I am sitting in a living room chair in a coral colored scoop neck tee from Gap and black yoga pants from Old Navy. I figure I will be wearing this until noon, when my husband gets home from his photo shoot and I can go to the grocery store and get some provisions for tonight's women's circle at my house.
I wanted to send a big congratulations to Boutique Girl from the blog, Things a Boutique Owner Sees. She gave birth to a little girl. Best wishes to you, and your family! I love blogging, it's fun to connect with people and make new friends. Boutique Girl and I met through this blog, I started following her blog (and gosh I would love to hop across the pond and check out her fab shop!), we became friends on Facebook and got to know one another more as people and not just blogging personas. When I gave birth to Emerson, a fantastic woman I met through blogging sent me a gift of a few CDs of children's music - cool music by cool artists that her cool kid enjoyed. When I knew Boutique Girl was expecting, I sent her a few CDs of our favorite music for Emerson. It's cool how I will look at my Facebook friends list and see that a good dozen of those friends I truly consider FRIENDS and I met them through my past five years of blogging.
As a person who reads and loves blogs, I know how it is to feel as though you really know the author - that person is like a friend in real life (IRL) to you. Well do know, as a blogger I see those recurring screennames who comment. I visit your profiles and your blogs if you have them, and I see you too as real people and friends. I blog because of the friendship and the sense of community, and I think it's a pretty fab community!
I see so many bloggers who have had get togethers with other bloggers in their town. I have met bloggers for shopping trips and coffee, had sushi and tea with readers, met up with readers in their home towns when I have traveled for business. It's really cool to put a face (and VOICE!) to a name and a site.
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. And for you lurkers on any blog... today consider leaving your favorite blogger a comment. Let the author know how her blog entertains, inspires, or educates you. You never know, that one comment may develop into a true friendship IRL!
April 30, 2010
April 29, 2010
Wednesday
I woke up very very early for a meeting at a different office location for our company. Hubby still asleep, so no pictures. I get to this office, head to their bathroom and lookie here... a full length mirror! I dig in my laptop bag to take my picture... and I left my camera at home in my purse. Darn it.
Anyway, today I am wearing my black trousers from Semantiks, black ruffle-trim wrap cardigan from Caslon, gray pima scoop tank from Banana Republic, black patent "Carlina" sandals from Sofft, black statement necklace from Ann Taylor.
Hair is straight. Makeup is standard.
Love these shoes. I took the Metro to this office and had to walk half a mile to the building. Feet felt just as comfy as they would have in tennies.
Desperate need for haircut. This weekend is so busy, don't know when I will have the time. Tomorrow I am working from home, and then am hosting my mothly women's circle. Saturday I am going to see My Morning Jacket in concert (YAY!), and Sunday my friend is having a party/cookout so all of us heading to Bonnaroo can get together, meet, greet, enjoy music and food and plan our trip.
FYI, planning on wearing the new Gap maxi dress to the MMJ concert - will be in the 80s that day. Thinking of wearing with the Bern Boots from DUO as that I have general admission tickets (pit, not field!) and will be standing and could possibly get stepped on. Sooo looking forward to the show!
Anyway, today I am wearing my black trousers from Semantiks, black ruffle-trim wrap cardigan from Caslon, gray pima scoop tank from Banana Republic, black patent "Carlina" sandals from Sofft, black statement necklace from Ann Taylor.
Hair is straight. Makeup is standard.
Love these shoes. I took the Metro to this office and had to walk half a mile to the building. Feet felt just as comfy as they would have in tennies.
Desperate need for haircut. This weekend is so busy, don't know when I will have the time. Tomorrow I am working from home, and then am hosting my mothly women's circle. Saturday I am going to see My Morning Jacket in concert (YAY!), and Sunday my friend is having a party/cookout so all of us heading to Bonnaroo can get together, meet, greet, enjoy music and food and plan our trip.
FYI, planning on wearing the new Gap maxi dress to the MMJ concert - will be in the 80s that day. Thinking of wearing with the Bern Boots from DUO as that I have general admission tickets (pit, not field!) and will be standing and could possibly get stepped on. Sooo looking forward to the show!
April 28, 2010
Wednesday
This morning was coooold and I felt a little goofy on the Metro with my bare legs, but the day has really become warm and beautiful!
Here I am at work. Nice headset as that I am currently on a Webinar. Again, the standard makeup routine, with the addition of Bare Escentuals Buxom eye liner in Leatherette, and Nars lipstick in Dolce Vita. Hair is next day, when not wearing a headset it is parted on the side with sideswept bangs.
A reader recently asked if I get kickbacks from my links in posts. Not for most of them. I often link to items on Amazon because I do get a bit of a referral fee if you click on the link and then buy that or another item. It's not a lot, but I also use Amazon because I find the site so convienent and love all of the customer reviews. If I link to Old Navy or Lands End (I added a link in yesterday's post to the scarf I wore) or Nordstrom, I don't get a kickback. I just link so you readers have easy access to the site if you are interested in learning more about a product or purchasing an item.
I was also asked about shopping online for the cheapest price. I often provide you with a link to the easiest site, or the one with the most stock. But really, if I find a shoe I like (like Sofft sandals) I will scour the Internet. I find the style name or number and Google it. And then if I find it really cheap somewhere, I check out not only the cost for shipping, but the return policy. There's no point in getting an item 50% off if you have to pay $10 for shipping and $10 to ship back and you have to get permission to ship back, have to use their form of shipping, and have to return within 14 days of order date. Sometimes convienence outweighs price. Again, I love Amazon, especially for shoes - I have found brand name shoes on there where my size is a good $40 cheaper than other sites. I think closeouts are often posted there, for links will only have 2-3 sizes and often one size will only come in one color.
But for an example, my Matron of Honor dress for my friend's wedding this past September - I found it at Nordstrom, but searched online and found it on eBay and at two department stores. I lost the auction on eBay, and watched them at the two department stores. It went on sale at Macy's and I had a coupon (and got 6% cash back by using Ebates), so I bought it there. I do a LOT of online shopping, and am really getting it down to a science. :-)
I don't like this dress. At all. It's this dress from Old Navy. I think it looks like something a woman would have worn in prison back in the '50s. It comes with a self-belt. I had it in the closet folded on the floor and was ready to send back. And my lovely husband was trying to clean up and took this dress and another top I was to return and washed them. And dried them in the dryer. And hung them up in the closet. So now I own this prison dress. I decided this morning there must be a reason why this happened and tried to see if I can make it wearable. I removed the self-belt, added my wide belt from Ann Taylor and my black ponte collarless jacket from Banana Republic outlet. These are the Anne Klein peeptoe wedges I mentioned before - wearing them for now but will change to my Franco Sarto peeptoe pumps once at work (forgot the pumps at work yesterday). Silver cuff.
I don't think it's terrible, but I still don't like it. The jersey is thin and cheap so it doesn't hang well. The sleeves are terrible - really wide, poorly constructed cap sleeves so they pretty much have to be hidden under a jacket. The dress is full, but not full enough so it doesn't gather at the belt as much as I would like. Well live and learn...
A reader recently asked if I get kickbacks from my links in posts. Not for most of them. I often link to items on Amazon because I do get a bit of a referral fee if you click on the link and then buy that or another item. It's not a lot, but I also use Amazon because I find the site so convienent and love all of the customer reviews. If I link to Old Navy or Lands End (I added a link in yesterday's post to the scarf I wore) or Nordstrom, I don't get a kickback. I just link so you readers have easy access to the site if you are interested in learning more about a product or purchasing an item.
I was also asked about shopping online for the cheapest price. I often provide you with a link to the easiest site, or the one with the most stock. But really, if I find a shoe I like (like Sofft sandals) I will scour the Internet. I find the style name or number and Google it. And then if I find it really cheap somewhere, I check out not only the cost for shipping, but the return policy. There's no point in getting an item 50% off if you have to pay $10 for shipping and $10 to ship back and you have to get permission to ship back, have to use their form of shipping, and have to return within 14 days of order date. Sometimes convienence outweighs price. Again, I love Amazon, especially for shoes - I have found brand name shoes on there where my size is a good $40 cheaper than other sites. I think closeouts are often posted there, for links will only have 2-3 sizes and often one size will only come in one color.
But for an example, my Matron of Honor dress for my friend's wedding this past September - I found it at Nordstrom, but searched online and found it on eBay and at two department stores. I lost the auction on eBay, and watched them at the two department stores. It went on sale at Macy's and I had a coupon (and got 6% cash back by using Ebates), so I bought it there. I do a LOT of online shopping, and am really getting it down to a science. :-)
April 27, 2010
Tuesday
The un is peeking out today. I have the office window open and am loving the spring breeze.
White ribbed tank from Caslon, green fine gauge cardigan from Lands End, paisley scarf from Lands End Canvas (three knots and then knotted together to make necklace), black pencil skirt from Ann Taylor, silver hoops and cuff and chain with wedding band (still doesn't fit).
And the shoes:
These are the Value by Franco Sarto (name is misleading, they aren't $25 pumps...). More comfortable now that I added Footpetals, but no pair of Sofft sandals...
Standard makeup (lipstick is Laura Mercier's Pink Champage with some freebie clear lipgloss from Sephora over it, and I do have the Bare Escentuals Buxom cream eyeliner on the top lash line). Hair was a quickie job - wash, add some Bumble & Bumble styling cream, dry with paddle brush and rush out of the house.
Bonnarooooooooooooo!
Yep, I am returning to the Bonnaroo music festival this June. Four days of music, art, camping and fun. I cannot WAIT! I went for the first time in 2007 with my husband, sister and our good friend. In 2008, I went with six folks (seven if you count the olive-sized Emerson that was growing in my belly). Last year we took off because… well we had a baby-sized Emerson and a depleted savings account due to a home remodel and a stash of cloth diapers.
Well this year we have decided to return to Bonnaroo, and I am thrilled. Kings of Leon, Jay-Z, Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder, Conan O’Brien, Weezer, Flaming Lips performing Dark Side of the Moon, The Dead Weather, Jeff Beck, John Butler Trio, Damian Marley and Nas, The Gossip, The Gaslight Anthem, Clutch, Diane Birch, B.O.B., Regina Spektor, Michael Franti, Umphrey’s McGee… oh man I could keep going and going with the artist lineup (full lineup for 2010 Bonnaroo can be found here). I am looking forward to the time away from work, the sunshine, the lack of computers, the ability to completely LET GO.
Yes, I will be spending this time away from Emerson and that is freaking me out a bit, but she will be with my mom and I think it could be a good experience for all of us.
But what is really concerning me about Bonnaroo… is my wardrobe! I mean really, what you wear to a music festival is so important! You want to look yourself, you want to fit the part, you need to be comfortable. How do you achieve style and comfort without electricity and running water?
I went up in my attic to collect my Roo-wardrobe from years past. Nothing fit. Seriously, NOTHING. Your belly isn’t the only thing that changes after having a baby, and it shows with the length of dresses, the fit of garments in the bust or hip area. And let’s not again mention how all my old shoes (Bonnaroo-only Crocs included) no longer fit.
So I have had to start from scratch. The itinerary is leave Wednesday morning. Stay overnight near the Virginia/Tennessee border. Start at a comfortable hour on Thursday morning and arrive at Bonnaroo in the afternoon. Set up tent and check out the scene.
