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[ Top row, from left: February 2012 / November 2011 / July 2011 // Second row, from left: November 2010 / January 2011 / February 2011 // Third row, from left: December 2010 / April 2011 / February 2011 ]
If I had had my act together today, I’d have (a) actually picked out a pair of green pants instead of continuing to endlessly search for the perfect one, (b) worn said pants and made it long enough into the day without getting baby spit-up on them to take photos, and (c) actually edited and posted said photos amid a blur of deadlines and an allergies-without-medicine induced haze. Because you all know part (a) was by far the least realistic of the required elements, I bring you…this recap of some of my favorite ways to wear green and green-ish through the ages, settings, seasons and stages of being not-yet-pregnant, barely-pregnant, hugely-pregnant and thankfully-not-pregnant-anymore.
*and I would love, love, love your suggestions on green pants. I tried those adorable tiny babypants from Target, but the pants-kryptonite of my waist-to-just-above-the-knee ratio proved their undoing (terrible pun intended). Have a wonderful Tuesday!
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Even though I’m [finally!] no longer pregnant, I wanted to wrap up my maternity style chronicles with some of my favorite looks from my last week of pregnancy. Rest assured, I’ll catch back up to the present soon!
Above:
- Draped Grey-Brown Cardigan: vince via Nordstrom, gift from Mom
- Black Tank: beMaternity via Target
- Black Ponte “Real Waist” Maternity Trousers: LOFT Maternity
- Brown Die-cut Flats: Lifestride via Zappos.com
- Necklace: gifted
- Army Green Dolman Wrap Sweater: Forever 21
- Printed Dress: Boden
- Earrings: Target
- Necklace: gifted
- Brown Die-cut Flats: Lifestride via Zappos.com
I know you’re not “supposed” to care about your due date, which is admittedly pretty arbitrary, but once I got past mine (and, okay, a little before then), I’ll admit that my patience was wearing pretty thin on the ground. I had been in prodromal labor from 37 weeks on, and was told at doctor’s appointment after doctor’s appointment that my OB “didn’t expect to see me next week, because I would surely deliver by then.” With due respect to the medical profession, m. completely ignored these predictions, and required some extra help to emerge four weeks later. In a way, it was proof my daughter was already smarter than I am: while she seemed totally unperturbed by the suggestion that she should be on her way out, I managed to be needlessly stressed and anxious (mostly with joyful anticipation!) about it for some time. I know, the world’s smallest violin is playing just for me, right?
So what do you wear when you’re just. so. over. being pregnant and the utterly dreary weather (apparently it rained here 18 of 30 days in September), on your last two “work days” before taking a (brief) maternity leave? Snuggly sweaters, man-made flats that won’t get ruined in the rain, and large expanses of the same color in an attempt to add some length to my not-so-long-and-lean frame. And in a way, these last outfits harkened back to the very beginning of my maternity style journey: this dress was literally one of the last two things I wore before I found out I was pregnant. I had shelved these pants during the late second and early third trimester periods, when I was carrying the baby too high for them to be particularly comfortable, but as the baby dropped (and dropped, and dropped!, said my sacrum), they started to work again (and admittedly, gave me an unreasonable and mostly inappropriate body image boost, because, hey, my first trimester pants?!?!? really?!?!). And finally, finally, I wore that outfit my mum was always hoping I would wear, even though I hoped(!) I wouldn’t have time. I was overdone, antsy, and (let’s face it), I looked like the Great Wall of China (or at least felt like I did), but . . . well, pardon the sappy ending, but I feel a lot happier about the state of my body — and my wardrobe — in the final hours of my pregnancy now that I’m getting to know the person I was sharing it with!
So there you have it: the end of my pregnancy style journey (though probably not the last you’ll see of it). I’ll be continuing my series on maternity wardrobe essentials and style strategies over the next few weeks, continuing to feature a fabulous group of guest bloggers, and if you look closely, you might even catch a glimpse of my post-partum style, some musings on life as we now know it, and the occasional picture of baby m. Thanks for bearing with me as I take a little longer than usual to respond to comments and get back to your regularly scheduled programming, and for all your kind wishes and words during this special time in our lives!
