Maxi Dresses Galore

At 33 (ish) weeks pregnant, I am kind of done wearing pants.
Honestly, it's not that it's super difficult to get them on (it is), it's not that I don't want to purchase another pair in a larger (sigh) size...although both of these reasons definitely impact my opinion of being "done" with wearing pants, it's more the fact it is spring, and as I continue to get larger, I want to feel pretty.

So, I decided my new bff (best friend forever...and ever) are Maxi Dresses.
Point in case: When I wear jeans and a blouse, I feel schlumpy. When I wear a maxi dress and accessorize accordingly, I receive compliments galore. Every. Single. Person. In. The. World. should compliment a pregnant lady. I don't care if you mean it or not. You own a store? I guarantee you that pregnant chicky will buy something from you. You pass her on the street? You made her day. You work with her? She'll do something nice for you or help you a bit more than she may have before. I'm not even kidding. Anyways, I digress, after all, this is about my favorite piece of clothing, not how to treat pregnant ladies 101.

The thing I love about Maxi Dresses is if they're cut appropriately, you do not need to spend the extra money on "maternity" maxi dresses. However, if you find a crazy good deal on a maternity maxi dress, sure, go for it (I did,  as you will see below), but I'm telling you, you don't have to. Just buy a size or two (or three) up, make sure the cut is empire or flowy enough to flatter your new curves.

Not to mention, you'll likely be wearing some "maternity" wear after you deliver for a bit, so you may as well feel pretty as you are spending time with and learning about your new little one.

Here are some of my top picks for you to consider.

For a maternity score, I present to you this black bandeau maxi dress. I bought this from Asos Maternity (asos.com) on sale for $16.14. Yes. sixteen dollars. And you know what? I have gotten MORE compliments wearing this 16 dollar bargain than when I spent $80 on a maternity dress that I likely will try to consign.

This next number is from Accidentally in Love sold on Piperlime.com. This is not a maternity dress, however, I am wearing it and it is the most comfortable thing, ever. I pair it with a cream cardigan, my gold tory burch flip flops, and a long chain necklace. This one I purchased for about $35. I quote from store owner yesterday "Oh.My.God. You are so adorable I cannot even stand it." Yes. I bought something from her store. Two somethings (see below).

Bessie Blue in Belmont, MA is a cute boutique store that sells everything from designer duds to fun accessories. I originally went in there to purchase a birthday gift for my sister (done) and then came across this GLAM dress (but in black). When I tried it on, I knew it would work for the next few weeks, and well beyond. About $60.

Lastly, I present you the TART infinity dress. I purchased it in the dune color featured above. Thanks to Ideeli, I was able to score this normally +$200 for under $50. If you're not familiar, this dress can be worn multiple ways (http://www.tartcollections.com/infinity.html); so it's like 8 different dresses in one. And it can be worn while pregnant. And beyond!

Hmmm. Forever 21 you say.

I have never stepped foot in a Forever 21, ever before. I never had even looked at the website. I just assumed it was for 15 year old girls, and thus, I was too old.


That is until I started needing maternity clothes and Forever 21 came up as an option in a google search. Say what now?


How do I feel about this? Very indifferent. How could a store that is geared towards teens have a maternity line, I thought to myself. I'm not sure how I feel about the fact this store put the maternity clothing line in city locations where there was a high percentage of teen pregnancy; but what I can see and appreciate is the affordable option for clothes that a pregnant woman will only wear anywhere from 3-8 months (depending on size, etc). So I decided to give it a shot. I proceeded to the website, searched for maternity and well, there my options were.


I was pleasantly surprised. You all know I always splurge on clothing and accessories. And I still do. But now I just splurge on pieces I will wear ALL the time- think jeans, flats for my tootsies, and maybe another signature piece or two. Luckily for the momma's to be, things like Ts, dresses, and cardigans seem to be a specialty of the store; and at the prices they offer, you really can't beat it.


