What Are Mom Jeans vs Straight Leg Jeans? Practical Tips to Wear Them
What are mom jeans and should we wear them again. I had a request to showcase some of the new jean trends and keeping them fresh for us older women (thanks Susan for the idea). So stay tuned as we explore some of the not-so-crazy jeans styles that you can easily wear.
Quote of the day: “Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform.” Susan B. Anthony
Are jeans in the same category as reform? I am going to suggest they are because too many times we are overwhelmed with trying on jeans and stressed about how they make us look.
As someone whose style has evolved 180 degrees over these years of blogging, I’d like to point out that clothing is meant to make us feel good. Getting dressed should not cause anxiety over whether it’s age-appropriate, shape-appropriate, or any other kind of detail. We will never know how a piece will look on us until we try it. Sure, you get an idea whether you like it or not when you see it on someone else, but remember, you are a totally different person.
In fact, the three of us are all wearing different silhouettes of jeans that can be found at the stores now. I started the series with boyfriend jeans. Which pair is right for you? Maybe all of them, haha. But remember, don’t get caught up in what the jeans are called. It’s more important to find ones that fit and that you love.
You can also see a pair of petite wide-leg jeans with a way to spruce up a t-shirt.
Jeans: Style & Co~~ Top: Gibson Look~~ Shoes: Amelia Grace~~ Necklace:
What are Mom Jeans?
First, let’s talk about what are mom jeans? I bet we all wore these in the past if you’re over the 50-year-old mark. The original mom jeans have a high waist, with wide-cut hips and crotch and sometimes even an elastic waistband.
When you are used to the skinny jeans (which I talked about if they were going out of style in this post), then you might feel that mom jeans are too baggy. Yet because mom jeans fit loosely on the thighs and around the hips, they make the rear appear flatter and take the focus away from highlighting the shape of the lower body. At least this is one way to analyze the silhouette.
You could consider the mom jeans style a retro look since it was popular in the 80s and 90s for moms. Why were they all the rage then? Because they were modest and comfortable since the silhouette is looser. I’d consider them the yoga pants of denim before yoga pants were a thing. Women wore them to run errands as a functional outfit.
Straight Leg Jeans vs Mom Jeans
Now when we are comparing the mom jeans to straight-leg jeans, they aren’t super different. The straight leg jeans have the same width from the knee to the leg opening hence the “straight” effect. Many of the mom jeans tended to be more tapered at the ankle comparatively.
Yet the straight leg jeans can have all of the other features as mom jeans like the higher waist and the looser fit in the crotch and thighs.
And let me reiterate, it really doesn’t matter what the label says on the jeans you buy. Because you may find 2 pairs almost identical yet they are called different names.
Who Can Wear the Mom or Straight Leg Jeans
The short answer: ANYONE.
It’s all about finding joy in our clothes and making them work for us. Lesley will tell you that she doesn’t feel as slim in this style of jeans. It makes her feel a bit sloppy.
I believe part of this is due to the fact that we have been wearing tighter jeans for years now. So we aren’t used to the looser cuts.
Luckily the age we are living in is now full of options, so you can find most styles that you prefer. The advantage of online shopping is there tends to be more selection if you fall in the petite or plus sizes.
Insider tip: When ordering online, make sure to buy a couple of different sizes just like you would take into a fitting room. Of course, you’ll have to return the sizes that don’t fit, but you’ll have more success finding a pair that does fit this way.
Color Denim
I’m a huge fan of colorful denim. Granted most of the young kids stick to the blue jean denim. However, once you have a couple of pairs of blue jeans, I think it’s nice to have other colors in your closet.
Other Colorful denim posts:
- 5 Colorful Ways to Wear Mustard Yellow Jeans
- Dressing up Denim with Other Colors of Jeans
- Making Your Color Jeans Part of a Smart Outfit
- Wearing Color Jeans Yet Still Getting Glammed Up
- Wearing Color Jeans Can Make You Feel Young at Heart
I’ve had women comment to me that they thought colored denim was out of style. While you may not be seeing it everywhere, I am a firm believer that you can make anything look great. If you’re worried about the fact that color denim is out of style then you can concentrate on the other elements in your outfit and make them stand out.
Changing the focus of an outfit this way is a great way to feel good. More on that below.
Red and Rust
Let’s also talk about this color combination. Now that fall is here, we are seeing a lot of rust in clothing items. I’ve seen a couple of my friends, Sally and Bettye, both talk about what colors to pair with rust.