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Even though I’m [finally!] no longer pregnant, I wanted to wrap up my maternity style chronicles with some of my favorite looks from my last week of pregnancy. Rest assured, I’ll catch back up to the present soon!
Towards the end of my pregnancy, I fought sartorial boredom by reinventing some looks from earlier in my pregnancy, trying to find ways to adjust these styles to take advantage of my slightly-comical shape. In honor of my due date (on which I was very, very much still pregnant!), I took another look at this outfit, the first look from my very first 30-for-30 remix last fall:
It looks a little different now, doesn’t it?
- Skinnies: Gap Maternity
- Navy Tee: Gap Maternity
- Brown Riding Boots: Franco Sarto via Zappos.com
- Red Cardigan: Vintage Michael Kors, mommed
- Necklace: gifted
- Gold Earrings: Lulu’s, gift from Mom
- Metallic Fabric Belt: LOFT
I’m actually pretty fond of the late-maternity version, and not just because of the charming hilarity of attempting to get myself into my first trimester skinnies and those jeans tucked into my boots on what was supposed to have been the last day of my pregnancy. In a number of ways, this version reflects the ways my style has evolved and matured over the last ten months. The accessories are a little more intentional and are a little bit better coordinated. I’m breaking some rules (hello, mixed metallics), and I’m highlighting the things I love best about my shape — even in its temporarily distorted form.
I didn’t end up actually wearing this look all day — after a few hours, it just felt really impractical — but for a welcome-to-town brunch with my parents and my in-laws, it made me feel really put together and like myself, which was worth a lot at this stage in the process!
Have you been able to make a beloved look work in different sartorial circumstances — accommodating a change in shape, lifestyle or circumstance? When you look back at what you were wearing a year ago, how has your style changed — or not changed?
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- Grey Ruched Cowl-Neck Dress: Gap Maternity
- Navy Pinstripe Blazer: Calvin Klein via Filene’s
- Black Not-so-Flats: Bandolino via ShoeWoo!
- Pearls: Mommed
The last few weeks of my pregnancy were, to say the least, eventful, as I raced to get ahead on my reading, complete a variety of law journal administrative tasks, get our house ready, and, oh, you know, prepare for our lives to be totally shaken up by our daughter’s arrival (along with a healthy dose of trying to coax her into arriving a little bit sooner, which obviously failed miserably!). In addition, I was going through the final stages of the hiring process for federal judicial clerkships for the year(s) following graduation, a process which would have been high intensity (and a little byzantine) even if I hadn’t been racing neck and neck between the official nationwide interview schedule and what seemed to be the Bean’s impending arrival.
This is, of course, not the most complicated or stressful or magical thing a woman has done in the last few days and weeks before giving birth; much as I might like to think it, I am not, in fact, a beautiful and unique snowflake. But, special or not, I trundled my way down to the courthouse, 279 days pregnant, to meet with a Very Important Judge and his current clerks and try to do some amount of credit to my past achievements and future promise. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up getting this particular job, but I was pretty excited about all the things that had to happen over the last two years to make my being considered for it a meaningful possibility.
So what do you wear to a job interview at more than nine months pregnant? Having tried so hard to avoid buying and wearing a maternity suit, I wasn’t about to start now (and certainly not for two hours of my life), so for this and a few other similar interviews, I used the dress+blazer strategy, sticking predominantly with neutrals and trying to emulate the “interview suit” look as best I could. Under ordinary fake-a-suit circumstances, I’d be trying to avoid wearing a suit for the purpose of wearing something a little bit more “out there,” but here, the goal was to blend in as much as possible, particularly since the other candidates I expected to run into and be compared to in the process were . . . well, not similarly situated! This actually is the blazer from my “interview suit,” and I love the way it brings out the blues in this blue-grey dress, and the way the proportions work on my very-pregnant form. Had I known how warm it was going to be in the courthouse, I might have gone with a black dress in a slightly thicker fabric (like this one), but hindsight is 20/20. I thought about heels, but decided to go with flats: sometimes, you need your clothes to get out of your way, and with everything else I had to worry about, I didn’t want falling over to be one of them!
