December 2nd, 2009
Today we tackle the 7th of my 10 casual outfit formulas for moms and gals on the go (refresh your memories with formulas #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 and #6). This one is all about micro check pants and shirts, so I turned to British forum member Julie (“Rose and Joan” on the forum), whose eclectic style was perfect for showcasing this formula. Julie lives in picturesque Edinburgh, Scotland, where she is a part-time financial administrator, wife, and Mum to two gorgeous little daughters. Julie’s edge, verve, sass and love for all things vintage comes through in how she rocks this formula.
Of all of the looks of the season Angie highlighted at the start of Autumn/Winter, it was the denim shirt that instantly grabbed my attention. I envisioned wearing one belted over a cream lace dress with lashings of lustrous pearls. However, my life as a Mum on the go to two very fabulous but demanding cherubs left that particular outfit firmly in the realms of fantasy. Fast forward to October 7th when the denim shirt made a sudden reappearance as part of Angie’s flop proof MOTG Formula #7:
Micro check pants + denim shirt / knit top + pleather / leather jacket + loafers
I was intrigued. I already owned a pair of cream and black houndstooth micro check trousers (they had fast become my skinny jeans alternative), and this particular combo eliminated the dreaded denim on denim faux pas.
Finding my denim shirt proved to be more difficult than expected. I tried vintage shirts from the nineties (too boxy), tailored city shirts (too masculine for my feminine, romantic style persona). It was the most unlikely of shops where I stumbled upon my tunic length shirt, a shop which specifically catered for the teen and pre teen market. The material is a little thin but that is to be expected for the price point. Surprisingly the lack of fabric substance helped the shirt to drape and aided belting.
My perpetual Mum on the go dilemma remains, how to balance the clothes I love to wear against the clothes that are practical for my lifestyle? I’m a vintage girl at heart. I love red lips. Love the wiggle heels create. Love the impact of a flirty floral frock. I’m just not comfortable in a full on casual ensemble. I have to add a touch of glamour. I now wear a shorter version of my treasured heels and find the occasional red lip the ultimate pick me up after a sleepless night. I also expect my Mum on the go essentials to work as part of my smart casual capsule with a simple switch of accessories.
I wear my denim shirt belted to add the requisite glamour, interest and curves to my racy rectangle body type. With this particular shirt I prefer a slim belt to cinch my waist and position the belt slightly lower than my natural waist to elongate my extremely short-waisted torso. I also like to add a touch of embellishment with my belt, as the majority of my jewelry wardrobe has been consigned to the bedside drawer until my youngest daughter passes her grabbing stage. To this point, scarves work better than necklaces, worn either muffler style or tied in the Angie knot, my outfit becomes instantly pulled together and child friendly.
I favour a shopper style of bag over the Mum on the go cross body bag. The hands-free option wriggles over my shoulders, slides down my body and eventually lands in a loop around my feet. Not Fab. I look for a shoulder bag which sits comfortably under the arm and yet is roomy enough for the girls’ essentials.
My choice of coat or jacket depends on both the weather and the day’s ensemble. I love to wear my leather jacket on milder days; it adds instant edge to my style. As the temperature drops I opt for my false plain wool coat. To avoid a strobing effect I tweak the formula by substituting my micro check trousers for a casual alternative such as leggings or Ponte knit trousers.
The success of the Mum on the go formulas lies in their versatility: they can be tailored to suit all aesthetics, budgets and lifestyles. I can replicate the silhouette of formula #7 by wearing my dark wash skinny jeans with an alternative shirt, or replace the denim shirt with a tunic or shorter dress. The possibilities are endless and all of the clothes in my limited wardrobe are now in full rotation.
With Angie’s guidance I’m able to spend less time on planning my outfits and devote more time to the family. If only all decisions were as simple as getting dressed in the mornings…
29 Replies
Posted on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 9:00 am
Julie – you look fantastic, I love all the outfits. You look so stylish but also comfortable and perfectly dressed for looking after your girls.
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 9:23 am
Julie, you are such a natural beauty! Wow! You make a casual denim shirt look so stylish in your ensembles! Love all of these looks on you! 
)
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 9:25 am
Wooohoooo, Julie! Thanks for the splendid write up. Each outfit is KILLER (and so is the cat’s tail in the last photo). Got to love the way YLF pets find themselves in all the photographs. I adore the way you dress and particularly how you made this formula work for you. I want a tunic denim shirt too! And I’ll take a pair of the grey booties on the side.
I can’t decide which part I like best about your style: your edgy body art, vintage obsession, whimsical hair or magical dimples. But one thing is for sure – you are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. Teah and Emmy are lucky to have you as their super caring AND very stylish Mum.
