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Bringing
Home the Bacon in Style:
12 Quick Fashion Tricks for the Working Mom
From
doctors and lawyers, to mail carriers and bus drivers, to all working
moms everywhere, we salute you.
Let's face it. All
moms are working moms. There's the mom who works outside the home. The
mom who stays home to raise the kids (if that's not work what is?). And
let us not forget that new breed of mom who stays home to nurture her
brood and her own home-based business.
Moms who work outside
the home are easy to spot. They're the ones in the grocery store wielding
a shopping cart in a business suit or wearing their scout uniform on the
assembly line. These women truly live where worlds collide. They have
to go from the boardroom to the baseball game, from the end of the shift
to karate class.
Most working moms
are short on two things: money and time. The following tips will concentrate
on saving both for these truly super-women.
It was easy for Clark
Kent to step into the telephone booth and then emerge, colors glowing,
in snag-free tights. Let's see if we can help you go from Ms. Boss to
Ms. Mom.
Try the following
12 quick changes for your telephone booth:
1. SEPARATES: QUICK, EASY, SOPHISTICATED
Keep one piece outfits -- dresses and jumpsuits -- to a minimum. They
are good for only one wear before they need to be cleaned and they are
rarely clean when you need them. And don't try to get away with "just
one more wear". If you do, you'll spend the day afraid to raise your
arms like the "before" shot in a deodorant commercial.
2. BLAZERS AND
JACKETS: TRIED AND TRUE
It's the best way to create a professional look over skirts and pants.
Then with a quick change into jeans or leggings, blazers fit right in
at after-school sporting events. Stick to solid colors and differing lengths
for flexibility. Whether you should wear single or double-breasted depends
on your body shape. Unstructured jackets work just as well as blazers
if you work in a more relaxed office atmosphere.
3. SKIRTS
Skirts have been a professional staple since Eve wore green in the
garden. They can have a little pattern to them but not much. You want
to be able to mix and match them with whatever you find that's clean.
Skirts should be medium length: not too long or too short. You want to
be able to run out on the football field when some bruiser flattens your
kid.
4. PANTS
Pants follow pretty much the same rules as blazers. Stick to solid colors
for flexibility. Slip on a sweatshirt, windbreaker or denim jacket and
you're ready for the after-school round-up. Khaki pants are a working
mother's dreams. They look great in the office and on the sidelines of
the track field. Whether you should wear pants with pockets, pleats or
cuffs depends on your body shape.
5. BLOUSES
Stick to the basic button-down variety with regular sleeves and cuffs.
It's hard to wrestle a three-year- old into a car seat with dangling sleeves.
6. SWEATERS
Forget turtlenecks and sweater-blouses. They're good for only one
wear before washing or, heaven forbid, dry cleaning. Stick to sweaters
that are worn over blouses like v-necks or cardigans.
7. PURSES
Sorry, trendy little clutch bags are O-U-T for the working parent.
Purses not only have to be big enough to carry the mandatory wallet, make-up,
brush and comb but you now have to have room for cell phones, pagers,
palm tops and/or date books. Take a look at the new Coach bags, totes,
backpacks and slings. Just be careful that they fit into your work environment.
(See Business Wear section.)
8. JEWELRY
God couldn't be everywhere so he made the accessories which we discuss
throughout this list. They're quick little fixes that can make a woman
look and feel like she's together and should be simple and uncomplicated.
Your earrings, necklace and/or pin do not all have to match exactly. It's
easier if they don't.
9. UNDERGARMENTS
You won't have to rummage for the last clean pair of matching bra
and panties if you do this one simple thing: buy everything the same color.
This tip is just for the ones you wear regularly. Save the rainbow for
special occasions. For every day, keep it simple.
10. PANTYHOSE
Know this scenario? You're late. Everybody's dressed and ready to
go. You jump into your pantyhose and there's a run in them the size of
the San Andreas fault. And they were your only pair. To save yourself
from this scenario, buy your hose in bulk or keep several pairs of knee
length hose on hand. When you're in a real rush and you're wearing pants,
slip on a pair. Who's gonna know?
11. SCARVES
There is no quick and easier way to finish off an outfit. Just buy
several that fit into your personal color scheme. Then on the way out
the door just grab one and go.
12. FABRICS
Keep them comfortable and washable. The words "Dry Clean Only"
should be banished from anything that you wear on a regular basis. Dry
cleaning takes time and money. Two things best spent elsewhere.
The "no dry cleaning"
rule can be eased a little if you own a good steamer. It's one of the
best investments you can ever make. If you're careful, "dry clean
only" items usually only need a good press between wearings, (but
then there are those days when you spill your lunch).
All of the above
advice is for the working mom who wants to "keep up appearances"
in a work-a-day world. But the kids don't care if you're still dressed
for work at their swimming meet. They just care that you're there.
******
Janet Behmer and Shirley
Pierce are the authors of the book that's changing the way women think about
clothes and themselves -- Dress Me Now: How to Make Your Wardrobe Behave.
http://www.dressmenow.com
Copyright (c) 2006
DressMeNow.com. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be copied,
published, broadcast, or otherwise distributed or reproduced without the
prior written permission of DressMeNow.com.
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