Sources:
Above:
- Navy blazer – J.Crew
- Brooch – thrifted
- Yellow silk top – Hugo Boss, hand me down
- Cord skirt – Gap, thrifted
- Tights – TJMaxx
- Boots – Banana Republic
Below:
- Sweater – J.Crew
- Gray skinnies – ON Maternity
- Orange jersey top – BR Outlet
- Black tall boots – Banana Republic
- Short boots – Baretraps, via DSW
Endnotes:
It was back to school for me last week! Monday was the first day of the semester and I met with two of the three classes I’m teaching. Although I know many of the students from last semester, I still wanted to put a professional foot forward. Read: don’t start the semester in maternity jeans. Which I plan on wearing many many days a week this semester (whereas I never wore jeans to teach last semester).
Seeing as how this is the ONLY skirt that still fits me (it was previously a size too large), I built an outfit around it. If there is one thing I learned from e, it’s that you can dress up most looks with the addition of a blazer. And this is going to be my secret weapon this semester, taking my maternity jeans from casual to classroom ready. So I added a navy tailored blazer to my cognac cord skirt and just looked for a top that would be loose enough to hide my bump that’s more in a ‘beer belly’ sort of stage right now. I’m at that point where I have gained about five pounds in my first trimester and resemble more closely a beer-pong contestant that a proud mom to be. I can’t wait until the bump gets more bump-like and I can actually dress to show it off.
To camouflage the belly, I chose this yellow silk top, recently inherited from my mom, who donated a whole bunch of her closet to me for pregnancy usage. She tends to wear things loose and breezy and has an amazing eye for colors and shapes, so I was excited to get several loose billowy tops from her that could take me through the next few months. This yellow number has pleats in the front that actually billow out over the belly area, making it a perfect maternity top stand-in. And I love the yellow and cognac color mix, something I would have never thought to pair together before this.
It was fun to flex my professional preggers muscles for this outfit. Over the entirety of break, I’d been living in maternity jeans and comfy sweaters; my uniform since about week 9, when I decided that I was done being uncomfortable in my too-tight regular jeans and made a trip to Old Navy Maternity. I know that some women are able to hold out on wearing maternity bottoms until much later in the game, but honestly, I love maternity pants. And when they come in cute skinnies (like these gray ones below and these dark navy ones here), why would I resist?
My winter break uniform…
I opted for the small elastic panel ones because they fit now and will hopefully continue to fit until the end (?). The full panel ones felt weird to me now without much of a belly to fill that space. And in case you’re wondering what they look like (I was clueless about maternity waistlines until getting pregnant myself), here is a belly shot from our weekly ‘bump watch’ collection that shows me at 11 weeks rocking’ the maternity waist skinnies. (We’ve been taking a belly shot in the same location on an almost weekly basis starting at Week 4 and it’s been so exciting to already see the change, this one’s from two weeks ago…).
If you’re currently pregnant or have been pregnant, what did you like or dislike about switching to maternity wear? And did you find a particular brand of maternity clothes to be especially wonderful? Thanks for the tips! S.
The full panel pants will feel ridiculous…until they feel AWESOME. Once your bump gets big enough to want a bit of extra support (and starts pushing your pants down), you’ll love them! The biggest advice, however, is to buy what fits and feels comfy NOW. I bought all this stuff to wear “when I got bigger”…and then I never got bigger. So wear whatever you love in the moment you’re loving it–planning ahead can be really hard.
I loved the leggings and tanks from the Be line at Target–they’re made by Ingrid and Isabel. Loved!
So glad you’re back! The yellow shirt from your mom is fabulous!!
That was my favorite waistband style – the over the belly ones never felt comfy to me – it either felt like it added too many layers, it didn’t sit/end in the right spot, felt weird wearing pants that looked so NOT normal. I wore that elastic waistband style all through my pregnancy and post-baby they were great too. Actually, in Old Navy I just saw a pair of jeggings for ‘regular’ folks that had that same waistband – it’s catching on!! :) I got most of my mat. wear at ON or Target – I liked that they make the same exact styles for Misses as Maternity, just with a little extra fabric. Wearing those super billowy, empire waist tops with the ties in the back (ala Motherhood Maternity) just didn’t look good to me/on me. (And I HATED that everything was made out of polyester! Not an enjoyable fabric to me.)
