Quick stat: 56% of moms are working full-time jobs (according to the Gitnux Marketdata Report 2024). That’s more than half of you awesome, busy moms.
What with juggling your children, job, household, and Christmas coming up, your wardrobe is probably the last thing on your mind. And yet, you need to pick out work outfits every day.
To lessen your burden, I’ll help you create a capsule wardrobe. I’ll list 7 work wardrobe essentials for busy working moms during winter. I know you don’t have much time, so let’s jump right into it!
1. Outerwear
One of the top winter capsule wardrobe essentials for work is outerwear. I’m talking winter coats that will keep you warm as you go about your day.
Lauren Messiah, a personal stylist turned style educator, tells this to all busy moms:
“Now I know layers aren’t always the most practical when you are running around town with a child on your hip but hear me out. For winter, you actually need layers”
But as you’re a busy mom, you don’t need to go too fancy with it. A simple winter coat will do the trick.
Instagram @poorlittleitgirl
If you want to add a bit of style, then go for a leather jacket. This doesn’t only look stylish, but it can stretch, too, providing both fashion and comfort. Other great business casual capsule wardrobes for moms are blazers and knitted cardigans.
Instagram @lokaboutique
Do you know what’s great about outerwear? You can easily remove it and put it on again. So if you worry about your child, say, spilling food on it as you’re about to head to work, you can simply leave it off until the last minute.
Read More: Stay at Home Mom to Working Mom Transition: Everything You Need to Know
2. Sweaters
Sweaters are workwear essentials during the cold months. Since you’re probably going to have it on throughout the day, it’s a good idea to go for a 100% comfortable and mom-friendly material.
One outfit idea is to go for oversized wool sweaters. This is not only super warm and comfortable, it’s also stain, odor, and crease-resistant. However, just make sure that you match your wool sweater with an appropriate office outfit.
Instagram @nuiorganics
Of course, you can’t go wrong with a cotton sweater. This material is comfortable, breathable, and easy to care for. It’s a practical choice for moms who want a low-maintenance option.
One warning, though. Cotton sweaters tend to be a bit more casual. So if you’re picking a work outfit, it’s best to go for a neutral color and match it with a formal bottom and footwear.
Instagram @uniqlo
3. Tops
When it comes to office clothes for women, tops are the most abundant. But of course, we’re focusing on work wardrobe essentials for busy working moms during winter.
Well, one office wardrobe staple is a long-sleeved, button-down shirt. Although, button-downs might not be the best choice if you have much younger children. I heard kids love plucking out buttons.
Also, it’s a good idea to go for a darker color, so that the baby dribble won’t be seen clearly.
Instagram @soldout.nyc
If your office is quite warm, you can go for a fancy blouse. I suggest either cotton or silk.
You’ll be surprised, there are actually a lot of benefits of silk for mothers. To name just a few – softness, hypoallergenic (less likely to cause allergies on your baby’s skin), breathable, moisture absorbent, durable, etc…
Instagram @lilysilk
Read More: Practical Tips for Setting Boundaries as a Working Mom in the Workplace
4. Bottoms
Let’s move on to your bottoms. For a busy mom, our expert Lauren Messiah suggests drawstring or elastic trousers. She puts it this way:
“These are great because they are comfortable and a stylish alternative to leggings.”
Plus, a working mom can move around so freely with these, whether it’s chasing her child to get dressed for school or facilitating a team meeting. And, as it can stretch quite a bit, you don’t have to worry too much about your postpartum body.
Instagram @hashtagf
Another great piece to wear to work during the winter is jeggings. This is a combination of denim jeans and leggings.
Jeggings have the stretchability of leggings and the warmth of denim jeans, perfect for winter and a busy mom. It also completes the look of an oversized sweater or fancy blouse.
Instagram @uniqlo
Read More: Top 12 Free Tech Tools and Apps for Working Moms to Boost Productivity and Work-Life Balance
5. Dresses
It might take a bit of time to mix and match a top and bottom. If you’re a busy mom on the run, then you may find it easier to just throw on a dress and go.
Since we’re talking about winter pieces, you can add a coat or sweater to keep you warm. Dresses also go well with stockings and boots.
