Of Printed Slim Joggers and Photobombers and What I Might Wear . . . .

First of all, thanks for the great suggestions about ways to wear my  new J. Crew slim joggersand/or your thoughts about this style in general.

As you’ll note from the photo-bombing (below), my time for playing around with blog-posting is very limited, but I found a “quick second ” (I’ve been watching Nashville and picking up a Rayna James idiom or two) to try out a few options for taking these comfy pants out and about.

I chose to wear them with my nude pointed-toe d’Orsay flats (Vince) which I think makes the look less sporty, slightly more polished, and I also think is more elongating than a dark, closed shoe might be (that said, I fully intend to wear them with black closed-toe at some point and let the stumpiness reign!).

The white sweater in these photos is linen, a J. crew purchase from the spring. Interestingly, I’ve found that when I wear white (which didn’t used to be very often, mainly in the summer), Pater will spontaneously comment that “You look very fresh!”. Once I recognized the pattern, I’ve made an effort to maximize the effect and I’ve picked up a few white tops.

 In the outfit below, for example, a simple white Gap t-shirt brings that freshness or brightness. A simple grey cashmere short-sleeved cardi adds enough polish that I could wear this in the classroom — admittedly, a fairly casual workplace, but one in which I do try to convey professionalism.

 And if I wanted to ramp up the professionalism of the look, I’d add a blazer. This Smythe bracelet-sleeve version does the trick. . . .I wore it the other day with mynew yellow chinos, and Little Girl said right away, “Nana, you look really nice,” and then she paused and organized her thoughts to add, “You look like you just came from your office.”

 Her sweet response was a great demonstration of a jacket’s power to polish. . . .

I have a few more examples I’d love to show you later. I’m thinking I can wear the pants, for example, with a pale-pink silk tunic and these shoes; with a crisp white button-down shirt, un- or partially tucked and my black patent pointy-toe flats; with this boxy merino sweater in heather-grey; with a new black lightweight merino, slightly slouchy Vince sweater, with my trusty old dark grey fitted cashmere v-neck. .. Honestly, for a pair of pants that seem a bit of a stretch, I can already see these will be very versatile.

But for now, I’d better run. A few things to do before Little Girl wakes up, and I’ve heard some stirrings from her room next door (Pater’s in Vancouver helping the new family for a few days, so LG and I are on our own). While I’m gone, do keep those comments coming — I’d still love to wear how you might wear these. . . or how you’d adapt the trend (a solid colour, perhaps). . . or whether you think it’s an abomination in the workplace but you’d defend my right to wear it (as, generously, does Rubiatonta in last post’s comments) . . . 

25 Comments

  1. Catherine
    28 August 2014 / 4:46 pm

    They look very smart with the navy jacket. I am thinking a plain navy thin knit jumper with 3 quarter length sleeves, and navy pumps…

    • materfamilias
      29 August 2014 / 6:19 pm

      Ah, that would work well — maybe some silver bracelets that the 3/4 length sleeves would work to show off. . .

  2. Northmoon
    28 August 2014 / 5:06 pm

    I've purchased printed pants before, and ended up not wearing them at all 🙁 These look fine the way you styled them, (great in fact) and I am a fan of toile prints but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable wearing a pant this casual anywhere outside my house. If I find a pair at the right price, you may have convinced me to expand my fashion horizon!

    • materfamilias
      29 August 2014 / 6:22 pm

      In my workplace, casual is the norm, quite honestly, and I actually find these — at least as I've styled them — at least as dressy as my jeans. But I can see what their sweatpants origins put them off-limits for some. Curious to know, though, is it the print or the knit fabric that makes them a no-go?

    • Northmoon
      31 August 2014 / 6:55 pm

      I think the knit fabric might be what reads too casual for me. My work takes me to construction sites so dark jeans are acceptable for the office on those days. I bought a pair of dark abstract patterned jeans earlier this year but a friend criticized them so I returned them. Not sure if that was too cowardly of me. I do agree with you that these joggers look fine for a work situation as you styled them.

      Perhaps it's the fact that most of my coworkers are men, so none of them would wear patterned pants and I have no respect men wearing sweats anywhere outside home!! So that transfers over to what I feel I can wear at the office.

    • materfamilias
      31 August 2014 / 7:05 pm

      That makes sense — context is so important, isn't it?! And, bottom line, these are sweats, if a dressier version, and it's probably important to keep that in mind as I plan outfits around them.

  3. Susan B
    28 August 2014 / 7:12 pm

    I think you look great in these, and all three stylings are spot on. (I have the same white J.Crew linen sweater, I think…need to get some shots of it on the blog.) Have eyed those flats for a while, but wound up going in a slightly different direction, though with the same "pointed" determination… 😉

    • materfamilias
      29 August 2014 / 6:23 pm

      Aren't those linen sweaters perfect? Such a great weight for spring through early fall in my climate. I'll watch for shots of yours on your blog, curious to see how you'll style it.

