Maternity Outfits - Part 2

Time for Part 2 of the Maternity Outfits series!!

Here we go!!

Shirt: Free (from a co-worker)
Skirt: $1, Gabe's maternity clearance rack (and yes, it's actually a maternity skirt, although that doesn't really seem to matter with skirts)
Total cost: $1

I didn't like this shirt at all when I first got it, because it was too baggy in the belly, but I knew it had potential so I kept it.  Then I found that $1 gray skirt at Gabe's and suddenly this became one of my favorite outfits!  Now that I'm bigger, the shirt is more fitted, but without being uncomfortable.  Love it!!!

 

Shirt: Free (hand me down)

Skirt: Free (already owned, non-maternity skirt)

Total cost: Free

This one barely seems worth mentioning since I didn't spend a penny on it, but I love it as a work outfit since it's primarily black and looks more formal than most of my other maternity outfits.  Again, this shirt didn't really do much for me early on, but now that I'm bigger and fill it out, I like it!

Shirt: Free (hand me down)
Cami: $6.99, Gabe's
Capris: Free (hand me down)
Total cost: $6.99

These hand-me-downs really got a lot of wear starting in the 3rd trimester.  Most of it was too big for any earlier, and this is definitely not my favorite outfit in the world, but it adds some nice diversity to my wardrobe and is perfect for a cooler day when wearing two shirts and long-ish pants doesn't make sweat buckets.

Dress: $12.99, Gabe's (but it's Liz Lange Maternity/Target)
Total: $12.99

You've seen this dress before from the hospital wedding, but it's worth showing again.  Now that I'm a little bigger, it's getting a little shorter, and nothing gives me an outie belly button like this dress, but I still feel good in and love the ruffle collar.  It looks more and more like a hot air balloon from the side view (which I don't have a picture of right now) but with the bust area being more fitted, I'm generally ok with the "frump."

Shirt: $10.99
Skirt: Free (already owned, from Target)
Total cost: $10.99

This is more than I would usually pay for a shirt - especially a shirt that I didn't originally love - but as I started outgrowing most of my maternity wardrobe I found myself needing to purchase things that fit, even if the look wasn't totally what I was going for.  This shirt can be a little frumpy, but it's my favorite frump shirt. It's got a floral ruffle collar at the top and the gray color in the shirt matches the skirt color perfectly.  It's actually a cuter outfit in person than it is in this picture!  You'll see this outfit again soon when I show pictures of the "cabin shower."

Well, that's all for now!  If I get enough outfits together to do another post, I'll do one more.  Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed!

Frumpy clothes make you look frumpy

I know I've talked a lot about how frumpy clothes make you look frumpy, but I haven't really shown any pictures of that.  It's not because I never wore any frumpy clothes, for I certainly did.  But since frumpy isn't exactly stylish, I didn't take any pictures of myself them, and those outfits were few and far between.

I officially prefer fitted clothes.  Pregnant or not - or perhaps because I am pregnant at all - I like to remember that my body has (or at least used to have) some shape.  Sometimes I feel self-conscious when my shirt is fitted and you can easily see my half-outtie belly button showing through.  I think about changing my shirt to put on something that won't accentuate that so much, but then I stop myself.  Why does it matter?  Why do I care??  I'm pregnant, enormous, and bulging.  Of COURSE my belly button is sometimes going to show through my shirt.

Embrace the pregnant form, ladies.  There's nothing to hide.

BUT..... now, at the 34 week mark, a lot of those cute maternity clothes that I used to love and wear all the time no longer fit.  Or at least the word "fitted" has taken on new meaning.  Very sad.  :o(

So I've found myself resorting to some of the frumpier options in the bottom of my drawers, at least as far as shirts are concerned.  Ya gotta do what 'cha gotta do, right?

This outfit is one of my frumpier outfits.  The skirt is something that I owned previously and the shirt was a hand-me-down that was originally waaaay too big and is now only mostly too big.  It doesn't look so bad from the front, right?

But when you get the side view....

You're all like, "HOLY HELL! That is one frumpy-ass shirt!"

Or at least that's what I'm thinking.

But seriously, no one can tell me that I look great in that side view picture above.  I seriously look like the "beached whale" that I so often feel like.  I look like I gained 75 pounds instead of 29.  I look like I'm wearing a hot air balloon.  I look awful.

And yet I still posted this picture on the internet.  Mostly to prove to myself that I was right in believing that frumpy clothes make me look frumpy.  Back to my regularly scheduled tight-fitting shirts, pronto.

Maternity Outfits Part 1

Since I've talked so much about maternity clothing, I thought I'd showcase some of the outfits that I've been wearing the past few weeks (mostly to work) to show you that it really it possible to have a cute maternity wardrobe without spending a fortune.  (Well, I suppose that's really subjective.  After all, if you don't agree that my outfits are cute, then this post is useless to you.  Don't tell me if you don't think I'm cute. I need positive moral support these days.)  

