Clothing Fit for a Prego

My most recent Netflix obsession is Mad Men. I love vintage clothes, American History, city living, and advertising - this show is a perfect combination! During Season 3, the always chic Betty Draper (played by January Jones) wears the most adorable maternity dresses. This white lace garden party dress is my favorite:

Ah! LOVE!

This got me thinking about how I love wearing vintage clothing. After seeing how she effortlessly pulls off elegance in the face of housewifery, I'm more and more thankful to live in the now and not the 60s. I don't have to wear pantyhose everyday - I get to be comfortable!!

For my Spring/Summer/early Fall pregnancy, I'm relying heavily on dresses to get me through the growing and stretching of my expanding tummy. I'm extremely thankful that I've only been growing in my torso, but I've been growing (and showing) since Week 8. There were only so many flowy tops I could wear until telling the office I was pregnant! As soon as people knew, I could wear actual maternity clothes and more form fitting outfits to show off my basketball.

Since Lynchburg sucks at maternity clothes, I've turned to an old friend: eBay! eBay is the absolute best place to shop when you need clothes you'll only wear for a few months of your life. To date, I've spent less than $100 on an entire maternity wardrobe. Most of the items come in bundles or lots, which means you're getting several items that are all the same size. A majority of the clothes are name brand so I knew the exact size I needed. I traveled to actual maternity stores three times, two of those times my mom was treating me to some fun pieces (thanks mom!). I'm also still able to wear many of my pre-prego dresses because I like flowy and stretchy materials.

Last and not least in any way, I've been blessed with wonderful friends who have given me their maternity clothes! While a few pieces are on loan, most of them are mine to keep then divvy to others who are in need of maternity clothes.

Honestly, all of my favorite jeans and dresses were either free or purchased for like $1-$3. If you're not wearing something for more than a year, it's not worth buying at full price. Well, I don't think anything is worth buying at full price, but I'm a cheap skate.


My Must Have Maternity Staples:

• 4 comfortable dresses - some days you just don't want to wear pants. For me it's most days. I have about 25 dresses that I wear on a regular basis and most of them were a part of my pre-prego wardrobe that I can still wear. About 1/4 of the dresses can be worn casually and to work while the rest are more "professional" for work, but I can make them look more casual with flip flops and accessories for the weekends.
• 2 pairs of comfortable jeans - I love maternity panels! I have 2 pairs of maternity jeans I wear regularly and about 6 that I sometimes wear. I've accumulated extra pairs through eBay lots and the generousity of others.
• Depending on the season, you may need maternity shorts and capris as well. For you lucky pregos that have long torsos and carry high, you may not even need maternity jeans until the very end. Personally, I've been wearing them since Week 10.
• 2 pairs of comfortable dress pants - I have about 5 pairs but regularly wear 3 of them.
• 1 (or more) pair of dark leggings - they help transition you from Spring to Summer back to Fall (and sometimes Winter depending on how thick they are). I wear my black leggings at least once a week.
• 2 pairs of dark yoga pants - instead of old sweat pants, get something you can wear to bed or to the store without looking like a hot mess. I have two pairs of black yoga pants and they are super comfortable and they look like I just came from the gym. (Ha. Gym.)
• Cardigans! - depending on when your pregnancy occurs, cardigans help your summer dresses double as winter dresses. I personally prefer a nice sweater to a jacket, but to each his own. All of my cardigans were part of my pre-prego wardrobe and I wear them often in my cold office.
• COMFORTABLE SHOES - The caps lock was not stuck - I really am shouting this in your face. Comfortable shoes are a necessity for health and sanity reasons. I haven't had to purchase any new shoes but I'm very limited in the shoes I'm able to wear. I rotate between 4 pairs of shoes - all sandals. They allow my feet to swell without hurting and I can show others the toes I can't see. Thankfully I'm still flexible enough to put some pink polish on my toenails. If you're a winter prego, you won't be able to rock the sandals. All I can say is Payless has a great selection of wide sizes and you can invest in some nice insoles if they aren't squishy enough for you.
• Pretty Jewelry - Some days you just feel fat and ugly no matter what you wear; this is a normal feeling. For those days, have a piece of jewelry that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The jewelry will distract people from your bump (and other areas) and draw attention to YOU. Necklaces and earrings are great for people to look at your face while bracelets and rings help you look skinny.