Post baby fashion & the dreaded mom jeans

Since becoming pregnant my ability to stay "in fashion" or "in style" has dramatically declined. During pregnancy I was a forced customer into the maternity world. In the realm of fashion, maternity clothes kinda get the shaft; and not because of the elastic waistband. The clothing you buy at maternity stores isn't exactly heinous but it's far from attractive. I found the majority of the clothing was either super tight fitting (which looks wonderful on the models but is something to be desired on the normal person), black, striped OR so baggy that unless you're 8 or 9 months pregnant you just look over weight. Then there's the maternity undergarments, don't get me started on the underwear. If there was ever a time that felt the least sexy in my life it was standing in front of my husband in maternity underwear. Nothing says "Honey I'm sexy" like a maternity bra that doubles as a nursing bra and "bikini" underwear, that's10x the size of your pre-pregnancy underwear to accommodate your ever expanding butt in my 3rd trimester. At the very end of my pregnancy around month 8 I refused to buy anymore maternity clothing. I remember going into the maternity store in September and picking out two shirts, only to have the saleswoman pitch me four more shirts stating that I would need them for other days of the week that MIGHT be cold until my son was due. I also remember not having the patience for her sales pitch and telling her I could always wear my summer clothes and a sweatshirt if I had to...which is exactly what I ended up doing. The only flaw in this equation was that I neglected to realize just how long I'd be wearing my maternity clothing for (as my son was 2 weeks late and I didn't realize how long I'd be wearing the clothing after my son was born).
 For months after having my son I wore maternity clothing (even after getting back to my pre pregnancy weight...which I then gained back and then some you can read about that and how losing baby weight can be fun in my post yesterday) for 3 reasons, first being that I had a c-section and loose fitting clothing was the only thing that would fit under my abdominal brace. The next reason being I was PLANNING on loosing  weight...and didn't want to buy new clothes that I'd soon shrink out of. Lastly, I had my son in November, and I thought I could buy clothing for spring. However, I did find myself buying a few articles of clothing (10 shirts 3 sweaters and a pair of dress pants) by Christmas and then again in spring...the majority of what I bought being Clarence and sale items at Kohl's to save money for the holiday.  So once spring came around I bought a new pair of jeans at Lane Bryant thinking they would be a good choice...because while they didn't flatter my figure the sales associate assured me that the looser waistband that was built into them would be more forgiving until I got my body back. In retrospect I should have known the loose elastic waistband was red flag. I found myself in tears one day over the feeling of feeling "frumpy."and as though I'd never get my body back, forget trying to loose the stretch marks.  Needless to say I later went out with my sister to five stores and finally found two pairs of jeans at Eddie Bauer that both flattered and accommodated my waistline...and they didn't have an elastic band. Honestly, I believe not having the elasticity in the waistband helped kick myself into gear to refocus my energy in loosing weight. As I gained weight I could feel that waistband tightening and stretching almost yelling at me to jump on a scale and become accountable for my weight.
 My best advice to anyone who is pregnant now, or just had a baby is don't sacrifice comfort for style. You can always wear pajama pants when your home, but have something that flatters you and something you enjoy for when you leave the house...or for when you feel like dressing up for yourself or your husband. It's not only essential for your own sanity, and mental health but extremely important for your relationship.
 This evening I was on pintrest and stumbled across an article about how to find the perfect jeans and avoid the dreaded mom jeans. As a disclaimer, for anyone who reads her article I don't agree with her generalized statement that ALL GAP and OLD NAVY jeans are mom jeans, but do feel that she is right about what makes them geared more to an older age group, and what is really a "butt killer" ...anyway without any further adieu here is the articleMom Jeans.
I will be openly honest, I am not a "fashion expert" and I don't claim to be one. I'm sure I "get it wrong" more often then I get it right....but I do know that experience has taught me to buy what makes me feel "pretty, elegant, and sexy" regardless of what others think...and at the end of the day that's all that matters. It's my opinion that if you are unhappy with yourself, it shows through to your infant and they can feel your sadness or frustration.
I welcome everyone's feelings or experiences on this topic. While this has been my experience, many of you may disagree or have had vastly different experiences. Feel free to express them here.