Have you ever interviewed for a job in . . . unusual circumstances? If you had the option to avoid an “interview suit,” what would you wear to a job interview?
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I’m hoping you’re reading this *after* our daughter has arrived (or at least after I’ve gone into labor)! Even though I’m hoping that by this point, I’m no longer exclusively donning maternity duds, some of my last pregnancy outfits were among my favorites, and I wanted to share a few of them with you over the course of these next few weeks. I’m also looking forward to featuring some of my very favorite bloggers while I take a little mini-break to bond with our little one, so keep your eyes peeled for some features from some of these inspired ladies over the next few weeks!
- Navy Maxi Dress: Liz Lange for Target
- Yellow and White Striped Oxford: J. Crew
- Silver Necklace: Gifted
- Red Earrings: Target
- Brown Die-Cut Flats: Lifestride via Zappos.com
I was skeptical about the knotted-oxford-shirt concept, but buoyed by your sweet comments the last time I tried it, I gave it one more go, putting together yet another “hybrid” look, that’s a combination of these two outfits:
I wore this on a casual Friday of working from home, and having lunch with D. and his colleagues. This maxi dress has become one of the most indispensable of my maternity wardrobe items, and one I could even see continuing to wear post-pregnancy. For the most part, though, it’s been too warm to even think about wearing anything but a light scarf over it, so I’ve relished the opportunity the cooler weather has brought to experiment with using it as an under layer. I love how the bold jewel tone pairs well with both lighter neutrals and with bright accents in my closet, and the way the relaxed shape is easy to wear while still feeling “dressed up” when I need it to.
I’m curious, though: is the maxi dress a spring/summer only item, or can it work for fall? When you layer over one, how do you keep the proportions from feeling too hippie dippie?
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- Navy Wideleg Trousers: Olian via eBay
- Peach-Orange Top: Japanese Weekend via eBay
- Teal Earrings: Forever 21
- Long Oatmeal Cardigan: Halogen via Nordstrom, gift from Mom
- Brown Peep-Toes: Naturalizer via Amazon.com
- Silver Necklace: Gifted
In a weird way, this outfit is the offspring of these two outfits:
As I attempt to combat boredom (by which I mean, my desire to never look at maternity clothes again…), I’ve been revisiting outfits and concepts that worked earlier in my pregnancy and trying to make them work on my nearly- (and now over-) due form. This outfit borrows key elements from the two looks above: the soothing combination of navy and peach (a slightly more grown-up version of my alma mater’s famed orange and blue), the ease of trousers and a long cardigan, the critical importance of bold accessories to pull the look together (hey, sometimes more really is, well, more). The long-cardigan-over-trousers look isn’t a proportion that works well for my non-pregnant self, as it tends to magnify my long-torso-ed-ness and make my legs seem even shorter. At this stage in my pregnancy, though, it works well to balance out my out-of-balance top half: the wide legs of the trousers work to balance out my bump, and the draping makes me look *almost* “ordinary” from the front. The heels are also helping to keep the look in balance, but they’re probably doing more for my sanity than anything else!
With our little girl expected this weekend at the latest (you hear that, Bean?), I’ve started—very tentatively—thinking about what my theoretical post-partum style will be like. This is not, of course, the first thing on my mind at the moment, but staying busy helps with the waiting and the I’m-not-feeling-very-comfortable-anymore and yesterday, that busy involved organizing my closet! So I’m curious, stylish reader-parents: how did you think about what to wear after baby arrived? Were there things you absolutely banned from your closet for a while (chunky necklaces, silks, dry-clean-only-anything?), or some general criteria you found important in selecting pieces? Did you develop a kind of “uniform” for the early days?
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- Striped Tee: Old Navy Maternity
- Drawstring Linen Pants: Old Navy Maternity
- Scarf: Target
- Earrings: Target
- Brown Sandals: Keen via Amazon.com
Let’s be honest: there really are days, pregnant or otherwise, when you just . . . don’t really feel like getting dressed. And yet! Places to be. So what’s a girl to do?