This first outfit is actually 100% purchased new, but still not super expensive.
Pants: Motherhood Maternity, $18 on sale
Shirt: Gabe's, $10 and NOT a maternity shirt (but I did buy size XL, when usually I wear a medium)
Shoes: Gabe's, $5
Total cost: $33

This dress was given to me by a co-worker who is done having kids.  It's not something that I would have purchased for myself, but it was 100% free and it fits, which at this point, is good enough for me!
Total: $0

This isn't a particularly exciting outfit (brown skirt, white shirt, ehh..) but it's still work appropriate and comfortable, so I love it. You've already seen it in my week 30 picture update.  The shirts with side ruching weren't my favorites a few weeks ago, but now that I fill them out, I totally understand why pregnant women rave about shirts with side ruching.
Shirt: Target Liz Lange Maternity, $4.84 on clearance
Skirt: From my sister's old maternity wardrobe
Total: $4.84

 Last outfit for this post.  This one includes the same black capris that were part of the first outfit, with yet another non-maternity shirt and a maternity camisole tanktop.  I loved this outfit a few weeks ago when it was a little cooler.  Now that the temps are in the 80s and 90s, I can't handle the double layer of shirts, or the length and snugness of the capris. 

Pants: Motherhood Maternity, $18 on sale
Shirt: Gabe's, $12.99 and once again, not a maternity shirt. It just happens to be super stretchy.
Camisole tank top: Gabe's, $6.99
Total cost: $37.98

By far one of my most expensive outfits, but I assure you that I wore this is a ton in the spring, so even if I never wear any of those pieces again (which I will) I still got my moneys worth.

Is this interesting to anyone other than me?  Should I still do a Part 2 of this topic??

Buying Maternity Clothes

There are a handful of places that have been my go-to's for maternity clothes.  Some are obvious, some less so, but I wanted to at least mention them here and the reasons that I either loved (or in some cases, hated) them.  If you're ever in the market for maternity clothes, hopefully you'll find this helpful!

1. Gabriel Brothers
Yep, Gabe's.  If you don't have a Gabe's near you, I am oh-so-sorry.  It's one of my favorite places to shop in general, although it can be very time-consuming to find nice things sometimes, and it's often hit or miss.  But the prices are dirt cheap, so I'm ok with the time spent.
I was surprised to find that they have maternity clothes, and every few weeks I've stopped by to look at the new stuff.  That's the nice thing about Gabe's - they get new stuff in all the time, so the stock is constantly rotating.  The stuff is generally cheap - shirts for between $5 and $7 for the most part, and really nothing more than $12.99.  I got a cute dress there, 2 pairs of slightly miscolored jeans for $3 each, shorts and skinny denim capris for $7.99 each, multiple maternity shirts, and countless numbers of ribbed tank tops for $3 or less.  I have purchased so much of my maternity wardrobe from Gabe's and I'm pretty sure I spent less than $150.

2. Target
The Liz Lange maternity line that is carried at Target has some really nice options, particularly in dresses.  Their full-price maternity stuff is severely marked-up though, so I refuse to pay full price. However, they usually have a small maternity section on the clearance racks, and the Gabes near my house generally has a bunch of Liz Lange stuff on their racks so I look for her stuff their too.  My Liz Lange denim shorts are worn every weekend, both days.  I love them.


4. Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart carries a limited line of maternity clothes and they really are dirt cheap (which is what WM is known for, right?) but it's only available online so you can't try stuff on before purchasing.  This is when I decided that I should really try things on.  I ordered a pair of gray pants in size large.  They were waaaaaay too big; I don't think they'll ever fit.  Plus, they weren't really gray  - they were more like green.  So I kept them anyway (since they were only $13 including shipping) and ordered them again in a size medium.  That would make sense right? Well, the mediums were too tight, and too short, and a totally different color than the initial pants, even though they were supposed to be the same thing.  I kept these as well, although I now regret it as I more or less hate them.
I have crossed Wal-Mart off of my list of maternity clothing providers and would not recommend them.

3. Old Navy
I've only shopped for Old Navy stuff online although there is apparently an ON near me that carries some maternity stuff in store.  They have some occasional sales, and their ribbed tank tops are a staple of my wardrobe.  I also got a cute dress from them, but be sure to read the reviews before buying - the applique on the dress is really cheap looking, and if I had read the reviews I would have known that in advance.

4.  Motherhood Maternity/Pea in a Pod
There's a MM/PinaP outlet store in the area where I generally shop, so I've never been to a regular, dedicated store for either of these brands. They have a great, robust website, but the in-store shopping experience is definitely a plus, because you can try things on.  There were pants that I saw online, and thought about ordering in size medium, but then when I went into the store to try them on, the medium's were way too tight and I ended up with larges.  I did order some shirts online and the size larges were too big, but since they were on sale, they really weren't worth returning.
Pea in a Pod is their designer brand, and it seems to be ridiculously overpriced. You can hold up a pair of Motherhood brand pants and an extremely similar pair of Pea pants and although you can't really see a difference visually, the price is often as much as a $100 more for the PinaP pants. 
Ridiculous, I tell you. But in general, their stuff is really nice and I would highly recommend them particularly the Motherhood brand, and particularly if you have a store nearby where you can try stuff on first. 

