Clothing for a stay at home wife and mother (October 22 2007)

My baby has just celebrated his first month yesterday. He is growing like a weed, and finally getting into some sort of pattern when it comes to sleeping. This means that mommy, while still overtired, at least does not walk into walls anymore and has an hour or two a day in which to do non baby things. Yay.
Therefor, my post today, no matter how hard it is going to be, is not going to be about baby. Really! I mean seriously. I mean... I will at least try. But doesn't he look cute there with... oh... okay... okay... slowing down and back to the topic. The topic... what was the topic? Ah yes...
Following in the footsteps of Emma at "charming the birds from the trees" I wanted to write a few words about clothing for the stay at home wife or mother. I won't give you a list but just wanted to touch on a few subjects related to the matter. And I do not mean the cliched denim jumper. No offense intended but I have rarely seen a jumper that should be worn by anyone older than twelve.
Think for a moment about the image the world has of how a stay at home mom looks? Hair in an unflattering style that should have seen a stylist about ten years ago. A limp sweater and some khaki or denim pants, or the oblique denim jumper. It does not pain an atractive picture and it is a cliche. But how many people do you know that confirm the cliche? I am not pretending that we should strive to be a Tori Spelling who poses in glamourous evening gowns or bikini's, with all the pregnancy weight gone after 6 weeks, but we also should not allow ourselves to look sloven. Of course there are days... those first weeks after the baby comes home and you can barely get any sleep so you want to be ready for it at all time by staying in your nightgown... or when your one year old has just spit peas on the third outfit you have tried to wear today... or when your entire family has been having the flu, and are tucked in their beds, you have run through the house emptying buckets from besides beds and people keep saying how lucky you are that YOU aren't sick... On those days you throw on something that can stand a few stains, covers what is necessary and is comfortable enough for you to sink down on the couch whenever possible.
But let those days not become "all days". The trick to that is simply not to have ten outfits that might be 'comfy' but also are as atractive and feminine as a potato sack. You need a nice pair of hang out pyjama's or a nightgown. And you need pair of old baggy jeans to garden or scrub the floor with, and yes that old ratty T shirt might do the trick on that exhausted tuesday when you are trying to feed your 2 year old spaghetti... but your closet should not have ten ratty T shirts, or 6 limp sweaters or khaki's. If it isn't there, you can not wear it. Instead, try and fill your wardrobe slowly with basics that will have you looking good even on days when you are busy scrubbing, polishing and tending to your children.
(to be continuted)