Friday through Sunday are pretty full days at Bonnaroo. The heat of the sun will wake you before you really want to rise. Spend a leisurely morning at camp, eating breakfast burritos the size of your head that were purchased for a couple bucks from the stand a block away. Bathe in well water via a keg cup and a travel-sized bottle of 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner. Pack your bag with Purell, sunscreen, a couple snacks and lots of water and head to Centeroo, where you can easily watch 14 hours of live music. Feast on surprisingly fresh and delicious festie food, take naps, meet new people, see new things, dance. Possibly return to camp early evening to take a power nap, change into warmer clothes and get ready for a late night of more music.
Monday morning we will head back home and drive straight through (about 11 hours).
So really, I need three daytime outfits – outfits that can survive mud, dust, sweat, and porta-potties. Experience has shown that 100% cotton dresses (not jersey) are most comfortable because they don’t cling to sweaty skin, dry fast and allow for a bit of breeze. I love moisture-wicking bike shorts underneath to prevent Chub Rub and to provide some modesty when sitting down on the ground. For evening, lightweight pants or jeans and a hoodie is a great choice.
I have recently ordered this dress from Old Navy – in red (which is almost neon in color) and purple. It is great, but the XL is too big and I will have to try on the Large in the stores to see if it will work, or if I need to instead try to shrink the XL and shorten the straps. But really, this is a near-perfect Bonnaroo dress. It is the same concept as my old favorite Bonnaroo dress (also from Old Navy) that no longer fits. For day three, I got this maxi dress from Gap (if you like it, go into the stores – it is over $10 cheaper there than online and most online coupons work in-store). I love it because I can rock it without a bra and not look a mess.
As for shoes, I despise Crocs. They are so hideous, but they are the perfect footwear for Bonnaroo. My purple ones I got in ’07 are too small, so I will have to buck up and get myself a new pair. There is a Crocs outlet at a nearby mall – I plan to go there as that I don’t care too much about the color and really can’t stomach paying full price for butt-ugly footwear.
I will also be taking my Bern Boots from DUO (wore then in ’08 and they were super comfy), and a pair of Reef flip flops for the car rides and for padding around the campsite.
I have a crushable straw hat that was actually my mom’s that I will be wearing for sun protection, I will also bring many bandannas to manage icky hair and prevent scalp burn (I also got this scarf from Lands End Canvas that is 100% cotton, bigger and far more chic than a standard bandanna). My old Gap Essential jeans will be great evening wear – they are loose and a bit worn. I have a hibiscus-colored hoodie from Gap, and will also probably take some other sweater or sweatshirt. For the car trips, most likely some other sundress out of jersey that won’t get creased from hours sitting on my tush.
Hopefully this weekend I will be able to get to an Old Navy to try the dress on in size Large to be able to finalize my Bonnaroo wardrobe. Then I can start plotting out what personal care essentials I need. Oh yeah… and I guess I should look into getting an air mattress!
Any of you ever attended a music festival? Any fashion and beauty words of wisdom?
Oh, and here is my post from Bonnaroo 2007, and for Bonnaroo 2008!
Well this year we have decided to return to Bonnaroo, and I am thrilled. Kings of Leon, Jay-Z, Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder, Conan O’Brien, Weezer, Flaming Lips performing Dark Side of the Moon, The Dead Weather, Jeff Beck, John Butler Trio, Damian Marley and Nas, The Gossip, The Gaslight Anthem, Clutch, Diane Birch, B.O.B., Regina Spektor, Michael Franti, Umphrey’s McGee… oh man I could keep going and going with the artist lineup (full lineup for 2010 Bonnaroo can be found here). I am looking forward to the time away from work, the sunshine, the lack of computers, the ability to completely LET GO.
Yes, I will be spending this time away from Emerson and that is freaking me out a bit, but she will be with my mom and I think it could be a good experience for all of us.
But what is really concerning me about Bonnaroo… is my wardrobe! I mean really, what you wear to a music festival is so important! You want to look yourself, you want to fit the part, you need to be comfortable. How do you achieve style and comfort without electricity and running water?
I went up in my attic to collect my Roo-wardrobe from years past. Nothing fit. Seriously, NOTHING. Your belly isn’t the only thing that changes after having a baby, and it shows with the length of dresses, the fit of garments in the bust or hip area. And let’s not again mention how all my old shoes (Bonnaroo-only Crocs included) no longer fit.
So I have had to start from scratch. The itinerary is leave Wednesday morning. Stay overnight near the Virginia/Tennessee border. Start at a comfortable hour on Thursday morning and arrive at Bonnaroo in the afternoon. Set up tent and check out the scene.
Right after setting up camp
Monday morning we will head back home and drive straight through (about 11 hours).
So really, I need three daytime outfits – outfits that can survive mud, dust, sweat, and porta-potties. Experience has shown that 100% cotton dresses (not jersey) are most comfortable because they don’t cling to sweaty skin, dry fast and allow for a bit of breeze. I love moisture-wicking bike shorts underneath to prevent Chub Rub and to provide some modesty when sitting down on the ground. For evening, lightweight pants or jeans and a hoodie is a great choice.
I have recently ordered this dress from Old Navy – in red (which is almost neon in color) and purple. It is great, but the XL is too big and I will have to try on the Large in the stores to see if it will work, or if I need to instead try to shrink the XL and shorten the straps. But really, this is a near-perfect Bonnaroo dress. It is the same concept as my old favorite Bonnaroo dress (also from Old Navy) that no longer fits. For day three, I got this maxi dress from Gap (if you like it, go into the stores – it is over $10 cheaper there than online and most online coupons work in-store). I love it because I can rock it without a bra and not look a mess.
I did a similar photo at the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
Rocking while wearing my DUO boots
Waiting in line to get into Centeroo with hat stolen from my mom
Hopefully this weekend I will be able to get to an Old Navy to try the dress on in size Large to be able to finalize my Bonnaroo wardrobe. Then I can start plotting out what personal care essentials I need. Oh yeah… and I guess I should look into getting an air mattress!
Any of you ever attended a music festival? Any fashion and beauty words of wisdom?
Oh, and here is my post from Bonnaroo 2007, and for Bonnaroo 2008!
April 26, 2010
Getting More For Your Money - Ebates
Wednesday, I made $7.00 just for buying the regular stuff I need. Toothpaste, baby-friendly (and eco-friendly) bug spray, toilet paper, teething oil, a couple extra sippy cups, mascara, shower gel. Last week I made $3.00 for ordering me and my daughter some clothes from Old Navy and $4.00 for purchasing a dress and shoes from Nordstrom. Last year I made over $700 for just shopping for the regular purchases I make. I don’t need a taskbar, I don’t need to collect points, I don’t have to scour the Internet for codes, I don’t need to buy from shops I don’t know or regularly frequent.
What I do is use Ebates before shopping online. Ebates is a site where you can get cash back from online purchases. Anywhere from 1% to 20% cash back. You visit the Ebates site, search for your favorite online retailer, and visit their site through their link at Ebates. An extra 30 seconds in your day. Then four times a year, you will receive a check in the mail from Ebates. No contracts, no giving all your personal information, no strings attached.
Ebay, Nordstrom, Target, Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, Kohl’s, Drugstore.com, Old Navy, Ann Taylor, JC Penney, The Children’s Place, Diapers.com, Lands End, Home Depot, Buy.com, Overstock, SmartBargains. I could keep going. The list is amazing and encompasses most of the best online retailers. Not only that, Ebates will keep track of promotions and coupon codes taking place for these retailers so you can get your cash back AND save as much as possible on your order.
And why am I telling you about this? Well, I am because I love this site and love to share fabulous bargains online. But I am also telling you because Ebates offers a referral bonus. If you sign up for Ebates and love it as much as I do, you can tell your friends and make a bonus off each of them when they sign up and use the site.
There’s no risk. If you sign up for Ebates and don’t love it… then stop using the site. No worries. And whether you make $6.00 or $600 of the site, you will still get your check for your cash back (or a deposit in your PayPal account – your preference).
Worried about privacy and security? Ebates was founded by two former Deputy District Attorneys who take privacy and security very seriously. Only a very limited number of Ebates employees ever have access to your personal information, which is only used to track and send the cash back payments you earn. Ebates uses an SSL connection on all pages where you access or transmit personal information. Ebates sends two types of emails to its members: customer service emails required to maintain the Ebates program (like cash back credits & payment notifications); and promotional emails featuring especially good offers. You may choose not to receive promotional emails at any time from your account page or by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in an email. Ebates will not sell your information to any third party.
Interested? Click here to sign up for Ebates and start saving money!
Ebay, Nordstrom, Target, Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, Kohl’s, Drugstore.com, Old Navy, Ann Taylor, JC Penney, The Children’s Place, Diapers.com, Lands End, Home Depot, Buy.com, Overstock, SmartBargains. I could keep going. The list is amazing and encompasses most of the best online retailers. Not only that, Ebates will keep track of promotions and coupon codes taking place for these retailers so you can get your cash back AND save as much as possible on your order.
And why am I telling you about this? Well, I am because I love this site and love to share fabulous bargains online. But I am also telling you because Ebates offers a referral bonus. If you sign up for Ebates and love it as much as I do, you can tell your friends and make a bonus off each of them when they sign up and use the site.
There’s no risk. If you sign up for Ebates and don’t love it… then stop using the site. No worries. And whether you make $6.00 or $600 of the site, you will still get your check for your cash back (or a deposit in your PayPal account – your preference).
Worried about privacy and security? Ebates was founded by two former Deputy District Attorneys who take privacy and security very seriously. Only a very limited number of Ebates employees ever have access to your personal information, which is only used to track and send the cash back payments you earn. Ebates uses an SSL connection on all pages where you access or transmit personal information. Ebates sends two types of emails to its members: customer service emails required to maintain the Ebates program (like cash back credits & payment notifications); and promotional emails featuring especially good offers. You may choose not to receive promotional emails at any time from your account page or by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in an email. Ebates will not sell your information to any third party.
Interested? Click here to sign up for Ebates and start saving money!
Monday
I figure since I can't get you full length photos these days, I can at least get you some shots of me once I get to work (I sneak these photos when my office mate leaves to get coffee or head to the men's room).
The top is this one from Kenneth Cole New York. The top is actually pretty darn long (could almost be a dress) so I gathered the hem with two hidden safety pins to make a blouson top. With it are my black pants from New York & Company. This is a new pair of shoes I inherited from my friend's mom - they are from Impo. And then my fabulous chunky silver necklace that is from Ann Taylor from a couple years ago - always gets compliments and people are always shocked to know it came from Ann Taylor.
Hair is next day. I brushed it and that's about it. I had it dried smooth the day prior, and today it is icky out so I knew if I tried to make it straight or curly it would just look a mess by noon.
Makeup is my standard bag o' tricks - no foundation because I ran out, but this concealer trio from Redpoint is pretty fantastic at covering up the bags under the eyes and the zit on the chin that I got for not washing my face before bedtime. I got it through Beautyfix (will be writing review today or tomorrow).
All Gone
I just gave away the last of my size 7.5 shoes.
My pre-pregnancy shoes.
I now am an 8, sometimes an 8.5. And not only that, my feet are now wider than they even were before.
Gone are the leopard peeptoes, the black silk peeptoes, the black patent peeptoes. I gave away the orange and pink suede wedges from J. Crew, the silver and black Pucci-inspired strappy heels, the delicate purple silk heeled sandals with the silk flower on the strap. I even had to get rid of my wedding shoes - hot pink silk with rhinestones and a 4" heel.
Sigh.
