[This post is part of the series The 5 Levels of Working Mom Outfits, where you learn ways to assemble outfits for any situation, whether you’re on the job or on the go.]
Last week we talked about the basic Level 1 outfit pieces for any busy mom’s weekend warrior armor: your boot cut denim, your T-shirt, your hoodie, your cute flat. These are the clothes that’ll take you from the Saturday morning play date to the afternoon grocery store run.
But contrary to popular belief, we moms don’t spend our entire weekends on family duty. (It just feels that way sometimes.) We do have an occasional Sunday brunch with the girls or Saturday solo shopping run while Dad’s at soccer practice.
And that’s when we turn Level 1 up a notch for Level 2, Weekend Chic.
Level 2 isn’t a whole new set of clothes; instead we’re swapping a couple of pieces for their less-casual sisters and adding an accessory or two.
How to create a Level 2 Working Mom Outfit: Weekend Chic
- Shirt: Your Level 1 tops work just fine here, or you can try a shirt in a flirty fabric with more embellishments: pockets, buttons, patterns.
- Pants/Skirt: Here’s your chance to break out your pair of premium denim jeans. Still dark wash, maybe skinny instead of boot cut, or even a wider leg if you’re feeling trendy. In warmer weather, you might opt for a khaki skirt or even a little floral circle skirt.
- Top layer: Trade the hoodie for a cute cardigan–cashmere if you have it–or even a little cotton blazer. Put a belt on top a la Michelle Obama to define your waist and add some visual oomph. If the sun’s shining, you can tie your sweater around your shoulders for a casual-but-dressy feel.
- Shoes: Your cute Level 1 flat shoes will work perfectly well for Level 2, too. Feeling fancy? Try a wedge: sandal, slip-on or boot.
- Accessories: Here’s another place you can control the dressiness of this look. If you weren’t wearing a necklace before, add one, but keep it simple. And a string of pearls, for example, is very Ladies Who Lunch (or brunch, as the case may be).
As you can see, Level 2 is a close cousin of Level 1; it’s just a matter of degree. And by keeping the core pieces consistent and simple, it’s that much easier to move from one to the other without having to completely change clothes. You could even go from brunch to errands with a minimum of accessory swapping.
After all, easy and minimal effort is what we want from our working mom outfits, right?
What to buy
$40 - jcrew.com
$72 - net-a-porter.com
$58 - dillards.com
$100 - hollisterco.com
$75 - reissonline.com
£4.99 - hm.com
$160 - net-a-porter.com
$195 - nordstrom.com
$18 - gap.com
$40 - dsw.com
$39 - macys.com
$75 - jewelry.hsn.com
$98 - dannijo.com
$80 - madewell.com
Next week: Level 3: Casual Friday
Do you know how to rock a Level 2 Weekend Chic look? Share it with us! Join the 5 Levels of Working Mom Outfits group on Flickr. Then upload your photos to Flickr and share them with the group.
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Other working mom style advice you might like:
- Working Mom Outfits Level 5: Date night
- Working Mom Outfits Level 1: Weekend Casual
- Outfit post: Level 1 weekend casual
- Outfit post: Level 2 weekend chic
