What Do Working Moms Want . . . To Wear?

Work Wednesday

I promised lighter fare this summer, starting with my Work Wednesday piece on lunch.  I hope this week's post will not disappoint. It's about celebrities. And clothes.

Now, I have to admit that I'm not into fashion. I'm a lawyer, I work in Washington, D.C., I'm a government employee . . . enough said.  I'm busy balancing my job and family (and the rest of life) and don't have a lot of spare time to focus on the latest looks or even my own. (I promise you, however, that I don't wear blue navy skirt suits with bowtie blouses and sneakers.)

But when I read recently that Claudia Schiffer, the 40-year-old German mega model who's graced more than 500 magazine covers during her career, launched her own cashmere clothing line for working moms, I was intrigued. As part of the rollout, she emphasized her desire to design clothes that fit with her work and family roles.  Schiffer told the media, "It's all based on my everyday life - what I, as a working mom want."  As a fellow working mom, I thought I'd check Schiffer's clothes out. (Online, of course.)

Now, I'm not sure what I expected. I know that Schiffer's working life bears no resemblance to mine, and that -- with an estimated $55 million net worth --  her clothing budget vastly exceeds any amount I spend on attire. Plus, she's 5'11" and blond and looks like Brigitte Bardot. (I can admit that I don't.) But I don't think I expected Schiffer's designs to consist of chunky sweaters, long cardigans and striped dresses in hues of black, gray, or tan. Some of them, especially the dresses, are cute in a soft comfy way, others are basically shapeless sacks that would only flatter Schiffer or a Schiffer look-alike. (You can see the entire line on Schiffer's website here.) They're, of course, all very pricey.

None of them, though, look like anything I (to paraphrase Schiffer), as a working mom would want. (Well, except for the gray cap-sleeve 3/4 length dress, which retails for around a mere $600.) The long cashmere sweater and black leather pants might look great on Schiffer at a working lunch in London but they wouldn't work on me at an inter-agency policy meeting in Washington.

So, what do I want . . . to wear to work?

Here are some of my ideas for starters. Clothes that are comfortable but not completely fashion-backwards.  Clothes that are well made and won't have to be replaced every year. Clothes that are cute, but not too cute for a middle-aging mom. Attire that works for office meetings and after-school events. Lots of jackets, dresses, and pantsuits in basic, dark colors that can withstand sticky fingers and stand up to colorful blouses and interesting accessories. All at a reasonable price, of course.

Time to go shopping! Any suggestions? What do you want . . . to wear to work? I'd love to hear your thoughts (but please, don't tell me if you're sitting at the computer teleworking in your pajamas).

Photo by nicogenin via flickr.com.

Comments

[Becky]

I'm not a work at the office mom so I don't have quite the same requirements as you do but I've found 2 mom centered fashion blogs really helpful.

bettybeguiles.com is written by Hallie Lord. She writes about fashion and gives ideas for moms who are looking to be fashionable but also modest. She also offers a personal shopping service which I have heard nothing but raves about. She does it all on-line and then you can choose what you want to purchase. She features a special package for maternity wear- she's been pregnant 5 times so she knows all about what works and what doesn't.

aintnomomjeans.com is written by several moms and all are very on trend and fashion forward. They all have younger children so they tend to feature or at least mention if items are baby pooch, nursing, and baby wearing friendly. I wouldn't put together the precise pieces they do- I tend to be more conservative in my choices but I can get a good idea of what the trends are andhow I can work them into my life.