Nine West, Impo, Franco Sarto, Banana Republic, Jessica Simpson, BCBGirls... these were brands I KNEW would fit my feet in a 7.5. I hardly had to try on, I could pretty much go into a store, see a style I liked and they would fit. Now, even brands I have tons of luck with (Sofft) are hit or miss (which you can tell by the three boxes in my bedroom that I need to return to online shoe retailers).
Yesterday I had brunch with three of my best friends. One friend's mom had to give up heels due to a foot/leg issue. The friend showed up with three large trash bags FULL of heeled shoes, ranging from size 7 to 8.5. I went home with four pairs of pretty basic shoes - conservative pumps in black and brown leather and croco. Nothing thrilling, nothing that made me drool, but I was still so excited because my shoe collection right now is so sad.
Sofft Calisto in Red
Sofft Calisto in Black (and looking a bit worse for wear)
Sofft Vanna in Brown Croco
Gray chunky strappy shoes from Me Too
Black "Value" peeptoe pump from Franco Sarto
(last time I wore, total blisters and digging but hope this time will be better)
Black peeptoe wedges from Anne Klein (got at TJ Maxx - have a bit of a knot detail at peeptoe which I don't love but these shoes are really comfy and a great length for trousers and fit a hole in my shoe wardrobe)
That's it right now. Yeah. Okay, I have slingbacks from Banana Republic and my tan boots from DUO(and of course sneakers and flip flops), but my other shoes don't really go with the weather or my wardrobe right now.
It's sad. I think of the book/movie, In Her Shoes
where the character has a large shoes collection because they always fit, even if clothes do not. Yeah, notsomuch. I always had fun shoes to jazz up basic wardrobe staples. And a great pair of shoes can always make you stand taller, feel sexy, feel fearless. Taking home those very basic, verging on matronly shoes yesterday made me feel a bit desperate. My sister said I had to take them because she hears me always complain how I don't have shoes for outfits and situations and now I have shoes that will work.
Will work. This is something I hate (as you can see from this post I wrote on Wardrobe Oxygen). I don't want to make it work, I want it to work right out of the box. But until I can rebuild my shoe collection, I guess I need to make do with simple basics that will at least get me to functions without being barefoot.
My pre-pregnancy shoes.
I now am an 8, sometimes an 8.5. And not only that, my feet are now wider than they even were before.
Gone are the leopard peeptoes, the black silk peeptoes, the black patent peeptoes. I gave away the orange and pink suede wedges from J. Crew, the silver and black Pucci-inspired strappy heels, the delicate purple silk heeled sandals with the silk flower on the strap. I even had to get rid of my wedding shoes - hot pink silk with rhinestones and a 4" heel.
Sigh.
Nine West, Impo, Franco Sarto, Banana Republic, Jessica Simpson, BCBGirls... these were brands I KNEW would fit my feet in a 7.5. I hardly had to try on, I could pretty much go into a store, see a style I liked and they would fit. Now, even brands I have tons of luck with (Sofft) are hit or miss (which you can tell by the three boxes in my bedroom that I need to return to online shoe retailers).
Yesterday I had brunch with three of my best friends. One friend's mom had to give up heels due to a foot/leg issue. The friend showed up with three large trash bags FULL of heeled shoes, ranging from size 7 to 8.5. I went home with four pairs of pretty basic shoes - conservative pumps in black and brown leather and croco. Nothing thrilling, nothing that made me drool, but I was still so excited because my shoe collection right now is so sad.
Sofft Calisto in Red
Sofft Calisto in Black (and looking a bit worse for wear)
Sofft Vanna in Brown Croco
Gray chunky strappy shoes from Me Too
Black "Value" peeptoe pump from Franco Sarto
(last time I wore, total blisters and digging but hope this time will be better)Black peeptoe wedges from Anne Klein (got at TJ Maxx - have a bit of a knot detail at peeptoe which I don't love but these shoes are really comfy and a great length for trousers and fit a hole in my shoe wardrobe)
That's it right now. Yeah. Okay, I have slingbacks from Banana Republic and my tan boots from DUO(and of course sneakers and flip flops), but my other shoes don't really go with the weather or my wardrobe right now.
It's sad. I think of the book/movie, In Her Shoes
where the character has a large shoes collection because they always fit, even if clothes do not. Yeah, notsomuch. I always had fun shoes to jazz up basic wardrobe staples. And a great pair of shoes can always make you stand taller, feel sexy, feel fearless. Taking home those very basic, verging on matronly shoes yesterday made me feel a bit desperate. My sister said I had to take them because she hears me always complain how I don't have shoes for outfits and situations and now I have shoes that will work.Will work. This is something I hate (as you can see from this post I wrote on Wardrobe Oxygen). I don't want to make it work, I want it to work right out of the box. But until I can rebuild my shoe collection, I guess I need to make do with simple basics that will at least get me to functions without being barefoot.
April 23, 2010
Casual Friday
I am starting to really love Fridays because I can wear jeans. In the winter I don't care as much, but come spring, my hippie side comes out and I want to wear floaty tops and beaded necklaces and chunky sandals.
My hair was washed and conditioned, then I added some Pureology Texture Twist
, scrunched and let it air dry. I am not in love with this stuff, but am trying it out to see what it does. It does give my hair more body than Frederic Fekkai Luscious Curls
, but doesn't give the shine, frizz reduction and prettiness of Luscious Curls. Also I really need a haircut.
Makeup is Redpoint NOC-Out Cover Up Compact, Laura Mercier bronzer, Tarte's Lights Camera Lashes, Bare Escentuals' Buxon Lashliner in Leatherette, Laura Mercier lipstick in Pink Champagne.
My shoes (Sofft, natch):
This is the necklace from Allison Dayton Jewelry that I am offering in a contest. Contest is until next Friday so you should enter!!
This weekend I am getting together with some of my dear friends to hang out and reconnect. I hope to get in a yoga class one morning, and get in plenty of Emerson time! I hope you all have a great weekend!
, scrunched and let it air dry. I am not in love with this stuff, but am trying it out to see what it does. It does give my hair more body than Frederic Fekkai Luscious Curls, but doesn't give the shine, frizz reduction and prettiness of Luscious Curls. Also I really need a haircut.Makeup is Redpoint NOC-Out Cover Up Compact, Laura Mercier bronzer, Tarte's Lights Camera Lashes, Bare Escentuals' Buxon Lashliner in Leatherette, Laura Mercier lipstick in Pink Champagne.
My shoes (Sofft, natch):
I am wearing my Seven jeans and a white gauzy top I just got from Old Navy (with a white Caslon tank underneath). And to encourage everyone to enter the contest...
This weekend I am getting together with some of my dear friends to hang out and reconnect. I hope to get in a yoga class one morning, and get in plenty of Emerson time! I hope you all have a great weekend!
April 22, 2010
Sometimes I Hate the Internet
It’s too easy to learn things with the Internet. Curious? Go to Google (or the very much pimped Bing).
Well a band I have enjoyed the past couple of years is The Hold Steady. I don’t remember how I found out about them, but I love their sound and their lyrics. The first time I heard them, it sounded like a semi-drunk yet brilliant guy singing into his beer. It was awesome and fresh.
Recently I asked my husband if he knew what the lead singer of The Hold Steady looked like. “No, but guessing from the voice, I see someone like John Popper, the guy from Blues Traveler.” Really? Because I saw him looking a bit like Scott Weiland when he dresses up in a suit – hair still messed up, shirt a bit crumpled and unbuttoned, a bit disheveled but in a stylish way and looking very much under the influence of something/s. I can't believe I have liked this band for a while, have more than one of their albums, can sing along with their lyrics but don't know what the band actually looks like.
Today I Googled The Hold Steady and was disappointed to find that the lead singer looks more like the coworker who would help me when I have an issue with my work laptop.
But then… if it had been reverse. Went to see this band at 9:30 without knowing diddly about them and their sound and saw this techie-geek-esque dude up there singing these songs, I would be an instant fan. I would love the contradiction and find the sound even more fantastic.
Instead, in the world of MP3s and mix tape CDs from friends, I heard the music, loved it, and then saw the band. Sometimes modern technology takes all the fun out of things.
Well a band I have enjoyed the past couple of years is The Hold Steady. I don’t remember how I found out about them, but I love their sound and their lyrics. The first time I heard them, it sounded like a semi-drunk yet brilliant guy singing into his beer. It was awesome and fresh.
Recently I asked my husband if he knew what the lead singer of The Hold Steady looked like. “No, but guessing from the voice, I see someone like John Popper, the guy from Blues Traveler.” Really? Because I saw him looking a bit like Scott Weiland when he dresses up in a suit – hair still messed up, shirt a bit crumpled and unbuttoned, a bit disheveled but in a stylish way and looking very much under the influence of something/s. I can't believe I have liked this band for a while, have more than one of their albums, can sing along with their lyrics but don't know what the band actually looks like.
Today I Googled The Hold Steady and was disappointed to find that the lead singer looks more like the coworker who would help me when I have an issue with my work laptop.
But then… if it had been reverse. Went to see this band at 9:30 without knowing diddly about them and their sound and saw this techie-geek-esque dude up there singing these songs, I would be an instant fan. I would love the contradiction and find the sound even more fantastic.
Instead, in the world of MP3s and mix tape CDs from friends, I heard the music, loved it, and then saw the band. Sometimes modern technology takes all the fun out of things.
April 20, 2010
Saturday Afternoon
We went to a friend's house on Saturday afternoon. My husband took photos of their children, and we got to spend time with loved ones. Casual affair (I didn't even have to be second shooter or photographer's assistant!) so I wore jeans and brought Emerson. The car was full of equipment so I was in the back seat with E:
Yum yum carrots are GOOD!
This is a scoop necked tee from Gap that I got two years ago. Loved so much I bought two. The sleeves are a bit longer than usual and it has a nice shape. Faux turquoise necklace from Target that I also got a couple of years ago, silver hoops and cuff bracelet. I wore my Seven jeans and my brown croco-embossed heeled sandals from Sofft.
My hair is in need of a cut. I had an appointment this past Wednesday but had to cancel because my car is in the shop. So the bangs are being pinned to the side so that I don't look like a sheepdog (or have them part in the middle and have me look like a greaseball). Anyway, I have found ironing the hair straight makes it look far better with this raggedy length (nice enough that people keep complimenting me...).
This is my standard easy makeup look. In fact, I did it in the car before these photos.
- Estee Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mieral Makeup in Intensity 3.0
- Redpoint NOC-Out Cover-up Compact
- Laura Mercier Pressed Powder 
in Golden Bronze
in Golden Bronze- Maybelline Ultra Brow 
powder in Dark Brown
powder in Dark Brown- Maybelline clear mascara as brow gel
- Revlon ColorStay shadow 
quad in Neutral Khakis - khaki on lid, ivory on brown bone and in corners of eyes
quad in Neutral Khakis - khaki on lid, ivory on brown bone and in corners of eyes- Shu Eumura lash curler
- Tarte's Lights Camera Lashes 
mascara in black
mascara in black- Stila High Shine Lipcolor 
in Amber (almost gone and totally worthy of a repurchase)
in Amber (almost gone and totally worthy of a repurchase)April 19, 2010
Save The World and Your Wardrobe - National Hanging Out Day
National Hanging Out Day - not a day to chill with friends (though that is nice), but a day for all Americans to choose to hang their laundry to dry instead of using an electric clothes dryer. The goal is to show how effective one tactic, such as using a clothesline, can be in cutting back our contribution to global warming.
