Shopping Tip How to find Jeans for Mom That Aren’t “Mom Jeans”

After over a decade of mothering, I’ve finally accepted the truth: I’m never going to fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans again. Even if I managed to lose that last 10 lbs of baby fat (nevermind that my baby is almost 9 years old), my hips and thighs have changed since giving birth; Mother Nature has ensured that I won’t starve to death and leave my children motherless by providing me with handy energy-storage areas around my derriere.

Now, I’ve seen lots of moms who, like me, have given up on ever squeezing into those svelte styles of their youths. Many of them have responded to this loss of hope by succumbing to “mom jeans.” You know what I mean… high-waisted (sometimes elastic-waist!) jeans that hug all the wrong places, and usually in a very light blue. Are you guilty of wearing mom jeans? Yeah, I have a pair or two tucked away in my drawer, too, I admit it. Other moms go the opposite route and choose the skin-tight, painted-on look. If you are over the age of 20, this is seldom a good look. Very seldom.

There is a middle ground between the two unattractive extremes!

Here are a few tips on what to look for in the perfect pair of jeans:

• A dark color. You already know that black is slimming; well, so are indigo and dark blue. Light-colored jeans will make your booty and thighs look bigger, and you don’t want that.
• Mid-rise waist. Typical mom jeans go up to your belly button, or even higher. Don’t do it. You’re not fooling anyone! All high-rise jeans do is push your muffin top up higher, and that’s not a good look. Conversely, while low-rise jeans can look great if you’ve never had your abdominal muscles stretched out, this most likely does not apply to you! Go for a waist that’s a couple of inches below your navel… and don’t even think about elastic!
• A good fit. You should be able to walk, sit, squat and bend in your jeans. While should should be able to fit a couple of fingers between the waistband and your tummy, you should not be able to fit an entire fist. Check in the mirror or bring a friend to check for a big gap in the back when you bend over. Squat and make sure that your thighs are not threatening to blow out the seams.
• A little bit of stretch. Look for a slightly stretchy fabric. This will save you on PMS days, and will hug your butt nicely. This also helps to avoid too much bagginess and sagginess over time.

When you think that you’ve found the perfect pair of jeans, bring them home and wear them for a couple of hours before you cut off the tags. Make sure that they don’t stretch out too much and also that they don’t cut off the circulation to the lower half of your body.

It might take some perseverance, but you can avoid falling into frumpiness! What are your favorite non-mom-jeans jeans?