Pregnancy Wardrobe Essentials - Review of Maternity Pieces in My Wardrobe

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. Until then I hope you enjoy the little break and slight change of format.

First up, talking about my pregnancy wardrobe and the maternity pieces I wore through my pregnancy.

I had a total of 14 maternity pieces to supplement my existing wardrobe. I've included links below so you can see when I wore them, and how often I wore them. My goal was to buy as little maternity pieces as possible.

Tops:

• MEV Britney bubble tank in mood indigo C/O Zibibo. Worn in second trimester | worn in third trimester
• Asos drape tank in space dye fabric. Worn in second trimester | worn in third trimester
• Jeanswest 'Felicity' maternity shirt in amethyst. Worn in third trimester, three times.
• Jeanswest 'Tilda' black shirt. Worn in first trimester | worn in second trimester | worn in third trimester

Dresses:

• Soon Maternity 'Madeline' grey print wrap dress. Worn in third trimester 6 times
• MEV Havana maxi dress C/O Zibibo. Worn in second trimester | worn in third trimester 5 times
• Burgundy button sash maternity dress C/O Pink Blush Maternity. Worn in second trimester | worn in third trimester twice

Skirts:

• Asos maternity tartan check pencil skirt. Worn in second trimester 4 times | worn in third trimester 5 times
• Asos maternity graphic print pencil skirt. Worn in second trimester 4 times | worn in third trimester 6 times
• Soon Maternity Flora fold pencil skirt. Worn in second trimester | worn in third trimester twice

Shorts:

• Jeanswest maternity rolled up shorts. Worn in second trimester twice | worn in third trimester 4 times

Pants:

• Jeanswest Maternity slim straight jeans. Worn in second trimester twice
• Jeanswest maternity super skinny jeans in antique blue. Worn in second trimester 8 times | worn in third trimester 7 times
• Jeanswest maternity skinny jeans in black. Worn in second trimester 4 times | worn in third trimester 5 times

You can hear my thoughts and opinions by watching the video, but in summary:

• I was lucky to have a lot of pieces in my existing wardrobe that worked well in pregnancy. Lots of flowy, loose, oversized and stretchy pieces meant I didn't need much maternity wear. I'll do a follow up post about the non-maternity items I found most helpful.
• Maternity tops I found tricky to wear as the extra length swamped my petite frame.
• Dresses were the easiest, most comfortable maternity wear option for me. Great go-to pieces!
• The Asos maternity pencil skirts I bought were fantastic for work and I'd recommend them to anyone who has to dress for pregnancy in the office.
• Jeanswest maternity denim is the only brand of maternity jeans I tried - perfect first time so I didn't try to look elsewhere.

I hope that you found this post useful, and that you can pass it along to anyone who might benefit from it :) Different from my usual posts, but I thought that laying out what I wore and how I wore it during my pregnancy might come in helpful for someone.


Linking up with Manic Monday, Style Sessions, Three-Fer Thursday today.

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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:

• Asos maternity graphic print pencil skirt (non-maternity version here)
• Asos maternity panelled pencil skirt in tartan check (non-maternity version here)
• Soon Maternity 'Madeline' grey print wrap dress
• Thrifted Target printed wrap dress 
• Atmos&Here Betsy jersey wrap dress in watercolour print 

• MEV Havana maxi dress (C/O Zibibo)
• Jeanswest 'Elodie' tie dye grey jersey maxi dress
• Jeanswest 'Sierra' embellished black maxi dress
• Jeanswest 'Chantelle' crochet detail blue printed maxi dress

• Target black and white striped maxi skirt
• AT by Atmos&Here Mars striped maxi skirt
• Target grey marle maxi skirt
• Jeanswest plain jersey black maxi skirt

• Jeanswest Georgie maternity boyfriend shorts (available in non-maternity also)
• Jeanswest maternity rolled up shorts

• Jeanswest maternity tank in white
• Jeanswest maternity tank in sea glass
• Jeanswest maternity tank in black
• Jeanswest Carla Maternity Cut out tank (non-maternity version)
• Jeanswest Sol Maternity jacquard tank (non-maternity version)
• Jeanswest Sonny maternity tee in lagoon marle (C/O)
• 'Ninja baby' maternity skeleton tee

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.