Dryers use 10 to 15% of domestic energy in the United States. There are 88 million dryers in America, and if everyone converted to lines it could reduce residential output of CO2 by 3.3%. That's pretty huge.
I love hanging my clothing to dry - not only do they smell as fresh as a spring day, but they don't shrink and they don't fade. Clothing constantly placed under heat and the tumbling of a dryer are faster to thin, wear, get holes and fall apart. Many dry clean only garments can easily be washed by hand or on the gentle cycle of your washer and dried on a rack or hanger.
Don't have a yard for a clothes line (or the weather for line drying)? Clothes don't have to be hung on a line outside to dry. Right now I have half my closet hanging off my shower curtain rod in my bathroom. Big box retailers and shops like The Container Store and IKEA offer collapsable drying racks that can fit in a corner or your bathtub and can accomodate a whole load of clothing. Retractable clotheslines and folding wall racks can hide out of sight until laundry day. I even use the towel bars in the hallway bathroom to dry dish towels and lingerie.
I encourage you to celebrate National Hanging Out Day - save energy, save money, and save your wardrobe!
I love hanging my clothing to dry - not only do they smell as fresh as a spring day, but they don't shrink and they don't fade. Clothing constantly placed under heat and the tumbling of a dryer are faster to thin, wear, get holes and fall apart. Many dry clean only garments can easily be washed by hand or on the gentle cycle of your washer and dried on a rack or hanger.
Don't have a yard for a clothes line (or the weather for line drying)? Clothes don't have to be hung on a line outside to dry. Right now I have half my closet hanging off my shower curtain rod in my bathroom. Big box retailers and shops like The Container Store and IKEA offer collapsable drying racks that can fit in a corner or your bathtub and can accomodate a whole load of clothing. Retractable clotheslines and folding wall racks can hide out of sight until laundry day. I even use the towel bars in the hallway bathroom to dry dish towels and lingerie.
I encourage you to celebrate National Hanging Out Day - save energy, save money, and save your wardrobe!
April 13, 2010
Coming Clean
I really wasn’t going to write about this. The main reason I have continued this blog is to offer support and inspiration for other women. Not all of us are thin, or rich, or “average” height. I show what I wear because I think unlike the sizing of clothing in America, I actually am the “average” woman. I am the standard height (5’3”), weight (right now around 180 pounds), clothing size (14). Brown hair, brown eyes, lives in the suburbs… yep pretty average. My goal is to show average women can still have style and look good.
Well I haven’t had photos in a long time because being an average American woman, I don’t have time. I get up and run around doing laundry, letting out dogs, nursing babies, making meals. The past couple of months in an attempt to firm up this body, I have resorted to doing push-ups and crunches on the bathmat in my bathroom. My husband is still asleep in our bedroom, as are two of the dogs. If in the office, Emerson hears/smells me and wakes up. If I go downstairs the dogs whine to join me and the one who sleeps down there tries to pounce on me. So the bathmat it is.
I have lost weight. Casual acquaintances mention that I look slimmer, especially in the face. I can see the droopy belly is tightening (and the stretch marks are fading). The other day I was wearing a fitted v-neck tee and yoga pants and my husband mentioned that I have a nice new shape. My postpartum figure is very different – I have hips and thighs, a more defined waist, and smaller breasts.
Feeling good about that compliment from my husband, I went up in the attic to pull down all of my spring clothing. Clothes I wore last spring right after Emerson was born, the pieces I wore when I was just starting to have a baby bump, and the clothes from before I was pregnant.
Nothing fit.
Seriously, nothing. This isn’t me being dramatic and saying, “I have NOTHING to wear!” while I look at a closet full of perfectly good garments. Nope, nothing fit.
All the pants from last spring are too short. They fit in the waist (and strangely fit just as snugly as they did last spring), but they are all highwaters. All the tops are also too short – every single top, be it from last spring or before I even tried to get pregnant hit right at the waistband (or shorter). If I go to put my purse on my shoulder I am showing off a good 3” of belly. All the dresses are too short as well. Jackets all seem too petite – too short in the rise, too tight in the shoulders and arms.
I asked my husband if I had gotten taller. He put his 6’5” self next to me as we looked at our reflections in the full-length mirror. He rested his elbow on my head. “Nope, you’re still damn short.”
I had two knit dresses from J. Crew that I rocked the heck out of two springs ago. I loved them as my belly grew because they were a cute shift style that worked with my larger boobs and tummy while still looking stylish. A deep coral and a robin’s egg blue. I remember wearing the blue one to a Fourth of July cookout with sandals and a navy bead necklace. I was four months pregnant and showing, even in that dress. That dress now looks like a tunic on me. I am considering washing it and stretching it before I let it air dry, hoping to get a couple of extra inches out of it. How was it a work-appropriate length when I was full-breasted and full-bellied and almost 200 pounds, but doesn’t fit me now when I am my pre-pregnancy weight? It isn’t tight – it still has a shift fit, but is just too short.
I started making four piles – clothes to donate, clothes to sell, clothes to box up, clothes to wash so I can wear. All that went into the wear pile were two pairs of low-rise flare pants from Gap. Light blue/gray, and white. Last spring the white ones in ankle length worked with flat sandals, the regulars with heeled shoes. This year, the ankle length showed my ankle bone. The blue-gray ones were the perfect length with flats – even had that little bend at the front that I love, and didn’t drag on the ground. I washed the pants and this morning tried them on. Highwaters – both of them. Totally not wearable in any sense of the word. So really… nothing from that stash is immediately wearable.
This week I also ordered some shoes online. I never have time any more to go shopping so I do almost everything over the Internet. I ordered some sandals from Sofft because I had so much success last year. Same size, same width. The shoes had great ratings and were rated as running true to size for Sofft. Well… gotta return all of them. They are all too narrow. So narrow I can’t even fit my feet into them. I have been trying to find shoes for months with no success – everything is too tight. Saturday for the wedding I wore the Franco Sarto “Value” pumps and they were actually not too shabby. My foot stretched out the toebox nicely. However my foot got sweaty and ended up sliding down too much, and after a couple of hours I was almost hobbling. Nothing a pair of Footpetals can’t fix though.
But really… I am pretty low on wardrobe pieces.
My Spring Set-up:
- Black “Athena Bree” pants from Semantiks (right now the only pants that are the right length and fit)
- Denim trousers from Gap (which are a bit short with my highest heels and they aren’t even the petite length)
- Seven jeans
- Really beat up Gap Essential jeans (I actually took out the stitching in the hem to make them the right length – they are my bum around hippie jeans)
- My dark straight jeans from Not Your Daughter’s Jeans (the only jeans I own that are the right length)
- Black pencil skirt from Ann Taylor
- Black silky jersey knit cap-sleeve top from Max Studio with gathering/detail at neckline
- Aqua slub-knit dolman sleeve top from Kenneth Cole (not sure if I will keep – it’s a gorgeous color and neckline but think may make me look bigger than I am and for once is too LONG!)
- Indigo fine jersey short-sleeved top from Banana Republic outlet
- Black ¾ sleeve matte jersey wrap dress from Ann Taylor
- Various ribbed and smooth knit tanks and scoop tees (moreso layering pieces)
- Three cardigans (one Lands End in green, berry and purple from Gap that have stretched out over wear and laundering)
- Purple print dress from Muse (last year and this year the print seems too busy for me)
- Black and blue print Ann Taylor wrap dresses (last year – though not nearly as flattering as they were last year)
- Black patent T-straps from Sofft (though looking a bit beat up)
- Same shoes in red patent
- Similar shoes in brown croco
- Black peeptoe pumps (the painful Franco Sartos)
- Black peeptoe wedges (Anne Klein – picked up this weekend at TJ Maxx with the Max Studio top)
- Two pairs flat gladiator-like sandals (tan, and gold from Lands End)
- Ivory boatneck ¾ tee with navy stripes (Lands End)
- A couple weekend-like tops (tees, henleys, etc.)
This isn’t enough to be functioning for all events that life throws my way.
This weekend after making those piles I almost cried. But then I just got frustrated. I actually am pleased with the way my body is going. I can see myself getting firmer, getting stronger, getting leaner. I feel more connected with my body every day. I expected there to be sagging and shape changes and it’s all good. But it sucks that I don’t fit into any clothing. 16 and XL is too big, sometimes L is too tight. Petites are way too small now, and some regulars are too long. I am too small in the shoulders and height for plus size – I swim in a 14W, but sometimes have a 14 regular hardly zip up.
I feel that I need a day alone at a mall where I can try things on and figure out this new silhouette and how to dress it. However with this unusual (yet surprisingly average) shape, I have no clue any more what store to visit. My old standbys of Gap and Ann Taylor no longer seem to fit me correctly. Department stores (other than Nordstrom) give me hives, they are so disorganized and smelly and uggy. The thing is, I think I would have success in stores like Coldwater Creek and J. Jill. But really… I am not that sort of person. That is not my style.
I hate admitting this, because this is my forte. I love taking people shopping and showing them the opportunities they have with their figure. I have been a size 2, I have been a size 16. I have never had trouble finding clothing that fit and flattered my body as well as my personality. I don’t know why I am having such trouble with myself right now.
I feel as though I am in a weird place. I don’t want to dress in floaty fabrics and soft neutrals and pastels. I don’t want to wear bedazzled or embellished stuff. I want simple, modern, clean with a touch of current trends. I don’t want dowdy, but I don’t want minis and tons of cleavage. I also don’t want to have to wear Spanx every single day of my life just to fit into casual attire. I just haven’t found that sweet spot for my wardrobe. And I am just so damn angry about it because I KNOW I am not unusual.
I see women every freaking day on the Metro who could practically be my body double. I would ask where they shop, but like me, they seem to be royally struggling to find proper clothing. Pants too long or too short, pants that look like diapers or stretch over the crotch. Dresses that hit at the worst part of the leg, sleeves rolled up or straining over biceps. Necklines held together with a safety pin or made decent with a well-worn camisole. Jeans that cut them in the middle, or show off their lacy boyshorts when they go to tie their shoe. Young, fun looking women in matronly prints. Sophisticated women wearing cheesy shiny polyester. It’s not that they have bad taste, it that they have bad choices. And I think they are as sick as I am of wearing the same damn black pants every day of their life.
Well I haven’t had photos in a long time because being an average American woman, I don’t have time. I get up and run around doing laundry, letting out dogs, nursing babies, making meals. The past couple of months in an attempt to firm up this body, I have resorted to doing push-ups and crunches on the bathmat in my bathroom. My husband is still asleep in our bedroom, as are two of the dogs. If in the office, Emerson hears/smells me and wakes up. If I go downstairs the dogs whine to join me and the one who sleeps down there tries to pounce on me. So the bathmat it is.
I have lost weight. Casual acquaintances mention that I look slimmer, especially in the face. I can see the droopy belly is tightening (and the stretch marks are fading). The other day I was wearing a fitted v-neck tee and yoga pants and my husband mentioned that I have a nice new shape. My postpartum figure is very different – I have hips and thighs, a more defined waist, and smaller breasts.
Feeling good about that compliment from my husband, I went up in the attic to pull down all of my spring clothing. Clothes I wore last spring right after Emerson was born, the pieces I wore when I was just starting to have a baby bump, and the clothes from before I was pregnant.
Nothing fit.
Seriously, nothing. This isn’t me being dramatic and saying, “I have NOTHING to wear!” while I look at a closet full of perfectly good garments. Nope, nothing fit.