These pants were on sale at Old Navy as I was finishing work at the end of July, when I finally had to give up the ghost on the pre-pregnancy-jeans-plus-belly-band combo. They’re super casual and the fit is far from perfect, so they’re mostly after-work pants — the kind of thing you put on when you get home at the end of a long day but would still like to preserve the option of leaving the house. I hadn’t tried wearing them to an “event” until last Sunday, when we were running late for dinner at my parents’.
To offset the slightly ho-hum aspects of the pants, I went with a bold pattern mix up top and dramatic earrings (thank you, $5 accessories section at Target!). I’ve kept the colors of the scarf and the top in roughly the same family, and letting the lighter-colored stripes almost fade into the background, keeping the focus on the bold floral scarf. To me at least, the combination feels really soothing. Almost enough to make me forget that I was wearing my “I-give-up” pants.
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This post is part of a series on maternity wardrobe essentials and approaches to dressing for pregnancy. See the complete series.
If you’re reading this on Monday morning, and it’s not preceded by a note welcoming our new arrival, my due date came and went and I’m . . . still pregnant. Which is, of course, fine, but I am looking forward to the day when I can stop writing about dressing for pregnancy in the present tense! 
I’ve been looking wistfully at September issues and fall catalogues for the last few weeks, trying to piece together a vision of how I’ll incorporate fall’s trends into my post-partum style (which involves some seriously magical thinking, since I have no idea what my post-partum body will look like, what my needs will be—other than sleep!—or how quickly I’ll feel up for getting dressed). It feels like a whole new experience, after months of maternity dressing, which, while it can be stylish (and I’ve certainly tried!), is mostly not trendy—at least as to silhouette, since the range of bump-able silhouettes is, well, small. That said, some trends—particularly those involving color, texture and accessories—can work really successfully on the pregnant body (sometimes with a few adjustments).
For example: I loved this spring and summer’s brights, but dressing a newly-proportioned and (let’s face it) outsized body in bright colors takes some care and some thought. As usual, these aren’t iron-clad rules, but here are a few things I thought about and some particularly (and sometimes surprisingly!) successful strategies for making this trend work on a pregnant body. Like my list of suit alternatives, these go from least to most adventurous.
Simple Silhouettes
Let’s face it: pregnant bodies are, well . . . often bigger than their non-pregnant counterparts. Larger bodies lead to larger expanses of, in this case, bright, fabric, which can sometimes feel like overkill . . . or simply like a more dramatic look than you were going for. Starting with simpler shapes may be a good way to baby-step your way in to making these looks work, and giving you a chance to experiment with drawing attention to different parts of your body.
Dimmer Switches
Likewise, pairing brights with neutrals can tone them down in a way that really unifies a look. I wore this taupe-ish cardigan with many a brights-based look, taking advantage of both its snuggly nature and the way it made bright colors seem a little less overwhelming, particularly on darker, more inside-oriented days.
Brights at the Office: One Thing at a Time
As we’ve discussed at length, it depends on where you work and what you do, but not all offices are universally brights-friendly. For example, at the firm I worked at this summer, the expected number of bright wardrobe elements per woman on any given day was probably less than .5. Keeping the rest of the outfit more neutral and relying on one (or maybe two) colored elements may make these kinds of pieces more office-appropriate, and make you feel less like you’re ringing alarm bells walking through the hallway.
Pairing with Pattern
For whatever reason, I love the look of brights with patterns. Depending on the overall look, either the bright element or the patterned element can function as the anchor piece, with the other functioning as an accent. On the pregnant body, this is one of those relatively unusual examples of where more is more: even though it can be both a lot of pattern and a lot of bright on an unusually proportioned form, it feels celebratory and intentional and really, really fun.
Out There, Live: Color Blocking, Analogous Brights and Dramatic Shapes
Broadly and generally, these are bolder bright looks, and your mileage may vary on appropriateness for your work environment, your state of pregnancy, and your temperament. I’ve found that I’ve come to really love analogous brights, which seem really soothing to me, oddly enough, but they’re definitely not for everyone. Likewise, I wasn’t a huge fan of color-blocking while pregnant (though this was in part a proportion issue, brought on by my inability to wear high-waisted anything). But I loved, LOVED, the look of a bold, unexpected silhouette in a bright color, even though it was something I don’t think I ever would have worn not pregnant. I never would have bought this crazy coral/watermelon colored, puff-sleeved blouse under ordinary circumstances, but again, the playful, experimental mood that pregnancy dressing put me in made me more open to these possibilities—and thrilled to try to make them work. It definitely wasn’t subtle, but it was kind of a blast.
