Every month I like to share what I've bought and how I've worn it. This month was a month of impulse buys, driven by sales. Grab a drink and watch the video where I go through everything in detail, and try everything on.
I know I don't usually include beauty products in my hauls, mostly because only wearing makeup two days a week to go into the office means I rarely have to buy replacements! But I picked up a couple of things in the Priceline 40% off sale.
No surprise I wore the navy Jeanswest top twice right away - it's perfect for SAHM life and office life. You could even breastfeed in it if you do the singlet underneath trick and lift it up for access.
I'm pleased I managed to wear everything else twice too, especially the kimono as I was worried it would be too warm to wear this month. Thankfully autumn weather started to arrive near the end of April so I could meet my goal and wear it twice! I like to wear everything I buy twice in the month I buy it. It ensures I buy things I can use right away, stops things being bought just to sit unworn in my wardrobe, and makes me think of different ways I can wear things before I buy.
It can seem a little daunting at first trying to figure out what to wear when breastfeeding. You need to find clothing that works for your rapidly changing postpartum body, that's practical above all, that's affordable, and still makes you feel like yourself and true to your personal style. Oh, and machine washable!
To solve that dilemma, I wanted to share one of the popular videos off my YouTube channel with some different outfit ideas you can wear while breastfeeding, including some of the must-have breastfeeding accessories. The video shows you 6 outfit formulas, and I've included almost 30 outfits below that I've made from the formulas to show you how easy it is to come up with breastfeeding outfits!
The detail is in the video above, with a couple of demos of the pieces. I've also summarised the key points below for people who prefer to read rather than watch a video.
Breastfeeding Singlet
This is a staple! Find them on sale and stock up. Make sure to get ones with adjustable straps and that aren't tight, you want room for things to expand when your milk comes in! In the early postpartum days they are won so much, with an extra layer on top if you want to look more pulled together.
Dedicated Nursing Pieces
Yes, these are a splurge, but the two specific breastfeeding pieces I had came in so valuable I'm glad I had them. I didn't add more to my wardrobe as I felt those two covered all the bases. You don't need many. For more outfit inspiration, see 30 ways to wear this pink Mothers En Vogue maxi dress.
Regular Dresses
You can breastfeed in your regular dresses! Just consider the kind of dress - wrap, button or jersey with a scoop neck gives you access and opportunities for breastfeeding. Halter neck dresses can work too! See more button up dresses for breastfeeding here.
Wrap and Button Up Tops
Like the breastfeeding singlets, I stocked up on wrap tops too. The best thing about wrap and button up tops is that you can get them from any of your favourite stores or brands, you don't need to pay the premium that you get charged when buying a specific nursing friendly piece.
V-Neck Tees
If you have a slouchy or stretchy v-neck tee, it's easy to pull the neckline down more and get access. Although this wasn't my preferred way of breastfeeding, this is a favourite for many. I preferred to pull the top up for feeding, see below.
Layering Trick For Any Top
One of my favourite ways to breastfeed! Get any top, layer a breastfeeding singlet underneath, and just roll the top up and unclip the singlet when it's time to feed. I've seen people discuss using this for wearing dresses too, but it felt like a little much for me. I prefer doing it with a top. Loose flowy tanks are perfect for layering on top of a singlet.
Must Have Breastfeeding Accessories
There are a few pieces mentioned in the video that were must have accessories to breastfeeding, and I've included a couple more essentials here too. You can see them pop up in the outfits above. Blanket scarves and kimonos double as breastfeeding covers. Silicone teething necklaces are something safe and fun for baby to tug and pull on while feeding (better than tugging on your hair!). And of course, do not forget the breast pads!
Honourable Mention: C-Section
If you've had a C-Section, you might be staying away from the pants and shorts pictured in some of these outfits. Stretchy elastic waists like maternity denim or jersey maxi skirts could be outfit possibilities!
Where To Buy Breastfeeding Friendly Pieces
I've included some links to places above to purchase the kind of items I was demonstrating in the video. First thing to do is go through your wardrobe with this post as a guide - you'll be surprised how much you already have! Next thing to do is to head out to your favourite store. You'll feel much more confident if you're wearing similar things while breastfeeding as you did before it. And of course, feel free to shop this post if you're struggling for ideas.