That’s a great first day of classes outfit! It’s such a hard balance, making sure you look sufficiently serious AND sufficiently fabulous. I agree entirely about the transformative effects of a blazer. It makes the outfit.
My wife wore a lot of Old Navy while she was pregnant; in particular, she liked their maternity bikini panties, which were, like, normal underwear, not the huge scary kind. The sundress she wore around everywhere (see here) was Target; she still wears that dress, and our kid’s two. I don’t know if this is true where you are, but Kate had amazing luck with getting second hand maternity clothes, off our local parenting listserv and via craigslist. Granted, she’s pretty plain in her fashion taste and willing to wear almost anything, but it did help out a lot!
Well, I have no advice. My recently preggers friend scored a lot of clothing from friends that just had babies.
In any case, you look great. And congrats!
You look lovely, and growing so quickly! You’ll meet the challenge of looking stylish with a constantly changing body fantasticly!
So glad that you’ve returned to share maternity fashion with us!! I wasn’t pg when E was, so I’ll admit I didn’t pay much attention to her style choices (although I do remember she always looked adorable!). But now that I’m expecting along with you, I’m excited to see your maternity wardrobe! Today marks the first day of 3rd tri for me, so I’m ahead, but making your wardrobe last the whole pregnancy is a trick we all can benefit from. :)
As for the full panel jeans/pants- I agree with Amy, you will come to LOVE them!! At least I do. :) They are so comfy and eventually the low-rise ones started to dig into the bottom of my belly and become uncomfortable. I have a fantastic pair of dark skinnies from Kohl’s, and a great bootcut pair I love from Destination Maternity. And I’m totally with you on switching to maternity clothes early- we don’t get to be pregnant forever, so embrace the stretchy pants while you can! In a classy way of course. ;) Looking forward to watching your bump grow!
Yeah! You are back… and I am slow to notice! Happy!!!!! Happy!!!
The site looks great and I am excited to see you and your style grow during this pregnancy!xo
When I was preggers I was a fan of the low/hidden band (like your gray skinnies) or the full panel on my pants. I bought a few pairs with the mid-rise panel, which you can wear up or fold down like a turtleneck. When down, I felt like my pants wouldn’t stay up; when up I had the dreaded VPL – visible panel line – so that didn’t work for me.
I found that Target’s maternity line – Liz Lange for Target – had very nice maternity pants. Good bang for your buck.
You look adorable with your little bump!
Just wanted to invite you to join i the third annual capsule wardrobe challenge. Details posted on my blog today.
Jane X
You look great! I wore tracksuits until I was ready to move on to maternity clothes and regret it. I wasn’t didn’t want to “waste” money buying different sizes of maternity pants–I should have just made the investment instead of looking like a bag lady. Haha! Once I got into the maternity clothes I felt more like a human being again. I was super sensitive to anything (lotion, people, clothes) touching my skin so the billowy the better. I love your yellow top! That would have been awesome! I’m going to take notes for if/when the next time rolls around. :)
For the third trimester, I was all about the full-panel. But, the small panel ones are perfect for the first two trimesters AND the first few months post-baby. After I had my baby, I went backwards through my early pregnancy clothes before I returned to my regular clothes.
Your blazer + billowy blouse reminds me of Amy Poehler in the last episodes of season 2 Parks & Rec – she was masking pregnancy and I thought that combo worked well AND looked great, just like on you. I really love the grey pants though, too, so glad to hear they’re extra comfy for you!
Love, love, love your maternity style! Looking forward to seeing how it evolves as the bump expands….
I really disliked maternity dressing, but got some good deals on clothes at Target. The best thing I got was the be-band (a less expensive “Bella Band”) so that I could wear my regular pants much longer and didn’t have to get into maternity pants right away. I also disliked the full panel. Even when I was at my biggest, it was uncomfortable and didn’t stay up. My favorite thing I wore the 2nd time around (last winter) were my Liz Lange maternity skinny jeans and a maternity cami. I think those two items formed the basis of everything I wore.
