from their wardrobe.

I also think having some footwear in various colours is important in all wardrobes but especially in a stay at home mom wardrobe.

The reasoning is that we tend to dress very casually out of ease, comfort, and necessity and having a fun shoe can change the whole perception of a basic outfit.

This would make a good place to talk about a styling tip called “The Wrong Shoe Theory”

What is The Wrong Shoe Theory?

This is something that I have always done without thinking about it, so it is funny to now see it as a styling hack.

In laymen’s terms, it is basically just picking the wrong shoe for an outfit.

It is like when you play up the oxymorons in an outfit like when you pair a feminine dress with something masculine.

The goal of this style trick is to wear a shoe that opposes the aesthetic of your outfit therefore making it look like an intentional choice versus functional.

Like today, I wore wide-leg Adidas joggers and the obvious shoe choice that most would make is a pair of sneakers, but I wanted to bring the joggers away from their intended purpose of being exercise pants, so I paired them with kitten heels.

Even though I am wearing a very well worn-in t-shirt with it, I also put on a Chanel inspired cropped jacket which balances that.

These were deliberate choices making the whole look intentional versus utilitarian or uniform-like if that makes sense.

I don’t look like I am about to go jogging or exercising while wearing these shoes with these pants. The point is to add some intentionality along with interest and personal style.

Like you put thought into it.

This simple styling trick can have a massive impact on how interesting your outfit appears.

So moms, let’s start picking our outfits with intention, try the wrong shoe theory hack, and have some fun with your accessories and let’s see how your personal style develops.

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