Trendy Women Everywhere: Fashions For Punks and Us With Badunkadunks

Finally. Balmy weather has arrived in Chicago. We can safely put away our parkas and it’s time to step out in my favorite fashion season: Spring/Summer.

I enjoy this season because it’s always the most fun and creative. This year there’s a lot of trends, some whimsical, others retro, but the best thing is that many of them have figure-flattering pieces for us everyday women.

• Trends I like:

70s- Invoke the rockstar’s chic girlfriend

Derek Lam

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Skinny jeans, cute as they may be, are not the big-bootied woman’s friend. (Unless paired with chunky shoes.) I have a serious badunk and short legs, therefore I praise the straight-legged pants, boot cut, or bell bottoms. This season, it’s the high-waisted pants with a fashionable flair at the end of your stems. Keep in mind, not everyone can rock the high-waisted pants though. (Ahem, Jessica Simpson.)

Other pieces from this 70s trend that I find appealing is the return of the maxi dress, this time it’s sheer. Maxi dresses are so comfy, though sometimes I wonder if I’m unsuccessfully hiding my flab or truly looking fab.

by turquoisepassion

Also platform wedges are back on the shelves. I love these since A) I’m short and B) I’m a mom. That means I can be cute at the summer barbecue while chasing my kids, because I’m not going to break an ankle, like I surely would in stilettos.

Polished Punk

Ahhhh this appeals to my inner rebel. The girl whose favorite manicure color is black. Who still loves all things G n’ R, Nirvana and Sound Garden, and who remembers the first time she saw Joan Jett and immediately found an idol.

Burberry's zipped motorcycle jacket

This look is easy to incorporate with existing items in your closet. You can pair an ultra feminine top or dress with an edgy, studded jacket. Frilly tops can help hide any post-preggo belly bulge (*blush*) and a nicely tailored, don’t-f*ck-with-me jacket can show off (or give the allusion of) a trim shape.

• Trends I wouldn’t be caught dead in:

Floral. Personal preference, I like to keep my flowers in my garden.

Christian Dior, Reyes, Max Azria, Blumarine

Loungerie: This is the underwear-as-outerwear gone wrong. I’m all for lounge wear, being a temporary stay-at-home mom I have perfected the lounge wear look, but this is ridiculous. It makes me wonder if it’s one of those things that’s only truly seen on the catwalks, never life’s sidewalks.

However, as in all things fashion, one is never really sure. I mean, who would have thought that snow boots and shorts would one day become trendy? But Coco Chanel herself even said: “Fashion is made to become unfashionable.”

Eating My Words … (Again)

I sent my kid to daycare today with flashing shoes and a black Thomas the Tank Engine T-shirt. I’ve become that parent. The following is Case No. 849 of me eating my words:

Before Logan, I’d see kids in stores and on the streets covered in over-the-top animations of cars, trucks, fairies, princesses, Care Bears, Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and every other Disney character imaginable. I’d make a judgmental mental note, when I have kids, they’re not going to look like an advert for the Cartoon Network.

Some of these kids also had shoes with blinking lights, bells and horns. Horns!!!! But mine wouldn’t.

This week we go shoe shopping and unfortunately not the kind of shoe shopping that used to culminate in boxes of edgy stilts and flirty wedges. It’s shoe shopping at JCPenney in the “family section.” I go there for shoes for the little guy because you get good brands for very little cost. We mostly do Stride Rite, but I don’t like Stride Rite prices. Plus if your kid suffers a meltdown, no worries, you’re surrounded by sympathetic moms.

So I’m there, checking out the selection and Logan spots these black gawd-awful shoes with plastic red cars. “I want THAT ONE!” I tried to make snazzy gray Sketchers seem cool, but they were no match for the red car shoes that blinked red. I caved. I bought them, and he couldn’t have been happier hopping out of the store with strobing shoes.

The shirt was also a recent purchase and I saw it, knew he’d love it and told myself it wasn’t as horrible because the shirt was black. (The lies we tell ourselves! It’s actually very, very ugly)

But that’s the way it is. You think you’ll be one kind of parent and your kid teaches you that you’re another. And it’s all perfectly fine because they’re the greatest, hardest lessons you’ll learn.