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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Monthly Purchases: January and February

While I'm keeping track of everything I buy through the blog, I thought I'd expand a little further.

Instead of just sharing what I've bought, and having the goal of wearing it twice in a month after buying it, I thought I'd do a wrap up and show how each purchase was worn.

Let me know if you find these kinds of posts interesting!



I didn't buy anything in February, and ended up doing a no buy month / Frugal Feb with Kiki from According to Kiki. Partly because the third trimester is not the time to be buying any new clothes. Nothing fits! As can be seen by the one-off wears of a couple of non-maternity pieces I bought.

What I bought in January:

How I wore my purchases over January and February:

• Jeanswest Carla Maternity Cut out tank (non-maternity version) (worn 6 times)
• Jeanswest Sol Maternity jacquard tank (worn 4 times)
• Jeanswest Florence print long line tank (worn once)
• Balenciaga Day bag in 2005 magenta (worn 12 times)
• Cotton On 'Gemma' cocoon kimono in Laos blossom navy print (worn 4 times)
• Slim gold Havaianas (worn 10 times)
• Be Free maternity/nursing bras - worn countless times, but never visible on the blog.
• Atmos&Here Betsy jersey wrap dress in watercolour print (worn 3 times)
• Atmos & Here Arlene wrap top in navy (worn once)

The Balenciaga day bag I bought has had the most wear, which is good since it took up most of the budget!

Click on image to enlarge

You can see my third trimester capsule wardrobe starting to come through with this wrap up of photos - I'm sticking to just a handful of pieces that still fit the baby bump at the moment!


Overall I'm pretty pleased with how well I've used the things I bought last month, although I did expect to get more than one wear each out of the non-maternity tops I bought, the baby bump just grew too quickly. Both pieces will get lots of wear post-baby.




Linking up with Budget Bloggers.

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2015 Boxing Day Sales and Discount Codes

Hope you all had a very merry Christmas! Wanted to quickly post some of the best Boxing Day sales for you. There are even more on the sales and discounts page.

I love a good sale, but on hectic days like this I prefer shopping the sales from home in the comfort of my pyjamas and away from the crowds.

40% off at Jeanswest!

Best for: stocking up on some new summer clothes. It won't be around for long so buy now before it ends!

My top picks:

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Up to 70% off at Rebecca Minkoff!

Plus an extra 25% off sale items with code 'BYE2015'!

Best for: treating yourself to some gorgeous bags and accessories.

My top picks:

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Up to 50% off at Asos!

Best for: finding a cute party-ready outfit for New Year's Eve. (27th December at 2pm AEST is the cut off for express delivery to Australia before NYE).

My top picks:

Happy bargain hunting!

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Frocktober 2015 Wrap-Up! #31Days31DifferentDresses Style Challenge

I managed to wear an incredible 32 different dresses in October in order to raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, even with the developing baby bump meaning I outgrew a few dresses in my wardrobe.


Thank you to everyone who donated! I was amazed that despite my modest $200 goal in the beginning, I raised over $600 for the cause! Thank you so much.


I wanted to do #31Days31DifferentDresses to fundraise for research into ovarian cancer. One woman dies every 10 hours from ovarian cancer. There is no early detection test, so people are often diagnosed when it is too late and the cancer has spread. More research could develop an early detection test, change those statistics and will make a difference.

While my challenge is wrapped up and done and I'll probably be staying away from the dresses for a while and enjoying the rest of my wardrobe, I'll still be posting some more outfits from the month on the blog into November. I couldn't let Frocktober end without a final wrap-up and call for donations though!


Below are my #31Days31DifferentDresses outfits, with a bonus 32nd dress!

With this first set of dresses, I was still trying as best as I could to hide the baby bump in photos. It was unmissable in person though!

Outfit Posts:

1-2: Printed dresses and Marc By Marc Jacobs Bags

3-4: Weekend dresses and yellow Rebecca Minkoff swing bag

5-6: Planned and unplanned dresses: SAHM style and office wear

7-8: Botanical print and stripes and comparing online

In the second week of the challenge, I was beginning to feel a little frustrated with having nothing but dresses to wear, and a little concerned with how many dresses I was having to set aside as I'd outgrown them. I began to organise my little capsule wardrobe a bit better to make sure I'd have enough to wear for the month, which lead to me wearing some dresses I wasn't feeling comfortable or confident in, just because I wasn't sure I'd fit into them in a few days.

Outfit Posts:

9-10: Printed dresses and Balenciaga bags

11-12: Kimonos and blue dresses. My favourite outfits from the challenge!

