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Down In My Heart Joy!: Maternity Fashion: How To Keep Your Style While Wearing a Bump FIRST TRIMESTER
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I'm over six months into this pregnancy, and finally "having" to wear more maternity than non-maternity clothes. In my weekly letters to my unborn child, I post photos of my growing belly. And my outfits. Because I'm a fashionista kind of girl. My favorite style blog is Kendi Everyday. If I could have pulled it off, I would have done a daily outfit maternity style blog during this pregnancy, and am still kicking myself that I didn't.
Things about me and fashion:
- I like clothes.
- I have an annual budget of $1,000 for clothes. Might be a lot for some people, might be a drop in the bucket for others. The last time I googled for articles about maternity fashion on a budget, the woman writing the article was raving about $150 flats that she could NOT do without during her pregnancy. The other shoes on her "must have" list were in the same price range. That is not me. I am also not the person who clothing shops once a year or every other year. I shop for clothes throughout the month.
- My two primary locations for clothing are the thrift store and Old Navy.
- I like to be in style.
- I like to make new outfits out of my own closet (called "shopping your closet" by some).
- It matters to me to look cute, even around the house. My pj's will match. When I was horribly sick for a week earlier this year, I wore tanks and boy short undies every day in bed. They matched. Even though I had 103 fever most of the time, and no one except my mom and husband saw me, I still matched.
- My default desired price for any one garment is $10. Less if it's something small like a tank, and more if it's something nicer like a coat or slacks. If it's pushing $20 there's an excellent chance I won't buy it. If it's under $10 and adorable, there's an excellent chance I will buy it.
- I hate ironing so I don't buy anything that needs it, unless it is dry clean only so they press it for me.
- I hate the way collars look on me, so unless it's a blazer, I don't have any polos or collared blouses.
Thrifting.
I used to shop at Goodwill, but once I found Texas Thrift Store, I switched. Mainly because Texas Thrift hangs clothes by sizes, and Goodwill only hangs things by color. So you could look through half the store to find ten items, which is what I did every time I went there. It was a three to four hour ordeal, and even clothes-aholic me got annoyed. Texas Thrift is a dollar or two more expensive, but seems to have nicer things (it's rare I find items that are ridiculously hideous, majorly stained, or holey, which is in sharp contrast to Goodwill).
I thrift about once a month, for one to three hours, depending on how much time I have.
Old Navy.
I pretty much never buy anything at Old Navy full price. I have an Old Navy credit card (which I always pay off as soon as I get home from shopping). This gives me extra coupons, and I earn reward points for shopping there. I resisted getting the store credit card for about five years, then finally decided we buy so many of our clothes there, it really would save us money. It has, only because I would be shopping there anyway. I never go there without a coupon, and I usually only buy items from the clearance rack. They move things through pretty quickly, so an item that was full priced and new one day, will likely be on sale in a month or less, and on clearance in another few weeks. I also shop Old Navy online, because after spending $50 you get free shipping, and I can return whatever I don't like at any local store (or the extra $10 item I bought to get me up to $50).
Since being pregnant and having to constantly get new things for a changing shape, I shop at Old Navy retail store about once a month, and online about once a month.
Things about me and maternity fashion:
- I was determined not to lose my sense of style.
- I was determined not to look frumpy and fat, like I had given up on myself.
- I was determined not to spend ridiculous amounts of money (because maternity clothes with any sense of style are ridiculously priced, like triple or quadruple what I normally spend on a single item).
- This is my first pregnancy, and I work full time at a fancy brokerage firm office where the dress code is suits at a maximum and sweater/slacks at a minimum. I have time to make myself fashionable every day. And I'm not worried about one of my other children puking on me, having to do dishes, etc. I'll have to write that post when I get to that point in my life.
- I take my photos on Sundays, and are usually what I wore to church. As a result, I am dressed down from what I would be at work, but dressed up from "around the house." Usually I have worn the outfit during the week at work, with some dressier variation (heels, blazer instead of cardigan, etc.).
Okay, on to the good stuff.
MATERNITY FASHION TIPS #1: Don't buy or wear "maternity" clothes. (As much as possible; As long as possible).
Buy a size or two larger in normal clothes instead. Buy styles in your regular size or a size up, that have space for a changing belly (and butt and thighs).
The exception is pants/shorts. I was a size two pre-pregnancy, and had to wear maternity pants and slacks (non-stretchy, fitted kinds) beginning about four months pregnant.
But shirts, skirts, and dresses, just buy (or wear your own) non-maternity items that will work.
#2: Buy what you need for now.
Every woman's body is different. Every pregnancy is different. Every pregnancy hits at a different time of the year. So don't buy sweaters on clearance in the spring expecting to wear them in the fall in your second or third trimester. You WOULD do that for normal clothes, but with pregnancy, you don't know exactly how much weight you will gain, or where you will gain it, so it's best to buy what fits now, and has space for one or two months of growth.