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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Baby's Arrival and Postpartum Hospital Style

Thank you all for your sweet comments and congratulations on the arrival of our second beautiful baby boy. Just like I did when baby T was born, thought I'd do a little wrap-up post here for those who don't follow me on instagram.

Baby boy had a very speedy arrival into the world! Baby T's birth was fast for a first time but at least then we had time to finalise the admission paperwork before things really got started. This time around I was answering the admission questions with my newborn baby in my arms! I'd been regularly waking for the past week or so with contractions around 3 am that eventually stopped every time, so I wasn't sure if this was another false alarm at first, and stayed for a while at home.

I foolishly thought that the midwife was just being encouraging when we arrived and she suggested that it wouldn't be long before baby arrived. We actually made it to hospital just in time. I took her a little more seriously when I had to start pushing and she reassured me that they could deliver the baby themselves if the on-call obstetrician didn't arrive in time. He did. Just! While baby surprised us all and arrived before my OB had returned from her holidays, the lead midwife was the same one who had helped us deliver baby T, so it was really special having her there.


Wanted to share my 'first days with a newborn' outfits that I posted on instagram. To show that you that everyone's different post-baby and you shouldn't set overly high expectations on yourself. Just relax and enjoy your baby! They don't care what you wear, they just want lots of love and cuddles.

There were a few comments left on the blog, especially near the end of the third trimester, where people commented that they were surprised I wasn't wearing trackie dacks/sweats/joggers or pyjamas in my pregnancy. Part of that was having the third trimester capsule wardrobe to make dressing easy, and also because I knew that the comfy clothes would become my 'uniform' in the newborn days. In pregnancy you want to be comfortable yet you still have some energy to put into picking nice outfits. With a newborn, your focus is on them only. Although you might try find clean clothes to wear at least, style is not a priority!

What I wore:

Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace

Singlet: Best and Less red stripe breastfeeding singlet
Pants: Juicy Couture original drawstring pant in 'Silver Lining'
Bracelets: the usual

Why I wore it:

This was my 'fancy' outfit for visits from extended family. I packed and wore my pyjamas most of the time in hospital, but kept a clean nursing singlet and pair of trackie dacks for when extended family members came by to say hello and meet baby. In the early days with a newborn, comfort is key, so this is as 'pulled together' as I looked.


Last worn: trackie dacks. (Can't find a pic of this singlet on the blog, although it's an old one).

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What I Packed in My Hospital Bag (Second Time Around)

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What I wore:

Jacket: New Look Petite print kimono (on sale, 70% off!)
Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Tank: Jeanswest Carla maternity cut out tank (non-maternity version)
Shorts: Jeanswest maternity rolled up shorts
Shoes: black slim Havaianas thongs
Bracelets: the usual

Why I wore it:

This was what I wore to take baby home from hospital, and also what I wore while I was in labour! I always lay my clothes out the night before, so when I went into labour in the early hours of the morning I thankfully had some clothes to grab. I didn't want to be walking through the main hospital in my pyjamas!

I was pleased I'd taken the time at home to put some clothes on. When we got to the hospital the contractions were so strong and fast as I'd hit transition in the car. It was drawing a lot of attention as I had to keep stopping as we walked to concentrate on getting through every contraction. They really shouldn't have the maternity ward at the back of the hospital...I lost count of how many staff members offered hubby a wheelchair to get me to the birth suite!

It was nice to have some 'normal' clothes with me to change into to take baby boy home too, although as soon as we got home it was back to pyjamas again ;)


Last worn: blue kimono, maternity tank, denim shorts, Havaianas.

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30 Ways To Wear: Atmos&Here Slouchy Wine Purple V-Neck Tee

Continuing on with trying to make my #30wears posts a regular monthly feature this year. This month, I'm showing 30 different ways I've worn this beautiful deep purple wine v-neck tee from Atmos&Here.