I was pregnant along with E. (about 6 months behind), and now I’m pregnant again with you (about 5 weeks ahead)! I avoid full panels on my pants. They feel awkward to me. I love love love elastic waistband pants (I actually have the gray skinnies you’re rocking). Even when my tummy was huge last time around, they fit comfortably, and were my wardrobe mainstay. Ultimately, though, jersey dresses are the absolute best. They fit your tummy when nothing else will, and they remain super-comfortable. Find some v-necks that you can pull aside, and they’ll be great for nursing this summer. That’s the one thing I wish I had done when shopping for new maternity wear with my first pregnancy– looking for clothes that would transition into the “4th trimester” that were easy to nurse in. It’s pretty much my one wardrobe rule now: “Can I nurse easily in this?”
Thank you for all your tips and feedback, everyone!
I’m glad to hear some of you say that you liked the low panel maternity pants all the way through your pregnancy. It would be nice to not have to buy new pants in the 3rd trimester. Although, by that point, it will be summer and I may get away with just wearing a lot of my jersey or empire waist dresses. And I also thrifted a pair of maternity shorts that I’m excited about.
Of course, if I fall into the category of women who love the full panel support, I think I will just go out and buy a pair. There’s so much you’re dealing with when pregnant that I really don’t believe in torturing myself with uncomfortable clothing in addition. And hopefully everything i buy now will serve me in my future pregnancies anyway. :)
Thanks again for the tips, all! -S.
I loved that style of waistband at first, but toward the end it got more constricting and rolled down. I think a lot of it depends on how you carry the baby, so it may work longer or shorter for you than for others. I second the suggestion to buy what works now, but I would add a caution not to buy a ton of it because it may not work later on. Also, I didn’t gain a lot of weight, but some of it was gained in my rear and thighs, so pants that fit early on got a bit tight in those areas, and, as you already know, it’s so much better to be comfortable!
My absolute favorite style for maternity wear was dresses. I started out with looser, empire-waist, non-maternity dresses and shifted to maternity dresses once the others started getting too short in front. They were so comfortable (I was fortunately due in the fall, so the bulk of the time I needed maternity wear, I could wear dresses without needing tights or leggings). I had the best luck finding maternity wear at Target (there was much more available online than in my local store, but I could return unwanted items to the store in person, and there was often free shipping).
Accessories were my friend, with a limited wardrobe. I also liked a looser-fitting, 3/4-sleeve, ponte knit, swing-style jacket I had in black – it dressed things up with whatever black pants fit at the time for more formal work meetings and such.
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I loved the full-panel jeans once I got into the late 2nd and 3rd trimesters, but I second (third?) the commenters who loved jersey dresses. Those (with tights or leggings) were my favorite and I was able to wear some of them after the baby was born. A faux wrap top works well for nursing, too.
Another tip for nursing – I didn’t like those “hooter hiders” and other cover-ups for public nursing, but I still wanted a little bit more coverage, so I ended up wearing a big scarf most places (even a light-weight one in the summer) and using that to cover my chest and the baby’s head while nursing in public. It served to make my few maternity/nursing items more interesting, and help with the modesty thing while nursing too.
I wore dresses and dresses and dresses! I also treasured my ‘Tubey-Grip’ elastic support bandage which I found really helpful and comfortable – and warm! My babies were born in June and August, which would be December and February in Northern Hemisphere terms (ie winter), so I would layer up with warm jackets and high over-the-bump leggings. Once they were born I was all about zip-front cardis for feeding – zip the cardi down, lift the shirt/top up, maintain enough coverage to keep warm!
I just want to affirm you that the 12-20 week period can a bit frustrating. It was during these weeks that I most felt just plain old fat. It was disheartening for me, but then all of a sudden I was showing! I think breezy tops is bright colors will no doubt help you through to the days when you have a well-defined bump. For this transition period I relied heavily on the belly band to keep my pre-pregnancy pants in rotation as long as possible. Also, I invested in a few summer dresses that could be paired with sandals in warm months or worn with a sweater or blazer, tights, and boots for cold days.