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 9:52 am
GORGEOUS! You are absolutely stunning and so incredibly stylish. I am completely jealous of your style sense. 
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 10:03 am
Julie- you look stunning in those outfits. What a great sense of style you have. I love your writing style too! So much fun to read.
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 10:18 am
You are a natural in front of the camera, I love your vintage and romantic style. Just beautiful!!! I was so thrilled to read your article- you are also a natural writer. thank you so much for your grace and style. We will have to meet in Edinburgh next summer!
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 10:26 am
Julie, thanks for the wonderful MOTG write-up. I love your easy-yet-stylish looks. And if you are able to look this great while your girls are young, you are way, way ahead in the style game.
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 10:31 am
Julie, you look gorgeous! I love all your looks, and they suit you SO well. I still can’t get over how much you look like my big sis, though!
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 10:56 am
Julie, you wear those skinny microcheck pants SO well! A great alternative to denim, and how clever to think of putting denim on top for a change. Thanks for enlightening us with your wonderful write-up!
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 11:36 am
Julie, you look gorgeous! I’m taking notes. I especially like how you’ve given special attention to the practical points of this formula. Thanks for doing such a wonderful write up and sharing your spectacular style with us. 
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 11:48 am
yay go Julie great blog post x
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Thank you Ladies for your affirmation, I love to follow Angie’s simple guidelines, she is an absolute GENIUS and a sweet heart to boot!
I wore the denim shirt again at the weekend and strongly recommend them for both comfort and versatility. I also think a new look checked shirt would look fabulous as a denim substitute.
Jean,(Greenglove) I would absolutely love to meet up when you are next in Edinburgh!
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Julie,
You are looking so gorgeous…such a pretty and spunky MOTG…your girls have a great role model
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
You look wonderful! I love your style!
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 2:58 pm
You look outstanding Julie! I think you have done a marvelous job balancing your personal style with your lifestyle. Also, I love how your hair is growing in (and the peek of black kitty tail in the last photo).
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Julie, thank you so much for the wonderful write-up! You are so lovely and I love your romantic, vintage style! It was such a pleasure to see you highlighted on today’s blog!
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Lovely, absolutely lovely! Julie, you made me reconsider the denim shirt. All 4 outfits are fabulous. And those booties are fantastic! They scream 80s, and I love them. Greay job!
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
You’re a knockout! I love your style, your style ideas, your hair and your new boots and coat. Thankyou for sharing how you dress as a MOTG.
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 8:19 pm
The denim shirt received such mixed reviews when Angie first posted about the item. For Danja, or anybody, to reconsider the denim shirt after reading the blog is absolutely fantastic. I would not be with out mine now.
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Julie, this is one MOTG outfit I haven’t tried. You’ve inspired me to try to find the microchecks and a denim tunic. You really look comfortable and stylish.
Posted on December 3rd, 2009 at 7:00 am
Julie–You look great! I especially love the black dress!
Posted on December 3rd, 2009 at 8:21 am
Love the first two outfits!
Posted on December 3rd, 2009 at 9:24 am
My favorite outfit is the one with the black fringe-y scarf. I’m on the fence when it comes to denim shirts. When I’ve had them in the past the color faded out after a few washings, turning a casual shirt into a super casual shirt good only for housecleaning and yard work. The color of your shirt suits your complexion and hair perfectly–I hope it stays true!
Posted on December 3rd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Julie you look great in every outfit. What a great variety of ways to showcase this flop proof outfit. Lovely!!!
Posted on December 4th, 2009 at 12:12 am
Julie, you look wonderful! I love all the outfits and I am drooling over those micro check pants. Thank you for the great writeup too!
Posted on December 4th, 2009 at 8:50 am
[...] formulas for Mums and gals on the go (refresh your memories with formulas #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 , #7 and #8). Today we bring back super stylish, Chicago forum member Laura, who is a freelance writer [...]
Posted on December 26th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
[...] casual outfit formulas in great detail (refresh your memories with formulas #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 #6 ,#7, #8 and #9). Formula #10 is about leggings and we’ve also covered that in detail. Phew! [...]
Posted on December 29th, 2009 at 7:51 am
[...] Micro check pants + denim shirt / knit top + pleather / leather jacket + loafers: Denim and chambray shirts are resurfacing and are great to pair with a non-denim bottoms. Don’t dismiss the idea of loafers. They can totally be hip if your outfit is interesting. [Update: detailed post on this formula] [...]
Posted on January 25th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
[...] options. Create outfit interest with items like a belt, lacy camisole, scarves and a jacket. Julie showed us how to wear this look with sass and style a few months [...]
Posted on March 1st, 2010 at 7:55 am
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