Hello all!
Today, I’m very excited to have my dear friend, Kim (author of the blog, Officially Kim), guest blog for me! Kim is preggers and still manages to look adorable! Whether you’re pregnant, plan to be or it’s all a distant idea (*raise my hand at the last one*), you can keep her tips in mind. Here she is, to tell us how she does it:
One of the latest ventures I have to embrace is how to adjust my clothing to fit an ever changing body. Personally, I never needed a lot of wardrobe overhauls because my body never fluctuated enough to warrant changing my clothing often; it has always been consistent.
Now that I’m six months along with pregnancy, I can no longer simply throw on a pair of jeans and go. It has gone beyond the point of discomfort. So now I’m faced with a new challenge for real….what in the heck do I wear?????
5 Tips for Comfort
I have 5 simple tips I use on how to dress from top to bottom and hopefully any readers (even if not prego) will find the information beneficial for themselves. Let’s jump right in!!!
1. Opt for maximum natural fibers combined with stretch.
When buttons no longer close, jeans no longer cooperate, and tops bulge around an ever growing baby belly, it’s time to rethink the “fabric of our lives” approach. I found that opting for breathable fibers like cotton combined with my new bff spandex is a perfect median ground to solve this problem.
It allows for the most comfort without the sacrifice of style. The soft texture of cotton feels pleasant against the skin and it doesn’t seem as though I’m forcing anything. Plus, it is breathable. Anyone familiar with Texas heat can attest to the importance of that lol!
2. Opt for sizing up rather than purchasing maternity clothes.
This one took me a while to figure out. A lot of the items I have in my closet are already oversized anyway because I don’t like my clothes touching me (weirdo I know). When it comes to a belly that protrudes past its normal realm, I decided instead of purchasing maternity clothes that I would just go from a small to a medium or a medium to a large to accommodate myself.
If the whole point is to have more fabric to cover the belly, then I don’t mind paying the same amount of money for something that was already going to have more fabric anyway. I also learned maternity clothes aren’t so vastly different from going the next size up on the chart. With the exception of maybe a couple pairs of pants, everything in my closet is just the next larger size.
3. Shop resale to save money.
This is an option I’ve been doing for years (even without being pregnant) and I encourage anyone working a budget to try it out. “Thriftiness is next to godliness”. Ok so maybe not, but it sure beats buying one time clothing. More than likely, once I’m done being prego, none of this stuff will fit me anymore anyway, so why shell out top dollar?
Places like Clothes Mentor and Plato’s allow me to shop for my comfortable one size up clothing AND get it at a fraction of the cost. I call that a win-win!
4. Stock up on neutrals, basics, and key necessities.
If you gather nothing else from this post, at least lend ear to this tip! The secret to looking like you’ve got more than you have is to keep your neutrals, basics, and necessities discreet and pair it with a fun one of a kind layer.
A perfect example of this is wearing a black tank (the neutral basic) under a kimono (fun neutral layer) paired with black leggings (another neutral basic). I’ve done this several times already and it’s a comfortable way to show off the belly as well as an ever changing style.
The majority of outfits I tend to wear are priced at or under $50 total (including shoes in some cases). I’m able to do a lot of that thanks to keeping a good range of basics and opting to purchase one off pieces at minimal.
5. Pace your purchases
Pregnancy is all about change, change, change. One minute you’re able to throw on your favorite top, the next you can’t button it around your belly. This is just part of the process and as an acceptor of that process I have come to the understanding that I have to shop in stages. My belly now will not be the same 3 months from now.
As I continue to journey through what works and what doesn’t, I realize if I wear what I can until it’s uncomfortable, I can likely predict when a new size will be necessary. I never overload myself either. I buy small quantities and wait it out.
So there you have it! 5 little rules to help you on your prego process. Heck, even if you’re not pregnant these are great tools to use if you’re losing weight or experiencing body change fluctuations. I hope it proves helpful!
Happy shopping ?
-Kim
Author Bio
Kim is all about living life to the full. She writes at her blog which is her creative outlet focused on food, fun, and fashion. In her spare time when not blogging you can usually find her eating something new, traveling as an avid adventure junkie, or trying on cloths at thrift stores.
