One day last summer, I glanced in the mirror, and realized I had on “mom jeans.” Me. A supposedly hip 24-year-old mom of two.
My weight redistributed a bunch after pregnancy and I suffered from both muffin top and Not Enough Booty Syndrome. As a result, my jeans came up a little higher on the waist and I had that dreaded pancake butt effect, obscuring what little lift and shape I actually do have.
I took them off immediately and threw on some pajama shorts. The next day I went to TJ Maxx and discovered maxi dresses. My life has never been the same.
I’m only 4’11”, so I thought they would make me look even shorter and it would be crazy unflattering. But I found they hide everything I want to hide (belly pudge, cellulite, back fat) and accentuate what I want to show off (my boobs, my upper back, my Michelle Obama arms arms). So if the only thing that’s been working out this winter is your relationship with chocolate cake, I highly recommend this look.
I’m in love. So if you’re on the fence about maxi dresses, I’m giving you the go-ahead to try one on. Each of these dresses are under $45 (you know I pay attention to price!). The one on the right is my fave and I have it in powder blue – gorgeous against my mid-summer caramel skin.
The key for me (a short, top-heavy, thick hippped mama of two) being able to pull it off? Three tips:
- Make sure the top part is fitted and supportive. I don’t know about you, but I can’t get away with halter tops anymore. My shoulders are too broad and unfortunately, halters don’t give me great cleavage anymore. *sigh*
- Look for an empire waist silhouette. Universally flattering and is what saves you from this.
- Heels. It is rare for me to go into a store and find anything that fits length wise. All my dresses are (at least) three inches too long. Never fear though – in the house, I just deal with it and when I go out, it’s heels! Taller mamas can just slip on some jeweled sandals and go (another reason
why I hate youwhy I’m jealous). Update: To see a short mama wear a maxi dress, head over to TheYoungMommyLife Facebook page where I’ve upload a picture of me in one of my favorites.
If you’re not feeling having your arms all exposed like that, get a cute bolero sweater (like this one) and go about your life. Seriously. I love opening my closet, grabbing a dress and bam! I’m cute and it only took 0.342 seconds to get that way. Summer 2011 is all about the dresses for me.
Tara when you wrote this post you must’ve been thinking about me! I was just telling my husband how I’m going to wear Maxi Dresses this summer because they are easy and still cute!!!! Thanks for the post!!!! Wetseal.com has some really cute ones also!
I agree, maxi dresses are definitely cute and I imagine they are nice and cool during the summer…but how practical are they, really, for moms? I guess since they are long, they may be more practical than the shorter summer dresses…And what about us mommas who have some belly pudge, wide hips, and weren’t blessed with boobs? (Which is totally unfair, I might add…why did I get cheated out of a decent chest?! lol)
I need to look into this look myself. I figured because I am so short it would look silly. Now if only I can find a couple that are not too long for me!
@Michelle – I got a couple last year and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked them. Seriously.
@Katie – I had the same worries about it being practical but I’m telling you, get a nice printed one (like the one on the far left, or something similar) in a nice cotton and you’ll be set. It’s super comfortable and stains don’t show. I have belly pudge and wide hips and they work for me. As long as you get one with an empire waist you should be good. As for small boobs, I think they actually work better with maxi dresses. With my dresses, I tend to have a lot of cleavage (which is great for date night but not so much for the grocery store). Smaller boobs would work great. Try a couple on and report back!
@Sheliza – Length is the only problem I see with maxi dresses. But I was lucky enough to find a few that fit. I was so surprised because I thought I’d never find any that fit. I’ll have to take some photos of me in my maxi dresses as an update to the post. Good luck hunting!
I have some maxi dresses and long skirts packed away in a bin that I haven’t even worn yet. Shame on me! I LOVE dresses too because they are so easy. Throw it on with some $5 flip flops and keep it movin’.
@Sheena – Exactly! Toss on a bracelet and some earrings and you’re out the door!
Ohhh thank you! I will be dealing with some serious post natal tummy and hip fat this summer (currently preggo with number 2 and ready to drop anyday). If you have any other fashion ideas that are business casual, easy, and cover those problem spots please share!!!
Perfect timing for me, I have a couple bucks refund money from uncle Sam, and I need something cute for the summer. I am going to head to the mall and see what is out there.
I am a tall momma, so the length will be ok (for once), but for those of you less lofty, remember that your dry cleaners can hem/cut pretty much everything, and fairly cheap too. I get almost everything I buy these days altered a little bit, even the cheap stuff. A good fit makes you look more put together.
I LOVE these dresses! They served a dual purpose when I was pregnant ( I just don’t like spending a lot of money on maternity clothes) with my daughter last summer I made sure to buy these because I will still be able to wear them this coming summer! Although my favorite one does NOT hide what I want it to hide. I put it on and I asked my husband that awkward question “Does this dress make my stomach look big?! He gave that politically correct answer of, “You look beautiful, you only had the baby 4 months ago, it looks better everyday” LOL. So, I owned my “love handles” and wore it :-).
This post reminds me that I need to hit up Old Navy and stock up on maxi dresses. With two kids under 3 this summer, I need something simple but still stylish to wear.