My first purchase was this Boho Floral Maternity dress. I purchased it when I was about 12 weeks pregnant in a medium, and there is definitely room to grow. Now at nearly 20 weeks, I have a small bump and still plenty room to grow. I've worn it once to work with a pair of camel colored boots and once out to dinner, and received many a compliments on how cute it is. $22.80

Next on my list to try was a maternity top. Ugh. A maternity top I thought. I've tried the Old Navy shirts and they are WAY too big on me, not to mention, ridiculously unflattering. I then purchased this shirt. A peach ruched maternity top. I have just started to "pop" by this point and some of my normal fitted shirts that I normally wear just aren't cutting it, while some still do. Wow was I thrilled when I found this one. It is made from comfortable fabric with plenty of room to grow. It's fitted, and the shape is great, so even if you're not showing that much, it will work with you. Now if they only had it in different colors. The price tag?  $13.80

Next up I decided to try a pair of jeans. Sigh. I mean, as much as I want to spend 75-150 dollars on every pair of my maternity jeans (see above comment about my splurges), I really a) shouldn't and b) can't, I mean, I do have a baby to save for! So I purchased the Forever 21 Maternity Skinny Jeans. When I bought them, I got them on sale for $13.80.  The result? Jeans that were a *tad* too big but happily shrunk just a smidge in length and width with one wash and dry and are crazy comfortable with, yes, you guessed it, room to grow. They have a small panel in the front for stretching and real pockets.


Now for Valentines Day and/or my wedding anniversary in March, I picked out this number. 
I want to dress up and look pretty for my husband, and this may do the trick. Simple? A little. But there is some lace trim at the bust, and paired with my Tory Reva Silver Snakeskin flats and some sparkly jewelry, this will do just the trick. The cost when I bought it? $24.80


Lastly, these dresses I got for the spring and summer. I'll be honest. I can't wait to wear them! Price tags for these? $10.99 on sale (maxi dress) and $22.80 for the bib dress.

Considering all of these cost me just over $100; not too shabby. Of course I did grab some other staples such as tunics and tanks- all ranging in price from $8-$12 a pop.


The verdict? Check it out. I'm truly pleasantly surprised with the options that are fashionable, cute, and will make you feel pretty.

What I've been wearing: It's been a while.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's been a while. 6 weeks...ish since I last posted.  I get it. 
In my defense, the past few months my mind has been preoccupied. With the holidays, family and friend events, work, and just life, my blogging has taken a back burner.


So what have I been up to?


Trying to find stylish clothes that fit me. With an ever changing figure (yours truly is expecting her first little one on July 1, 2011), the past few months have been challenging in the clothes department for me. I mean, sure, many of my pre-pregnancy jeans fit probably up until about 1- 2 weeks ago (when I was 16/17 weeks along), but not without some serious muffin top...which is NOT so fashionable. Luckily I still can squeeze myself into many of my regular shirts, sweaters, and Ts, so it's really been a balancing act of what fits vs. what is comfortable vs. what looks good AND makes me feel good.


The style I have been rocking at least 2 days a week for the past 2-3 months is leggings, tunics, and flats. It's a great interim solution for those who are pregnant & in between clothes sizes; or even those who just want to wear something comfortable. With an outfit like this; the key is to accessorize appropriately.. 


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These are all pieces that I've owned, are not maternity, and I still can wear them right now.
Now, it appears as though this may be a somewhat boring ensemble. So I have been trying to add a touch of pizzaz to it via accessories. 


Night version:
If I am going out at night; I will wear these diamond hoops that belonged to my husband's aunt. And then I will throw on this Judith Ripka chain in Sterling (not the pictured gold) (thank you Husband). Lastly for my purse. I tend to wear this Chanel Vintage 2.55 Large Flap Bag that was my mother in laws, often, when I go out. It's classic. It's understated...and well, it's Chanel.
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Day Version:
Now, I dress my accessories down when I'm running errands. Perhaps throwing on my Koolaburra's (that I scored on Rue La La for about 65% off) or my Emu "fuzzy boots" as I allude to them. Maybe toss on a chunkier statement necklace and fun bracelet, and finish it off with a  satchel.
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My next post will be about my journey to find fashionable maternity clothes. So far, I am finding it a bit of a challenge, but I am confident fashionable pieces do exist.
Until next time,