Luckily I got pregnant at the exact same time this year as I did a few years ago, so my clothes are all in the right season. Well, to be honest, this summer is a lot cooler than that last one so I haven't busted out the summer pieces as much. There's still hope, right?
What I did this time, though, was weed out everything that didn't fit right or I just plain didn't like. I had a momentary pang of "oh, it's only for a few months, so I should just deal with it" but I realized that when I already feel like I'm inhabiting someone else's swelling body, I should at least *like* what I'm wearing. So out went the horrible synthetic fabric dress pants, the misshapen tunics and the one pair of jeans that was tight in all the wrong places.
Though this is likely the last time I'll be pregnant, I allowed myself to buy a couple of new things, and kept away from Old Navy and Target, which are cheap and have lots of sizes, but whose stuff never quite fits right or wears well over time. As a reformed cheapie clothes shopper (volume over quality) this is a big step for me.
I bit the bullet and upgraded to Gap's maternity options, which are fewer but much better quality. I got a pair of jeans which will work for at least a couple more weeks, and post-partum, but likely will get too uncomfortable for the last month or so. I can feel the pinch already, sadly.
I am in absolute and total love with their Pure Body T-shirts and tanks and bought 3 of those, even though I have plenty of other shirts (both maternity and not) I can still wear. They are nice cotton shirts with a lot of stretch in vibrant colors. They fit snugly, which I like in a T-shirt and are super soft and keep their shape after multiple washes. I wish I had discovered them last time!
So my entire wardrobe right now is fairly limited - 5 tank tops, 10 t-shirts (short and long sleeved), 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of yoga pants/sweats, 1 hoodie, 1 pair of shorts and 1 pair of capris barely hanging in there.
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| Photo by Elvira-Ciboulette |
I'm looking forward to the time when I can go back to my regular clothes after we're done nursing 100x a day and I've regained some semblance of my pre-baby body. I have a much better idea of what I really *need* and can spend the cash to buy nicer options that I *want* to wear.
In the meantime, I'm going to revel in the brilliance behind pants with an elastic waist. And maybe eat some more pie.
I don't have to deal with maternity clothes anymore, but I'm learning the same lessons with regular clothes, and shoes. I finally figured out that it's worth paying the money for quality shoes that fit properly and will last. I got sick of my feet hurting all the time. I'm still working on doing the same thing with clothing. I think my biggest obstacle there is that I think of the shoes as a worthwhile investment because I don't expect my feet to change in size. On the other hand, I'm not thrilled with the size of my body right now. But I feel even worse about it when I wear clothes that don't fit right. I'm getting there...
ReplyDeleteDi, I am right there with you. Even pre-baby weight is nowhere near where I *want* to be and I put off buying nice stuff until I'm at that magic weight which hasn't happened in 10 years. So in 2011, I bought one "perfect" dress at Nordstrom and got it altered to fit me as I was, and it makes me feel good to wear it every time, even though it's not a size I want to be. I think there's something to having nice stuff that fits right.
DeleteCome to Seattle next year and we'll shop :)
Sounds like a plan! =) I like shopping with my sisters (which doesn't happen often since we're so far apart), because they encourage me to try things I wouldn't otherwise. I need a dress like that. I have great shoes already; like you said, I feel good every time I wear them. =)
DeleteAt first I was thinking "enjoy maternity clothes? no way", but I relate to the ease of choosing from a limited wardrobe. My non-maternity clothing is completely out of control. I have so many shirts they are stuffed & wrinkled in drawers, & since I HATE ironing they never get worn. I want to do a complete wardrobe rehaul but I feel like i need to wait until I'm not nursing & have some sort of weight/size stability so that I can adequately assess what does/doesn't work for me. I read an excerpt on that book about the true cost of cheap fashion (I totally forgot the name of the book) and it was really eye-opening & just being mindful of this is making me change my cheapy-old-navy-ways. The most shocking part was the expose on the clothing donation---the majority of donated items are never sold or picked up, they get sent to Africa and even then there is more supply than demand so they end up as rags or in landfills. So even though our own homes might be uncluttered by donating a pile of clothes every few months, the world remains cluttered by our cast-offs.
ReplyDeleteOoh, yikes. I knew about them being sent to Africa but not that they weren't being used there :( Good to know. I did see some reviews of that book.
DeleteI think the most frustrating part for me is being in that state of "waiting" for the right time: for nursing to finish, for weight to settle, etc. Because it seems like that time will never come.
I've promised myself that this time I'll invest in some NICE nursing bras so I'm not stuck wearing the comfy-but completely nonsupportive ones I wore last time. Now, if only I can get out to Nordstrom a few weeks after the baby is born - hahaha.