All of you mothers out there. I see those tee shirts and khakis. You can’t hide those clunky running shoes that you wear even when you’re not running. And the sweatpants - oh please, save me from the sweatpants!

What in the world happened to your sense of style?

Believe me, I understand. When you’re pregnant, nothing fits. Even those fabulous leather boots I adored would not zip over my bulging calves. Like the rest of you, I succumbed to wearing the clothes that best disguised my changing figure. And when I finally (FINALLY) gave birth, I was too busy scrubbing poop stains out of my tee shirts to even think about donning my old “dry clean only” favorites.

(Not that they would have fit over my post-partum posterior, but that’s another story altogether.)

Motherhood saps our style in many ways. Not only do we end up with a figure that may not be compatible with our former wardrobe, we enter a whole new world in which babies blow rice cereal raspberries at our made-up faces, toddlers pull at our cashmere sleeves with banana-slimed fingers, and pre-schoolers use our gabardine pants as handkerchiefs. And have you climbed the stairs in three-inch heels while clutching a child who has just vomited on herself? Not advisable.

So we decide that sacrificing our style, if only in the short-term, is just what we have to do. And then we wake up ten years later and put on a pair of high-waisted, tapered-ankle mom jeans and think nothing of it.

The Little Black Book of Style by Elle fashion director and Project Runway judge Nina Garcia is an essential guidebook for mothers or anyone else who wants to avoid reaching that point of no return. Balancing trends and classics while remaining true to your lifestyle - that’s what we mothers need. We’re worth it.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll have thirty parent bloggers reporting back on what they found in The Little Black Book of Style. We’ve also got a Blog Blast scheduled for this Friday, September 7. All the details are below!

Blog Blast - “So You Think You’ve Got Style?”

We’re sure that all moms have at least one item in their closets that really should have been donated (or trashed) years ago. Tell us how your style has deteriorated over the years and provide some photographic evidence - a picture of the most hideous item that’s still darkening your closet - and ‘fess up to why it’s still in there!

Why should you embarrass yourself in this manner? Because you could win a $250 Coach gift certificate! Face it, a great bag can make any schlumpy mom outfit look better.

Post anytime on Friday, September 7, before midnight PST - and don’t forget to include a photo and links to PBN (http://blog.parentbloggers.com) and the Harper Collins site ( http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061234903/The_Little_Black_Book_of_Style/index.aspx)

Review Campaign Schedule

Wed 9/5 - Bananas and Toddlers, Lawyer Mama
Thurs 9/6 - Boston Mamas, Growing a Life
Fri 9/7 - Marketing Mommy
Mon 9/10 - Mama Maven, Mom Reviews
Tues 9/11 - Get In the Car
Wed 9/12 - An Island Review, Chicky Chicky Baby
Thurs 9/13 - Mommy Needs Coffee
Fri 9/14 - Stuff Con Queso, Mummy’s Product Reviews
Mon 9/17 - Radioactive Girl, Self Made Mom
Tues 9/18 - Builder Mama
Wed 9/19 - Chaos Theory, Views From the Pants, and Mid-Campaign Post on PBN
Thurs 9/20 - Little Bird Reviews
Fri 9/21 - Mom to the Screaming Masses, Surrender Dorothy
Mon 9/24 - Quarter Rest, Three Kid Circus
Tues 9/25 - The Silent I Speaks
Wed 9/26 - Karianna, Mama Drama Stephanie
Thurs 9/27 - PunditMom
Fri 9/28 - Midwestern Mommy, Musings and Misadventures
Mon 10/1 - Her Bad Mother, Temporarily Me
Tues 10/2 - Round-Up Review on PBN