I only needed to switch to maternity gear in week 18 (I’m now in week 20 — reaching the halfway point and having a great ultrasound were awesome, btw), and I ended up moving straight to the full panel gear. It’s not fully stretched yet, but I find that it also is quite a lot warmer, which is great when it is 11 degrees out there. No drafts!
I tried the Old Navy “full panel” as well as others. The ON panel is cotton jersey with spandex, rather than the nylon-spandex bands that I found on Liz Lange for Target and on the pants at Destination Maternity. Because of the fabric and the need for a elastic waist on the ON pants, they were MUCH less comfortable, more visible, less able to adapt to smaller sizes, and generally repelling. I would suggest trying other full panels, especially those not made with cotton-spandex.
My best advice is to wear whatever you want! One of my fave maternity sweaters was a Fair Isle pattern with stripes all around and someone said to me, “Those stripes don’t really make you look any smaller, you know.” Argh! Wear what you want because at some point you won’t be able to “hide” the fact that you are pregnant, and why should you? A baby is such a blessing!
Also, you will get A LOT of advice, about everything! Take the good and forget the rest. :-)
I liked the small panel at first but ended up wearing full panel most of my pregnancy. It stayed in place better and added an extra layer of warmth and helped smooth things out underneath. I loved Liz Lange for Target maternity pants and anything from Gap maternity. ON stuff just felt huge and boxy but I don’t typically wear their stuff anyway.
This is another chance for you to experiment with a capsule wardrobe! It’s been a long time since I was pregnant (my youngest is almost 11), so I have no advice as to brands, because that’s all changed now. Just wear what feels comfortable, and if towards the end that means you wear the same thing day after day after day, don’t worry about it. I will say that in my experience, most women are NOT as stylish as E was throughout the entire pregnancy, which is not to say that you can’t be, but don’t feel like you’ve failed if you aren’t.
Your winter break outfit looks perfect for sitting and reading and drinking tea- everything looks so nice and clean with the snow!
You are totally adorable! I am 17 weeks pregnant right now and super pumped to be going through this style adventure with you. I am still in low panel/rubber-banding my pre-pregnancy pants so far. I am on my 3rd child, however, and have to say that I typically end up loving the full panel coverage by the end of the 2nd and throughout the 3rd trimester like several other commenters already stated. I carried my last child SO LOW (a boy), and if I didn’t have a panel pulled up high, my pants were literally falling off. Not attractive! My favorite panel pant/skirt/short is Motherhood Maternity’s Secret Belly. The fabric is very thin and doesn’t show lines – nothing like the full-panels from Old Navy and Target. I was perfectly comfortable in the Texas summer heat and my pants stay put. I don’t typically love the tops from Motherhood, but that panel is a must have as far as I’m concerned. Congrats and a happy, healthy pregnancy to you!
Welcome back! I can’t wait to see all your styles. You are already proving that pregnancy can be stylish!
I’m 21 weeks along in my 2nd pregnancy now. I also wore the low-panel jeans/pants throughout my first pregnancy and hope to do so again. I don’t believe in buying much maternity wear, and I highly recommend borrowing from anyone possible. This is especially crucial for professional or teaching wear. Even if it isn’t your style, you will be grateful for it and can save money for baby needs and nice post-pregnancy clothes! As far as maternity brands go though, I second all the recommendations for Target and ON maternity. I don’t love the Target mat. pants/jeans, but the sweaters/tops are great. ON is really good on bottoms.
LOVE the new page look!!!
You’ve already had some good feedback on maternity wear. As far as pants waistbands go, it is hard to give advice to someone else since each pregnancy is different.
