Making a fall sweater maternity worthy

My boss got a kick out of this outfit because the sweater gaped open over my belly to make it even more prominent than it already it. He frequently comments on my outfits, which if it were anyone else might be weird. I’ve known him for years, before I was Mrs. Wright and before he was my CEO. His wife is super stylish, so the fact that he thinks I’m dressing my bump well is a huge compliment.

This is a normal, non-maternity sweater. What I like to call my ‘real clothes.’ This might be my favorite sweater. Ever. Maybe my favorite article of clothing…ooo, that’s pushing it. You get the idea, I really like/love this sweater. I have a hard time wearing a lot of greens, but this is the perfect hue. It fits cute, blah blah blah, I feel awesome wearing it. When we got back from our summer in MN I pulled this sweater out of the clothes I left and I’ve been waiting for the weather to cool down so I could wear it! I might like fall so much just because it means I can wear this sweater. Extra plus – I can wear it pregnant! And not have to worry about stretching it out.

Here are a few of my maternity clothes thoughts – cause I , of course, have opinions and some unsolicited advice/personal musings.

Wearing ‘real clothes’ while pregnant has made my closet go a lot further and saved my sanity. You’ve got to be careful so you don’t stretch things out to be unwearable post baby bump. Cardigans, sweaters, vests and scarves have added much need variety to my maternity tees. It’s nice having a few maternity tops that aren’t just long or short sleeved tees, but if I were to redo my maternity wardrobe I would have it majority be tees – I feel the best in these, they’re comfortable, they huge so you don’t feel like you’re wearing a circus tent. One thing I would do the same is get paneled pants. I have a few pairs that just have an elastic waistband, and these are great (except you have to pull up you pants with almost every step), but the panel is AMAZING! The further I get in my pregnancy the more I LOVE these and am pleased with my investment. They stay up better, although no matter what you wear you’ll have to be adjusting frequently, clothes just don’t know what to do with this weird bump in the middle section. But the best part = they help hold your heavy belly and give your poor ab muscles a little support and help. My ab muscles would like to tell you that they did not sign up for this and they do not appreciate the extra work and over time. I end up holding my belly by the end of the day when I wear my non-paneled pants.

Some other advice from my belly days (mostly for me to remember next time around):

Feeling the need for something new and spicy? Look at shoes or jewelry. They can add so much to an outfit and can be used afterwards. Especially shoes. You can forget to put on a necklace, but you always wear shoes. Or should, if you’re not…let’s talk. And I’ve learned from a lot of mommies that jewelry might not be an option with a babe in arms, especially if you want to keep your ears intact. So maternity is an excuse to buy shoes. Yes. Another plus, you get a baby and shoes! No wonder women do this multiple times.

Other advice to me that you can also take if you like it: if you don’t feel pretty in something, don’t wear it. Isn’t this true of everything? But at least with ‘real clothes’ you know how it’ll look this week and next, being pregnant things fit entirely different each week. Just because you bought it doesn’t mean you have to wear. Who cares that it was a waste of money – if you ended up not liking it, don’t wear it.

Okay, jumping off my random ranting’s soap box.

Oh, the other day I found little boy overalls at the Gap outlet $1.97 plus 30% off! So I bought them in every size from 0-24 months. And a few pairs for some friends. And made sure every mom in the store knew about this. Ended up getting 8 pairs total for $11. Can't beat that! I would be proud of that price at a thrift store or yard sale, so it being at a real store - wow!