Good Tuesday morning! I hope everyone is getting back into the swing of things from the weekend. We have a busy week on tap then we head out of town this weekend so lots to cram in.
Okay so here’s the deal. When I was pregnant with Little A, my maternity style was…..less than stylish. I was of the mindset that I’m only going to be wearing these clothes for a few months, why the heck would I spend a ton of money on something that won’t fit me post baby? And when I look back at the (very few) photos I have from that time, I cannot believe that’s me. I mean, I’m not winning any awards for best dressed over here, but I have a pretty good sense of style and who I am. And I’m honestly just appalled that I would actually go out in public in some of the clothes I chose. #whatwasIthinking
This time around I have a different outlook. I still don’t want to be spending a ton of money on maternity clothes. This is my last pregnancy so there’s no wearing these items another time around and Lord knows my hubby isn’t all about me spending thousands of dollars on a maternity wardrobe. BUT, he understands some of my struggles.
I’m a tall, slim girl who has a boyish figure and little to no hips to speak of. I’ve always struggled with finding pants that are 1) long enough and 2) don’t get baggy on my small behind. So I should suppose that finding maternity pants would be no different. And I was right. I spent a good chunk of Saturday looking around and of the 10-12 pairs of maternity jeans I found, 3 were long enough. 2 of those pairs were over $200 a piece! When I told K that those were the only pants long enough for me he about lost his ever loving mind. I don’t spend that on pants I wear year after year, why would I spend that on pants I’ll wear for 4 months?! That’s like $50 a month to wear pants. Needless to say he wasn’t sold. BUT! I was able to find a pair that will work, and for $35! Thanks to H&M, this pair came home with me. Now, they are almost too short. I say almost because they just graze my ankles, but since it’s winter and I’m going to be wearing boots and booties pretty much all the time they will work. And if I want to wear flats I can just cuff them and we’re good to go. I got them in the dark wash, but they have other colors as well.
One of my girlfriends did say she’s in love with the Resolution pull-on jean leggings at Gap, but they didn’t have them in the store so I will need to order them online. I’ll say, though, that if they are anything like the jeans I tried on in the store, they’ll be too short as well.
Enough of my struggles. Let’s focus on what I’m going to do right this time around!
Here’s what I’m thinking my staples will be:
Sweaters: The temps don’t get above 55 or so in the winter here in Seattle, so sweaters are a must. My goal is to make my current wardrobe last as long as I can, but at some point I’ll probably have to get a few larger sweaters. I also worry about stretching my clothes out so much that they won’t be wearable again, so we’ll see how long I choose to wear certain pieces. I love this scoopneck sweater for when my bump gets a bit larger. I also want to try to stick to more form fitting tops. That was part of my issue last time around. I wore everything way too big and looked ridiculous. This striped navy and white striped top is cute, and I love the crochet accent. This sweater from Nordstrom is right up my alley. And the slub cardigan is another favorite I’d like to add to my closet for my growing bump (and it’s non maternity).
Long tees and tanks: I love cardigans and open front sweaters, so a few long tees and tanks are a must for me. The Pure Body tees and tanks Gap are perfect to wear underneath sweaters. They also look cute on their own I think.
Skinny jeans and leggings: Let’s be honest here, I’m not trying to get into the whole wide leg trend again at this moment. My top half will be large enough, I don’t need my bottom half to match. So I plan to stick with skinny jeans and leggings for most of this pregnancy. Like I said, I brought this pair of skinny jeans home with me over the weekend and I’m sure I will get lots of use out of them. I also live in leggings in the winter. I just really like being comfortable and leggings are that for me. I found this Ingrid & Isabel pair at Nordstrom, but the reviews were pretty bad. I’m hoping this pair at Gap will work. They come in a demi panel as well and got pretty good reviews. This pair at A Pea In The Pod look great too but the reviews seem to say they run big so that could be a no go for me. I also really liked these jeans from Gap. If I can keep them cuffed then I’ll probably be able to wear them.
And that’s what I’m starting with. I’ve found Gap, H&M and Old Navy to have a pretty decent selection of maternity items. I may visit A Pea In The Pod again as well. I also found Pink Blush Maternity online and I really like that their items are feminine and stylish. Their prices are good and they are always having sales so that’s another option. If anyone has experience ordering from them I’d love to hear!
