Craftyness

My summer project is starting an Etsy store so that it will be all set up before my baby is born in late September.  I want to eventually make clothes to sell there, but given my time constraint and lack of a serger I'm going to start with making recycled jewelry and small art pieces in thrifted frames.  My hope is that endeavor will help me stay in touch with the world outside of breastfeeding and diapers.

Here are a few items I collected during my last thrift shop excursion.  I'm having trouble find enough chains at the moment, but I'm trying to be patient.  Time to get crafting!

New England Weather and New Boots

Last Friday it barely reached the 60's here in Boston, which ironically coincided with the last day of school.   I spent the first part of the day thinking that it must be early spring and I had forgotten that I have to go to work.  I eventually wrapped my head around the concept of summer and went shopping for more supplies for the Etsy shop I have in the works.  More on that next post, here is what I chose for my shopping trip on a cool summer's day.

The shirt and pants in this outfit were feature in a previous post, but I will not promote the illusion that I never wear the same thing twice.  The new boots were an unexpected find.  They are the same brand as the oxfords I mentioned in another post, and since they were on sale my lovely boyfriend convinced me to buy them.  The best part is that I was concerned about the oxfords fitting my swelling feet over the summer, so I bought this pair a 1/2 size bigger.  I have bad ankles that have suffered numerous sprains and one break over the years, so at times sandals just don't cut it for me.  I can wear these boots with ankle socks and since they're a light color they will work with summer skirts and dresses.

This shirt is a 3/4 length, which is often hard to wear a cardigan over because the arms of most of my sweaters are too tight.  Enter the "boyfriend cardigan" style, I go straight to the source and actually steal my boyfriend's...

It's been a while since I posted a side view baby bump photo, so here it is!

shirt~ TJ Maxx

belt~ Savers

cardigan~ Target 

necklace~ TKSB

jeans~ Old Navy Maternity

shoes~ Wanted

A Summer Without Rompers...

I recently tried on a romper, let me just say- I will not be wearing one this summer.  They are quite possibly the least flattering garment for a pregnant figure.  This realization came with a tinge of sadness and disappointment because I love rompers- the simplicity of only having to choose one article of clothing with the comfort of wearing shorts.  Here are some neat ones I would wear if I could...

The one shown on the mannequin is form Anthroplogie and the two others are from Urban Outfitters.  I realized that along with my comments above, another romper quality I really enjoy is the shape and relaxed fit of the the shorts.  All of the maternity shorts I've seen are either denim or khaki, not leaving much to be admired. 

I found this lone pair of shorts on the Urban Outfitters sale rack, and while they are not maternity, they have an elasticized waist band!  In addition the cummerbund style detailing in the front is very flattering for the baby bump.

So here is my attempt at a romper inspired outfit. I paired the shorts with a loose fitting tank of similar fabric and opted to forgo the belt because it was ridiculously hot outside.  I'll admit my converse all-star shoe choice is not the best for this outfit, but I had to run outdoor water activities with 7/8 year olds all afternoon and I wanted to post an honest ensemble.  I've resigned myself to the fact that when it comes to pregnancy sometimes comfort trumps everything.

shorts~ Urban Outfitters

tank~ Urban Outfitters

shoes~ Converse

The Shirt Dress

I have been promised that I will not be pregnant forever, but I would like to continue writing a fashion blog after my little one is born.  With that in mind, I'm trying to integrate other fashion topics into my pregnancy apparel choices as one method of preparing for my transition into post-partum blogging.

I came across this article about the shirt dress trend in a recent issue of InStyle magazine.  While the dresses pictured above are awfully cute, they are not especially suitable for pregnancy since most of them are button down, woven fabric garments most likely without any stretch. 

As a replacement, I opted for this t-shirt dress made of rayon with a little bit of spandex.  It is the same blunt shapeless cut as the dresses in the article, which is why I added a belt- as recommended above.  The nice thing about the straight shape of this dress is that it doesn't get caught on my baby bump like some others, therefore the length of the dress is less of an issue.

I added this close up to show the twisting on the neckline and the pleats that extend down from it.  These design details mimic the dresses featured in the article and keep it from looking too basic or boring.

dress~ Marshalls? (I've had it for a while)

tights~ Express

shoes~ Wanted

IHDA Trip

Last week I attended the Independent Handbag Designer Awards in NYC because the The Kitchen Sink Bag's Mini-Mattea was nominated in the Red Carpet Ready Evening Bag category.  Unfortunately, TKSB didn't win, but we met some cool people and made some great connections.

I stayed at The River Club in Manhattan, which had spectacular decor- a little vintage with tasteful stylized opulence.  There was an amazing spiral staircase leading up to the rooms that each had unique charm, and you even got a real key!

It was the sort of location that begged for some hipstamatic iphone photos...I especially loved the quirky art on the walls.