All the pants from last spring are too short. They fit in the waist (and strangely fit just as snugly as they did last spring), but they are all highwaters. All the tops are also too short – every single top, be it from last spring or before I even tried to get pregnant hit right at the waistband (or shorter). If I go to put my purse on my shoulder I am showing off a good 3” of belly. All the dresses are too short as well. Jackets all seem too petite – too short in the rise, too tight in the shoulders and arms.
I asked my husband if I had gotten taller. He put his 6’5” self next to me as we looked at our reflections in the full-length mirror. He rested his elbow on my head. “Nope, you’re still damn short.”
I had two knit dresses from J. Crew that I rocked the heck out of two springs ago. I loved them as my belly grew because they were a cute shift style that worked with my larger boobs and tummy while still looking stylish. A deep coral and a robin’s egg blue. I remember wearing the blue one to a Fourth of July cookout with sandals and a navy bead necklace. I was four months pregnant and showing, even in that dress. That dress now looks like a tunic on me. I am considering washing it and stretching it before I let it air dry, hoping to get a couple of extra inches out of it. How was it a work-appropriate length when I was full-breasted and full-bellied and almost 200 pounds, but doesn’t fit me now when I am my pre-pregnancy weight? It isn’t tight – it still has a shift fit, but is just too short.
I started making four piles – clothes to donate, clothes to sell, clothes to box up, clothes to wash so I can wear. All that went into the wear pile were two pairs of low-rise flare pants from Gap. Light blue/gray, and white. Last spring the white ones in ankle length worked with flat sandals, the regulars with heeled shoes. This year, the ankle length showed my ankle bone. The blue-gray ones were the perfect length with flats – even had that little bend at the front that I love, and didn’t drag on the ground. I washed the pants and this morning tried them on. Highwaters – both of them. Totally not wearable in any sense of the word. So really… nothing from that stash is immediately wearable.
This week I also ordered some shoes online. I never have time any more to go shopping so I do almost everything over the Internet. I ordered some sandals from Sofft because I had so much success last year. Same size, same width. The shoes had great ratings and were rated as running true to size for Sofft. Well… gotta return all of them. They are all too narrow. So narrow I can’t even fit my feet into them. I have been trying to find shoes for months with no success – everything is too tight. Saturday for the wedding I wore the Franco Sarto “Value” pumps and they were actually not too shabby. My foot stretched out the toebox nicely. However my foot got sweaty and ended up sliding down too much, and after a couple of hours I was almost hobbling. Nothing a pair of Footpetals can’t fix though.
But really… I am pretty low on wardrobe pieces.
My Spring Set-up:
- Black “Athena Bree” pants from Semantiks (right now the only pants that are the right length and fit)
- Denim trousers from Gap (which are a bit short with my highest heels and they aren’t even the petite length)
- Seven jeans
- Really beat up Gap Essential jeans (I actually took out the stitching in the hem to make them the right length – they are my bum around hippie jeans)
- My dark straight jeans from Not Your Daughter’s Jeans (the only jeans I own that are the right length)
- Black pencil skirt from Ann Taylor
- Black silky jersey knit cap-sleeve top from Max Studio with gathering/detail at neckline
- Aqua slub-knit dolman sleeve top from Kenneth Cole (not sure if I will keep – it’s a gorgeous color and neckline but think may make me look bigger than I am and for once is too LONG!)
- Indigo fine jersey short-sleeved top from Banana Republic outlet
- Black ¾ sleeve matte jersey wrap dress from Ann Taylor
- Various ribbed and smooth knit tanks and scoop tees (moreso layering pieces)
- Three cardigans (one Lands End in green, berry and purple from Gap that have stretched out over wear and laundering)
- Purple print dress from Muse (last year and this year the print seems too busy for me)
- Black and blue print Ann Taylor wrap dresses (last year – though not nearly as flattering as they were last year)
- Black patent T-straps from Sofft (though looking a bit beat up)
- Same shoes in red patent
- Similar shoes in brown croco
- Black peeptoe pumps (the painful Franco Sartos)
- Black peeptoe wedges (Anne Klein – picked up this weekend at TJ Maxx with the Max Studio top)
- Two pairs flat gladiator-like sandals (tan, and gold from Lands End)
- Ivory boatneck ¾ tee with navy stripes (Lands End)
- A couple weekend-like tops (tees, henleys, etc.)
This isn’t enough to be functioning for all events that life throws my way.
This weekend after making those piles I almost cried. But then I just got frustrated. I actually am pleased with the way my body is going. I can see myself getting firmer, getting stronger, getting leaner. I feel more connected with my body every day. I expected there to be sagging and shape changes and it’s all good. But it sucks that I don’t fit into any clothing. 16 and XL is too big, sometimes L is too tight. Petites are way too small now, and some regulars are too long. I am too small in the shoulders and height for plus size – I swim in a 14W, but sometimes have a 14 regular hardly zip up.
I feel that I need a day alone at a mall where I can try things on and figure out this new silhouette and how to dress it. However with this unusual (yet surprisingly average) shape, I have no clue any more what store to visit. My old standbys of Gap and Ann Taylor no longer seem to fit me correctly. Department stores (other than Nordstrom) give me hives, they are so disorganized and smelly and uggy. The thing is, I think I would have success in stores like Coldwater Creek and J. Jill. But really… I am not that sort of person. That is not my style.
I hate admitting this, because this is my forte. I love taking people shopping and showing them the opportunities they have with their figure. I have been a size 2, I have been a size 16. I have never had trouble finding clothing that fit and flattered my body as well as my personality. I don’t know why I am having such trouble with myself right now.
I feel as though I am in a weird place. I don’t want to dress in floaty fabrics and soft neutrals and pastels. I don’t want to wear bedazzled or embellished stuff. I want simple, modern, clean with a touch of current trends. I don’t want dowdy, but I don’t want minis and tons of cleavage. I also don’t want to have to wear Spanx every single day of my life just to fit into casual attire. I just haven’t found that sweet spot for my wardrobe. And I am just so damn angry about it because I KNOW I am not unusual.
I see women every freaking day on the Metro who could practically be my body double. I would ask where they shop, but like me, they seem to be royally struggling to find proper clothing. Pants too long or too short, pants that look like diapers or stretch over the crotch. Dresses that hit at the worst part of the leg, sleeves rolled up or straining over biceps. Necklines held together with a safety pin or made decent with a well-worn camisole. Jeans that cut them in the middle, or show off their lacy boyshorts when they go to tie their shoe. Young, fun looking women in matronly prints. Sophisticated women wearing cheesy shiny polyester. It’s not that they have bad taste, it that they have bad choices. And I think they are as sick as I am of wearing the same damn black pants every day of their life.
April 9, 2010
Allison Dayton Jewelry Design – Review and Giveaway!
Allison Dayton Jewelry Design is a handmade colorful nature-inspired line that was created for jewelry lovers from newborn to adult. Each piece is carefully designed and hand made to bring together the beauty of natural elements in new exciting ways. Allison Dayton makes pieces specific for weddings, babies, kids, and for women of all ages, and most of it is under $100.
I had a hard time choosing which piece from the line I wanted to review. I made a list of contenders, considering the upcoming warmer months and my spring wardrobe. I was sent the 64” of Turquoise necklace to review and boy was I impressed! This isn’t a cheapy necklace – it weighs a lot because it is made from real turquoise – gorgeous pieces in natural shapes – a real variety. Well fashioned from a durable string and silver clasp. This necklace can be looped three times at the throat and look great peeking out of the collar of a crisp white shirt, doubled and worn to dress up a simple fitted tee, or worn long with a shift dress. I always have loved turquoise and think it’s a great way to add a bit of summer to basic neutral pieces in ones wardrobe.
Well, now one of you fantastic readers will get the chance to win yourself this very same turquoise necklace from Allison Dayton, which retails for $198!
How to Enter the Giveaway:
- Leave a comment on this post. Let me know how you would wear this necklace if you won it. Would you sport it looped or long? What would you wear it with, and where would you go wearing it?
Additional Entries for this Giveaway:
- Become a public follower of My Wardrobe Today via Google Friend Connect and leave a comment letting me know this
- Visit the Allison Dayton Jewelry Web site and come back and leave an additional comment letting me know another piece from the line that you love
- Add me to your blogroll and come back and comment with the link to your blog
Please be sure that either your Blogger profile or your comment has your email address. If there is no email address available, another winner will be drawn. If you do not feel comfortable posting your email address, please state this and immediately send me an email with your email address. Winner will be chosen via random.org and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize (by responding to my email with their name and address) or another winner will be chosen. Entries will be accepted until April 29th at 11:59pm ET. Winner to be chosen April 30th, 2010. Sorry international readers, this contest is only open to those living in the United States. I will hope to have another contest soon that will include all readers.
Do know, I wasn’t paid to do this review, and I really do think this necklace is fab – no one is telling me to say that, and all opinions are strictly my own! :-)
Good luck!!
Well, now one of you fantastic readers will get the chance to win yourself this very same turquoise necklace from Allison Dayton, which retails for $198!
How to Enter the Giveaway:
- Leave a comment on this post. Let me know how you would wear this necklace if you won it. Would you sport it looped or long? What would you wear it with, and where would you go wearing it?
Additional Entries for this Giveaway:
- Become a public follower of My Wardrobe Today via Google Friend Connect and leave a comment letting me know this
- Visit the Allison Dayton Jewelry Web site and come back and leave an additional comment letting me know another piece from the line that you love
- Add me to your blogroll and come back and comment with the link to your blog
Please be sure that either your Blogger profile or your comment has your email address. If there is no email address available, another winner will be drawn. If you do not feel comfortable posting your email address, please state this and immediately send me an email with your email address. Winner will be chosen via random.org and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize (by responding to my email with their name and address) or another winner will be chosen. Entries will be accepted until April 29th at 11:59pm ET. Winner to be chosen April 30th, 2010. Sorry international readers, this contest is only open to those living in the United States. I will hope to have another contest soon that will include all readers.
Do know, I wasn’t paid to do this review, and I really do think this necklace is fab – no one is telling me to say that, and all opinions are strictly my own! :-)
Good luck!!
Bed Head
What are you looking at, Mommy? I just woke up and haven't had my morning coffee. Jeez.
When she moved her head from the high chair, her hair stayed like that... a little girl Alfalfa.
So no pics of me... but by seeing these pics you can see I am now again a woman with a camera! I had two dead Canons. Canon will refurbish your camera, but for the models I had it would cost $99 each. I decided to return the more expensive of the two, and then spend around $100 on a new little point and shoot.
I got the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS
and with my Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks, I only paid $100 for it. Not too shabby. This camera doesn't have a bunch of bells and whistles, but it has the basics that I want - fits into a pocket, uses a standard USB, has video. Since we are a Canon family (and I actually had the equivalent to this camera like 8 years ago), I already have an extra battery charger, higher gig memory cards and batteries. I think I can still find the case for the old camera I had that was this size.
and with my Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks, I only paid $100 for it. Not too shabby. This camera doesn't have a bunch of bells and whistles, but it has the basics that I want - fits into a pocket, uses a standard USB, has video. Since we are a Canon family (and I actually had the equivalent to this camera like 8 years ago), I already have an extra battery charger, higher gig memory cards and batteries. I think I can still find the case for the old camera I had that was this size. This weekend I am officiating another wedding - this one is for a friend of a friend and I am very excited. I plan on wearing my bracelet-sleeve black matte jersey wrap dress from Old Navy - very simple, won't stand out in pictures, won't clash with the wedding colors.
