• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

While plenty of women joke about the new mom wardrobe style staples -- leggings, sweatpants and messy buns -- as if they are a short-term part of postpartum life, new research from Stitch Fix finds their fashion woes continue much longer, even lasting for years.

The company is teaming up with Lindsay Arnold, a pro on "Dancing with the Stars" and founder of The Movement Club, to help them regain their groove.

The idea is to help women navigate their new lives, and realize that the arbitrary "bounce back timeline" that many feel pressured by has little to do with how long the identity shift of motherhood actually takes.

The study found that while 70% of the moms in its 1,000-person survey say they felt confident about their personal style before having a baby, the percentage fell to 40% after.

And while confidence is a major component of their struggle, it's also about a changed style identity, with 40% of moms saying they still don't feel like themselves when getting dressed two or more years after giving birth. And their closets just add to the confusion, with more than 50% saying their pre-pregnancy wardrobe doesn't reflect who they are.

It costs them, with 65% saying they have passed on a social opportunity because they didn't feel right about any of their clothing choices.

"We know the meaningful role style confidence plays in how moms feel about themselves," said Sarah Funderburk, the company's vice president of styling, in the report. "More than 80% of mothers agree that wearing clothes that reflect their personal style directly boosts confidence, and nearly half say that investing in clothes that fit their current body is the single greatest catalyst for reclaiming that self-assurance."

In a new microsite, new moms can find their way to a style quiz designed to help them reconcile their former style with their current reality, reconnecting with themselves during a transition that often involves multiple sizes and performance demands.

"Your body and your identity keep changing long after the baby arrives," says Arnold in the announcement. "I know firsthand that finding yourself again after childbirth takes time and that's exactly why I wanted to work with Stitch Fix. It's time to stop pressuring moms to rush back to who they used to be and start celebrating who they are right now."

Arnold gave birth to her third child last month.

The announcement comes as Stitch Fix is also regaining its groove, posting revenues of $340.3 million in the third quarter, an increase of 4.7% year-over-year, and its fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth.

And while the number of active clients using the online personal styling service dipped slightly, to 2.3 million, the amount those clients are spending grew a healthy 6.6% from the prior year, to $578.