#3: Use Bella Bands.
I adore these, and have worn them every day of my pregnancy since I hit three months.
- To wear my pre-pregnancy pants unbuttoned and unzipped (yes they stayed up and no they didn't show any unmentionables).
- To hold up my maternity pants when they were too big. And when they fit right but liked to slip down since my belly would push them lower.
- For an extra layer of warmth (I was pregnant during the winter). In the summer, they might prove to be too hot.
- To smooth out my belly, so my belly button was not quite so "poky." I think it's cute, but sometimes it was a bit much and nice to have it flattened out just a tad.
- I expect to also use them post-partum to hold up pants as I transition from maternity back to regular clothes.
- I purchased a few knock off belly band type things on Ebay that were $8 or $10, and they were like thin t-shirt knit material and didn't hold anything up. Get the authentic Ingrid and Isabel Bella Bands in every neutral color, USED off Ebay and you won't be disappointed. I have them in black, navy, grey, white, nude, and brown. I bought them all used of Ebay for $8 to $20 each (they are $35 plus new). The new ones have a fancy silicone line to help hold things up. I have the old kind which are just fabric and they work perfectly.
#4: Accessorize. Jewelry, belts, scarves, etc.
I'm also still wearing heels every weekday.
Belts and sashes worn at the empire waistline are SO helpful for showing off your bump. They give you definition that says "pregnant not chubby."
#5: Choose blouses that are as fitted as you feel comfortable.
The baggier your blouse is, the more likely you are to look or feel huge instead of pregnant. To look polished and feel better, define the shape of your belly with fitted blouses instead of tent style blouses. I especially liked anything that had banding or elastic at the bottom of the blouse. It made the shirt tuck under my belly, giving it definition.
I don't have daily photos, but I have weekly ones. If an item is "maternity" I will say so. Otherwise items are non-maternity.
Seven weeks pregnant. My belly may look flat to you, but I promise this is not my usual belly. It is rounded already from it's non-pregnant state.
Necklace - bone. Gift from family members, purchased in India.
Tank - Old Navy $2 special tank sale exclusive to ON card members, required coupon received by email. Size XS.
Bermuda Shorts - Old Navy, gift. Size 2
Shoes - flip flops of some kind? I don't even remember.
WORK VERSION: None.
Nine weeks pregnant.
Necklace - plastic vintage, thrifted, $5
Blue tank undershirt - Old Navy $2 special same as above. Size XS.
Dress - thrifted, from the pajama section so it was $5 I think. It was also several sizes too big, so I sewed seams down the sides to make it fit me. Originally size L.
Belt - Urban Outfitters online.
Shoes - silver flats, Walmart, $10
WORK VERSION: On a casual Friday when we're allowed to wear jeans (happens a couple times a year), I wore this to work over skinny (pre-pregnancy) jeans, a hot pink cardigan, and silver mary jane heels instead of silver flats.
NOTE: about MATERNITY BELTS, or using belts for maternity.
This one is a great example. It is a woven braid thing that doesn't have true holes. You just poke the buckle through the weave wherever you want it. This means I have worn it on my waist (pre-pregnancy), and up on the empire waist line. I can put it tight in the morning, and loosen after meals when my stomach gets cramped. I can wear it over multiple layers or just one. I adore belts that are completely adjustable like this, and for maternity wear, they truly come in handy.
12 Weeks Pregnant.
Necklace - multi-colored glass beads on copper chain, Claire's, probably about $10 bought a long time ago. It is super long, so I'm wearing it wrapped twice. Second necklace is vintage navy plastic pendant on silver chain, gift.
Cardigan - Target, $15, bought it for an Easter dress last year, so I paid more than I normally would for something so simple.
Dress - thrifted, $10.
Leather Belt - thrifted, $10 or less
Brown pleather mary jane flats - Ross $15
WORK VERSION: Wore to work on a semi-casual Friday, just changed shoes to chocolate brown heels.
This is the outfit where I put on my old (push up) 34A bra and freaked out because I was falling out of this dress. It was also the first time a complete stranger asked if I was pregnant. Which is unfortunate because my belly won't be nearly this flat when I'm weeks post-partum!
Fourteen weeks pregnant. Still wearing my old bra, but pulled all the padding and push up out of it.
Necklace - plastic vintage, thrifted, $3
Shirt - Old Navy, $15 because I loved it and it goes with tons of my wardrobe
Belt - tan leather, Ebay, $12
Skirt - thrifted (Banana Republic), it is linen and fitted with a zipper, so I have the zipper partially undone underneath my shirt, $8, size S
Shoes - We didn't take a full-length photo, but I think they're the same as the previous image, Ross
WORK VERSION: Added a hot pink cardigan, or a medium brown cardigan (can't remember). Changed from brown flats to brown heels. Made sure to iron the linen skirt (ugh).