13-14: Black and grey dresses with bright accessories

15-16: Blue printed dresses for work and weekend (and the first dress to leave my wardrobe)

By the third week I was outgrowing even more dresses and was glad I had so many roomy maxi dresses in my wardrobe! I was also very kindly given two beautiful new maxi dresses from Jeanswest which gave me some more options.

Outfit Posts:

17-18: Weekend dresses, sun hats, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag

19-20: More blue printed dresses and Balenciaga Day bag

21-22: Casual and classy dress outfits

23-24: Jeanswest boho maxi dresses

The final stretch of the challenge! I'd saved a few favourite dresses for near the end, knowing I'd be feeling a bit large with the growing baby belly, and a little fed up by the lack of choice each day. Despite this, I even managed to wear an extra dress when I got changed for an evening out.

Outfit Posts:

25-26: Jeanswest black maxi dresses, purple Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote

27-28: Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag, dresses for the office and working from home

29-30: Blue printed dresses for work and weekend

31-32: Finishing Frocktober!

There was just one dress that I still fit into that hadn't been worn in my wardrobe, not counting the maternity dresses I hadn't pulled out yet and the dresses I had to quickly set aside as they didn't fit a second trimester baby bump. So yes, I do have a lot of dresses!


Thank you again to everyone who donated - through my fundraising page or other means. Your advice, outfit ideas and inspiration, kind comments, and of course donations encouraged me to keep going with the challenge.

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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'.

Shop the classic bags on sale at Shopbop.

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.

Shop more baby bags at Shopbop

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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March Update and What I Learnt From a Wardrobe Detox

Thought I'd break with the standard outfit posts template to share my March wardrobe update. I made some purchases this month, and I got rid of a lot of things from my wardrobe. I even listed some on ebay! Also had my first session with a personal stylist, so I wanted to share what that was like with you all.

What I bought in March:

Emerson red skinny jeans (already worn here)
Jeanswest Bindi skinny 7/8 jeans in indigo luxe

Jeanswest 'Sierra' embellished black maxi dress (already worn here)
Jeanswest Elise longline emroidered shirt coconut blue
Jeanswest Nadine 3/4 Sleeve dusky pink blazer
Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket

Not bad considering the last time I bought clothes for myself was in December! You can tell I had a few Jeanswest gift cards to spend ;)

March was the month I returned to the office after maternity leave. As I did so, I got all of my old office clothes out of the 'for after baby' box they had been hiding in and - honestly - started to get quite frustrated that I didn't really have any space for those things in my wardrobe. The slow and steady wardrobe clear-out process got a bit more focused and ruthless over the month. There are so many considerations and emotions around going back to work, and tackling my wardrobe at such a time was probably not the best idea in hindsight. I was just getting more frustrated trying to turn my wardrobe into something that would work for my new lifestyle. So I called in the professionals! One of my instagram friends (@sophisticatedmumma) recommended a personal stylist who lived near me (@istyl). I've been thinking about having someone help me with my wardrobe for a while, and facing a big lifestyle change with returning to work after maternity leave seemed like an ideal time to get an expert!

If you are thinking about getting a personal stylist to come help you with your wardrobe, do it! If you're wondering, I always disclose my sponsored posts. This is not one of them. This is all my own words and I paid for the services with my own money. I didn't even mention that I was going to blog about it. The wardrobe detox was not as stressful as I expected, and was actually really fun. It helped that baby T and Cooper were on their best behaviour and that Maudie was happy working around baby and his needs through the day. She was a superstar.

What I learnt from my wardrobe detox:

• Babies never nap as long as you expect them too!
• You will be trying on lots of clothes so you want to dress appropriately (maybe matching undies) or set up a little hidden spot to change if you're feeling modest. Dancing around the room half naked asking for a little help struggling to pull off a pair of stubborn skinny jeans / needing to fix a zipper caught halfway up a dress might happen more than once.

• There are certain colours you can wear that can make you look incredible, and some that wash you out.

• If your wardrobe is full of colours that don't make you look your best, there are a few tricks you can employ to get around this. It isn't about buying a whole new wardrobe, but learning how to make what you have work for you.

• You'll never really comprehend how much stuff is in your wardrobe until you start going through it all.
• It is extremely frustrating realising just how many 'perfect for nursing' tops you had hidden in your wardrobe, after you've stopped breastfeeding.

• You will come up with the craziest justifications to explain oddities in your wardrobe. (Like why each and every one of your 14 grey tees is a complete essential and different from all the rest.) Thanks for humouring me Maudie!

