Showing posts with label Pregnancy Wardrobe Essentials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pregnancy Wardrobe Essentials. Show all posts

Monday, 2 May 2016

Third Trimester Pregnancy Outfit Inspiration: 55 Outfit Ideas

Third trimester pregnancy dressing comes with it's own set of challenges! A lot of the regular wardrobe options that could be worn in the second trimester are outgrown in the third trimester, reducing the outfit possibilities and making getting dress rather uninspiring.

For my recent pregnancy, I implemented a third trimester pregnancy capsule wardrobe to try make it a little more fun.

The third trimester is definitely the time to repeat outfits that make you look and feel good, and to do so unashamedly! Find things that work for you and wear them as many times as you like. I've included 55 outfit ideas for the third trimester below, from both of my pregnancies. You can click on the links under the images to view more info about them.


Office Outfits:


In the third trimester, I still wore my ASOS maternity pencil skirts often, but the standout pieces were my wrap dresses. They were such an easy outfit that always fit the growing bump and never failed to look good. I wore wrap dresses a lot! I was able to find some regular non-maternity dresses in my wardrobe that still accommodated the baby bump too.

AwayFromBlue | ASOS tartan check maternity pencil skirt 4 ways




Third Trimester Office Wear: ASOS graphic print pencil skirt 4 outfit ideas




AwayFromBlue: 3rd Trimester Soon Maternity Madeline printed wrap dress for office wear




4 regular (non-maternity) dresses that work in third trimester





Monday, 25 April 2016

Second Trimester Pregnancy Outfit Inspiration: 38 Outfit Ideas

I've been blogging for over 4 years and through two pregnancies, so I thought a wrap up of my favourite maternity outfits would be a great resource for anyone looking for pregnancy outfit inspiration!

As well as sharing my second trimester travel essentials I previously did a series about my wardrobe changes in each trimester you might find helpful too. I spoke about what worked and what didn't in my second trimester.

This will be a very photo-heavy post as I share a few of my favourite second trimester outfits. 38 different pregnancy outfit ideas! There are links below all the photos if you want more details.


Office Wear:


I bought two ASOS maternity pencil skirts and they got a lot of wear in the office.

My single maternity wrap dress was a real wardrobe workhorse, being worn almost weekly, although I continued to wear my regular non-maternity dresses in the second trimester as well. Fit and flare or empire waist dresses were perfect for this.

AwayFromBlue | Second Trimester OfficeWear Asos tartan maternity pencil skirt




AwayFromBlue | Second Trimester OfficeWear Asos printed maternity pencil skirt



AwayFromBlue | Second Trimester OfficeWear non-maternity printed dresses





























AwayFromBlue | Second Trimester Office Outfit Ideas Wrap Dresses


Maxi Dresses:


I only needed one maternity maxi dress for both pregnancies, the majority of my existing maxi dresses were stretchy enough to work through all three trimesters. There were a few I outgrew in the second trimester though.

AwayFromTheBlue | Maxi Dresses in the Second Trimester Outfit Inspiration






Maternity Denim - Jeans and Shorts:


I added a second pair of maternity denim shorts to my wardrobe for my most recent pregnancy as I was heavily pregnant over summer and it was too hot for jeans. Previously I was doing a full work week and with the cooler temperatures and dressing for casual Friday, my maternity jeans were worn a lot more.

AwayFromBlue | 6 ways to wear Jeanswest maternity skinny jeans second trimester





























Friday, 15 April 2016

How to Hide a Baby Bump In Photos: A Guide For Bloggers

One of the best things about being pregnant is watching a tiny baby bump grow day by day. For any number of reasons though, you might want to hide that little baby bump for a while, especially if you're a blogger. I thought I'd put this guide together to show you how to hide a baby bump.


Tips for hiding a baby bump in blog photos | Away From Blue blog



When I was pregnant with toddler T, I was keeping the baby bump hidden until after 20 weeks, once we had shared with our families and friends over Christmas and I had returned to the office from extended leave and told my boss. With my most recent pregnancy, I wanted to participate in the Frocktober fundraising challenge which meant I couldn't hide the bump for quite as long. My limited wardrobe (a different dress every day for 31 days) wasn't most conductive to hiding a bump, unlike when I was pregnant with toddler T and could select from my entire wardrobe.


