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Wearing your nice clothes at home probably sounds like an oxymoron. Mom life is often hard and messy work. I don’t have to tell you that – you know!
With teething babies and sticky-handed toddlers, it’s easy to think “Why should I bother with a cute outfit?”
That’s probably why I just grabbed my paint-flecked athletic shorts and a T-shirt – because “they are comfortable!”
Those clothes might be comfortable and kid-proof, but they do nothing for my figure, my creativity, my productivity, my mood, or the mood of others around me.
I’m learning that there is another way and that way is to intentionally wear nice clothes at home.
Wearing nice clothes at home actually has huge emotional and psychological benefits!
Let me convince you!
Before we jump in, let me invite you to join our free 3-day challenge all about finding motivation and routine to make daily self-care easier as a mom! Just click to learn more and join.
What are “nice clothes”?
First, let’s define “nice clothes.” For our purposes, we’re going to define nice clothes as having 3 characteristics:
1. Nice clothes are the ones you intentionally chose/shopped for.
These are the items that you’re happy to have in your closet because they are so “you!”
At some point you’ve probably gotten “you look so cute today!” when wearing these pieces.
2. Nice clothes feel good, look good, and fit you well.
These clothes are in good condition and instantly lift your mood when you put them on.
“That is SUCH a good color on you!” is likely a compliment you’ve gotten because of your nice clothes.
3. Nice clothes are the ones you WANT to wear.
They’re the clothes you’d pack on a trip and you miss them when they’re in the dirty laundry.
“Looking good, lady!” might be what you’ve thought about your reflection when wearing your nice clothes.
Why should I dress up everyday?
1. Wearing nice clothes at home is a way of showing up for your life.
“Dress for success” is a phrase we’ve probably all heard.
I found this to be very true as a classroom teacher but am now learning to translate into mom life.
Life is your job and a good outfit is the “uniform” for that job.
What if you stay at home?
Your work at home is the most important in the world! Show up like it matters, because it does!
What are we holding onto our nice clothes for if not for the one messy but beautiful life we’ve been given now?
2. Wearing your nice clothes for everyday life improves your mood.
A blah outfit often contributes to or even causes a blah mood.
“Studies show that there is a direct link to dressing well and your mood as it stabilizes and improves quality of happiness, drastically reducing the risk of depression.” (source)
So pay attention to how you feel in whatever you’re wearing.
We have all become more aware of mental health in the past few years.
One way we can take care of our mind and our mood is by dressing well to lift our spirits.
If you don’t feel great in what you’re wearing, those clothes aren’t serving you for everyday use and you need an update my friend!
If the topics of mom life + your appearance interest you, you may find these other posts helpful as well:
Why Your Appearance Matters & the Importance of Dressing Well
What Does Frumpy Mean? 9 Tips to Help Not Dress Frumpy
How to be a Stylish Stay at Home Mom Without Compromising Comfort
3. Wearing nice clothes at home sends a message…
…to yourself, your family, and everyone you see throughout the day.
One article I read stated, “How you dress yourself changes who you are. It changes the value of what you have to say. At least to the people who are looking and listening.” (source)
We want what we say and do to be valued.
The reality is that how we present ourselves changes the way others perceive us and dressing nicely communicates credibility.
4. Wearing nice clothes at home cultivates a habit…
…of self-care and models it to your children.
Setting our intentions to wear nice clothes at home and then creating simple, quick routines like laying them out the night before can build a habit.
The habit of caring for yourself then allows you to meet the needs of others.
And our children are watching as we do this.
A baby carrier is an accessory right?! 😛 You might not actually throw on the completer jacket or cover up and shoes until you head out the door, but the base layers still feel put together.
4. Wearing nice clothes at home highlights your value
You don’t get dressed to add value to yourself, you get dressed BECAUSE YOU ALREADY ARE INFINTELY VALUABLE!
Getting put together highlights your value and helps remind yourself throughout the day: I am precious and beautiful!
How do I buy these nice clothes?
Alright girl, I see the benefits of dressing well at home, but how do I do this on a limited budget?
Well I’m so glad you asked!
1. Nice clothes don’t have to be expensive!
Like you, we too are moms on a budget.
In fact, Corina first got into capsule wardrobes for herself, wanting to fight the “frumpy monster” on a budget.
What she and so many other moms have discovered is that it IS possible to buy inexpensive but cute clothes!
Check out our shopping guide freebie for super affordable super mom-friendly pieces!
And did I mention, it’s free?! ⬆
2. Buy the RIGHT nice clothes!
Trying to wear nice outfits at home but don’t have time to figure out what goes together and looks good?
That’s okay, Frump Fighters’ got you covered!
We want to give you a free resource: our guide to BASIC pieces every mom should have.
Use this guide and you’ll be well on your way to making sure the pieces you buy go together with each other!
Again, the cover up and shoes might not go on until we head out the door for school pickup or errands.
Frequently asked questions:
1. How can I wear good clothes at home?
Pick your outfit the night before and lay out all the pieces so you don’t have to make any decisions the next morning before you’ve had your coffee!
Or check out our What-to-Wear Calendar!
The calendar does it all for you – it takes all the decision fatigue out of it and gives you a unique outfit for every single day of year using a simple capsule.
2. How can I not ruin my clothes?
Corina actually thought of this when building out her amazing mom’s wardrobe plan and included an apron on her list.
Check below for our favorites! Some are multi-packs – you could split the cost with another mom friend who is trying to keep her nice clothes clean. Or keep your favorite and gift the other one!
Aprons are universally sized – they even work for maternity!😂
3. Do cheap clothes last?
Inexpensive does not equal cheap!
Here are some things to consider when it comes to clothing cost versus quality.
- The washer doesn’t look at the price tag when deciding whether it will ruin your clothes. It will spread that lovely chap stick inside Susie’s pocket REGARDLESS of how much you paid for that top.
- Inexpensive brands (or quality brands second-hand) can hold up sufficiently well for a regular mom’s needs. Not sure if an item will hold up? Reading reviews can help answer this question. Many times people will comment on how well the pieces do or don’t last. (This is why we like shopping for clothes online! There are reviews!)
- Expensive clothes are often hand wash or dry clean only. That’s super inconvenient! Better to buy a cashmere feel-a-like than the actual cashmere so you can launder it easily.
- Consider laundering your clothes less. Simply hang them back up after wearing them unless they are truly dirty. You can also put jeans in the freezer to get their shape back rather than washing them.
- Inexpensive clothes means you aren’t stressed about them getting ruined around the kids. One of the reasons you might not be wearing your “nice clothes” is because you paid top dollar for them. Let’s get rid of that barrier.
We’ve found that buying affordable clothes (second-hand or from inexpensive brands) is the way to go.
No stress if they get ruined, but still super cute. (Almost 100% of the pieces Corina is wearing in the pictures in this post were inexpensive and she won’t have a heart attack if one of her boys ruins it with a dab from a permanent marker!)
So what should I wear everyday at home?
Wear those nice clothes, mama!
Those classic pieces deserve to be worn and YOU deserve to look and feel good, not just on days when you leave the house but EVERY day!
Try it for a week and see how it puts a pep in your step.
I dare you! 😉
Do you think it improves your mood when you get dressed? Do you think it’s worth wearing your “nice clothes” at home?
Click here to leave your response.