Would you have thought to mix red with rust this way?? I bet not, yet it really combines beautifully. Of course, maybe you call Lesley’s jeans brown or cognac? Either way, I think that these colors meld so well together because they both have that reddish, warmer tint to them.
What Kind of Top to Wear with These Jeans
We discussed what are mom jeans and straight leg jeans, so now let’s cover some ideas of what to wear on the top half. For this outfit, Lesley went with a knit top, but still something more interesting than a t-shirt. What you may be noticing with the newer jean trends are the higher waistbands. Unless you are wearing cropped tops, most of the time this detail just doesn’t matter.
Therefore, don’t run out and buy a new pair of jeans if you already have something that works.
But back to the subject of the top half. The shirts that have some kind of knot or twist to them are visually more refreshing because you take away that pure horizontal line across your body.
Insider tip: Remember, just because your jeans are casual, doesn’t mean you have to pair them with a casual top. The idea of dichotomy in your outfit styles makes it much more interesting.
Lesley bought this top with the twisted knot already part of it. However, it’s not impossible to do it with a straight hem top. This was basically shown in an alternative to the half tuck method here.
Let me walk you through how you can DIY this:
- Pull up the extra material where you want the knotted detail.
- Now twist the material a couple of times in one direction.
- Grab your handy, dandy, clear elastic (or if the material of your shirt is thicker, a hair band) and wrap it tight enough to hold that twist
- Tuck the “tie” up under the material. If it’s too slippery to stay by itself, try using fashion tape or you could pin it. If you use the fashion tape, don’t forget to take off the fashion tape before you wash it.
- TADA, even though you’re keeping your bum covered, you have an asymmetrical detail for the front view.
Add a Statement to your Jeans Outfit
Another great detail for your outfit is a statement accessory. If you prefer more basic tops, then a statement necklace is the perfect way to give your look a fun focal point. The other advantage of a statement necklace is the idea that it showcases your dazzling personality.
For example, Lesley wore this pendant necklace that is tiger eye color and silver.
Why this particular example works so well.
- The brown and silver contrasts against the red. If she had worn a red necklace, it wouldn’t stand out and you wouldn’t see it.
- This pendant style creates a “v” in the front which can help when you are wearing a crew neck top.
- The length of necklace makes a difference. If your necklace seems too long, make sure to use those clear elastics to shorten it. When you have a knotted detail in the top, you wouldn’t want the necklace to interfere or compete with it.
Insider tip: If you want to see different lengths and styles of necklaces with a crew neck top, Charlotte showcased them here.
How Shoes Make a Difference
When we talk about what are mom jeans vs straight-leg jeans, we realize that the leg opening is bigger than our skinny jeans which can make you question what shoes to wear with these jeans.
There are many options for what shoes you can wear. You can still wear your ankle boots, but depending on the length of your jeans, you may not notice the ankle boots as much. That could be a bad or good thing. Remember, you can always cuff your jeans if you want to showcase the shoes more.
Lesley is wearing a wedge espadrille with these long straight-leg jeans so she didn’t have to shorten the pants. Adding in a colored shoe makes the outfit more interesting too.
I know everyone thinks they should match your shoes to the pants to look taller. But if you worry about that, please stop and read Perfectly Imperfect. There is no reason to try to look taller (or thinner, or anything else). You are you and your body is wonderful.
Besides colorful shoes are much more fun. I remember when we first talked about red shoes many years ago, SO many women shared their memories of a red pair of shoes from their past. I certainly don’t hear that about our basic colored shoes as much.
Other options of shoes with pants
- Descriptive and Valuable Kinds of Shoes to Wear with Cropped Pants
- Instructive Lesson-Which Shoes to Wear with Ankle Pants
- Revisited Latest Trend- Shoes to Wear with Cropped Flare Jeans
How Will You Wear Them?
I hope you’ve learned more about what are mom jeans vs straight-leg jeans and what you can wear with them to spruce them up.
Now it’s time to get dressed and go enjoy your day.
My Goal
Thank you for visiting my space on the internet. I like to showcase how it’s never too late to look great for women of any age, size, or working with any budget.
I feel I’m here to help move beyond the fashion rules of yesterday and evolve. Style and clothes are made to give you joy. Not cause us stress because we are worried about what others think.
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