“You don’t need to iron it. DID YOU HEAR ME? NO IRONING!”

That was the defining quality which put this striped pintuck shirt from The Gap on Amy Hatch’s Non-Mom-Uniform list.

The Mom Uniform. What a dreadful phrase. Today’s mom can balance a lot of hats; career woman at the office, career woman with own business, blogger, designer, artist, wife, yoga instructor, VP, actress, troupe leader, philanthropist, coach, or all of the above. It’s fair to say that today’s mom is certainly not yesterdays mom of June Cleaver lore – and neither are the clothes.

One could argue that there really isn’t such a thing as “mom clothes” – or maybe just the connotation of the term makes us defiantly say there isn’t. There are – as in every profession – certain qualities that make an item of clothing “mom approved”, and these days that usually means function + comfort + STYLE .

I love that mom’s of ThisNext are calling out the good stuff and putting it up there for all to share.

So back to Amy Hatch’s mission to dress like a non mom. When she’s not blogging at Chicken and Cheese or Brave New World, she’s busy being a mom, freelance writing and trying to get into grad school. Her shopcast features items to wear while on the go go day or night.

A big fave for several people is Seychelles Habit Forming Pumps which have a sturdy wedge heel and are guaranteed to be comfy – at least according to MediaBistro style writer Gail Goldberg who has them in three colors. As a rule, I don’t do heels. Ever. But I do love Seychelles shoes…they’re affordable and comfortable, so I may make an exception in these as they look like I may actually be able to walk in them without looking like a deranged scarecrow.

Every mom everywhere needs a good pair of jeans. Amy has two of The Gap’s Flare Long and Lean Jeans because “h aving a baby changes you … specifically, your rear end. These jeans are my fave since my post-partum days. Low, but not too low. Dark wash? So slimming! And the boot-cut balances out those child-bearing hips.”

Like a good pair of jeans, the right make up can make or break any gal’s appearance. For no-fuss perfection the overwhelming choice is Benefit’s Dandelion Blush. For mom’s-to-be here’s a great tip: “w hen I was pregnant I had terrible morning sickness and a swipe of this covered the green-around-the-gills look and gave me the fabled “pregnancy glow.”

Susanne Maddux knows a thing or two about hipness. She the designer of Susanne Maddux, “baby totes for the stylish mom” and a mother of two. Her list Fashion Accessories and Products for the Hip New Mom is definitely a shopcast to bookmark. When bad hair days happen, she suggests ditching the ugly baseball cap and throw on this Burberry London Wool Baker Boy Hat. For “daily jaunts with the baby” Susanne loves these Philippe Stark for Puma “Paris” sneakers. And when new moms are getting used to their “new mom body” Susanne has three tips:

1) the Lush Therapy Massage Bar “ Nothing feels this good on your ‘new mom body’”

2) Spanx Slim Cognito Control Panties “ For those days when you need to look and feel better about your post pregnancy body.”

3) To “feel like a goddess” splurge on Rebecca Norman Gold Bangles to liven up any outfit.

And finally, no motherhood would be complete without the days (and days and days) of trying to get the kids to just do what you say. When words begin to finally fail, make sure you have this Because I Said So tee in the reserves. It’s orange and bright so all can see. And eventually everyone will get the point.

PS – goes great with the Puma Sneakers and Long & Lean jeans.

You go mom.