Sunday there are no plans so I hope to be able to FINALLY get up into the attic and pull down my warm weather clothes. I am hoping to find some things that fit and to organize that which is up there.
Recently I have ordered a couple pairs of shoes - a pair of black peeptoes from Franco Sarto and some sandals from Sofft. Though my Sofft shoes from last spring still fit great, these recently acquired shoes (and the cuties from Franco Sarto) are too narrow. Seriously, my foot is pouring over the footbed. What the heck? I am still on the search for another pair of dressier shoes for this spring - if the Franco Sartos weren't so tight I think they would be perfect. I may have to try them on again this weekend. The length is perfect, the heel fits great... maybe it is something my shoe dude can fix with a bit of stretching.
and some sandals from Sofft. Though my Sofft shoes from last spring still fit great, these recently acquired shoes (and the cuties from Franco Sarto) are too narrow. Seriously, my foot is pouring over the footbed. What the heck? I am still on the search for another pair of dressier shoes for this spring - if the Franco Sartos weren't so tight I think they would be perfect. I may have to try them on again this weekend. The length is perfect, the heel fits great... maybe it is something my shoe dude can fix with a bit of stretching.Hope everyone is doing well... will be posting very soon about a fantastic contest where you can win a necklace worth $198 from Allison Dayton jewelry! A big thanks for sticking around as this blog goes through transition!
April 7, 2010
Proper Representation
Never go out of the house in anything you don’t want to be seen in if by chance you bump into your ex.
I always say this, I always preach this. Today I didn’t follow it.
Today I took off work to get some really thrilling things accomplished (taxes, take the car in to be repaired, get spring clothes out of the attic). After dropping off my car, my husband and I (and Emerson) stop by the neighborhood barber shop so Mr. Allie can get a trim.
I only thought we were going to drop off the car and head home, so I threw on a navy jersey sleeveless dress, some flip flops and put my hair (that was in much need of a shower) into a ponytail. Silver hoops and cuff bracelet are standard; I did take a moment to put on some tinted moisturizer and mascara but it was hardly visible.
We walk in, my husband sits down next to this man in a green shirt and says, “Hello friend.” The man looks up… and well it’s not my ex but it is a very old friend. A friend I considered my best (or one of my best) friend for the majority of my childhood and adolescence. He was on of the first boys I ever kissed. He taught me how to drive stick. We went to college together. I was a bridesmaid in his wedding. When my father passed away, he was the rock I needed to get through the situation.
We lost touch about a decade ago. I never really knew why. And now I see him and I am in a pilled, faded dress that could pass for a shortie nightgown or beach coverup and a greasy ponytail.
While my husband got his hair cut, we went outside with my daughter to catch up. We discussed how we lost touch and what is new in the past decade plus. I joked to him about my mantra about never leaving the house looking the way I did; he mentioned one time he ran to the gas station in an old tee shirt, khakis and black Crocs and bumped into an ex he hadn’t seen in over a decade so he could laugh with me. But I still wish I had taken the time this morning to pull myself together. It will take additional meetings to properly let this person know the person I have become in the past 12 years – a person I think is pretty fantastic.
Your wardrobe is your armor – a tool to help you feel confident, feel beautiful, feel strong. Caring about your appearance isn’t superficial or selfish; caring about your appearance is just as important as caring about your health or your education. Your appearance is the first thing that people see – it is your first voice to the world. The way you dress should properly represent the amazing person you are. Today I did myself a disservice by dressing in a manner that did not properly represent.
So yes, do dress in a manner that will not embarrass you if you bump into an old flame… but dress in a manner that properly represents your fabulous self. This doesn’t mean designer labels or trendy styles, it means shopping with care and thought. Slowly building a wardrobe of items that you love and love you in return. Buy as you would for your home, your child, your job. Buy things slowly, searching for the best price, value, quality. Think about what is already at home, and how this item will work with that collection. And always have those last minute outfits at the ready for when you do need to get gas, drop off the car, buy a quart of milk. For you never know who you may bump into.
April 6, 2010
The Wardrobe Stapes When You Are Expecting
The list below is not only from my experience from being pregnant, but complied after speaking to several other women who had been pregnant. This list will give any woman who is expecting a simple, stylish wardrobe that should have her ready for most any situation that comes her way.
1. Not-so Little Black Dress
For pregnant women, I highly recommend the wrap style of dress. It is terribly flattering for the figure, it is usually of a really comfy non-itchy fabric like matte jersey, silk knit or a poly blend and it is versatile. A three-quarter sleeve length will work in almost every season – if you are in a warmer climate a flutter-sleeve or short puffed sleeve will keep you cool while flattering your softer shape. Add tall boots and a camisole for work, wear it with pumps for a wedding, pair with leggings and flats for the weekend.
The dress doesn’t have to be black, but black is more likely to look dressy if a wedding or evening event ends up on your social calendar. If you know in the upcoming months you won’t have such an affair, another dark solid color (chocolate, indigo, blackberry, charcoal) can be quite versatile. Use accessories like necklaces, scarves and camisoles to add color and interest to the dress. It’s better to keep basics like these solid so they are less memorable – easier to wear more often without looking as though you have a tiny wardrobe.
2. Black Knit Pants
Why do maternity fashion designers try to dress pregnant women in stiff chino? It’s not comfortable, it creases, it shrinks, it collects lint. If a maternity clothing line isn’t trying to get a pregnant woman to wear chino, it’s trying to get her to wear cheap polyester. Well if you search enough, you can find some pretty fantastic knit trousers out there that are worthy of the workplace but feel as great as your yoga pants.
Ponte de Roma fabric (also known as ponte) is a pregnant woman’s best friend. This fabric is a heavyweight, tightly-woven knit that has a refined finish. It stretches like regular cotton knit, but due to its weight and finish, it looks totally appropriate for the workplace and can dress up for dinner or a party. I found ponte maternity pants at Target and Old Navy but have seen them at many other retailers since my pregnant days. The ones I had were fashioned with a wide waistband similar to yoga pants – this kept the trousers comfortable through all trimesters, and the waist was nearly invisible under fitted tops. If you find a pair, buy in bulk. Have a pair for now, and then two pairs that are slightly longer (if possible) for your last trimester. My Target ones were too long and I kept putting off hemming them and was glad because come the end of the last trimester they were the only pants that were truly long enough for me. And by the end of that third trimester (and the first few weeks postpartum) I practically lived in those ponte pants (I even wore them home from the hospital after delivering Emerson).
3. Casual Cardigan
If you’re pregnant in fall and winter, this can be a sweater coat or swingy chunky cardigan. If you are due in the summer, you may want a lighter weight piece. A solid color, and a color you adore is a great choice. I had one in hot pink that not only coordinated with a few of my print pieces in my closet, but also made me look and feel happy and refreshed.
Pregnant women are hot one moment, and chilly another. Often times coats seem to be way too bulky and heavy for an expectant woman. Cardigans are a great way to have that extra layer to keep you comfortable, but can easily be tucked in a bag if you get hot.
Cardigans are also a great way to change the look of your maternity wardrobe basics. It can be paired with a tank or knit top for the weekend, with your black trousers for work. Put over a dress for a completely different silhouette. I also often tied my cardigan around my shoulders for a preppy look that also balanced out my bottom-heavy frame.
A basic cotton or wool knit is a great choice – I had a fine-gauge cotton one from Ann Taylor LOFT that had a jewel neckline and simple buttons. It laundered well, was simple enough that it could be versatile, and didn’t scream maternity. Similar ones can be found at most any maternity fashion retailer – steer clear of too many decorations and embellishments – a simple cardigan will get you more miles of wear and will be more likely to look stylish if you keep it for a future pregnancy (or if you hand it down to a pregnant friend or relative).
4. Dressy Cardigan or Soft-structured Jacket
This is a cover-up that is a bit more refined. It may be a cardigan with pave or pearl buttons, or even a jacket out of ponte or boiled wool. Something that isn’t structured, isn’t lined, but can make a pair of pants and a knit top look a bit more professional or sophisticated. Paired with jeans and a tank, it still can look great for the mall or brunch with your gal pals.
I had a collarless jacket out of ponte that was not maternity. I bought it before pregnant from the Banana Republic Outlet, but it worked up until the end of the last trimester. It made basic knit tops and my ponte pants suddenly look appropriate for a work meeting. I also would toss this jacket over my maternity dresses to look a bit more professional, or to ward off chill on cooler fall days. I was a pregnant person who got hot easily, and I can remember using this jacket as my fall coat – I would loop a pashmina or scarf around my neck to cover my front and the ponte jacket would keep my arms and back warm enough for my comfort level.
5. First Half Jeans
Your belly won’t be the only thing that is different in the latter part of your pregnancy. I found that jeans I ADORED in the first several weeks of having a bump I despised in the third trimester. You may like a demi belly band, and now you love a secret fit; before you may have liked the maternity panel and now you like the jeans that don’t have any stretch and just sit under the stomach. And really… you won’t know until you get closer to that time. So buy yourself a pair or two of well-fitting jeans now, and have a fund ready for the ones you will need in a couple of months.
For these jeans, a dark color and even rinse will be the most elegant, most versatile, most slimming. I liked a straight or slightly bootcut fit because it balanced out my shape. Flares look even more exaggerated with a baby bump and skinny jeans can easily make you look like a lollypop. Jeans with a hint of lycra will be less likely to stretch out, and will fit longer.
Don’t be in a rush to hem them to the perfect length – as you get larger, you will find that you require a longer inseam. Err on the side of a bit too long – it will get you more miles. Also, the further into your pregnancy you go, the lower the heel of your shoe will most likely be.
6. Second Half Jeans
See above.
7. Low-heeled Black Pumps
Pregnancy does not give you a license to wear hideous footwear. I wore low heels all the way until the day I entered the hospital. In fact, a low wide heel can be more supportive and comfortable than a true flat. Leather is dressier than suede or other fabrics (and easier to polish up and look new).
A black pair of pumps (can be peeptoes, mary janes or slingbacks) will be so useful. You can pair with trousers or dresses for work, have an easy way to dress up your not-so LBD for a festive occasion, and if it’s well made, it will be your favorite footwear as time goes on.
This is something I did NOT have when pregnant and desperately wish that I had. I instead found a pair of brown suede mary janes from Sofft that fit the bill. They had a vintage feel to them – wide rounded toe, thicker stable heel, a little leather and suede flower on the strap. They stretched when my feet grew, they had a lovely padded insole, and the heel was high enough to look feminine but low enough that I could walk to the Metro or wear them all workday without being miserable. If only they were black and leather, I would have found they went with my entire wardrobe, instead of just a few random pieces.
8. Tall Flat Boots
Another item I wish I had. I had mid-height boots, and I wore the heck out of them.
With dresses, you feel more covered. With leggings, you look less naked. When it’s cold out and all your tights are too short, you can cut the feet off your tights, tuck them into your boots and no one is the wiser. Boots will balance out the short hemlines of dresses as your belly grows. Leather boots can protect you from the elements without being too hot, and can offer support when you swell.
And finally, some days it’s hard to look sassy when you are pregnant. Somehow a pair of tall boots can make an entire outfit look more posh. Tall flat boots are fantastic post-partum as well for this same reason.
Riding boots are a classic – dark brown or black. Keep a simple, classic look and you will get years of wear out of them – from pregnancy and beyond.
9. Black Leggings (or Heavy Opaque Tights)
You will get to a point where you have no desire to put on anything that binds, itches, constricts, has stiffness, or doesn’t feel like pajamas. On top of that, as you get closer to the end of your pregnancy, you will find that many of your dresses look more like tunics. A pair of black leggings or tights (I had some maternity tights from Spanx that I adored, and found a cheap pair of leggings from Liz Lange for Target) will get a ton of wear, even if you are currently a leggings-hater.