Top three tips for hiding a baby bump:

  • Continue to wear your regular pants/skirts for as long as possible. Use the hair tie trick, or invest in a belly band for clothes without elastic waists. Some skirts with elastic waists can be worn a little higher over the baby belly if it doesn't make them too short.
  • Favour clothes that skim over any emerging baby bump. Think empire waists, trapeze tops, skater skirts and fit and flare dresses. Anything that flows rather than clings.
  • Accessorise! Use scarves to hide bumps, and prints and layers to distract attention from your belly.

Dressing to hide a baby bump | Away From Blue



As well as following the pointers above, there are a few things you can do if you're a personal style/fashion blogger and you just want to hide the bump in photos. Be aware that while these tricks do work well in photos, they won't always hide the baby belly in person.

Hiding a baby bump in photos:


  • Pick your angle. Facing straight on to the camera is the best way to reduce or disguise the size of a baby bump.
  • Take photos as early in the day as possible. The more you eat, the bigger your belly gets, especially in the early stages.
  • Accessorise. Same as above, you can hide a bump with clever layering, a scarf, or even just hiding behind a handbag!
  • Never tuck any tops in. A half tuck hides a little bump quite well, but firmly tucking a top into a skirt or pair of pants just highlights a baby belly.
  • Avoid clingy fabrics. You want things that skim over your bump.
  • If you have a photographer, get their feedback. If you have a professional photographer, or just someone helping you with photos, ask them for the best angles / views to disguise a baby belly as they are shooting.
  • Change your pose. It feels extremely silly, but I found this works well if you're standing straight on to the camera. Not so much if you're standing at an angle! Stand up straight, and push your butt back a bit, letting anything you're wearing fall in a straighter line over the baby belly. Perfect if you're wearing looser clothing, it will skim rather than hug your frame.
  • Sit down. It's much easier to hide a bump when you're sitting instead of standing.
  • Practice. Take a few more photos than you usually would to make sure you're getting the photos you want, showcasing your great outfit and not the baby belly you aren't ready to spill the beans about yet!

How to Hide a Baby Bump in Photos | Away From The Blue blog


Hiding a Baby Bump in the office:


I shot this video in the second trimester that might be helpful for anyone wanting to keep a pregnancy secret for a little while longer in the office. 8 different outfits you can wear at work to hide an early bump.





I hope you found this guide helpful! Feel free to pin or share. You can check out more pregnancy outfit inspiration here too.


Linking up with Shoe & Tell, Let It Shine, Hello Monday, Turning Heads, On Trend, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday, Weekend Linkup.


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Friday, 8 April 2016

Pregnancy Capsule Wardrobe: 22 Items for Third Trimester Maternity Wear

Dressing in pregnancy is a fun challenge as the baby bump grows and changes every day! In order to simplify things this time around, I implemented a third trimester capsule wardrobe.


Why I Made a Pregnancy Capsule Wardrobe:

  • I've never tried a capsule wardrobe before (unless you count living out a suitcase for travel).
  • The baby bump was outgrowing my current wardrobe faster than I anticipated this time around.
  • I didn't have the luxury of time that I had in my first pregnancy to try on lots of outfit options each night and find things that still fit. (Or I didn't have the energy to do so after spending time with my toddler!)
  • The summer heat and humidity (that continued well into autumn in Brisbane) left me less inspired to try new things.
  • I had lots of great maternity pieces I wanted to wear as much as possible to make sure I got my money's worth.


Third Trimester Capsule Wardrobe in Video Form:

Below is a video covering the pieces in my capsule wardrobe, how I wore them, and my general thoughts about the experience.




The 22 Items In My Pregnancy Capsule Wardrobe:









A Few Notes On My 22 Items:


I didn't include accessories (scarves or bags or shoes) in this count. I also didn't include 'completer' pieces like my printed kimonos or blazers. I freely grabbed these from my wardrobe as and when I wanted them.

The pieces included were suitable for my part time office job, as well as being perfect for a stay at home mum the rest of the week.

Not everything was a maternity piece, I used pieces from my regular non-maternity wardrobe too.

There were a few times at the start of the third trimester where I wore pieces that weren't included in the capsule, but after realising they were getting uncomfortable I stuck to my capsule wardrobe for the majority of the time.

The 22 items I had were great over summer (and multiple heatwaves!), but would need to be changed for cooler weather. Simple things like swapping the maternity denim shorts for jeans instead, and some long sleeved tops and fewer tanks.


Outfit Combinations from a Pregnancy Capsule Wardrobe:


Some photos of my favourite third trimester outfits from my capsule wardrobe to give you an idea of how I wore all the pieces in the third trimester. Not an exhaustive list, as 3 months worth of daily outfit photos would be a pretty big post! You can see all the outfits I wore in the third trimester here.