How do you feel about trends and the pregnant body? In particular, do you think things like brights or pattern mixing have a place in the pregnant gal’s wardrobe, or are they better reserved for the not-currently-reproducing set?
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- White Draped Tuxedo Top: Joie via Nordstrom, gift from Mom
- White Tank: Gap Maternity
- Navy Abstract Floral Skirt: induetime via eBay
- Suede Wedge Sandals: Earthies via Zappos.com
- Silver Necklace: Gifted
After the rain and flooding finally abated on Friday, D. and I went to dinner with Emily and her boyfriend Chris, and in her honor, I tried out the sock bun for the first time. My hair isn’t quite long enough to be put up on a regular basis, but on such a ridiculously humid day (seriously, I can only describe the outside air as “dripping”), it seemed worth a try. Plus, I heard a rumor that straightening my hair just might not be something I have a lot of time for in the near-ish future, so figuring out something to do with my growing-out hair that keeps it out of the way of grabby little hands seems advisable.
I’m not 100% on continuing to wear this top, which is now doing nothing to downplay my upper half. All the same, I’m intrigued by it’s relative ease, and deeply appreciative of the way it’s traveled with me from “really, you’re pregnant?” to “OMG! YOU’RE REALLY PREGNANT!” (note the obvious lack of side view in the latter case). The look as a whole teeters dangerously on the edge of hippie drapey earth goddess whatever, but I loved how it still made use of things that felt like real clothes: woven fabrics, texture, pleating, a pencil skirt, heels, jewelry. And true to form, this is yet another way I’m proving my mum’s advice right. When she gave me this top a few months ago, I think her exact words were, “see, this is the kind of thing you could wear, even really pregnant, and feel dressed up.” And sure enough, she was right. Again. I really hate it when that happens.
As an aside, many thanks to everyone who checked in on us after our long string of bizarre weather events in the past few weeks. Despite the earthquake, hurricane and extensive flooding, we appear to have emerged with only a small amount of water in the basement and a slightly-enlarged crack in the garage floor. We are, however, bracing for the possibility of a mid-week snowstorm (despite the 80+-and-sunny weather), if only because it seems like the next logical shoe to drop!
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- Gray Ruched Cowl-Neck Dress: Gap Maternity via Gap.com
- Plaid Button-up: Forever 21 (decidedly non-maternity!)
- Silver Necklace: Gifted
- Brown Die-Cut Flats: Lifestride via Zappos.com
- Red Drop Earrings: Target
Remember this outfit? Here’s the same basic concept, seven months later. Of course, there are a few necessary adjustments. If I tried to wear my trusty black surplice jersey dress now, it would look both obscene and absurd, I can still wear heels but find myself wearing flats slightly more often, and, oh yeah: I couldn’t button this oxford, nor tie it off as far down as I did in the earlier photo, if my life depended on it. But other than that? Same outfit!
While I wish this dress were made of a slightly stiffer fabric (ponte knit, or a slightly stiffer jersey), I’ve been amazed at its versatility all the same. I’ve worn it to work with a suit jacket, or without a topper for a less formal summer look. I love the slightly bluish gray tone, which pairs well with the bold jewel tones I tend to favor. And as my pregnancy has progressed, I’ve really appreciated the ruched fit, which has made it one of the few dresses remaining in my closet that doesn’t look like a tent. And at this stage in the game, I can’t quite find sufficiently glowing words for the importance—and magic!—of a dress that just fits.
What do you think: is the second time the charm for this look? Will I come to deeply regret the knotted button-up when I see these photos years from now? How have you reinterpreted a look in different circumstances, months or years later?
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Hi! I'm S. Welcome to Narrowly Tailored, a blog about life and style from a law student and new mom. In short: work and life gets dressed; balance mostly gets amused.Follow Along
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