The bathroom was the only place with a full length mirror, luckily I was enamored with its quaint design, and so I think it made a formidable backdrop for my outfit photos.  This is the dress I wore to the award ceremony.  I bought it specifically for TKSB shows and events taking into consideration it would need to accommodate my ever changing body.  While I fit into the medium, I was only 3 months pregnant and wanted it to last, so I purchased the size up.  The straps are adjustable, the back is ruched and elasticized allowing for some flexibility in the bodice.  The skirt of the dress flows out casually from the empire waist and is long enough to cover my growing baby bump.  

dress~ Urban Outfitters

cardigan~ target

necklace~ TKSB

shoes~ Wanted

tights~ Express

This is the outfit I wore the following day.  It's finally warm enough to wear my sandals without socks (well, sometimes) and so far they are serving their purpose of accommodating swelling feet.  I also recently bought this tank, which is on the front and stretch cotton on the back.  I was glad to find it because this style of tank is really popular this season, but without the stretch fabric in the back, it won't fit me.

tank~ TJ Maxx

jeans~ Old Navy

shoes~ Mia

Mock-Maternity

In my quest for summer comfort clothes I found this pink skirt with a fun pattern for the bargain price of $12.99.  The best part is, this is not a maternity garment, but thanks to the wide, ruched elasticized waistband it fit comfortably over my stomach, acting similarly to the traditional panel attached to maternity skirts.

Another quality of this skirt I enjoy is it's potential to mask, or at least tone down my baby bump.  Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to have a baby, but at times I get sick of all the gawking when I'm wearing fitted clothes that accentuate my pregnant belly.  Sometimes I prefer to just blend, and thanks to flare in this skirt, paired with a loser top I am able to be a bit more discreet. 

skirt~ TJ Maxx

shirt~ Marshalls

tights~ Hue

shoes~ Blowfish 

Yipes! Stripes!

Horizontal stripes are all the rage, but whilst pregnant they tend to make you look huge, but alas there is a solution!

I found this dress at TJ Maxx the other day and I was about to browse past it because of the stripes, but the bronze buttons caught my eye.  I tried it on and noticed that it was comprised of multiple panels sewn together, which is less common for garments made with stretch fabrics.  A dress, jacket, or blouse made out of a woven fabric will often have 2 pieces that are sewn together along the princess seam.

Here are two garment examples (from deep in the archives of my fashion school homework) the two lines down the front indicate the seams. 

Sewing this dress along the princess seam helps give it more shape/definition and breaks up the stripe pattern.  This counteracts the illusion horizontal stripes often create that makes the person look wider than they really are.  The construction also causes the dress to flare a bit at the bottom, which also makes it more flattering.

dress~ TJ Maxx

sweater~ Clothing Swap

tights~ Express

necklace~ Forever 21

Battle Scar

Last Wednesday I took a tumble in streets of Chinatown- nothing was broken and thanks to several hours on a fetal monitor and an ultrasound I know that my baby is fine.  While my friends and family think I should be contained to a bubble for the remainder of my pregnancy, I have assured them I will be more careful from now on.

the injured elbow

The next day I felt sore and rather discombobulated so I decided to wear one of my favorite dresses.  Under normal circumstances this dress is a great length, but pregnancy has made it a bit short on me; luckily thanks to inconsistent New England weather, it was on the chilly side so I could wear tights.  Otherwise in terms of fit this dress is perfect for pregnancy because because it has an empire waist with soft shirring, and the fabric is a nice comfortable stretch cotton. 

These are on of my favorite pairs of shoes, in fact this is my second pair of them because I wore out my other ones so quickly.  Unfortunately, they are not long for this pregnancy world because they are difficult to break in- my old ones required several weeks of dedication.  I fear that my feet will soon swell to a larger size than my oxfords can contain, and at this point the only comfortable way to wear them is with tights, so I pray for more chilly (but still sunny) days!

dress~ Kohl's

tights~ Express

shoes~ Wanted

No Belt Necessary

You may have noticed from my other posts that I often wear a belt above my bump.  I found that baggier clothes tended make me feel/look bigger that I actually was and creating an empire waist eliminated this problem.  Also, in the beginning I was really self-concious about the extra "roll" I acquired as a result of my organ shifting up toward my rib cage, so the belt became a kind of security blanket for me.

Recently I've found that I can buy fitted shirts as long as they are bit longer; similarly the baggy shirts that once fell awkwardly now form a flattering silhouette because my baby bump is more prominent.  The other thing I like about this shirt is the scattered pattern that does not extend across my stomach.  Some of my other non-maternity patterned shirts made are beginning to look strange because the pattern becomes stretched out across my belly.  I think all pregnant woman can agree we want it to be clear that we are pregnant and not just packing on the pounds in the abdominal area, but a giant elongated image across our stomach does not do us any favors.  

I also wanted to take the opportunity to introduce my Head Feline Fashion Consultant Oblio.  Her favorite look is a grey and white jumpsuit with matching white boots, but who knows she might be getting a special grooming look for the summer months. Stay tuned!

shirt~ TJ Maxx

silver necklace~ thekitchensinkbag.com (shameless promotion)