Society doesn’t expect moms to wear high heels and pearls in the kitchen – or at all, if it’s not their fashion jam - anymore. We’re living in a time when comfort and style can actually go hand in hand, and no matter your size, shape, formal activity level, or career/calling, there are options available to outfit you in ways YOU want, for the ways YOUR body wants or needs to move. Our mothers and grandmothers’ industrial-rubber style “comfort” girdles can quietly die in a hole, thank you very much. We’ll take soft, supple yoga pants that hold their shape and stylish pants and skirts built for women on the move any day.
Add to this that for many families, it’s someone else besides mom in the kitchen - because mom is out cutting the grass, walking the dog, or coaching the soccer team. Moms are active from the minute their feet hit the floor in the (too early) morning until the last minute of the (long) day when they are sweetly, blissfully raised up onto a soft mattress after a day in the trenches. (I don’t care if you’re a Bay Street Finance Queen, a volunteer Kindergarten lunch helper, or a part-time dental hygienist; if you’ve got kids, you’re active.)
In short, moms move. We chase toddlers in busy parks, walk all manner of pets kids begged for and promised to exercise but never assist with, hunt down teenagers who are definitely NOT at the library with Debbie, and, oh yeah, likely participate in some sort of formal movement like Yoga or other fitness pursuit designed to make us sweat in places we’ve never seen, even in the shower or on our honeymoons. Moms are active practically every minute of the day and it’s no wonder - the very word “Mom” is a noun AND a verb! We need clothes that move with us - literally.
Look at all we do in a given day:
Laundry is consistently near the top on parents’ “Don’t Wanna Do” list. And that makes sense; it’s a revolving task, meaning it’s never really “done;” plus it can be physically draining, especially if you weren’t blessed by the real estate gods with a main floor laundry. If you’ve got teenagers or kids touched by the puberty wand, double – nay, triple, your activity.
Because with kids at this age your hauling 20lb baskets and lunging under sofas and side tables for the lovely “prize” of what you think is a sock due to colouring and size, but really, could be a dried pepperoni if based on scent. Stretchy pants and a top built to let sweat wick away is on call for this task. Hoist that basket of towering towels high, Mama! You’re building muscle!
School bus routes are designed to frustrate parents; they’re always early, except when they’re really late, the bus stop is always on the wrong side of the road, and why can’t they colour code the whole bus for crying out loud? Who can see a tiny placard with “5A Eastbound John St Elementary” in 12point font from 50 paces? Not this mom. I blew my corneas watching Minecraft YouTube videos from 2014-2017.
School bus sprints need clothes that look great (because, public) but still let you move fast. Aerodynamic colourful bottoms and runners that give you pep pre-caffeine are crucial. A hoodie you can close with one snap or zip keeps you warm and modest if it was a “bra optional due to time constraints” kind morning. Look, if everyone got a brown bag lunch and at least 50% of their hair is combed, you can rock a tank top today. YOU OWN THIS DAY.
Shop this look: Top // Pants // Jacket // Sports Bra
This is one of the most popular positions your body will be in while your children “explore” the ages 16-36 months. That’s 20 full months of squatting, moderating, and negotiating, all while trying to look like you have your sh*t together. (Spoiler: You do not. Spoiler spoiler: It’s okay; literally no one does.)
Now, while the meltdown mode of a toddler is nothing to look forward to, your legs are going to be all the stronger for it. Your key outfit during this period needs to be flexible and breathable, but still look fabulous because toddlers have an uncanny ability to pick the worst possible setting and scenario for unscheduled mayhem. The goal is to offer support and get low with your child, while maintaining a steady, calming presence – no easy feat if you’re outfitted in too-tight skinny jeans and a stretched-out sweater you reserve for painting the garage.
It’s 3:35 pm on Tuesday. The week is well under way and you are crushing it. Dinner is bubbling in the slow cooker, the dog has been walked, the kids are home and it’s a miracle no-homework night… You’re feeling good; cocky, even, and considering a movie with the fam since nothing seems to be needing attent….. Oh. No. Wait. Is today the 16th? It can’t be. The 16th is when that report/analysis/under-the-sea shoebox diorama/400 puppy-shaped cupcakes are due and you haven’t even started.
Pull out the paper plates, put everyone on high-alert that tonight is now a fend-for-yourself-night, and leave a trail of paper towels leading to the crockpot. Mama’s got a deadline and she’s hauling her laptop to the closet wifi enabled coffee shop for an all-nighter. Dress for this like it’s the second most important day in your life, right after the day you discovered Season 2 of Queer Eye was on Netflix. THIS IS YOUR WATERLOO.
You’ll need cozy but flexible exercise pants, and some layering on top for warmth and comfort. (Note: deadlines don’t discriminate for size or shape, and neither does Joe Fresh – this outfit and all others here – come in a range of sizes from XS to 3X and/or 0-22.)
It’s hard earn respect from a wriggling mass of 14 year-olds while screaming at them to HUSTLE, HUSTLE while you’re in a reclining lawn chair sipping a grande double whip mochaccino. This is why soccer coaches (and fill-in soccer coaches) the country over need to stretch and bend – and be dressed for the task – before hitting the pitch. Show up here in your business suit and heels and you’ll be sent for orange slices, stat. No; you want to be in on the action. The signature move here is capital B Boss, and here’s how it’s done: shoes you can actually run in, pants that don’t get in the way of action, and a baller looking hoodie or pullover that says serious sporting.
Bonus accessory to compliment your clipboard? A whistle, of course.
Score!
Here’s a trickier one. Errands range from the most mundane (grocery aisle perusing you could do from with your eyes closed from muscle memory alone) to the more exciting (lol) like dry cleaners, post office, or dental cleanings. No matter which, you want to be comfy but still look great, given all the public spaces you’re hitting up on errand day. Try a skirt and knotted tank and pretty flats. They’re high on the move-ability scale without bottoming out on style – in fact, throw on an accessory like a scarf or statement necklace and we dare say this outfit works for work or a night out.
Moms, you can let go. Say “buh-bye” to drawers full of faded leggings and stretched out sweatshirts, because the 2018 Joe Fresh Active Wear line has you covered for all your active days (and even your couch/pizza/streaming days). And Joe Fresh ensures that there’s no need to sacrifice style for movability and ease – no matter what number your tag reads, because the pieces come in a great selection of sizes, from 0-22, XS-3X - and all at the same price!
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