Escape the Frump Slump

It's tough to be a new mom. Maternity clothes are too big, your pre-baby clothes are too small, and it seems like styles completely changed in the mere nine months you were allowed to take a fashion siesta. To add insult to injury, you usually end the day with spit up, paste or some unidentifiable goo smeared across your shirt. So what do most moms do? They turn to Clorox commercials and preschool teachers for inspiration and wind up wearing… The Uniform.

The Uniform comes in two dumpy iterations: khaki pants, T-shirt, denim shirt and tennis shoes or turtleneck, corduroy jumper, tights and frumpy flats. There are some good points to The Uniform: You can wear it five times a week and no one notices; it makes you feel clean, soft and maternal; you blend in perfectly with the other moms standing in line at Target or on the sidelines of the peewee soccer match. On the flip side, all those good points are very, very bad! The Uniform is so ubiquitous that not only will no one notice if you wear it five times a week, no one will notice you period. "Clean, soft and maternal" reminds men of their mothers. You're also a wife. You used to be a girlfriend. Once upon a time you were a hot date. Get the picture?

Here's something to ponder: Wearing kitten heels does not make you a bad mother. And your child doesn't care whether you're wearing beige matte lipstick or a hot coral gloss. Maybe it's time to look in the mirror and shake things up a little bit. With some imagination and very little money you can liven up your look, feel better about yourself and maybe surprise Daddy too!