Help me dress like a Bethesda mom

[Anonymous]

Op, please skip the puffer jacket. It's horribly unflattering on everyone except models, and even then, it only looks appropriate if the shoot is on a ski slope. Buy an elegant classic coat at Ann Taylor or J Crew in a color that flatters you. You will get far more mileage out of it for work, dinner, picking up the kids, etc than a ski jacket. Buy a pair of nice winter boots that are warm but not trendy. Then you can slowly work your way into other items.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We're talking about the DC area here- fashion trends need to be on a 5 year time lapse from other major cities. Sad but true! North Face is still in here, and I'm guessing it will be for a while. Sad consequence of a city full of policy wonks is you lose all fashion sense...

x2.

x3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought OP was posting in jest. UFB there are grown up women who think this way...

I get what op is saying. I'm not remotely into fashion and hate shopping, but want to look nice and put together, and frankly would just rather buy the "uniform" other moms are wearing and be done with it. I figure if an item is popular with other moms than it's probably decent quality, practical, comfortable and looks decent. It's not about needing to be a clone but about putting in minimal thought and effort into clothes.

Btw op. I love my 3/4 length north face puffer. So comfy and warm. Great for chasing kids around the playground in fall and winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it has to be North Face, sorry.

I don't understand why everyone feels the need to wear skiing/mountaineering coats on weekends. Your regular wool coats work on Saturday too. Are you going to ascend K2 between the run to safeway and picking up the kids at soccer?

Why I wear my ski jacket (or down full length coat) when I am not skiing:
It is warmer than any of my wool coats (I have three of those, too).
It has pockets that zip, so I can have lip balm, tissues, gloves, earband, house keys, phone, etc., where I need them and can skip a purse.
It is wind-proof.
It is water-proof for those drizzly, sleet days we have.
It is washable.
I am a jeans and parka girl, not a wool coat and slacks girl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it has to be North Face, sorry.

This is true. Otherwise, you'll be made fun of.

I am sure this is a joke. Right? Who would make fun and what would the comments be? I don't understand.

[Anonymous]

Wedge jeans, fitting flannel, clunky heels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am one, but since having kids I haven't invested much time/effort/money into my own wardrobe, in part because I put on some weight that I'm still desperately hoping to shed. I also work FT so I tend not to worry about off-work clothes. But I need to buy a few basics - a winter coat, for starters, and some boots and a bag of some sort - and it seems like the easiest thing to do would be to go with the same sorts of things that everyone around me is wearing. I'm neurotic but I do sometimes feel like an outsider here and maybe trading in my junky, 10 year old stuff might make me feel like I'm one of the gang even if I'm not.

So school me please: if I get one of those black 3/4 length puffer coats that EVERYONE has, does it have to be North Face? Any other good brands - I usually shop at discount places and see a lot of similar type coats but not NF? What about a practical brand like LL Bean? What about color - does anyone have a nice jacket like this that is not black?

I'm also trying to figure out the bag and boots thing. I currently use a god-awful cheap small pocketbook from Target. I need something a bit bigger and at least not super ugly. I like the idea of those Longchamp tote bags but wonder if they're comfortable? I usually buy bags with one strap rather than 2 just to keep them slipping off my shoulder. Is there some other bag that is basic, flexible and not outrageously expensive?

Yes. That's right.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Silver Spring mom, so I'm afraid I can't help you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it has to be North Face, sorry.

This is true. Otherwise, you'll be made fun of.

I am sure this is a joke. Right? Who would make fun and what would the comments be? I don't understand.

LOL.
It's a joke. Yes, it HAS to be North Face. HAS TO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it has to be North Face, sorry.

I don't understand why everyone feels the need to wear skiing/mountaineering coats on weekends. Your regular wool coats work on Saturday too. Are you going to ascend K2 between the run to safeway and picking up the kids at soccer?

I have the same reaction to seeing parkas in urban and suburban settings. WHY?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anybody post a link to this black North Face puffer coat? My curiosity is killing me.

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/womens-jackets-vests-lifestyle/women-8217-s-miss-metro-parka.html?variationId=N2M&variationName=DAPPLE%20GREY#

My kids and I play a game where we count how many of these we see in one day.