Pair with your dresses and black flats or tall boots. Wear with a longer top and a drapey cardigan and boots for a casual weekend.
10. Two Really Supportive Bras
Your breasts will change. They will get bigger, and heavier. Your old bras will not cut it any more. You will look better and feel better with good bras.
Find one with a bit of padding and it will protect overly sensitive nipples as well as become invisible under knits.
11. Bella Band
Some people find these a waste, but I found it had so many uses for me.
Before I fit into maternity wear, I could use it over unbuttoned pants to keep them up and look smooth under tops. Once into maternity clothing, I found many pants slid down and the Bella Band did a great job at holding them up. Last few weeks of pregnancy, the Bella Band covered the part of the tummy (and maternity panel) that now too-short shirts did not. Postpartum, the Bella Band again helped hold up too-big maternity pants and cover open zippers on non-maternity trousers. When nursing, the Bella Band could be worn under non-nursing tops to cover the midsection.
Black is a good choice – it will be less visible with your black trousers, and also work well with jeans. White can be too casual looking and since it is made with Lycra, can look yellowed or old over time. Some come with lace or trim; you will get more mileage and style with a simple one free of adornments.
There are different brands of these bands – no need to go with the Bella brand. However, one made of plain stretch jersey may not hold up as well or support as much as ones like the Bella Band which have a high percentage of Lycra and are of a tightly-knit fabric. My Bella Band still looks brand new, after so many washes and wears (and being worn since by two other friends who were expecting).
12. At Least Three Knit Tops
I really don’t know why so many maternity designers make tops out of cotton and poplin. Like trousers, a pregnant woman wants fabrics that don’t crease, chafe, or require ironing. The further you are in your pregnancy, the less you will want to wear itchy, stiff, constricting garments.
These knit tops are not standard maternity tee shirts. These are made out of a refined jersey, a soft synthetic that drapes, even a silk jersey. They are solid in color, and have interesting details like blouson or flutter sleeves, a surplice or ruffled neckline. They are tops that feel as comfy as a tee shirt, but can be paired with your black knit trousers and a necklace and look smashing for work or play.
Choose rich, delicious colors that make you feel fantastic. Neutrals may seem the way to go, but after morning sickness, swollen feet, round ligament pain and insomnia you could probably use a bit of color to your day. Candy pink, bright aqua, leaf green, teal blue, royal purple, garnet red – these are colors that will look polished and refreshed.
Keep in mind that you will get warmer than usual as the pregnancy continues – long and tight sleeves may not be the most comfortable come third trimester. Also, many women’s arms grow along with their bellies. Consider something that floats (yet still skims your curves – too much volume is not flattering for anyone) for longer wear and comfort.
13. Two Long Ribbed Tanks
Black and another neutral appropriate to your color palette (chocolate, heather gray, white, bright red). These can be paired with the cardigan or jacket, put under a knit dress for modesty, worn to extend the wear of pre-maternity attire, and worn under all those maternity tops that will be far too short come the end of your third trimester. Look for a high quality knit – heavy weight, lots of stretch, color saturation.
Don’t expect a maternity tank to necessarily be long – look for ones that advertise themselves as longer so you can be sure that it really will cover that one inch of belly that always ends up showing in those last couple of weeks.
14. Two Jersey Knit Dresses
Sometimes pants can be a pain. Dresses are simple one-item dressing, and they can make you look put together even if you feel that your world is falling apart. Knit dresses are comfortable, cool, washable. They don’t wrinkle, they fit over your belly, and if cut well, really flatter your frame.
Solid colors are again the way to go – have one in a neutral, and one in a delicious hue. When choosing colors, consider the rest of your palette and pick one that will compliment your cardigan, your jacket, your tanks. Keep things in a simple color palette, and you will spend less time staring at your closet and sighing.
A wrap style is always a great choice for a pregnant frame; also flattering are dresses cut on the bias, and dresses with surplice necklines. Look for a defined empire waist for shape (no one looks good in a muumuu).
Pair with a long-sleeved tee and tall boots for colder days, and sandals or flats and a long beaded necklace for warmer months. Your accessories can transform this dress so that you can wear it every week and not look like a broken record.
15. A Pair of Slip-on Shoes/Flats
The further you are in your pregnancy, the larger your feet will probably get. You also may be unsteady on your feet. On top of that, it will become harder and harder to touch your feet (let alone see them). Having a pair of shoes you can slip into will be your saving grace.
A simple ballet flat can be chic, but usually doesn’t have the support necessary to baby swollen tootsies. Look for a simple flat that has a proper sole and arch support. Peeptoes are sassy in warmer months, a classic round-toe flat (plain or with bow or other simple adornment) is always chic, a Mary Jane can provide a sweet touch to a simple wardrobe. Be sure the shoe has a non-slip sole. I had some simple slip-on gladiator-style flats that I wore while pregnant, but they had a leather sole and I slipped a couple times, once falling on a sidewalk. You’re not only eating for two but living for two – be smart and choose a rubber or other sort of sole that grips the pavement.
Some tips for pregnancy style:
- Don’t shop exclusively in maternity boutiques. I personally only got two items from a classic maternity shop, and they were on the clearance rack at their outlet. Your favorite non-maternity brand may have a pregnancy line, many department stores have a more extensive line of maternity clothes online, and the majority of these retailers offer free returns as that they do not sell the pieces in their shops.
Check eBay. I found a cocktail dress, sundress, and wool peacoat all on eBay and paid less than $15 for each one.
- Ask friends… and friends of friends. Your best friend isn’t your size? Well her coworker who just had a baby may be. She may be willing to loan you some pieces or at least sell you some for a great price.
- You don’t have to wear only maternity clothing. One of my favorite dresses when pregnant was a dress from the Merona for Target line. It was charcoal gray, ponte knit, with a defined empire waist, scoop neck and short puffed sleeves. It was a bit long, so on pregnant moi it came to the knees. I wore this dress every week, and even to my shower. I had another dress that was non-maternity and I wore until the last few weeks (another style with empire waist). I even had a pair of ponte knit trousers from Old Navy that weren’t maternity but I wore through all three trimesters (once my belly popped, I wore them below the bump and at the end wore with my Bella Band). If you stick to the concepts above (solid colors, knits, wrap styles, empire waists) yet check the non-maternity sections, you may end up finding a couple winners.
- You aren’t being frivolous or selfish to purchase a maternity wardrobe. It seems as though it is a blip in time, but these months are an important time. You will have a changing body, changing emotions, changing lifestyle. It will be easier if you have the right armor to deal with it all. When you feel attractive, you exude that confidence. You stand taller, you have more energy, you have more grace. If you purchase quality and simple pieces, they can be stored and worn again for your next pregnancy (or the pregnancy of a friend or sister). My maternity wardrobe consists of some pieces from other women I knew who were my size and weren’t planning to have more children, and my collection has been loaned to two friends who got pregnant. Also, if you don’t plan on having any other children, maternity clothes are quickly gobbled up on eBay and Craigslist for a good price.
I also have a few other posts that deal with maternity style:
- Pregnancy Must-haves
- Ask Allie - Pregnancy and Beyond
- Before and After Maternity Clothing
- Wardrobe Staples for the Mom-to-Be
- My guest post at Already Pretty about Pregnancy Chic
And finally, to really be inspired by pregnant women with style, please check out these blogs:
- Boutique Girl at Things a Boutique Owner Sees
- Academichic's posts from when one author was expecting
- You can see what I wore while pregnant during 2008 (gave borth January 8, 2009)
If you know of other women who have photographed their maternity wardrobe on a blog, please share those links! I know I found such photos very inspiring when I was expecting!
1. Not-so Little Black Dress
For pregnant women, I highly recommend the wrap style of dress. It is terribly flattering for the figure, it is usually of a really comfy non-itchy fabric like matte jersey, silk knit or a poly blend and it is versatile. A three-quarter sleeve length will work in almost every season – if you are in a warmer climate a flutter-sleeve or short puffed sleeve will keep you cool while flattering your softer shape. Add tall boots and a camisole for work, wear it with pumps for a wedding, pair with leggings and flats for the weekend.
The dress doesn’t have to be black, but black is more likely to look dressy if a wedding or evening event ends up on your social calendar. If you know in the upcoming months you won’t have such an affair, another dark solid color (chocolate, indigo, blackberry, charcoal) can be quite versatile. Use accessories like necklaces, scarves and camisoles to add color and interest to the dress. It’s better to keep basics like these solid so they are less memorable – easier to wear more often without looking as though you have a tiny wardrobe.
2. Black Knit Pants
Why do maternity fashion designers try to dress pregnant women in stiff chino? It’s not comfortable, it creases, it shrinks, it collects lint. If a maternity clothing line isn’t trying to get a pregnant woman to wear chino, it’s trying to get her to wear cheap polyester. Well if you search enough, you can find some pretty fantastic knit trousers out there that are worthy of the workplace but feel as great as your yoga pants.
Ponte de Roma fabric (also known as ponte) is a pregnant woman’s best friend. This fabric is a heavyweight, tightly-woven knit that has a refined finish. It stretches like regular cotton knit, but due to its weight and finish, it looks totally appropriate for the workplace and can dress up for dinner or a party. I found ponte maternity pants at Target and Old Navy but have seen them at many other retailers since my pregnant days. The ones I had were fashioned with a wide waistband similar to yoga pants – this kept the trousers comfortable through all trimesters, and the waist was nearly invisible under fitted tops. If you find a pair, buy in bulk. Have a pair for now, and then two pairs that are slightly longer (if possible) for your last trimester. My Target ones were too long and I kept putting off hemming them and was glad because come the end of the last trimester they were the only pants that were truly long enough for me. And by the end of that third trimester (and the first few weeks postpartum) I practically lived in those ponte pants (I even wore them home from the hospital after delivering Emerson).
3. Casual Cardigan
If you’re pregnant in fall and winter, this can be a sweater coat or swingy chunky cardigan. If you are due in the summer, you may want a lighter weight piece. A solid color, and a color you adore is a great choice. I had one in hot pink that not only coordinated with a few of my print pieces in my closet, but also made me look and feel happy and refreshed.
Pregnant women are hot one moment, and chilly another. Often times coats seem to be way too bulky and heavy for an expectant woman. Cardigans are a great way to have that extra layer to keep you comfortable, but can easily be tucked in a bag if you get hot.
Cardigans are also a great way to change the look of your maternity wardrobe basics. It can be paired with a tank or knit top for the weekend, with your black trousers for work. Put over a dress for a completely different silhouette. I also often tied my cardigan around my shoulders for a preppy look that also balanced out my bottom-heavy frame.
A basic cotton or wool knit is a great choice – I had a fine-gauge cotton one from Ann Taylor LOFT that had a jewel neckline and simple buttons. It laundered well, was simple enough that it could be versatile, and didn’t scream maternity. Similar ones can be found at most any maternity fashion retailer – steer clear of too many decorations and embellishments – a simple cardigan will get you more miles of wear and will be more likely to look stylish if you keep it for a future pregnancy (or if you hand it down to a pregnant friend or relative).
4. Dressy Cardigan or Soft-structured Jacket
This is a cover-up that is a bit more refined. It may be a cardigan with pave or pearl buttons, or even a jacket out of ponte or boiled wool. Something that isn’t structured, isn’t lined, but can make a pair of pants and a knit top look a bit more professional or sophisticated. Paired with jeans and a tank, it still can look great for the mall or brunch with your gal pals.
