Dressing a "Mom" body when you're young

Hi all,

I'm new here! I'm a 32 year old mom of 3. I have a "Mom" body these days. My youngest is 9 months old. My main issue is my stomach. While I am relatively slim (I am 5'7" and about 135-140 lbs, wear a size 6 in most things at most stores, size 8 jeans), I have a major muffin top problem.

My waist is still small but the area between my navel and my hips pooches out. It is mainly loose skin due to stretch marks from my pregnancies. You can't really tell in dresses - I can wear some fitted dresses with no real issue. My problem is with pants and skirts. Unfortunately, most bottoms seem to fit right there these days, which causes the pooch to become a muffin top. I can't really buy bigger pants because then, they'd be too big at the butt and hips. I did buy a size 8 skirt last week, but it's a bit big in the hips and it still causes the pooching due to the soft skin. I recently bought a pair of Not Your Daughter's Jeans (size 6) and they do look better than typical jeans on me (the muffin top issue is the worst with jeans) but I feel kind of funny wearing a brand geared towards older women.

So what is the solution? How can I avoid that muffin top look in bottoms without dressing with older women's clothes? I have joined the gym, so maybe that will help. But after my 4 year old was born, I was 125 lbs, but still had saggy skin on my tummy. So this may be a permanent issue that can only be fixed with surgery. In the meantime, how do I hide it?

Thanks in advance!

14 years ago

Sylvie

Veteran

I'm a childless newbie, so I'm sure others will chime in with more useful and specific advice but here's my two cents.

First off, you sound like you're in great shape. Giving birth to three children and having maintained a height/weight that you're happy with is a real achievement. You are definitely not going to be relegated to a complete wardrobe of "mom clothes".

That being said, I think most people on this forum tend to feel that personal style doesn't just come from the particular brand of clothes you wear but from how you put them together AND that people can be stylish at any shape and size. People who are 20,30,40,50,etc often wear the exact same item but they style and accessorize it differently.

I see jeans as a fairly neutral part of your outfit. If you're wearing a brand of jeans geared towards older women, no one is going to be checking the label on your butt, when they notice your fun and youthful top, shoes, scarf, hairstyle and of course perfect pant length. If you really want, you can cut the label off.

The most important thing imho is the cut and fit of the clothes you buy. I would buy and wear the well fitting jeans, so long as you're happy with the wash and length. A less stylish person might wear those jeans at ankle length with a faded worn out t-shirt and white athletic shoes. But you're going to wear them at PPL with boots that bookend your hair color, a woven shirt, perhaps a belt on top of that shirt and either a necklace or scarf.

Believe me, I avoid the brands my mom shops at. But if she and I bought the same basic colored top or dress, I know we'd wear it in completely different ways according to our different tastes and styles.

In short: Wear clothing that looks good on you and don't worry about the labels. Your distinctive personal style is what people will notice, not the individual brand of any piece of clothing.

Hope this helps!

amyreh

(website)

I think Sylvie is right on. Label doesn't matter, buy what fits. You may also need to find a good tailor and buy things a little bigger and then have them altered a bit. And if you like dresses, and feel good in those, then figure out ways to make those work in your everyday wardrobe as well! Casual cotton dresses with flats, a denim jacket, and a scarf or pretty necklace can be a great alternative to jeans and pants! I am not a mom, so you will get better answers from the mom's on here about some of your other questions : ) Looking forward to seeing pics so we can give you more specific advice!

Jonesy

Sounds like you just need to stay away from low-rise jeans! Higher rises are coming back into style, so you should be able to find some. Several people here at YLF have these jeans, available at Urban Outfitters. They are not very pricey, which might make sense for you if you feel like your body is still in transition.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com.....S_HIGHRISE

AGirlWithStyle

Active Member

Thanks all! I like those urban outfitter jeans. Glad to see that higher rises are coming back in style. That's what I'm not used to, though they sure look better!

quelinda

What about wearing a shaper cami?

http://www.aintnomomjeans.com/.....w-bff.html

I have a five-month old (& a five-year old) and I'm 5'4" & 130 pounds with a major pooch, so I understand!

Aziraphale

I'm right there with you, Style Girl. I've got two kids, I'm 38, and I'm slim and fit, but that belly skin ain't going back to what it was. It's a good trade, though.

I solve the problem by avoiding very low-rise jeans, and wearing a camisole under my top when needed. Both of these suggestions have already been made, but I'll add that I don't wear a shaper cami -- just a regular, tight-fitting cotton/lycra blend does the trick. It looks horrendous on its own, but cute when it peeks out from under my top. I find the body shaper ones to be less comfortable.

qfbrenda

I would go with a mid-rise jean rather than a low rise. They help hold you in better. And trust me, I understand about baby belly and all of that after 7 pregnancies and 5 boys to raise. My belly will never be the same! Glad it was all worth it.

Heather

Sylvie's response was brilliant!

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