Once upon a time, I wrote about how getting dressed was the easiest part of my day, thanks to a deep closet purge and some months of healthy living that had me loving my wardrobe and being able to wear it to its full potential.
Oh those long gone days.
Because now, getting dressed is the absolute worst, which might explain why I try to do it as infrequently as possible, changing from pajamas into variations on the dayjama, otherwise known as the momiform of leggings and tees. I used to snottily wonder why so many moms out and about were consistently wearing athleisure instead of real clothes… but now I know.
When I behold my closet, it is like the world’s saddest Venn Diagram. Finding something that fits reduces the wardrobe by half, something that I actually like knocks out another chunk, is seasonally appropriate reduces the number still, and lastly – can I nurse in it? This leaves about 3 outfits in the middle of these treacherous overlapping circles, and if Henry hasn’t spit up on all three in succession by the time I leave the house- truly, I deserve a medal. So many days it is just easier to grab my favorite trusty leggings and then burn through t-shirts as he destroys one after another.
And then of course, there is Henry’s wardrobe. I utterly failed at building a baby wardrobe. Yes, he has many animal costumes, and yes, he has lots of adorable clothes that were given to us- especially for 0-3 months. But now he is 4.5 months. I didn’t really think through entire outfits as I was filling in the gaps between what was given which means he routinely looks like he was dressed by a toddler who could only select things from a thrift bin.
But luckily, I can always fall back on just tossing a receiving blanket over him in the stroller and pop on a hat with ears and know that people will think he’s cute.
The same approach does not work for a grown woman.
Which is why I made James take all these pictures of me last Sunday when my hair was done, I had accessories, my shoes were stylish over practical, and I was rocking my absolute favorite dress of late. Only this last element happens on a regular basis. Not only is it the softest lightweight sweatshirt material, basically like wearing a stylish, well-worn hoodie, but it is a universally flattering cut. And – that seam across the top? It is a tiny hidden zipper. MAGIC. Most nursing attire has to pull up/pull down/unbotton/ etc, and I just get tired of it. I had to restrain myself from buying everything from this company because hidden zippers for president.
Dear fellow women in the postpartum trenches: how do you face the closet every day? Other than this dress, the other things I swear by are this tank top under everything and these high-waisted jeans. Pricey yes, but you can shove all those extra ponds in, believe, and zip. Share with me your secrets about looking amazing in the trenches of parenthood. Bonus points if you have secrets for the most versatile baby clothes.
Oh, and lest the above photos give an overly rosy impression of life and have you thinking that this might become one of those shiny, well-polished blogs of maternal perfection- most of the shots looked like this:
Double chins- who wore it best? Him, definitely him. And yes, he did spit up all over me as soon as this shot was taken. Back inside and into my leggings and tee I went!
The Art in Life 
Postpartum dressing is SO HARD. Hated it. (Your dress looks awesome, though!!)
Primary dot com is what I use to fill in the gaps of my toddler’s wardrobe (since I’m forever that mom buying her random things on clearance). I’m sure you’ve heard of it, but if not, it’s basics for babies and kids. Onesies, leggings, cardigans, pjs, everything, and all in solid colors. Makes it perfect to fill in the gaps- plus a discount if you are buying multiples. Wish I had known about it when she was a baby. Other than that, buying one piece outfits or trying to remember to buy a whole outfit at one time was helpful. Gap usually does mix and match outfits that were really helpful- playtime favorites, I think they were called. That way we didn’t have just one outfit worth of use out of a pair of leggings or a shirt, we had lots to choose from- very helpful in the spit up stage. Hope some of that helps.
So many people have recommended that- I need to check it out!
I stick to maternity jeans until I can fit my other ones again, layering with nursing tanks and open shirts (great for autumn), long knitted cardigans and my FatFace gillet- then the scarves and hats can just rock. I also found this dress
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01D1Q46O0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476340507&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=krisp%2Bclothing%2Bfor%2Bwomen&dpPl=1&dpID=51pCnMFH-oL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1
Great for maternity/nursing and ordinary life, teamed with leggings or tights. Also JojoMamanBebe do a few good nursing tops (cowl neck is my favourite style). Plus I found that with nursing, so long as it pulls down easily, wearing a gorgeous pashmina scarf can be a Godsend!
But yes it is tough. Also having a flannel on hand to wipe the snot etc off straight away (ish), can save a change of top. You look fab btw.
Thanks for those tips!
For mother I’d go with what you have here, colorful tights and nursing-friendly dresses. Also, any blouse that buttons front is nursing friendly.
For baby clothes, my best tips are:
– if you find something you like, buy two – one in the size needed now and then one size up.
– buy larger sizes anyway, pants can be rolled up and thus last for a few months extra.
– don’t be afraid to ask people with older children if they have stuff they want to get rid of. In my experience, people are often just happy to get more storage space.
See, I am really tall, and button ups have always been a struggle to find long enough ones that aren’t awkward tunic length… add to that my now wider hips and it is a struggle!
But those are great baby clothes recs!
You look amazing! Where were you when I was in this stage? That cruel Venn Diagram in the closet is so real.
Ah thanks! And isn’t it so cruel????
Morning sickness is my least favorite part of having a baby. Postpartum clothing runs a very, VERY close second. I am already dreading it and this baby is not even due till May.
I can’t wear maternity pants after the baby is born, because I don’t gain enough weight in my hips and butt to keep them up. However, while I can wear my regular jeans within a few weeks… I have a squishy stomach flopping about on top. It looks silly. Sometimes I wish I would put on weight a little more evenly, instead of having it all in my torso. 😦
So it’s mostly about finding shirts that disguise my belly and aren’t cut insanely low (because I can get up to a DDD cup size when I’m nursing, and I really hate showing cleavage). So many shirts these days are made of thin, stretchy material– so unflattering if you have any lumps and bumps! I’m planning to look for shirts with structure (curved hems, darts, not these rectangular sacks so many stores are peddling) and with texture. A nice, textured material makes a world of difference.
Oh the squishy stomach! Girl, you have got to try the tank I linked! It smooths everyyything down into your pants. So much easier than doing sit-ups! Also allows for coverage if you need to pull up and nurse.
The LulaRoe Amelia dress is the perfect shape and the material is so comfy! It’s designed with a zipper in the back, but the dress is so stretchy that you can wear it backwards and unzip for nursing! I’m not a nursing mom, but I wear it backwards just because it’s super cute and I love the zipper detail. They also have some warm duster cardigans and long vests that you can layer with simple pieces to make you feel put together. Check them out! And I’m not a consultant– just someone who loves cute, practical clothing!
I am skeptical of any of those things where people sell you things at parties (online or real), but so many people now have suggested LulaRoe that I might have to check it out!
You and your little man look lovely 🙂
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