30 Ways To Wear: Wine Purple V-Neck Tee

Cost Per Wear

I bought this tee back in October 2013, on sale for just $14.47, as I had an extra discount code. It's not the only slouchy soft rolled sleeve v-neck tee I have bought from Atmos&Here. I used to have a grey, black, and a striped one. This one, however, is the only one that I've manged to hit 30 wears with.

The super soft modal also has spandex in it which means that over the years, its stopped being so stretchy and more baggy as the spandex has worn away. Luckily this one seemed to hold its shape better than the others and I hit 31 wears with it, but it's been a lesson for me that if I want my clothes to last, pay attention to the fabric composition. I have a lot more cotton tees in my wardrobe now! Even if the extra stetch in this tee was helpful to see me through 2 pregnancies and very helpful in the breastfeeding days, I prefer just plain cotton tees now.

At 31 wears, it's now definitely too worn and stretched out to continue wearing, but still super soft, so will be a good pyjama top! It has had a low 47 cents cost per wear, and it's taught me a valuable lesson on paying attention to the fabric content of the things I buy, even if it's not something I'll be able to get a lot more wear from in future.


I don't have a lot of this deep wine-purple coloured burgundy in my wardrobe, so it's been interesting looking back to see how I have worn this. I like it a lot with black and other darker colours, but it has been worn with some brighter pairings too. Here are 30 different ways I've worn it over the 10 years it's been in my wardrobe.

Wine V-Neck Tee With Denim

I don't think there can be a more classic combo than a v-neck tee and denim! Sometimes I'll pair this tee with jeans, or shorts, even denim skirts. With the plain block colour, printed jeans work too. As do sequins, wearing my awesome Haus of Queenie custom kimono in the middle there.

Deep Purple Tee With Floral Prints

I like throwing a cover up or duster on top of a denim and tee outfit, as I have here in these 4 outfits. A floral cover up is a great way to add more colour and print to a plain tee like this wine one.

Wine V-Neck Tee With Stripes

As I've shown above I'm partial to florals, but stripes and even other prints like leopard work well against the plain dark background of this tee too!

Deep Purple Tee With Skirts

You saw the denim skirt with this wine tee above but it works with all other kinds of skirts, like a maxi skirt or with a pencil skirt for the office. I loved that it still fit over the bump with my maternity pencil skirt at the bottom there!

Wine Tee With Blue

Blue is my favourite colour and I'll wear it with everything. While this dark tee is a bit more burgundy than plain purple, living up to the 'wine' colour label well, I do still like wearing it with shades of blue just as I would with a purely purple tee. Different shades of blue in a scarf work well, and even a brighter turquoise like you can see in the middle of these outfits is good with the tee.

Deep Purple Tee With Grey

Of course if you're not sure what colour to wear with something, neutrals always work! This tee works well with grey skirts. I really like it with the grey skirt in the first and last outfits, so good I wore it twice! And it was nice to knot it over the grey tie-dye maxi dress in the middle there for something a little different.

Wine Tee With Other Shades Of Red

I have tried now and then to be a little more adventurous with this tee. Pairing it with much brighter shades of red, and other lighter shades of burgundy. I've really liked the combination, done on a small scale with a little crossbody bag, or on a larger scale with a printed cover up or that striped maxi skirt in the third outfit.

Deep Purple Tee With Brights

One unexpected combination I really ended up liking with this tee was adding a brighter piece against the deep wine purple shade. I really liked the wine with the rust orange skirts, and the little yellow bag and yellow print on the shorts in the second outfit there. It was a good way to lighten up this tee and I'm glad I gave the orange and burgundy colour scheme a try!

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Similar Tees Under $50:

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More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all 31 ways I've worn this tee in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear: navy and white striped tee
• 30 ways to wear: lilac v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear a dark grey v-neck tee
• 30 ways to wear a grey v-neck tee

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