Mom Jeans is a collection of thoughts on personal style from mothers of young children all around the world. Some are fashionistas, some would call themselves the furthest thing from fashionable – all of them are wildly beautiful, and all of them inspire me. Enjoy!
My name is Ashley Warneking and I am married to my best friend Josiah Warneking. We are the parents of our precious baby girl, Briley Warneking, born August 7th, 2013. Both Josiah and I are from Portland, OR but have been living in a suburb of Dallas, TX called McKinney for a little over a year now. I am a full time mommy, work part time from my home and am I also going to school online to obtain my Masters in Professional Counseling-I’m one busy lady, but feel so blessed that I can do all these things and still be at home with my beautiful baby girl.
I would define my personal style as classic with “sprinkles” of trend. I like to dress in things that are easy to throw on but still look beautiful. I am also notorious for taking simple outfits and adding a pop of bling or a string of pearls to jazz things up a bit.
My biggest challenge is finding clothes in my closet that still fit my new mommy body! I know I will not have this post baby body forever, so one of my biggest tasks is staying true to my style and working with my body. I have added a few things to my wardrobe to stay current with the look but have not fretted over not fitting into everything right this instant.
Since being a mommy there are several “go to items” that I have been frequenting. First off, I have been doing the “throw hair up in a messy bun” look or “ballet” bun and dressing it up with a fun head band (Anthropologie/BP Nordstrom). This saves me so much time and it keeps baby from tugging on my hair.
After I had baby, it was August in Dallas, which means CRAZY hot weather. I was not so keen on the idea of jumping into shorts so I wore maxi skirts and maxi dresses to keep cool, comfy, and stylish. One good black maxi dress/skirt can be your best friend.
Long cotton tank tops in all different colors are a staple in my closet. I can layer shirts on top, wear them on their own, pair it with a skirt, or throw some work-out pants on while lounging around the house. Seriously-the possibilities are endless, and the ones from H&M are so reasonable and last forever (H&M Basics). Editor’s Note: Those H&M tanks are basically my sanity. That is all.
A cute crossbody bag has been one of my new favorite things that I have added to my look as a new mommy! I LOVE purses but needed to abandon the big bulky ones since adding a cute black petunia pickle diaper bag to my daily luggage. I have two, one black casual, and one nude dressy one that I wear when going out with baby girl. That way I can have my essentials on hand without digging around in a big purse and keeps me and baby’s things separate so mommy doesn’t get confused where she set something. (Kate Spade Cross Body Bags from Nordstrom)
Comfortable and pretty shoes are another thing that I go to as a new mommy. I have abandoned the heels for a while and not wear cute ballet flats with a lot of my dresses and jeans. I have these one pair of leopard print ballet flats that I just love and they are so comfortable. No matter what I’m wearing, even if it’s spit up, I look down, and they always make me smile. (Sam Edelman from Nordstrom).
Interested in participating in our Mom Jeans series, or know someone you’d like to nominate? Send an email to girlofcardigan@gmail.com.
Great article.
Thank you for sharing it.
I am so in love with this little style series!