Client Question: What Do I Wear Pregnant to a Fall Wedding?

Client Question: What Do I Wear Pregnant to a Fall Wedding?

Remember Danae? She had fallen into a bit of a pattern with wearing the same clothes the same way, and she reached out to me to help her style what she already owned and to go shopping with her. While staying inside her modesty guidelines, we bought her skinny jeans, toddler-friendly layering pieces, and jewelry! She recently emailed me because she's expecting a second baby (yay!! I can't wait to squeeze those little cheeks!), and she was wondering what to wear to a friend's wedding here in Northern Virginia. With her permission, here is some of our exchange, and the gorgeous results! 

Danae: To give you some background, this wedding is of a coworker girlfriend, held at XXX, reception following at the XXX hotel. So pretty formal from what it sounds to me. I do know her bridesmaids are wearing an eggplant color. Here's what I have. I've narrowed it down to two options. I have other formal/bridesmaid dresses but they are either quite uncomfortable or would need major readjustments.

She sent me pictures of a black dress and a purple dress with dots. 

StartCloseIn: I love the purple! Styling for the purple...hmm...my first thought is metallic, long, dangly earrings with your hair up, which I always think looks festive. What about this or this hair idea? 

Or a celtic knot? 

You could tie the rest back into a low bun?

Or else a bold necklace that will fill the space in the neckline of the dress. Something big and bold can be a nice counterbalance to your growing belly-and no, the metallics don't need to/shouldn't match the belt exactly. This is a gorgeous example. 

After she sent me some earring-necklace combinations based on my suggestions (she found nice choices at Kohl's!)...

StartCloseIn: You're just so beautiful! I like the first and last necklaces most. Think of filling empty space. There's space created by the neckline, and a good necklace fills it in. That being said, I think you could go with the first pair of earrings and no necklace. It would look less busy, maybe more elegant? Or else the first or last necklace with the last earrings, which are smaller.Have so much fun!!

Danae: Here are the final pictures!! Thank you so much for all your help! I felt comfortable and confident the whole time! I really appreciate it! 

Doesn't she look gorgeous? And don't you just die for her little boy in the suspenders and cap?! And yes, she did her own hair in the very top image of this post! My clients are so talented. 

Want your own maternity polka dots? I like this, this in plus size maternity, and this for winter. Another thing you might consider is renting a special occasion maternity dress. 

What to Wear for Maternity: Hip to be Round

What to Wear for Maternity: Hip to be Round

Recently, my husband and I went out to eat in the Mosaic District in Fairfax, VA. Then, I went to watch Skeleton Twins at the Angelika there the other night and remembered that I hadn't shared the pictures I took of the cute maternity store there!

The store is called Hip to be Round, and it's full of fun maternity clothes that you'd splurge on if you were planning to pass on your maternity clothes, indulge in something special, or hope to have more than one pregnancy. I'm not saying it's the most expensive I've ever seen, but it's not Target. More like Motherhood Maternity. Great for gifts for a family member or friend who's pregnant. Oh-and they didn't ask me to promote them nor did they know I was writing this. I just thought it would be of interest to some readers.

Fall Finds, Mother-of-the-Bride/Groom Fashion, Maternity Style that Doesn't Suck, and All Black, All the Time

Fall Finds, Mother-of-the-Bride/Groom Fashion, Maternity Style that Doesn't Suck, and All Black, All the Time

Boy-oh-boy does food poisoning suck the life out of you! My sister visited from Sunday night to Wednesday, and the first day and a half of her visit were fabulous. We shopped, we breakfasted, we giggled and talked in sister code, and then...and then....we ate thai food. And it all went to Hell in a hand basket.

On nearly the other side of it all, I'm easing back into the online world with some good old fashioned pinning! I have a few Pinterest boards that I've been adding to lately that I want to share with you! I have to say, the whole "back to school" thing really bums me out. I love summer above all other seasons, and I tend to get a little blue in the fall. This year, I'm trying to combat that by getting excited about fall fashion. Here is a sneak peek of my Fall Finds board, which I'll continue to update with pieces you might already own or want to buy and images that have me inspired for fall.

Via

I love the moody florals in this jacket and, of course, her hair.

Weekend Deal to Make Gift-Buying Easier

Check Out This Weekend Deal to Make Gift-Buying Easier!

Check out this great deal from Baby Bump Bundle. They're offering a deal where you spend $40 and it gets you $60 toward any Baby Bump Bundle. They have gift boxes for nursing moms and awesome baby shower gift boxes for newborns, too! The deal is this weekend (3 days) only, and I think the best part is that you can use the voucher toward a gift anytime between now and April 15, 2014 so if you have any friends who are pregnant or might get pregnant then this could come in handy!

