The Everyday Sweater All Moms Should Know About

My go-to sweater for date nights, school pick-ups, and everything in between.

Workleisure: Make It Work For You

Introducing the second blog post in my 3-part blog series about making your workleisure work for you. Workleisure, or the relaxed mix of outfits you wear for remote work, doesn’t have to feel like you’re dressing for Sweatpants Saturday.

When you become a mom, you suddenly become a multitasker. Your time will not be yours anymore as you’ll spend it planning your daily activities while working and showing up for your kids. Sometimes, you don’t even have the time to think about the clothes you will wear.

Luckily, I came across a sweater that made deciding what to wear easier. Read along to discover how the Oliver Charles sweater became my new go-to.

• 7 Day Sweater Challenge
• The Perfect Sweater For Mom Life
• 5 Tips For Your Workleisure Wardrobe

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"Momming" should be an Olympic event. It takes work, skill, strategy, and discipline. We’ve got the speed component down—just watch us make a PB&J while ordering a grocery pick-up while brainstorming for our upcoming work meeting. But the mom's uniform could use some work.

Olympic swimmers have suits that keep them moving quickly and seamlessly through the water.

Tennis players have moisture-wicking fabrics that stretch well and pocket an extra tennis ball for the next point.

Moms need a go-to clothing article that equips them with their daily activities.

I think I’ve found it in my All-Season Waffle Knit. Below, I’ll walk you through the steps I take to make my staple sweater work from dawn to dusk.

It doesn’t just get the job done. My staple sweater helps me to be a better mom by limiting my decision fatigue and quickening my get-ready pace. It gives me confidence by supporting my desire to be dressed appropriately for work meetings and unpredictable weather.

Finally, my staple sweater is the perfect piece to complement a date-night outfit, keeping me warm in a chilly cinema, restaurant, or bar.

Get Ready Wwith Me And My Yak Wool Waffle Knit

I can’t be the only mom who thinks 6:00 am is too early to wake up. I wait until the very last second to quit snoozing my alarm and roll out of bed. To do that, my outfit has to be ready and nearby.

My get-ready-with-me has nothing to do with skincare or natural-looking makeup. It is a bare minimum to get out the door on time. I roll out of bed, grab my glasses (which may have fallen under the edge of the bed), and brush my teeth. Then I toss on my staple sweater, a pair of sweatpants, comfy socks, and slides.

Between repeatedly asking my daughter to move faster and making her a piece of toast, I don’t pick up a brush or drink a smoothie. I take care of my kid. We fix her hair according to her creative vision, and we’re out the door. School mornings are about getting her to school. That’s it.

Having a easy to wear go-to sweater allows me to:

• Go braless
• Look great from the car window up
• Automatically dress without worrying about what I will wear at 6:00 am

That’s how I style my 6:00 am staple sweater moment.

Remote Work In My Staple Sweater

I’m styling my staple sweater slightly differently for the second quarter of the day. My remote work is pretty laid back, but there’s always a chance I’ll need to hop on a Zoom call.

By wearing my Navy Blue Waffle Knit with a gold necklace and semi-fixed hair, I’m always Zoom-ready. For other jewelry pieces, I like to switch out my earrings to match the vibe of the day and fasten my Fitbit. It’s a simple look that can be as sophisticated as I make it.

In pairing my staple sweater with other workleisure, I love a good pair of stretchy dress pants. I’ll wear my staple sweater atop classic Levi’s jeans or an exercise skort in the spring. I usually wear sneakers of some sort. Last but not least, I’ve got an Owala water bottle to strategically place around my laptop in hopes that I’ll remember to hydrate. I also like coffee, but I will never forget my coffee.

Outdoor Time In My Staple Sweater

A staple sweater holds up for the third section of my day. Some of the world doesn’t recognize this, but moms are individuals who have their own needs. GASP.

One of the main needs that goes overlooked for us is our mental health. We tend to bottle it up and bond over it later, but we can take measures to lessen the mental load by getting outdoors.

Here’s where my staple sweater shows off, equally fit for sunny days or dreary spells. I don’t have to bring a change of clothes in a gym bag. I just need to pop out to the sidewalk—if I’m at home—or to a park—if out and about.

I carry a fanny pack with my phone, keys, and pepper spray for any stray dogs or humans.

When I can take this self-care walk with other moms, it’s ideal for my extrovert energy. Even walking alone—in a safe space with my head on a swivel—is well worth the time I’ll have to add on to my work day later to finish a task.

On another note, moms are obsessed with multitasking. I love that walking outside benefits my mental and physical health. When health and wellness are routine, I’m a more gracious, relaxed mom to my kids.

Styling My Staple Sweater For Date Night

I have never been to “a club” in my life. I went to a country bar known for its two-stepping a few times in college, but I doubt most people would say that counts. That said, my tips for a date night out with your partner won’t fit the clubbing experience.

However, they will get you hot for a drink and a board game, and if you’re a mom in your 30s, that’s probably right up your alley. *Whispers: You’re a puzzle person like me.

My goals for a date night with my partner in my 30s include:

• Not overpaying on babysitting charges
• Getting lucky and falling asleep by midnight

My outfit will hint at both. My first layer is a dress. I may choose a maxi, midi, or mini dress, depending on the season. Pictured below is a slip dress that has just enough compression to smooth out my c-section soft belly and normal woman thighs. I’ve learned to embrace both, but that doesn’t mean I have to emphasize them on date night.

I’m reaching for sparkly (but neutral) hair accessories, fashion sunglasses, and all the gold hoop earrings. I usually wear cute boots, but I can also be found in white sneakers on date night.

The staple of my date night outfit is an All-Season Sweater. I absolutely must wear some sort of outerwear to any restaurant, bar, or movie theater so my teeth don’t start chattering. My staple sweater looks super cute and is not too chunky for the form-fitting occasion.

Also pictured below is a 100-piece puzzle my husband and I completed while drinking cocktails at a bar on one date night. We’ve discovered that our ideal date night incorporates food from a local place, drinks from a laid-back but-vibey bar, and a game or puzzle to have fun with while we chat.

Adding the activity element helps avoid any talk about our kids or calendar—neither is off-limits, but we like taking a break from those topics for date night.

The Staple Sweater That’s Always There For You

Like the rare true friendship in your 30s, a staple sweater always has your back.

My All-Season Waffle Knit fits the bill in so many ways. It’s comfortable, eco-conscious, and ready for every loop motherhood throws at me—from a fashion standpoint.

If you believe that every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better, consider buying yourself an OLIVER CHARLES sweater.