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For maximum convenience, why not combine everything with a sweater dress? Then you’ll really just have to slip it on and head to work.
Instagram @emeryrose.official
I’d like to give one word about dresses and skirts. To make it more professional, always wear it just right above the knee or below knee length. Anything other than that might be considered too sexy for a workplace.
6. Footwear
As a busy mom, you’ll probably want to skip the heels and hedges. If so, the most comfortable footwear acceptable in an office is ballet flats, comfy boots, or sneakers. Yes, all of them are great for winter, too.
NOTE: It’s important to make sure that the company dress code accepts sneakers, as this is a more casual shoe.
If you go for boots, the most convenient ones are slip-on types. To make it even easier to slip on, you can go for a low cut.
Instagram @blundstoneusa
If you ask me, I’d say flats are even more convenient. I mean, you can slip them on without bending down to touch them.
Yes, flats are 100% mom-friendly. However, they aren’t the most winter-friendly. This is why, if you go for flats, choose one with high-quality leather or rubber to avoid it getting soaked. You may also need to wear stockings with it.
Instagram @imnotsorrydarling
7. Accessories
If you’re always on the run, it’s OK if you don’t feel the need to put on accessories. As long as you fix your hair, you can go for the minimalist look.
But of course, there are also a lot of moms that want accessories.
Now, if you carry around your baby, then maybe avoid the dangling earrings. I don’t want to know what will happen if they try to rip that off (and I’m pretty sure you don’t, too).
Necklaces and bracelets can also be wrenched and broken. So what accessories are a good idea?
As it’s winter, you can go for scarves, sunglasses, belts, pouches, bags, etc… Keep it professional but stylish.
Instagram @justelidaart
Here’s how you can rock a pouch to complete your winter capsule wardrobe and make a subtle fashion statement.
Instagram @notsammishapiro
Tips for Creating a Work Wardrobe for Busy Moms During Winter
If you want to go with your own winter capsule wardrobe, then here are some tips that you need to consider:
- Always follow the company dress code. Some of the outfits that I mentioned here are more for business casual than formal business attire. So keep this in mind as you plan out your winter work clothes.
- Wear clothes you’re comfortable in. Don’t try to squeeze into your pre-mom pants. This might just put you in a bad mood. Also, if you’re not comfortable with, say, your postpartum body, maybe it’s even better to wear your maternity clothes still. There’s nothing wrong with that.
- Choose fabrics that are easy to manage with kids around. I already hinted at this above. But to recap – wool, silk, and cotton are some of the easiest to manage for moms with very little time for household chores.
- Don’t wear anything too casual. Yes, even if the dress code is business casual. As an exhausted mom, you probably want to wear your room slippers, undone hair, and pajamas all day. OK, maybe that’s a bit too much. But avoid wearing shorts, T-shirts with graphics, and flip-flops.
- Go dark. If you want to hide the dribbles and food stains, I always suggest wearing darker clothes. To keep it professional, go for dark, neutral colors like black, navy blue, brown, etc…
- Keep warm. If you’re exhausted, then you’ll tend to feel the cold more. This is why you should pick out work clothes that make you feel warm and comfy. You can sacrifice fashion for something more suitable for now.
- Reflect your style. Just because you’re a mom doesn’t mean you have to let go of your favorite fashion pieces. So if you’re great with wearing heels, then go ahead. If you want to wear a white, scratchy sweater, please do. If these items make you feel more alive, then no one is stopping you. Just make sure you consider the other tips I mentioned here, too.
- Choose quality over affordability. If you need to go out and buy a new set of winter outfits, then I suggest choosing high-quality brands instead of cheap ones. Quality brands will be able to withstand whatever your busy mom schedule makes you do. Because of that, it will be a piece that you can keep for a very, very long time.
Final Words
Too busy to plan out your winter capsule wardrobe? No worries. You can follow the 7 work wardrobe essentials for busy working moms during winter I mention here.
If you have a bit of time, then you can check out the tips I provide to help all you busy moms get ready for work.
If you need more workplace fashion advice, you can check out my other articles:
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