What are/were some of your go to items for your maternity wardrobe? What are your favorite places to shop for maternity clothing?
I can only imagine the struggle that is finding maternity clothes that look good. Finding REFULAR clothes that look good can be a struggle. I like all of your picks. I’ll be living in cardigans too!
I have no clue about maternity clothes but I think what you’ve chosen as your staples are great – thankfully my sister kept a lot of stuff from her pregnancies so I’ll be wearing mostly hand me downs (I think lol) xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
I have the same problems when shopping for pants!! My husband always makes fun of my baggy booty haha. I LOVE PinkBlush Maternity, and Gap and Old Navy always have cute things, too. Target has great maternity clothes, too! We don’t have an H&M by us, but I’ll have to check them out for my next pregnancy!! And those clothes you picked are so cute!
I love all of those pieces. I remember trying to find pants long enough for me as well. No fun. I think leggings and long tunics sound comfy. Also the plus side to maternity tank tops is that they are long enough for our taller bodies, even after we aren’t pregnant anymore.
Love this style for your second pregnancy. When I was pregnant I was kind of under the same impression so I did a lot of “make do” with items. Although if I were to get pregnant again I would definitely be more stylish especially if it’s a winter pregnancy again.
liz @ sundays with sophie
Maternity clothes are so cute to me. It may not feel that way when you’re pregnant but I love the look! Those H&M ones that you bought look perfect. And I will have a different struggle…finding ones for my booty! :-p
Ah the fun of maternity shopping! At least you really have only one season so you don’t have to buy two different sets of clothes. My go to was a long sleeve maternity top and jeans with a vest and scarf. That way you’re pretty comfy and still using some of your normal clothes 🙂
When my sister was pregnant and I went shopping with her I was blown away with how expensive maternity clothes were and the lack of quality they were made from! Paige is a guru for finding good maternity clothes!
I had difficulty finding maternity wear when I was pregnant with my daughter too! I quickly realized that I need just a few key pieces to make it work. Jeans and leggings were a must, and OId Navy had reasonable selections for those. The tops were fairly easy to find–The Gap and H&M had great selections as well.
Have fun shopping (but not too much, of course:) )
I think we all struggle at some point with maternity shopping. Good to hear you like some of the same places I’m looking at Maria!
Okay, I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that you’re pregnant! You’re pregnant! Eeeeeek!
Now to address this post. I, too, wanted to be stylish the second time around. I got alot of open cardigans which I wore for a few years after pregnancy. I did some consignment/thrift shopping as well.
I hate seeing pictures of me during my first pregnancy but the second one… oh yeah – much better! lol
Thanks for sharing your stylish picks.
xoxo
Love your picks! I feel like I really slacked in maternity clothes for my first pregnancy but picked it up the second time around. Can’t go wrong with Old Navy, Gap and H&M!
Totally had the same struggles!!!
GURL, why didn’t you text me about this struggle?! I’ve gotten it figured out (two babies in a year and a half will do that to you…) We have similar figures. So here’s the lowdown: Gap and Old Navy pants WON’T fit. They run way to big and way too hip-y. Their shirts however, are great – Gap has great staples likes t’s and tanks and they’re always on sale. So stock on up those for cheap. Jeans and leggings – there’s just no getting around it. You have to spend some money on them if you want them to fit. Period. I have exactly 3 pairs of maternity jeans, so I go for quality over quantity. One pair is colored, one dark and one light and ripped. Yes, all were well over $200 but I got them ALL on sale. Pea in the Pod has GREAT sales on designer denim – never pay full price! So take your pants that actually fit and pair it with the cheap tanks and t’s and wear your pre-baby cardigans over it. Boom! You’re in a much colder climate than me, so you’ll prob want a few maternity sweaters too. Depending on your arm length, you can either get them at Gap/Old Navy/Target or nicer stores. I have two from Pea in the Pod and the sleeves are LONG ENOUGH! But, I only have two, and make use of my prebaby cardigans so I don’t go bankrupt. All in all, I think I have less than 15 maternity items and I’m never searching for things to wear – I just mix and match nonmaternity things in.