help for a SAHM

cyan45

hi ladies,

at a family dinner party last night, my bf's sister-in-law was lamenting how few nice clothes she has. granted, she is on a very tight budget, and with 2 small kids, shopping is a luxury.

her sister-in-law, a young childless professional with designer tastes, pushed for the BR outlets after thanksgiving to get basics. while her eye for quality is good (especially in her profession), i am unsure if this is the best route for a woman who deals with runny noses, thrown food and spilled juice cups. and, who also can't drop cash to buy another one if the clothes get stained, torn, etc...

so, my questions are:

1) what are the staple garments for a SAHM with 2 small kids? btw, she prefers pants (jeans, khakis) over dresses/skirts. she likes pants, but only has one pair.

2) what stores provide these staple garments at an economical (yet flattering) price? aside from pants, she wants 'cute jackets to wear to church,' tops other than t-shirts, and a nice pair of flats that aren't sneakers.

3) would it be most helpful to provide measurements and photos of her for your assessment?

her stats:
--petite (i think ~5' 2")
--curvy pear shape (according to the sister-in-law, but when i did her measurements a while ago, they came out more hourglass)
--natural, comfortable, cute are words she used during the conversation

thanks so much for all your help!

16 years ago

Shopping

9 replies

Latest reply was from Laura

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Hi cyan.
While my kids are no longer little, I am a SAHM mom and do plenty of running around- all with the kids in tow since we homeschool. I'm on a tight budget as well, so I'm in basicly the same boat . For the fall/winter she might want to look for tunic sweaters, jeans (straight leg, bootcut or skinny), a little pleather jacket, a boyfriend jacket (maybe in a knit), ponte knit pants, cardigans, and layering tops.
If she doesn't have boots, she might want to invest in a pair.
I do think the BR Outlet is a good place to try- the clearance racks are usually full, and you can often find coupons. I also like Old Navy, Target, Kohl's and JC Penney's, plus discount stores like Ross, Susie's Deals and DD's Discounts. If she is near any large discount stores- TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshall's, etc- they are always worth a try. Sometimes I am amazed (and sometimes I leave empty handed). I think it's really about training your eye to what works for you. You might want to print up Angie's MOTG formula's for her, and some info on dressing an hourglass/pear.

16 years ago

PalmFronds

Active Member

Hi Cyan,
I second what CS says above. I am part-time work so that means part-time SAHM, and my daughters both just turned 4.Thankfully I am past most of the incidental mess but am still in the throes of constant cleaning up(the floor,their clothes, their noses) and bending over for something.
It will depend on personal style ofcourse, but for me I tended towards classics and basics in order to look put together while being functional. My list would include:
Jeans, hemmed to wear with flats or low heel.2 pairs since one was always i the laundry because of some "mishap" at mealtime
Another two pairs of non-jeans, including on that could go out somewhere and look presentable. For me that was a pair of grey lightweight wool pants.
Cardians in any style you like
2 jackets or 1 jacket and 1 trench--mercy, how my structured jacket and trench saved my sanity on days when I felt horrendous,but putting on those items made me feel instantly put together, no matter what I was hiding under them!
Flats or low heeled shoes.
A fabulous shoulder bag since no MOTG has hands free to "hold" anything else but the kids' hands and a spare tissue.

That is the absolute capsule.The shirts will be ones she likes best, either knits or wovens. I wear wovens now more since I have time to iron but when my kids wee younger I stuck to knits.

TJ Maxx was a staple for my shopping, although like CS said sometimes I came away empty handed. It was the best place, I thought, for finding items that were in style but not expensive and some really great bargains on high end items. Got lots of kids clothes there too. Consignment stores have great cloths often but you need time to look. Ebay was great for me,esp for my love of Jcrew jackets, once I figured out my measurement well. Love Target, it is always a must for me. BR outlet is a great place too actually and the quality is pretty good.They tend to have ongoing sales and a wicked close-out rack, with many items that are machine wash instead of the constant dry clean only you can find in the main stores.
Good luck to your fiend and cheers to her for not falling into the pit of constant work-out gear I see many MOTG wearing!

16 years ago

bitsofpieces

(website)

Active Member

I am a SAHM with a 16-month-old daughter. My style is definitely casual, and not particularly trendy. I am on a tight budget, too.

I shop BR outlet clearance racks for things like church clothes or "going out to dinner" wear. For everyday basics (the kind of stuff that ends up stained with spaghetti-Os), I tend to go much cheaper. Old Navy, Target and Marshalls are frequent stores on my list. But honestly, online juniors stores (Forever 21, Wet Seal, etc.) are probably my favorite place for things like shirts and skirts (I'm petite, too). They're cheap and generally fit my body.

For "nice everyday" wear (the kind of stuff I'd wear for a day of errands or a lunch out with girlfriends & our kids), I buy a lot of shirts/sweaters from Victorias Secret online. The quality of VS tees are nicer than the cheap-o stuff, but they're not super expensive (about $17/tee on sale). The fit there can vary greatly, though, and I always end up returning some things, which adds to the expense.