My main reason for commenting is that I wanted to make sure you know the rubber-band/hair-tie trick it helped me be able to wear my non maternity skirts much longer than I would have been able to otherwise, and my jeans too for that matter. It works for almost any skirt/pant that has a button closure. Loop a rubber-band through the button hole, double it over and you now have a new extended button hole that gives more room for a growing belly. You do want to make sure that your shirt is long enough to cover it though. :)
Also, some of my favorite maternity skirts and pants have been the ones that I “made” myself. If you google “diy maternity” you can get a lot of instructions for modifying normal pants/skirts with many different styles of waistbands, and even with minimal sewing skills you can find bottoms fairly cheaply at a thrift store and make them into some of the most comfortable maternity wear. Also I found actual maternity skirts to be sadly lacking and you can get a much better variety of skirts that way, which is what I needed to help me feel stylish through my pregnancy last time around. :)
If you plan to breastfeed the nursing tanks from Bravado (my favourite) and Glamourmom will do double duty as mat wear and nursing wear. They stretch but have a great deal of lycra so do return to a non-pregnant shape, and can cover the tops of mat pants/skirts so you get more wear out of tops that otherwise might show the panel. They’re expensive but for me I’ve worn them every single day for the last year, and they’re not getting packed away anytime soon.
Megarita also loved Old Navy maternity wear. I think she also wore a lot of jersey empire waist dresses of the non-maternity variety all through her second and third trimesters.
I love your first day back outfit! I hope you’re teaching three classes and one prep for the sake of your dissertation!
I had to teach and give talks in the third trimesters of both of my pregnancies (just gave birth to #2 a few weeks ago), and totally agree that blazers over maternity clothes are a lifesaver for looking professional! For me, the best and most-used items I bought were dark-wash boot-cut jeans from Zara maternity, a strong elastic belly band from the Swiss brand Medela, and nursing tops from Boob. The latter are a Swedish brand and they make attractive, well-fitting tops that can be worn during pregnancy and for nursing, like this one: http://shop.boobdesign.com/en/product/302/nursing-top-before-after#filter-2 . I live in Amsterdam and these tops are great for nursing comfortably and stylishly. They are quite pricey but totally worth it.
[...] Yesterday I wrote about how I’ve been wearing loose tops and baggier layers to camouflage what I perceived as my ‘new lecturer 15’ look. Then, at the end of last week, I decided to just wear what I wanted to wear and not worry about prompting the “is she? isn’t she pregnant?” look from others based on my growing but not yet baby-bumpish midsection. [...]
Thank you so much for all the information and links, everyone! I will keep referring to these comments as I’m looking for maternity things! – S.
I stocked up on Gap long-sleeve maternity tops and have been LOVING them. They are so much nicer than the ones at ON or Target. I got them on a great sale and figure since they are in such heavy rotation, it was worth a few dollars more per shirt.
I second (or third) the make your own maternity pants suggestion. I chose my least favorite pair of jeans to alter and used a second hand Bella Band and this (http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=28377) tutorial. They were my favorite pants and I wore them for at least a month after having my baby as well.
Also seconding the Target cami and legging suggestion. The Be stretchy maternity tanks are awesome…comfortable and extremely long, which comes in handy at the very end when even maternity shirts are not long enough to cover your belly. I lived in dresses for the last month or so but on the rare occasion when I had to wear pants, that cami was a staple.
You look wonderful…all my best for a happy and healthy 6 months to come!
I loved all the maternity stuff at Target, especially the jeans and casual tops. One place I would NOT recommend is Pea in a Pod, which is super expensive and poorly made. I got one pair of dress pants from there and they were incredibly expensive, ill-fitting, and made of really cheap fabric. Avoid!
Hi,
I love your site, all the girls, and all the help you guys have given me regarding dressing in an academic environment. I am in my last semester as an undergrad, and in September (hopefully) move onto earn my PhD. I just wanted to say that I always get compliments on the way I dress, and have even been mistaken for a professor (yay)! Anyway, thank you for everything, keep the great work, and CONGRATS on the baby!
Thanks,
Kathleen
Welcome back S and congratulations!!
[...] for your many wonderful comments on my last two posts! It’s been so nice to not just get the many maternity style tips from you, but also the candid and thoughtful comments on what it’s been like to balance [...]
Congrats!! I am glad you are back! Great outfit – my sister is also in that beer belly or preggers stage.
Sarah at Classroom Chic