That is pretty unflattering and it is much too warm here for that coat except for about 3 weeks in winter. Most women are wearing some form of a jacket for the winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a depressing thread, OP. Can't you just upgrade by deciding to spend some money on what you like, not what all the other moms are wearing? Is this high school?

My thought as well. I say this not to be snarky, but in complete honesty - I did not know adults still thought this way. Even my college kids are past the idea that they must look like all of their friends in order to be accepted.

Buy what looks good on you and what you can afford.

I'm guessing OP doesn't have a good sense of her own style, so she's going for a certain look she's seen on other people?

I don't really see anything wrong with that. As a new private school mom, I bought a few key items that look like other moms. I caved and bought the one thing they all have and now get lots of compliments. I am not a fashion designer

Wow. I am having a hard time believing these posts are real. I mean, if I see a woman with an item I like and it looks really good on her, I might buy it if I see it in the store, and I'll do that with people I see everywhere, but going out and purposefully buying things to look like other moms? ??? Seriously, that is so middle school I can't get over it.

Clearly you have more time than some of us have. Seriously, "finding my sense of style" is just not the priority item it once was with a 60 hour job and 2 small kids. I think buying things that look similar to what other people in my demographic have is a perfectly reasonable, efficient way to looking put together. In my next life I'll knit tea cosies and plan my wardrobe on blogs, pinterest and in 3 hour shopping trips. For now, I have 30 minutes at 10 pm to pick out some new clothes that make it look like I have been alive in the year 2014. Please, go ahead and snub me as you like.

[Anonymous]

Go to Nordstrom and use their free personal shopper service if you're not confident in what you want to wear. Splurge on coats, shoes, bags, and good jeans; spend way less on the tops.

FWIW, I am a private school Chevy Chase mom nursing a newborn and every damn day in the winter I end up in leggings (Zelle) or jeans (Paige), ballet flats / riding boots (booties if I'm doing something fancy, which is pretty much never), my favorite huge Splendid t-shirts, and a chic long cardigan. This is largely because I have to get my boobs out constantly; otherwise, would definitely be in my big crewneck cable knits with the above. Nice jewelry, most of which wayyy predates my baby-making days, makes me feel better about not washing my hair (see: newborn).

And I don't own a North Face. A chic utility parka for casual wear and some aviators is way more current.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it has to be North Face, sorry.

This is true. Otherwise, you'll be made fun of.

No. The North Face is so out, but they don't know it yet. Try Arc'teryx, Bogner-Fire+Ice or Canada Goose

This is pathetic. Really? I just went looking for a winter coat recently and felt like a sell out for buying NF, even though it was the only one I liked. No way I'd jump to the latest trend because you say it's cool. You know what sucks - Uggs. I refuse to buy those yet plenty of adults wear them and I'd consider them a kids brand. So, bottom line, don't look for the brand. Get the coat you like!

Hey I just googled this brand. Their coats are nice! Why are they so expensive?

http://www.peterglenn.com/product/bogner-fire-ice-sale-d-down-ski-jacket-womens-0?utm_source=GooglePLA&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=Shopping+Feeds_FIRE+AND+ICE

$800??? Are you serious? I'll wait until they show up at TJ Maxx next season, for $200 tops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to Nordstrom and use their free personal shopper service if you're not confident in what you want to wear. Splurge on coats, shoes, bags, and good jeans; spend way less on the tops.

FWIW, I am a private school Chevy Chase mom nursing a newborn and every damn day in the winter I end up in leggings (Zelle) or jeans (Paige), ballet flats / riding boots (booties if I'm doing something fancy, which is pretty much never), my favorite huge Splendid t-shirts, and a chic long cardigan. This is largely because I have to get my boobs out constantly; otherwise, would definitely be in my big crewneck cable knits with the above. Nice jewelry, most of which wayyy predates my baby-making days, makes me feel better about not washing my hair (see: newborn).

And I don't own a North Face. A chic utility parka for casual wear and some aviators is way more current.

Well, clearly, this is your formula, OP. Who wouldn't want to look like a private school Chevy Chase mom nursing a newborn.