Mamas, Abby sent in this adorable picture of herself on her way to a baby shower. She writes:
I have been a huge fan of yours since discovering your blog after the birth of my Daughter. She is my second child and was born C-Section due to her being breach. I was so discouraged and frustrated with my body changes and in tears over the lack of selection in my wardrobe. Until I found your blog. You helped me feel "normal". I could relate to you because you do not tout perfection. You help us all breath easier and enjoy a sense of comfort in candidness. Your transparency freed me from the pressure to look a certain way within a certain time frame. (Nano-seconds after child birth? No thanks, Hollywood!)
I remember being in tears from laughing so hard at your recounting of trying on shaper-camis only to get stuck! I was laughing harder than I had laughed in a long time and thought "Finally, someone has the courage to write what we are all feeling, thinking, struggling with!"
You had me at "Jelly Belly"!
You have inspired me to try looks I never would have been brave enough to dare..to think differently about my wardrobe.
WOW. Thank you, Abby. Your words made my day. And I'm sharing your words here not to throw a parade in my honor (yay me! yay me! yay-SHUT UP)…but because I know so many other mamas out there are probably reading and nodding (and me too). We feel ya, Abby. YES. DOWN WITH PERFECTION!!
But Mamas…Abby also had a question:
So here is my take on the Cobalt Skinny jeans..I'm still not sure I got it "right" and am still wanting ways to work this bold color (hello, shoes..what shoes does one wear with these for a more casual look?) without looking like a Crayon explosion. I happened to be going to a Baby Shower, hence the heels. You do not find me in these normally!
Abby, here's how I'd wear them:
Stylemint Moore Tee, $30| Burberry Sunnies, $275 | Goldsign Skinny Jeans, $260 | Classic TOMS in red, $44
Admittedly, this a touch Crayola-explosion. But I like it that way.
Otherwise, I'd try pairing bright blue cobalt with rusty autumnal hues: deep burgundy, rich browns, a pop of mustard yellow maybe…
Quiksilver Ombre Storm Cardi, on sale for $50 | Goldsign Skinny Jeans, $260 | Frye Veronica Short boots in dark brown stone antique, $268
OR…try my very favorite color styling trick: pair brights with pastels. It's colorful, yes, but the pastel keeps the look from being too Crayola. And anchor the entire outfit with a neutral shoe (even black works).
Target Cowl Neck Top, $15 | Goldsign Skinny Jeans, $260 | Minnetonka Black Suede Moc, $42
Abby, thank you SO much for your kinds words and gorgeous pic!!
Readers – do any of you have cobalt blue denim? How are you styling it?
xo,
S
I have been wearing mine with a variety of striped tops, but the stripes have some shade of blue. One of the tops is multi-colored stripes and one stripe matches perfectly. (I’m concerned it’s too matchy!) I really like the Stylemint tee you showed above, though. I’ve also worn then with some bright red flats I got at Target for $9 (!!!) and a black top; it’s a bit more muted, but is still fun.
Great look!
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I have a pair of Gap 1969 cropped skinnies that I found on the clearance rack last summer for $14. Sadly, they were a super pale 80s acid wash, and I just… couldn’t bring myself to wear them. Every time I put them on I felt like my curly hair got poofier and I should be wearing chunky plastic earrings. So a couple months back I got the whim to dye them darker, and then THIS is pretty much the color they turned out! I have been trying ever since to figure out how to wear them without looking like a 12-year-old. This gives me a bit of a nudge to make another effort before I give up.
I’ve paired my colored denim with a couple purchases from StyleMint as well. One is the Ridgway T in black (think comfy long sleeved cowl neck shirt) and the Fremont sweatshirt (black and antique white) (better aka cuter than a normal sweatshirt). I didn’t know how to link pics to those but I think the idea I had was to let the denim be the focal point. I wear black ankle boots to anchor the look.
All thanks goes to you and the wonderful community of ladies who make up your readership! I love the support! Thank you for the wonderful suggestions. I’m surprised *how much* I love the Fry Boots, the price point is beyond what I can do right now, but maybe I can find a cheaper option 🙂 And I plan on heading to Target ASAP to check out that mint top, I just love it! Ok, I’ll admit, I want to whip out my wallet and just buy everything on your list…darn budget.. sigh. 😉 Thank you again for helping this Mama! Keep up the GREAT posts!
How is the quality of Stylemint tees? I like the T linked above, but see that its half cotton/half synthetic. It seems like the quality may be pretty cheap.
She’s so adorable!
My high school’s color was bright cobalt blue so I have lots of experience figuring out what goes with that, lol. Personally I’d probably be most likely to wear a soft heathery gray sweater with it, but lime green would also look awesome! I love the black and white striped sweater you suggested too. Zebra print or black and white polka dots could be cool too.
I think navy and cobalt like Abby picked is a really on-trend pairing though-I just bought my son a sweater in those colors!
If given a chance for being invisible, I would definitely steal your skinny jeans. 🙂