Don't miss my fall and winter maternity finds-also great for gifts!

Oh-and Baby Bump Bundle isn't a sponsor; I just think it's a great idea since I attend a lot of showers and have lots of pregnant friends and coworkers!

Weekly Roundup: Puffer Vests for Non-Teenagers

Weekly Roundup: Puffer Vests for Non-Teenagers

I did some research yesterday in the name of fashion. It was tough, I know, but someone's gotta do it, right? Here's what happened and why.

Puffer vests are awesome. 

Despite the joke about vests being made for the unlikely event when your arms are hot but your body is cold, I will go on the record as loving a good puffy (puffer? do we really have to say that?) down vest. There we go. Down. A good down vest. Here's why: I am often, if not always, cold. And while part of turning 30 for me was about just swallowing my pride and wearing warm boots even when everyone else was in short sleeves, it still bothers me to wear a heavy coat in the fall. Where do you go from there? Enter the vest.

Oh, no. No, no, no. Not like that. I'm not sure if it's more the fake fur or the way they've styled it, but everything about this vest screams high school, maybe college, to me. She's even got vaguely PJ-ish pants on, and not in a cute grown woman track/harem pants kind of way. So, what's a woman to do?

Great vests can be hard to find-or very expensive

The thing is, I found the perfect vest. I pinned it last year, actually, and it's haunted me ever since. There she is, on the left, with the big $$$ signs in front of her.

All links available here.

That innocent-looking gray herringbone vest that's not too puffy but not too thin is like the Goldilocks of vests, right? She's also over $400. That's right, with two zeroes at the end. The polka-dotted chevron from the Gap is not a bad substitute, but somehow it is both sold out on line and not in stores yet. Fail. UPDATE: the gray dotted is NOT sold out-and is fantastic! The navy dottie above right might be a comparable substitute, but I'm afraid that it might be shiny fabric based on previous years of "research" over at the old Gap is great-yes, a bit more slick than the gray, but a feminine fit with a deep color. I still prefer the gray, but the navy is a nice second.

Also, I agree with Aint No Mom Jeans-look how cool the Gap is lately!

Q&A: What can I get for a pregnant friend?

Q&A: What can I get for a pregnant friend to help her feel her best?

This is a great question that I've heard a few times and even asked myself. Most of us are pretty comfortable buying adorable gifts for the baby, but it's hard to figure out what to give our pregnant friends or, even harder, co-workers! We want to get them something to let them know how happy we are for them, but we're not sure what. I'm excited to interrupt our fashion fest to introduce you to a company that has some ideas for us: Baby Bump Bundle. I hope you enjoy their insights!

Plus, visit their blog today to see my favorite maternity picks for Fall featured on What to Wear Wednesdays!

 

 

What is Baby Bump Bundle?

A company that curates gift boxes, or as we call them “bundles,” for mom-to-be by trimester, baby, and nursing moms. Here are a few things we are featuring right now in our online shop where you can build your own bundle!

                                                                    1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Any tips for maternity or motherhood fashion?

In regards to maternity fashion, have fun with it! People feel very differently about their body during pregnancy. Some love their bump and show it off with fitted clothing and others feel self conscious and can’t stand the weight gain. It is all about being confident in who you are though and staying true to your style before baby. Try to utilize what you already have so you don’t have to spend too much money but also have fun with shopping for go-to pieces like maternity jeans or leggings with flowy tops so you are comfortable but stylish. Jazz up sometimes boring maternity clothes with scarves and fun jewelry like sparkly earrings and you are sure to look and feel fabulous! (Start Close in Note: I love those scarves-you could even twist them together to wear both the leopard and the pink together!)

Why did you start the company?  What need did you want to fill?

Baby Bump Bundle was born when co-founder Mairead was pregnant in the spring of 2012. One of her friends put together the first Bundle without even realizing it! It was filled with ice cream, pickles, stretch mark cream and other assorted goodies for the pregnant woman. It was such a thoughtful idea and it occurred to Mairead that all pregnant women would love to receive a little something for themselves, and she shared her feelings with Michelle, who agreed how unique and special gifts for pregnant women could be.

Yes it is amazing when friends and family gift the necessities for baby like diapers and baby bottles at the shower, but what about mom-to-be when she is going through such an exciting yet emotional and challenging time of her life? And so Baby Bump Bundle came into being with a mission of creating Bundles for pampering pregnant women, with both fun and functional items. We have a Bundle for each trimester (available by subscription or just single boxes), a BabyBundle for when the baby arrives (in various sizes including small, regular, or large for twins), and for nursing mothers, a BreastfeedingBundle as well. And coming soon, a fitness focused box for health-conscious expecting women!