5. JCPenney
JCP primarily carries a brand called Duo Maternity.  Their selection is pretty limited, but they have great options in jeans.  I got two pairs of jeans that I really like from there, for a total of $32.  Definitely worth checking out, but again, try stuff on first.  I first saw the jeans online and they even include measurements for sizing.  I measured into a medium based on their online chart, but I couldn't get the mediums up past my thighs (and it's not like I have huge thighs or anything).  The size larges fit perfectly.  So again, buy where you can try stuff on first. 

6. Hand Me Downs
Not a place to shop, but worth mentioning.  If someone offers you free maternity clothes, take them! That stuff is so overpriced that even a crappy old maternity t-shirt will save you a few bucks.  And if you're crafty, you could probably take in things that are too big, or hem things that are too long.  Free is free, people!

Maternity Dresses

Oh, maternity dresses.  How difficult it has been for me to develop affection for you.  You always make me feel frumpy, with your empire waists and excess material.  I never had anything against empire waistlines before, but now they seem to be very unflattering.  I guess there aren't a lot of ways to flatter a basketball attached to your spine.

In any case, a few weeks ago I need to shop for a maternity dress to wear to all of the weddings and showers that we had coming up this summer.  I found this awesome Pea In A Pod dress, which was originally $165, but on sale for $40.  I was so excited!!!

These are horrible pictures, but look at how cute this dress is!

It has pleats in the front along the belly, so it's more fitted instead of just hanging on my stomach.  The busy pattern also helps to conceal the basketball.

From the front I feel like you can barely even tell that I am 6 months pregnant (at the time that this picture was taken.)

From the side view it's definitely a little more obvious, but if you can get hideous yellow hue of this photo, I think you'll agree that it's pretty darn flattering.

I wore this dress to DH's brother's wedding in Kentucky, and I felt great.  Sadly I didn't get any pictures of the two of us though, except for this one, where I look pretty awful.

But even more sadly is what happened after the wedding.

I came home from Kentucky and promptly threw all of my clothes into the washer.  This dress didn't feel like it was any sort of special material and I had no reason to think that it would need special treatment, although the $165 price tag should have tipped me off.

Well, I learned a little thing or two about a material called "rayon" - turns out, you shouldn't put it in the washing machine.  My cute little $165-but-on-sale-for-$40 dress that I only wore once shrunk up so small that it was about half the size of the original dress.  After it dried completely it had stretched out completely but it was about 3 inches shorter and quite snug.  I was devastated.  Especially since I had decided that the dried version was as good as the original and packed it for our first baby shower without trying it on again, and needless to say, I was self conscious the entire time.  (Hopefully that didn't show too much.)  I'll post some pictures of the "after" dress at some point so that you can see what I mean, but trust me when I say "READ THOSE CARE LABELS." 

You can thank me later.

Fiscally conservative fashion

I enjoy a bargain, perhaps more so than most people I even know.  I am not only not willing to pay full price for things such as clothing or shoes, I downright refuse.  This usually means that I'm slightly behind when it comes to being "in style" but I'm ok with staying a season or two behind anyway, to make sure that a trend is here to stay for more than a few weeks.

One of my favorite ways to save money and yet constantly have an updated wardrobe is shopping the clearance racks.  Being a clearance shopper takes a ton of patience.  These racks are usually disorganized, disheveled, and things are often mislabeled.  You could spend over an hour sorting through a clearance rack, finding one measly item that makes the cut, only to realize that the there's a hole in the should, or the zipper is broken or something else equally frustrating.  But everyone once in awhile you luck out, and that little victory makes it all worth it.

The end of a season is my favorite time to shop for deals.  The end of summer means staples such as shorts, tank tops, and dresses are on super-sale, and at the end of winter I stock up on sweaters and pants for the next fall.

Last week, while browsing through the clearance rack at Target, I struck gold.  A dress style that I had been fawning over for months since I had first seen it in JCPenney - the black cotton button down dress with puff sleeves.

The dress I found wasn't quite the same as what I had originally looked at, but it was close enough. And the price?  $6.

Half an hour later I'm at Payless - my go-to source for cheap shoes that I don't feel about discarding at the end of the next season - and I found the perfect pair of black flats to go with this dress.  $8.

I added a black necklace that I already owned, and I had an awesome outfit that I could wear to work for only $14.

Cute, comfy and dirt cheap.  That's what I call fiscally conservative fashion at its best.

Now if I could only figure out how to pose for photos without looking silly.