  4. Annie Cholewa
    28 August 2014 / 7:14 pm

    I'm liking all these slim looks, and trying not to think about all the weight that I need to shift (steroids for the arthritis mean I've gained at least a ton 😉 )

    • materfamilias
      29 August 2014 / 6:24 pm

      I've never had to take steroids (knock on wood!), but that side effect seems a tough one to live with. Be patient and loving with yourself, will you?!

  5. Lorrie
    28 August 2014 / 7:53 pm

    You'll get a lot of use from those printed pants, Mater, since your wardrobe contains so many great pieces to accompany them. The pointy-toed flats do exactly as you've said – raise them to a dressier (albeit still casual) level. LG is developing her grandmother's astute sense about dress.

    • materfamilias
      29 August 2014 / 6:25 pm

      I think so too, Lorrie, thanks! I'm actually feeling quite gratified at how it's paid off to have assembled some good neutrals over the last year or so.

  6. K.Line
    28 August 2014 / 8:55 pm

    Holy cow, Nola has got TALL! What a sweet photo of you two…

    • materfamilias
      29 August 2014 / 6:25 pm

      I know! Isn't she?! And thanks — I like this photo too.

  7. Anonymous
    28 August 2014 / 11:57 pm

    how adorable that looking really nice = just come from the office….truth from the mouths of babes, perhaps? All these look academic polished from my perspective…..

    Ceci

    • materfamilias
      29 August 2014 / 6:26 pm

      And I value your perspective, Ceci, so thanks!

  8. Mardel
    29 August 2014 / 3:49 am

    The pants lok really nice and I like the way you have styled them.

    I tend to like printed pants and printed skirts. I seem to find them far more versatile, for me, than printed tops, although I do have a few of the latter.

    • materfamilias
      29 August 2014 / 6:28 pm

      I must say that as much as I've been trying to resist prints, I'm inevitably drawn to them . . . is it my love of narrative, I wonder?

  9. High Heels in the Wilderness
    29 August 2014 / 3:36 pm

    I agree with Une Femme…."Spot on." Wish we had access to J. Crew in Ottawa. But now that Holt Renfrew is closing here (sniffle) maybe one has to organize a shopping trip to Montreal or Toronto more often. They MUST have J Crew there.

    P.S. Have you had any readers saying how their comments disappear when they click "Publish?" I know that happened to you on my blog and it always happens to me on yours. Now.. I write the comment, highlight and copy, click "Publish" and log into Google. When the comment box reappears without my comment I just "Paste" it in and click "Publish" again. But what pain. I'm not sure why Blogger does that.

    • materfamilias
      29 August 2014 / 6:31 pm

      I just checked — looks as if there's one in To., but not in Montreal. What?!

      I'll have to add something in my next post about commenting problems. So frustrating, especially since I'm so un-techy. Some days I suspect something's off, but then tell myself that my post just wasn't as riveting as I'd hoped (ha!). Thanks for persisting AND for the technique, which I'll remember and use.

    • Anonymous
      31 August 2014 / 4:07 pm

      J Crew at Rideau Centre is opening next week.

    • materfamilias
      1 September 2014 / 4:22 am

      Do you see this, Susan? J. Crew in Ottawa! 😉 Thanks, Anon

  10. Ceri
    30 August 2014 / 8:42 am

    Well, I think you look great in these new trews. My favourite looks are the ones with the cardigan and the jacket for the lecture room – maybe because those tops add a bit of dark colour and I associate that with authority?

    Just back from an academic conference and your look would have been spot on. Really interesting to see how the other women dressed (many much, much younger then me, of course). Am still wondering about one woman whose outfit was so far on the wrong side of what I shall politely call prostitute-chic that it must have deliberate (3" heels on leopard print pumps, skin tight dress which showed what she had eaten for breakfast (meow), smudgy smoky eye, red lips and a just out of bed messy updo). Still trying to work out what to think of her…

    Enjoy your time with your lovely little one

  11. Ceri
    30 August 2014 / 3:25 pm

    To clarify – while I fully endorse Rubiatonta's defence of a woman's right to wear what she will – this delegate's over sexualised outfit (to me at least) grates upon the determinedly gender neutral ethos of the academy.

  12. materfamilias
    31 August 2014 / 4:26 am

    Interesting thought about the dark colour as conveying authority. As for the over-sexualised dress of your fellow presenter/conference attendee, it's definitely making a statement that would stand-out in an academic setting. Sometimes I think it might be worth shaking up that adopted or performed gender-neutrality, but I'm not sure that would be the best way to do that. I had a colleague who regularly flaunted decolletage, egregiously misplaced in the classroom, imho. . .And just awkward. . .

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