Are you a mom who struggles with what to wear in the winter? Struggle no more! I’ve developed the perfect winter mom uniform for me, and I hope it works for you too!
If you know me in real life, you’re probably shocked that I’m posting about clothes. I am not a fashionista. But odds are, you aren’t either. And guess what? We all need to get dressed in the morning, so we need to figure out what works for us. Even if it’s basic.
If you are a fashionista who is more interested in the latest trends, go follow @merricksart on Instagram or read her blog.
I came to this realization a few months ago when I was setting my home stretch goals for 2024. I was so fed up with having no style and the daily frustration that came with getting dressed in the morning, so I made my personal home stretch goal to find my style. Well, Lord help me when the weather warms up, but I think I can pretty confidently say that I have found my winter style. Hooray! So, of course, I’m making it my winter mom uniform.
Before I get into what exactly makes up my winter mom uniform, I want to share a few bits about me so you can better determine whether you might be able to draw some inspiration for your own winter mom uniform.
Things you should know
I live a very casual lifestyle. My winter mom uniform can take me pretty much everywhere I go. In these outfits, I feel comfortable, put-together, and age-appropriate.
I have a 5-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter, so I’m on the move a lot. Up and down from the floor, in and out from playing outside no matter the weather. You get the picture.
I work from home. Business suits or other work wear are not a part of my typical wardrobe.
I hate leggings. If you love leggings, feel free to swap them into your winter mom uniform.
I am cheap when it comes to the clothes that I wear. My entire wardrobe was either purchased on sale or wherever I buy my groceries (shout out to Sam’s Club!).
If these tidbits about my life and what I need from my clothes sound like they might be compatible with your life, keep reading! Sara in Season proudly presents my winter mom uniform!
My Winter Mom Uniform
Jeans
Like I mentioned in the things you should know section above, I hate leggings. I barely even wear them around the house or to exercise. So, you won’t catch me in leggings outside of my house. Instead of leggings, I love and feel most comfortable in jeans in the winter. I just need pants with a bit of structure. So, naturally, my winter mom uniform is built around jeans!
What kind of jeans works best on you is entirely dependent on your body shape and your preference. For me, I like straight leg, high rise, and 100% cotton (or as close to 100% as I can find) jeans. I thought I would like a bit of stretch in my jeans, but after many years of jeans, I really prefer the stiffer, more-structured jeans that don’t have stretch in them. My current favorite pair is the Kensie Emilia jeans. I bought mine at my local TJ Maxx, but it looks like you can get them on Amazon too. But you just have to try a whole bunch on to find what makes you feel your best. Sorry. It’s painful.
T-shirt
I am a t-shirt gal. Basically regardless of the weather, I have some sort of cotton t-shirt on my body. It can be anything from a simple undershirt to a long sleeve job, but I am almost always wearing some sort of t-shirt type garment as the base of my winter mom uniform.
If it’s a warmer winter day, I’ll stick with my trusty undershirts that come in a pack from Amazon. When it’s a bit cooler but not frigid, I’ll go with a short sleeve t-shirt. I’ve begun to embrace the cropped style with my high rise jeans to avoid the tuck and the Catholic school flashbacks that come with it. When it’s the height of winter and I need as much warmth as I can get, I wear a long-sleeve t-shirt. My absolute favorite long-sleeved t-shirts were a Sam’s Club product put out by their Member’s Mark house brand. Unfortunately, they didn’t bring them back this year, so let’s all take a moment of silence for my favorite long-sleeved t-shirt. I haven’t found one I like as much yet, but I’m still on the hunt!
Most of my t-shirts are white, but I also have a few other basic colors to choose from. Think black, navy blue, gray. Nothing too exciting. I’m a basic gal.
Layer
When it’s cold outside, but the heat is pumping inside, layers are your best friend. It’s nice to be able to adjust your temperature quickly, and I’ve found that layers with buttons or zippers are the best way to do this. I’ve tried a lot of easy on/off layers, and I’ve determined that my favorites are cardigans and flannel shirts.
Cardigans
There are a lot of different types of cardigans, and I think I’ve tried them all. You’ve got your old-school thinner, boxy cardigans, your long and chunky cardigans, your open cardigans, and your zipper cardigans, among others. But I’ve found that my favorite cardigans are slightly cropped, slightly chunky v-neck cardigans. I’m actually kind of obsessed. They look good open or buttoned with a bit of a front tuck. They’re great in solid colors or stripes. They are just versatile pieces that make a great cornerstone of your winter mom uniform.
You can find these particular types of cardigans lots of places, but I’ve got two to recommend. Old Navy has a great one that comes in perfect basic solid colors. Amazon Essentials has a similar one that sprinkles in some fun pops of color along with the typical basics. There is also one that I haven’t purchased yet that I have my eye on – a great piece to transition from my winter mom uniform to my spring mom uniform!
Flannels
I have always loved a flannel shirt. They’re just so comfy! Traditionally, I have worn them buttoned up like a shirt, which is fine. But this year, my eyes were opened to wearing them like sweaters and my life is changed! I particularly like to roll the sleeves up a bit so I can easily push them up to wash dishes 72 times a day without getting wet. It also looks pretty cute!
You can find good flannel shirts pretty much everywhere, so try a few to find the fit you like best. I like them a bit oversized, but not too oversized. I have several of the Croft & Barrow flannel shirt from Kohl’s that I like a lot. They’re just the right fit and come in a ton of plaid variations.
Belt
Whether you feel like you need to include a belt in your winter mom uniform is a personal choice. It took me quite a long time to get over the compulsory belt of my K-12 years and put one on as an adult, so if you’re reluctant I get it! But if you’re a rectangle like me, I encourage you to try one. The belt has really taken me from looking like a box in clothes to looking like a person, maybe even a woman!
You can get a good belt anywhere. I prefer a neutral brown with a silver buckle. I think I got mine from Gap Factory Store many moons ago. This one is very similar to my ancient version if you’re looking for a classic go-with-everything belt.
Shoes
I really think shoes caused my lifelong style hang-up. I just don’t intuitively understand which shoes to wear with different outfits. When I look in the mirror it just looks like I have bricks on my feet that aren’t cohesive with the rest of the get-up. Because of this, I’ve largely just given up on shoes so that my lack of shoe savvy doesn’t keep me from being confident in the rest of my outfit.
What does giving up look like? In the winter, it means white sneakers or extremely comfy boots. I’m super hard on shoes, so I don’t like to pay a lot, especially for white shoes. That’s why I love my Target white sneakers. They’re pretty comfy and I won’t be sad when they blow out and I have to buy a new pair. Check and check. As for boots, I’ve been wearing some slip-on Dr. Scholl’s sneaker boots for a few years that have served me well. I am in the market for a black Chelsea boot, but I can’t seem to find one that ticks all the boxes. If you have recommendations, I’m all ears!
Jewelry
Look, I don’t wear much jewelry. What I do wear, I wear every single day. It’s simple, but it works for me so I consider it to be part of my winter mom uniform. What do I wear? Silver hoops and a two-tone watch. Easy peasy.
Other posts
Sadly, I don’t have any other fashion posts to share, but I do have other helpful posts for moms that you might want to check out:
I hope you’ve been able to grab some inspiration from my winter mom uniform for your own winter mom uniform. If yours diverges from mine, what do you wear on the daily? Share below or over on Instagram @sarainseason to give others some inspiration please!
[Note: None of this content is sponsored. The links above may be general affiliate links, which earn me a small commission so I can keep making great content for you!]