AwayFromTheBlue | 3rd Trimester Capsule Wardrobe Office Wear Work Outfits

AwayFromBlue | Third Trimester Capsule Wardrobe Maternity Denim Outfits

AwayFromBlue | Third Trimester Capsule Wardrobe Casual SAHM Outfits 01


For my first capsule wardrobe experience, it was pretty fun, and I hope that it gives you some ideas or inspiration to try your own capsule wardrobe if you've often thought about it too.



Linking up with Shoe & Tell, Hello Monday.



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Wednesday, 19 August 2015

Marc By Marc Jacobs Eliz-A-Baby Pretty Nylon Diaper Bag : Review and Contents

First up, Shopbop are having a handbag sale! Get 20% off classic bags with code 'INTHEBAG'.


The sale ends on 20th August so you have to be quick! A handbag sale is a perfect way to start a post about a handbag.


I've been using my Marc by Marc Jacobs Eliz-A-Baby bag every day for over 14 months now, so felt it was due a review post. I thought I'd do what I used to do in the early days of my blog and share some more videos from my youtube channel.




When we started shopping for baby things, we checked out baby bags in every baby store, but hubby and I weren't too impressed with the options. They looked too small, too girly or both. We had always joked that I'd get a designer baby bag, so after a few weeks of unsuccessful baby bag hunting in person, I went to Shopbop! They have a great selection of baby bags.





I read every review and did further research on ones that looked promising. A big part of that research was looking for youtube handbag videos, which is often my first stop before buying any bag. I like to know it can hold everything I need before I buy.


Of course I settled on the Marc by Marc Jacobs Eliz-A-Baby bag, which is available in grey or black at Shopbop. I let hubby pick the colour, and then as soon as I had a coupon code, I bought it.



As I like to know what fits inside a handbag, I did a 'what's inside my bag for a newborn' video after using it for a few months to help others considering the purchase.




Now that baby T is a toddler, what I carry around every day has changed. I also bought some cute travel pouches that I use to organise the bag a little bit more, so everything has place and it is easier to find. I recently did an updated video showing what is inside the baby bag right now.





If you are looking to organise your own baby bag, or even your regular handbag, Shopbop also has some very cute pouches you can use. If you prefer decorating the outside of your bag, they have that covered as well!


Overall, I love the Marc By Marc Jacobs Eliza-A-Baby bag I bought last year. I'd highly recommend it. After constant use, you'd expect a few irritations to develop. In saying that, the only problem I have with this bag is that it holds so much, it's easy to over stuff it and make it too heavy to carry when you're holding a toddler too. Of course it's a positive as well as it means I can throw my things in there on days I don't want to carry my own bag!

Pros and Cons of the Eliz-A-Baby bag:


Positives:


  • It's HUGE and holds a lot (I chose the 'pretty' version of the bag over the 'preppy' version because it had the softer sides and looked easier to keep adding things to)
  • There are different ways to wear it (handles and a cross-body strap) so it's easy to wear while holding a toddler
  • It's easy to clean
  • The handles haven't stretched out with use
  • The bag is so light, being made of nylon
  • The material has held up really well with no scuffs or scratches


Negatives:


  • It's easy to just keep adding things to the bag and make it too heavy to carry effortlessly.
  • If you don't buy it on sale, it can be a lot more expensive than other bags on the market.





This post was created in partnership with Shopbop. Occasionally, Away From The Blue blog may receive vendor or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products or services. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.


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Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Baby T and What I've Been Wearing While Caring For A Newborn

Baby T has arrived! He is a beautiful baby boy, and I've already shared a few photos on instagram, @awayfromblue. A few people have been waiting for something to show up on the blog too, so put together this quick post between nap times.

Thank you all so much for your kind words and comments while I've been preoccupied with our beautiful little baby.




I've relied on my scheduled "maternity wardrobe essentials" posts and haven't been sharing what I've been wearing lately as my outfits have been very boring and repetitive. In hospital, I wore pyjamas mostly. I did "dress up" in trackie dacks (sweats) and a breastfeeding singlet during visiting hours.

Now that we are home, I haven't varied that uniform too much. I'm still in my PJs a lot of the time, as life revolves around baby T and we are trying to settle into a routine. Not at all ashamed to admit that at this early stage, getting dressed is pretty much reserved for when we have visitors or we need to go somewhere!

This is a daily outfit blog though, so I'll continue to share what I wear  - when I have ventured out of the house, and have had time or remembered to take a picture. I've always shared what I actually wear here, and as it was fun to share my pregnancy looks, thought you might like a little insight into the 'first days with a newborn' outfits. They are certainly not the best or most inspiring, but they are definitely practical and comfortable. And when you're running on limited sleep, comfort and ease always wins!

