Mommy Style Monday #19: Drive Time.

How many of us mommies spend all of our day in the car?  I have actually not quite gotten to that point, but I know it is coming (I hear that siren's fierce scary wail in my nightmares).  For those of you there, I bet there are days where you are unable to take it anymore.  LOL.

Beyond being ridiculously over-stressed about dealing with the actual driving (I HATE driving around here, it is terribly awful), I also hate the way I feel when I am wearing what I *thought* was going to be a stylish and comfortable outfit only to realize partway through my drive time day that the outfit is uncomfortable and binding.  Gah.  I sort of wonder if all those crazy moms in mini-vans are road rage filled because their belt buckle is biting into their belly buttons...

So recently we drove to North Carolina so I could go to an Arbonne meeting and also to visit our friends who live there.  Both drives to and from North Carolina were great, around 5.5 hours total, but we have had drives in the past to get down there that have taken up to 7.5 hours.  Sadly for me, the 7.5 hours ones also included me wearings something that was insanely uncomfortable.  By the end of that drive, I nearly jumped out of my "leather" seat into oncoming traffic (I kid, but still, very difficult to feel that way--bloated, fidgety, and tense).

This time I decided I needed to pick outfits that are time and time again proven comfortable.  But you know me, I still want them to look decent.  I don't want to look like I am a high-schooler wearing baggy sweatpants, hoodie, and uggs.

So here are the outfits I came up with:

Drive Down:

My problem with any of my Drive Time outfits is usually the pants.  These are the "never let me down" chambray cocktail capris from J. Crew in spring 2009.  I literally bought every color, including the light blue in-store only color.  I also bought a dark tan color in the non-chambray fabric.  I find these super-comfy, but tailored enough that I could go to dinner or lunch on the road at someplace other than McDonald's or Taco Bell.  They do tend to stretch a bit, but not obnoxiously, and I think the stretch may be the reason why I like wearing them so much...no chance of any bloating to affect the fit.

I rounded out the outfit with a Boden merino v-neck (similar here in the V-neck Knitted Top, although this is a short-sleeved knitted sweater in a cotton/linen blend, it has a similar shape) in navy blue, the purple gingham plaid shirt from J. Crew last spring, and the Bensimon Elastic sneakers in vanilla.

Two more views, hand on hip, and from the side.  ;)

It wasn't quite warm enough to wear the outfit on its own, but the cashmere Suzy jacket (bit of luxury this one--super-soft, I am constantly petting the arms--good thing it was a sample and the ebay seller sold it for WAY under value) was the exact right topper for the slightly cool late winter day.

By the end of the drive, I felt great.  The entire outfit also survived, and looked decent.

Drive back:

The time-tested minnies are back.  Like the cocktail capris, I own quite a few minnies.  I love that they are stretchy but don't lose their shape.  And unlike the rest of J. Crew's pants, I have to size down to fit in these.  (LOL, so vain.)  I ALWAYS wear Minnies on plane flights, I don't know why it didn't occur to me that these would be fab for Drive Time.

I rounded out this outfit with the wool pique sultana jacket, the striped sequin boatneck tee, the silk driving scarf, and the ever wonderful Anthropologie Miss Albright Anticipation heels (super-comfy, you can even drive in them--although I still recommend driving shoes for long drives, like the driving mocs made by J. Crew or Tod's).

Untitled by dinagideon featuring printed scarves

Above is the polyvore of the entire outfit.

This is the outfit without the jacket.  It was still cool, though, so this look was purely indoors.  :)

You all have a great day!  We'll talk soon...