Any advice about starting a business?

Utilize free resources where you can! There are plenty of small business centers, blogs with a focus on providing tips for new entrepreneurs with free newsletters, and places like SCORE, that can help you to put together a business plan. Make sure you set realistic goals and map out how much money you need to make the business happen and another thing is to always expect that you will need to pay experts for something and that is OK- you don’t need to do it all or you might get too bogged down and overwhelmed. Whether it is for website design, accounting, or wherever, it is worth it to get aspects of your business you are not skilled in, done correctly and efficiently! 

Tell us a bit more about your products!

What we like to do provide the mom-to-be with a mix of items that cater to what she is going through during that trimester, but also make her feel special. Though most every bundle is unique, a first trimester BumpBundle may feature lozenges to ease nausea if she is dealing with morning sickness, cream to lather on her growing belly and body, to moisturize her skin, prevent itching, and stretch marks, and nail polish that is pregnancy safe. Then we do a fashion accessory that she can use well after pregnancy and a piece of clothing that she can wear throughout pregnancy and after birth, like a cami or other maternity fashion essentials.

Check them out here! Or on Pinterest. Thanks for the tips, BumpBundle!

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Virtual Shopping: Maternity for Fall/Winter

Virtual Shopping: Maternity for Fall/Winter

This week, you heard from stylish a mother of two about her tips and tricks and then got some big-picture questions to ask from me to think through what your body might look like in the coming months, how to use what you already have, and how to dig through other people's closets. Now that you've taken stock of what you might need and what you have that already works, let's get down to what I would suggest you buy if you were my client in her second trimester now before fall/winter. That's right, it's virtual shopping trip time!

Let me start with a story. Last weekend, after my shopping trip with a client, I stopped by Old Navy and Destination Maternity to shop for my friend. Since she's just in her second trimester, I haven't said her name here. Well, I felt like a teenager who is experimenting and starts to talk to an adult, "I have this friend...who..." In this case, "who is pregnant, and she's not sure what to wear..." I don't think they believed me, and I know some of you don't either! Rest assured, Pregnant Friend exists, and it's not me. If it's you, too, here's what to buy.

Dresses

Dresses are going to allow for the drastic changes your body is about to make. Right now, you might still be covering up a little with a cardigan, but when you're ready, you can wear these with a belt tied over your belly. I love the un-fussy patterns and the sleeves. All from Target because you might not want to spend a lot right now until you get a better sense of your shape.

Q&A: What to Wear for A Stylish Pregnacny Part II

 Q&A: What to Wear for Maternity Part II

Yesterday, my best friend talked about what to wear during early maternity-and beyond-from a mother's perspective. I haven't ever been pregnant (and am not currently, just in case you were curious! Did you wonder?), but I have what might be an abnormal interest in maternity fashion. I just think that pregnant women can get away with things that the rest of us can't when it comes to clothes, and I love that! And there's nothing that says that you must wear clothes from a maternity store while you're pregnant. So darlin', here' are the five questions to ask yourself.

1. What can I expect to look like? 

I'm not sure how you can buy things or take stock of what you already have that might work if you're pregnant for the first time and unsure how your body will change. Of course everyone is different, but let's check out some general ideas!

Q&A: What to Wear for Early Maternity?

Q& A: What to Wear for Early Maternity?

I have a dear friend who is in her first trimester, and we've been brainstorming what she can wear now and in the coming months. Tomorrow I'll talk about what I suggest as a stylist (who has never been pregnant), but first I wanted to start with an answer from a real deal stylish mother: my best friend, Tahira. She has the most adorable infant and toddler that you have ever seen. They are curious, sweet, energetic, and smart. Oh, and also so stinking cute. Here is a sample of the recent cuteness.

Tahira is my friend who sometimes makes it hard to be my friend if you are anyone else. She is the gold standard, the best, the be-all-end-all. And, I have to say, she was the cutest pregnant person ever-both times. She has that impossibly perfect belly when she's pregnant that makes her look like a maternity model-you know, the ones that are not really pregnant but are wearing the perfect belly tied to their otherwise not pregnant bodies? Tahira had that belly. Here are some shots from her cute maternity style at different stages of pregnancies.

Tahira's non-maternity style tends to be very feminine, and this worked beautifully while she was pregnant. Long dresses, soft layers, and swooped necklines accentuated her new shape and made being pregnant look effortless. Some of my favorite things that she wore were long vests with a tighter shirt or dress underneath, a puffer vest instead of a winter coat, and sweeping maxi dresses with gorgeous accessories. Here's her take on it.