Now your expectations are suitably lowered... ;) This is what I wore for baby T's first outing, a couple of days after we got out of hospital.

Cardigan: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in Boysenberry
Top: Best and Less blue stripe breastfeeding singlet
JeansJeanswest maternity super skinny jeans in antique blue
Shoesblack slim Havaianas thongs (not pictured)
Bracelets: the usual


Added a cardigan and swapped the comfy PJ pants for my maternity skinny jeans to make this outfit look a little more presentable for baby T's first outing to our local clinic. My maternity jeans will get worn for a while yet - as you can see I still have a bit of baby belly. Not fussed with trying to find clothes to hide it at the moment, sleep is higher on the list of priorities, hehe!


Last worn: purple cardi, maternity skinny jeans, shoes. First time I've worn the top on the blog.

Linking up with Style Sessions, Real Mum Style, Stylish Tuesday, Trend Spin Linkup, WIWW, Colour Brigade, Wardrobe Wednesday, What I Wore, Summer Style today.


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Sunday, 15 June 2014

Pregnancy Wardrobe Essentials - Wearing Non-Maternity Pieces in the Third Trimester

While I'm in the hospital with baby, I've set up a few scheduled posts. This is the last post in the "Pregnancy Wardrobe Essentials" series.

As soon as I can I will be back to posting my usual daily outfits. I'll be sharing bits and pieces on my instagram (@awayfromblue) about life with baby until I'm back to blogging.

Today I'm talking about my pregnancy wardrobe and the non-maternity pieces I used and wore through my third trimester.



My goal in pregnancy was to buy as few maternity pieces as possible. Some things that had worked for the second trimester (like wrap dresses, pencil skirts) no longer worked in the third trimester, or needed a few changes (like adding leggings to now shorter dresses). In the third trimester, I found the following non-maternity pieces in my wardrobe worked well, and I included an example of an outfit with each.
Although I wore the items above in conjunction with maternity clothing, being able to wear existing items in my wardrobe gave me a little more variety with pregnancy dressing, something that I really appreciated near the end of the pregnancy where I was starting to run out of options for things to wear!

I defaulted to maxi skirts and dresses a lot as they were the easiest and most comfortable option most days and I really embraced them in the third trimester.

You can see all of my third trimester outfits here.


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Friday, 13 June 2014

Pregnancy Wardrobe Essentials: Favourite Maternity Outfits

While I'm in the hospital with baby, I've set up a few scheduled posts.

As soon as I can I will be back to posting my usual daily outfits. I'll be sharing bits and pieces on my instagram (@awayfromblue) about life with baby until I'm back to blogging. Until then I hope you enjoy the little break and slight change of format.


Today I wanted to share some of my favourite outfits and clothes I wore during my pregnancy, across all three trimesters. Bit of a picture heavy post!

You can click on each image to go to the original post and view the outfit details.


Mothers En Vogue Havana Maxi Dress
28 Weeks 32 Weeks 38 Weeks


Soon Maternity 'Madeline' grey print wrap dress
30 Weeks 33 Weeks 34 Weeks


Asos maternity tartan check pencil skirt
26 Weeks 34 Weeks 37 Weeks


Asos maternity graphic print pencil skirt
27 Weeks 32 Weeks 35 Weeks


Jeanswest maternity super skinny jeans in antique blue
23 Weeks 26 Weeks 40 Weeks


AT by Atmos&Here Mars striped maxi skirt
First Trimester Second Trimester Third Trimester


Jeanswest plain jersey black maxi skirt
First Trimester Second Trimester Third Trimester


'Ninja baby' maternity skeleton tee
34 Weeks 37 Weeks 39 Weeks

Target grey marle maxi skirt
35 Weeks 37 Weeks 39 Weeks

Target black and white striped maxi skirt
33 Weeks 35 Weeks 36 Weeks


I definitely made the most of maxi skirts this pregnancy! They are my pregnancy must-haves.

Which outfit or item of clothing is your favourite?


Linking up with Casual FridayFriday's Fab Favourites, Fashion Item Friday, Friday's Fancies, Passion For Fashion, Monday Bloom, Funday Monday, Mix It Monday, Manic Monday today.




Want more outfit inspiration and advice on how to come up with a wardrobe plan for your pregnancy? The ultimate guide, How to Have a Stylish Pregnancy On a Budget is available now!



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