• A wardrobe detox is very emotional. Saying goodbye to old pieces, and re-discovering old favourites. You might feel compelled to tell stories of when, where, and why you bought things. It's a trip down memory lane.

• Even you will be surprised with how stubborn you can be on keeping some pieces....and how happy you will be to toss others.

• If there are things you just have to have despite the expert opinion saying it doesn't work for you, you can get ideas of different ways to style the items to make them work a little better.

• Even an overflowing wardrobe can have 'gaps' in it.  It is really helpful to know what things you should look for next time you are shopping, and what you should avoid buying more of. (Like jeans!)

• Sorting things into piles of 'keep', 'tailor' and 'toss' is so much easier with an impartial third party helping.

• It's never about you. You look amazing. Your clothes might not be working to show off your best self. And that can be easily fixed.

• Hearing sincere and flattering compliments is always a good boost, especially after having a baby.
• Some things you might be considering getting rid of can stay and become stand out pieces in your wardrobe very quickly when you know how to wear them.
• Finding out why things make you look and feel good will help guide your shopping for the better.
• A few hours, a bin bag full of cast-offs and a little bit of wardrobe reorganisation can make such a positive difference.

If you're in Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast I'd recommend Maudie as an awesome personal stylist. If a wardrobe detox isn't in your budget, try inviting a friend over and getting an honest opinion on some of the things you own. It's so helpful getting another view. I know some bloggers have check lists or flowcharts or things to help you do your own wardrobe detox too. Please feel free to link up any great advice you have or have come across in the comments.

As a result of my little spring-cleaning before my wardrobe session and a very productive couple of hours during it...there are a bunch of things that have left my wardrobe this month. I've included pictures of just some of them below, as they didn't all have a 'last wear' outside. You can find a few things on ebay. I'll be listing more as I find the time, and the rest will be donated to the Animal Welfare League shelter to end up in their op-shops.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you have a very merry Christmas.

However you celebrate, I hope you enjoy spending some time with friends and family. Not everyone celebrates the birth of Jesus at Christmas time, but it is still a special day to be with those you care about, and exchange a few gifts. I already have a little something from Louis Vuitton under the tree for me!

In the light of recent events, this year more than ever I want to make sure to share the love at Christmas time. I've got presents wrapped under the tree for those I can celebrate with, and cards and presents sent to those who are far away.

I'm also going to be messaging every facebook friend to wish them a merry Christmas and let them know why I'm grateful for them this year. To be honest, it will be a work in progress I'm hoping to complete before 2015 as I have a few friends on my list! Taking just a moment to say merry Christmas and letting someone know they are important to you is such a simple thing that can really make someone's day. Something personal, something meaningful and something full of love.

Christmas is a time for love and peace. Make sure to take the opportunity to share that love with someone. Whether it's through an expensive gift, a touching card, a simple hug, or a smile for a stranger...it doesn't take much, but it makes the world a better place.


Have a wonderful Christmas.

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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
Jeans: Jeanswest maternity super skinny jeans in antique blue
Shoes: black 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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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.

• Empire waist and loose fitting dresses
• Stretchy jersey dresses and leggings
• Maxi dresses
• Fitted stretchy singlets
• Fitted stretchy tees
• Oversized tees
• Maxi skirts with elastic waists

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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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 Friday, Friday's Fab Favourites, Fashion Item Friday, Friday's Fancies, Passion For Fashion, Monday Bloom, Funday Monday, Mix It Monday, Manic Monday today.

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

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



My goal in pregnancy was to buy as few maternity pieces as possible. You can see the maternity pieces I wore through my pregnancy in the previous post. In the second trimester, I found the following non-maternity pieces in my wardrobe worked well, and I included a link to an example of an outfit with each.

• Maxi dresses - my favourite outfit
• Empire waist dresses - my favourite outfit
• Stretchy jersey dresses - my favourite outfit
• Wrap dresses - my favourite outfit
• Elastic waist pencil skirts - my favourite outfit
• Elastic waist maxi skirts - my favourite outfit
• Oversized/flowy tanks - my favourite outfit
• Fitted stretchy singlets - my favourite outfit
• Fitted stretchy tees - my favourite outfit
• Oversized tees - my favourite outfit
• Empire waist tops - my favourite outfit

Although I wore the items above in conjunction with maternity clothing where needed, being able to wear existing items in my wardrobe gave me a little more variety with pregnancy dressing. You can see all of my second trimester outfits here.

Shop similar pieces:

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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