I had a collarless jacket out of ponte that was not maternity. I bought it before pregnant from the Banana Republic Outlet, but it worked up until the end of the last trimester. It made basic knit tops and my ponte pants suddenly look appropriate for a work meeting. I also would toss this jacket over my maternity dresses to look a bit more professional, or to ward off chill on cooler fall days. I was a pregnant person who got hot easily, and I can remember using this jacket as my fall coat – I would loop a pashmina or scarf around my neck to cover my front and the ponte jacket would keep my arms and back warm enough for my comfort level.
5. First Half Jeans
Your belly won’t be the only thing that is different in the latter part of your pregnancy. I found that jeans I ADORED in the first several weeks of having a bump I despised in the third trimester. You may like a demi belly band, and now you love a secret fit; before you may have liked the maternity panel and now you like the jeans that don’t have any stretch and just sit under the stomach. And really… you won’t know until you get closer to that time. So buy yourself a pair or two of well-fitting jeans now, and have a fund ready for the ones you will need in a couple of months.
For these jeans, a dark color and even rinse will be the most elegant, most versatile, most slimming. I liked a straight or slightly bootcut fit because it balanced out my shape. Flares look even more exaggerated with a baby bump and skinny jeans can easily make you look like a lollypop. Jeans with a hint of lycra will be less likely to stretch out, and will fit longer.
Don’t be in a rush to hem them to the perfect length – as you get larger, you will find that you require a longer inseam. Err on the side of a bit too long – it will get you more miles. Also, the further into your pregnancy you go, the lower the heel of your shoe will most likely be.
6. Second Half Jeans
See above.
7. Low-heeled Black Pumps
Pregnancy does not give you a license to wear hideous footwear. I wore low heels all the way until the day I entered the hospital. In fact, a low wide heel can be more supportive and comfortable than a true flat. Leather is dressier than suede or other fabrics (and easier to polish up and look new).
A black pair of pumps (can be peeptoes, mary janes or slingbacks) will be so useful. You can pair with trousers or dresses for work, have an easy way to dress up your not-so LBD for a festive occasion, and if it’s well made, it will be your favorite footwear as time goes on.
This is something I did NOT have when pregnant and desperately wish that I had. I instead found a pair of brown suede mary janes from Sofft that fit the bill. They had a vintage feel to them – wide rounded toe, thicker stable heel, a little leather and suede flower on the strap. They stretched when my feet grew, they had a lovely padded insole, and the heel was high enough to look feminine but low enough that I could walk to the Metro or wear them all workday without being miserable. If only they were black and leather, I would have found they went with my entire wardrobe, instead of just a few random pieces.
8. Tall Flat Boots
Another item I wish I had. I had mid-height boots, and I wore the heck out of them.
With dresses, you feel more covered. With leggings, you look less naked. When it’s cold out and all your tights are too short, you can cut the feet off your tights, tuck them into your boots and no one is the wiser. Boots will balance out the short hemlines of dresses as your belly grows. Leather boots can protect you from the elements without being too hot, and can offer support when you swell.
And finally, some days it’s hard to look sassy when you are pregnant. Somehow a pair of tall boots can make an entire outfit look more posh. Tall flat boots are fantastic post-partum as well for this same reason.
Riding boots are a classic – dark brown or black. Keep a simple, classic look and you will get years of wear out of them – from pregnancy and beyond.
9. Black Leggings (or Heavy Opaque Tights)
You will get to a point where you have no desire to put on anything that binds, itches, constricts, has stiffness, or doesn’t feel like pajamas. On top of that, as you get closer to the end of your pregnancy, you will find that many of your dresses look more like tunics. A pair of black leggings or tights (I had some maternity tights from Spanx that I adored, and found a cheap pair of leggings from Liz Lange for Target) will get a ton of wear, even if you are currently a leggings-hater.
Pair with your dresses and black flats or tall boots. Wear with a longer top and a drapey cardigan and boots for a casual weekend.
10. Two Really Supportive Bras
Your breasts will change. They will get bigger, and heavier. Your old bras will not cut it any more. You will look better and feel better with good bras.
Find one with a bit of padding and it will protect overly sensitive nipples as well as become invisible under knits.
11. Bella Band
Some people find these a waste, but I found it had so many uses for me.
Before I fit into maternity wear, I could use it over unbuttoned pants to keep them up and look smooth under tops. Once into maternity clothing, I found many pants slid down and the Bella Band did a great job at holding them up. Last few weeks of pregnancy, the Bella Band covered the part of the tummy (and maternity panel) that now too-short shirts did not. Postpartum, the Bella Band again helped hold up too-big maternity pants and cover open zippers on non-maternity trousers. When nursing, the Bella Band could be worn under non-nursing tops to cover the midsection.
Black is a good choice – it will be less visible with your black trousers, and also work well with jeans. White can be too casual looking and since it is made with Lycra, can look yellowed or old over time. Some come with lace or trim; you will get more mileage and style with a simple one free of adornments.
There are different brands of these bands – no need to go with the Bella brand. However, one made of plain stretch jersey may not hold up as well or support as much as ones like the Bella Band which have a high percentage of Lycra and are of a tightly-knit fabric. My Bella Band still looks brand new, after so many washes and wears (and being worn since by two other friends who were expecting).
12. At Least Three Knit Tops
I really don’t know why so many maternity designers make tops out of cotton and poplin. Like trousers, a pregnant woman wants fabrics that don’t crease, chafe, or require ironing. The further you are in your pregnancy, the less you will want to wear itchy, stiff, constricting garments.
These knit tops are not standard maternity tee shirts. These are made out of a refined jersey, a soft synthetic that drapes, even a silk jersey. They are solid in color, and have interesting details like blouson or flutter sleeves, a surplice or ruffled neckline. They are tops that feel as comfy as a tee shirt, but can be paired with your black knit trousers and a necklace and look smashing for work or play.
Choose rich, delicious colors that make you feel fantastic. Neutrals may seem the way to go, but after morning sickness, swollen feet, round ligament pain and insomnia you could probably use a bit of color to your day. Candy pink, bright aqua, leaf green, teal blue, royal purple, garnet red – these are colors that will look polished and refreshed.
Keep in mind that you will get warmer than usual as the pregnancy continues – long and tight sleeves may not be the most comfortable come third trimester. Also, many women’s arms grow along with their bellies. Consider something that floats (yet still skims your curves – too much volume is not flattering for anyone) for longer wear and comfort.
13. Two Long Ribbed Tanks
Black and another neutral appropriate to your color palette (chocolate, heather gray, white, bright red). These can be paired with the cardigan or jacket, put under a knit dress for modesty, worn to extend the wear of pre-maternity attire, and worn under all those maternity tops that will be far too short come the end of your third trimester. Look for a high quality knit – heavy weight, lots of stretch, color saturation.
Don’t expect a maternity tank to necessarily be long – look for ones that advertise themselves as longer so you can be sure that it really will cover that one inch of belly that always ends up showing in those last couple of weeks.
14. Two Jersey Knit Dresses
Sometimes pants can be a pain. Dresses are simple one-item dressing, and they can make you look put together even if you feel that your world is falling apart. Knit dresses are comfortable, cool, washable. They don’t wrinkle, they fit over your belly, and if cut well, really flatter your frame.
Solid colors are again the way to go – have one in a neutral, and one in a delicious hue. When choosing colors, consider the rest of your palette and pick one that will compliment your cardigan, your jacket, your tanks. Keep things in a simple color palette, and you will spend less time staring at your closet and sighing.
A wrap style is always a great choice for a pregnant frame; also flattering are dresses cut on the bias, and dresses with surplice necklines. Look for a defined empire waist for shape (no one looks good in a muumuu).
Pair with a long-sleeved tee and tall boots for colder days, and sandals or flats and a long beaded necklace for warmer months. Your accessories can transform this dress so that you can wear it every week and not look like a broken record.
15. A Pair of Slip-on Shoes/Flats
The further you are in your pregnancy, the larger your feet will probably get. You also may be unsteady on your feet. On top of that, it will become harder and harder to touch your feet (let alone see them). Having a pair of shoes you can slip into will be your saving grace.
A simple ballet flat can be chic, but usually doesn’t have the support necessary to baby swollen tootsies. Look for a simple flat that has a proper sole and arch support. Peeptoes are sassy in warmer months, a classic round-toe flat (plain or with bow or other simple adornment) is always chic, a Mary Jane can provide a sweet touch to a simple wardrobe. Be sure the shoe has a non-slip sole. I had some simple slip-on gladiator-style flats that I wore while pregnant, but they had a leather sole and I slipped a couple times, once falling on a sidewalk. You’re not only eating for two but living for two – be smart and choose a rubber or other sort of sole that grips the pavement.
Some tips for pregnancy style:
- Don’t shop exclusively in maternity boutiques. I personally only got two items from a classic maternity shop, and they were on the clearance rack at their outlet. Your favorite non-maternity brand may have a pregnancy line, many department stores have a more extensive line of maternity clothes online, and the majority of these retailers offer free returns as that they do not sell the pieces in their shops.
Check eBay. I found a cocktail dress, sundress, and wool peacoat all on eBay and paid less than $15 for each one.
- Ask friends… and friends of friends. Your best friend isn’t your size? Well her coworker who just had a baby may be. She may be willing to loan you some pieces or at least sell you some for a great price.
- You don’t have to wear only maternity clothing. One of my favorite dresses when pregnant was a dress from the Merona for Target line. It was charcoal gray, ponte knit, with a defined empire waist, scoop neck and short puffed sleeves. It was a bit long, so on pregnant moi it came to the knees. I wore this dress every week, and even to my shower. I had another dress that was non-maternity and I wore until the last few weeks (another style with empire waist). I even had a pair of ponte knit trousers from Old Navy that weren’t maternity but I wore through all three trimesters (once my belly popped, I wore them below the bump and at the end wore with my Bella Band). If you stick to the concepts above (solid colors, knits, wrap styles, empire waists) yet check the non-maternity sections, you may end up finding a couple winners.
- You aren’t being frivolous or selfish to purchase a maternity wardrobe. It seems as though it is a blip in time, but these months are an important time. You will have a changing body, changing emotions, changing lifestyle. It will be easier if you have the right armor to deal with it all. When you feel attractive, you exude that confidence. You stand taller, you have more energy, you have more grace. If you purchase quality and simple pieces, they can be stored and worn again for your next pregnancy (or the pregnancy of a friend or sister). My maternity wardrobe consists of some pieces from other women I knew who were my size and weren’t planning to have more children, and my collection has been loaned to two friends who got pregnant. Also, if you don’t plan on having any other children, maternity clothes are quickly gobbled up on eBay and Craigslist for a good price.
I also have a few other posts that deal with maternity style:
- Pregnancy Must-haves
- Ask Allie - Pregnancy and Beyond
- Before and After Maternity Clothing
- Wardrobe Staples for the Mom-to-Be
- My guest post at Already Pretty about Pregnancy Chic
And finally, to really be inspired by pregnant women with style, please check out these blogs:
- Boutique Girl at Things a Boutique Owner Sees
- Academichic's posts from when one author was expecting
- You can see what I wore while pregnant during 2008 (gave borth January 8, 2009)
If you know of other women who have photographed their maternity wardrobe on a blog, please share those links! I know I found such photos very inspiring when I was expecting!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