16 years ago

agrace

Active Member

Ditto on the BR outlet and places like that...yesterday I saw stuff at Gap on clearance for $1.97 BEFORE the friends and family 30 % off. These were things like nice tee shirts with modal blend so they have a dressier fabrication. To me, if I can get a really nice piece at a discount price that makes it an everyday luxury item. I don't feel so bad if I snag a 100 % merino sweater for $13.97 at the BR clearance outlet and end up wearing it for daily use. It's when I pay a lot more than that I am too scared to wear it. Hmmmm...I'm actually seeking thoughts on wardrobe workhorses in another post, there is some good advice in there as well.

I like Target for things like dresses, skirts, shirts and some trendy shoes
Forever 21 for really trendy stuff and inexpensive jewelery and belts
Gap and Old Navy are no brainers for me as well
I also have recently become re-acquainted with Payless - got some flat suede scrunchy boots for $15 recently and a pair of metallic flats with a ruffle on the toe for $5

Finally, last but not least - Thrift shopping!! I love it. It's not always easy to do with kids but I do it. I do almost all of my shopping with kids. I just try to save the real browsing and trying on lots of stuff for days without kids. If they are with me I try to be really selective and just go in for one or two things as opposed to a whole outfit. For example, ran by the thrift store this morning for a dress. Didn't look at coats or anything else, but just looked at dresses. That is what works for me when I have to take kids.

16 years ago

cyan45

Active Member

thanks so much for all your suggestions! i knew i could count on you

i just chatted with her this morning, and asked what 3 things were most needed:

1) pants
2) flat shoes sturdy enough for everyday, but a little dressy for sundays
3) tops (knits and button down)

after that:
1) cardigans
2) sweater/pullover
3) fitted cami/shirt to wear under sweaters
4) thin turtleneck for layering

she doesn't really like boots, but maybe i can turn her on to a flat pair

she used to live in alabama, and did a lot of successful discount/thrift shopping.
for now, she likes target and gap for basics, and when she has time, ross and thrift stores.

do you have any haircut tips as well? she would love to look cute, but wants something low-maintenance. in her opinion, bangs are too much trouble. i told her the side-swept kind are pretty no-fuss, but she had reservations, lol.

anyway, please keep the tips coming, and thanks again.

16 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Oh I just found a lightweight t-neck on sale at Kohl's for $9, and a pullover that has a little wool and a little angora at Target for $18. Kohl's had cashmere pullovers for $44, too. I love my boyfriend cardi from Old Navy, and Target has a nice wool flyaway right now that is on sale. I'd see if she can find micro check pants- they are really a versatile piece. If she doesn't like boots, what about booties? They are perfect for this time of year, and can be dressed up or down.
I think that my basic bob is really low maintenance, and because it's a simple style I can go to the cheapie salon and they do a good job on it. My budget salon offers a bang trim for $5, so I get that done between regualar cuts and can go twice as long. It takes me literally about 5 minutes to blow dry my hair, and then I am good to go. I go back to a bob every few years, but I guess it just depends on your face shape/hair texture. I have really straight hair and a round face.

16 years ago

shiny

Veteran

My days with sticky hands are over, but I'm also petite so I will suggest these places, which are good for petites:

- Ann Taylor Loft
- Ann Taylor Outlet - I have one near me (I wish I had a BR outlet!); quality is on par with ATL. Worth a try.
- Gap petites and Gap Outlet
- Old Navy petites
- H&M
- Forever21
- Target now offers petites. I did order two cardigans from them (my local Target does not carry petites in store). Price can't be beat, fit was pretty good, quality was worth the price. Worth a try for sure.
- Inc Petite line from Macy's. It's young, it's fresh, it's fun... and it's cheap when on sale and you have coupons. Have her try the ponte knits - they are like running around in sweatpants but look much nicer.

For shoes, Me-Too brand!!

For hair, it's so hard to advise without seeing her in person.

16 years ago

Anonymous

Another suggestion would be Sweet Pea tops or that type in another brand. I just got some at SteinMart on sale that are a Sweet Pea knock off for less than $10 each with a newspaper coupon (reg. $68). These tops can take lots of abuse and need no ironing. I wash mine out by hand but you could put them in a lingurie bag in the washer and hang to dry. They can be worn year round if you pop a turtleneck under them and look dressier than most knit tops. The nylon mesh fabric is probably impossible to stain. I've seen some similar styles in polyester rather than nylon. They are ok but nylon is more comfortable in warm weather.

16 years ago

Laura

(website)

Veteran

I agree with Shiny's #1 recommendation of Ann Taylor Loft. They have plentiful petites there. Tell her to sign up online for coupons (right now they have a 30% off and free shipping friends and family coupon, for example). She'll be able to find loungewear and casual wear that fits for great prices, and everything is on trend. That would be my very first destination!

16 years ago

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