Back to Work Wardrobe
Moms, let’s just put it out there. While you were home with baby, chances are your personal style took a bit of a back seat to things like comfort, practicality, and simplicity. For me, that meant Birkenstocks rather than heels, teething necklaces rather than sparkly jewelry, and a lot more messy buns rather than my usual beach waves.
For the last year, I’ve dressed with Finley in mind. What will I be able to feed her in? Will I be able to play on the floor in this outfit? Are these shoes sensible for a long afternoon walk? But when faced with the reality that I would be returning to the real world, and dressing my body for myself again, I will admit, I was a bit overwhelmed. Do I even remember how to put together a non-mom outfit? This also meant that I had to beef up my existing wardrobe after buying only bump, and then nursing, friendly clothes for the last 2 years. Furthermore, since this old bod had changed a bit since it last wore my work wardrobe, I had to have a real honest session with my mirror…and my lingerie drawer. Yikes.
We all survived, and thankfully, I found some pieces to get me started. I’ve listed my favourite finds for back to work below. My work environment is a bit more than business casual, so I looked for pieces that can be dressed up or down as required. After all, I'm still a mom.
1. This monogrammed Travel Tote from Mark and Graham is the right size for schlepping your own things, like a laptop, a lunch, day planner, make up bag. The monogram is a nice reminder thatthis is a bag for me and my stuff, diapers stay away!
2. 10 months of pregnancy and 12 months (and counting) of breastfeeding results in some weird and wonderful changes to your bust. I needed a little fitting to make sure my size was right (turns out, it had gone down!). This basic bra from Calvin Klein is perfect for everyday wear and best of all, it doesn’t have to be nursing friendly for office wear!
3. Sensible Birkenstocks these are not. I love a good heel, but since my feet grew a whole size while pregnant, I had nothing that fit me! These basic nude strappy sandals will go with everything in my summer office wardrobe. Bonus for comfort!
4. Did you think I could make a whole clothing post without a striped garment? This striped skirt from RW & Co. is stretchy and forgiving, but also has the right amount of ‘suck you in’ so you can skip the Spanx.
5. A basic skinny pant is a must in any working gals wardrobe. I like the Midnight Blue on these to keep them a bit fresher than just another pair of black pants.
6. The jumpsuit is one of those pieces that can be hard to find. This one from Caslon fits my 5’7” frame and has a great dolman style short sleeve. I would dress this up for the office with heels and great earrings, but then throw on some fun flats and a pony tail for weekend adventures.
7. A black tank dress has been a staple for me forever. I JUST retired my beloved Isabella Oliver maternity tank dress because it looked absolutely ridiculous on my postpartum body. You can’t beat the versatility of this dress. Add a blazer and heels, and you’re ready for any client. A baseball cap and converse will see you through Saturday at the park and farmer’s market. The front draping on this one is super forgiving on any remaining tummy!
8. A flowy cami in a silky fabric is something I missed in my mom-wardrobe. Anything in this fabric isn’t drool or breastmilk friendly, so it was retired to the ‘other’ side of my closet. These basic tanks from RW & Co. come in a million colours and are perfect for layering with skinny pants for the office or with a bright white jean for weekend drinks with your man.