My breastfeeding days are over but I was glad I had so many pieces in my wardrobe that I could make work for breastfeeding, so I could use the pieces I loved so much pre-pregnancy. I hope this video comes in helpful for yourself or is something you can share with a friend. You can find more outfit inspiration in my blog archive: breastfeeding outfits.
It's a little odd sharing ways to wear denim shorts in autumn, but in Brisbane the weather usually takes a while to realise it's autumn and start cooling down, so even in March these shorts were still on frequent rotation!
My goal for this past summer was to reach 30 wears with at least one pair of shorts. After buying a lot of new pairs at the start of summer, it proved harder than I thought, as I wanted to wear all my new ones. I mention this every now and then, but 30 wears doesn't sound like a lot until you actually try do it it. You need to wear something every other week for 14 months to hit 30 wears for example. I've had these shorts for 16 months so I'm feeling pleased I managed to reach 30 wears with them.
#30wears: Jeanswest Bermuda Denim Shorts
I bought these bermuda denim shorts in the Jeanswest sale back in November 2016. They have been a summer staple for me since! They were a part cash part gift card purchase. If you don't include gift cards in cost per wear, they were $6.98 so that's 23 cents a wear! If you want to count the gift card, they were $27.99 in the sale so that's 93 cents a wear. Both under the $1 per wear that most people seem to aim for. I'm pleased I got these. They are the 'Trinity' bermuda denim shorts.
When I stopped wearing my blue jeans (haven't worn a pair since June 2017!) I did wonder if I should stop wearing these for a bit too. They are just a shorter version of blue jeans after all! I have so many summer clothes though that I didn't feel these denim shorts were worn so often that I was in a rut with them. It's been interesting staying away from my blue jeans for a while, but I have lots of other colourful denim options so I'm not missing them too much yet. I'll be interested to see how long it is before I reach for them again!
Bermuda Shorts and Tee
A simple and classic summer outfit, a pair of denim shorts and a tee. I think this is a universal summer outfit for most of the world, and definitely a go-to for me. You can also see my love for studded sandals in this set of photos, ha! To change things up a little, sometimes I'll add an extra layer and throw a kimono on top.
As mentioned above, I love my kimonos, and denim shorts and kimonos are an easy summer option! I love the simplicity of a colourful tee or tank and shorts with a fun printed kimono, it adds an extra layer to your outfit, a little more interest, and is a good way to change things up slightly. All of these 5 kimono outfits look different, but follow exactly the same formula.
With plain blue denim shorts, it's a good opportunity to wear some printed pieces. I have a lot of printed tanks and it's good to wear them with these shorts as you don't have to worry about matching, they are a blank base to whatever you wear.
Denim Shorts and Print Mixing
Just like the set of outfit ideas above, this is another way to wear printed tanks. The denim shorts mean you can be more adventurous on top, and they are a good base to try some print mixing with. These photos combine the printed tanks and kimonos ways to wear together in one outfit, and were a lot of fun to wear.
Bermuda Shorts and Pink Vest
I like to layer a little in summer, but every now and then I want something different from kimonos. This is where this dusty pink vest comes in. It's a nice light summer layering option as it adds a splash of colour to an outfit without adding any extra warmth, perfect for making a plain tanks and shorts outfit a little more interesting.
Denim Shorts and Green Tanks
It's easy to see what my most-worn top is with these denim shorts! 3 out of the 4 outfit ideas above are the same tank, just with different kimonos! I've really embraced wearing green and blue together, and so wearing a green tank with these blue denim shorts has been a frequent outfit. Khaki green looks just as good as this bright emerald green.
Monochromatic Outfits with Bermuda Shorts
With blue shorts, a blue top is a no-brainer for a quick monochrome outfit. Just like the green tops above, again you can see some repeats here. The navy wrap top has been worn twice with the shorts, just swapping out the accessories to make it look a little different. If something works and you love it, I'm a big fan of repeating the combination again! As someone who loves blue, monochromatic outfits with navy tops and blue shorts make me happy.
Bermuda Shorts and Long Sleeves
Of course shorts aren't just for summer. You can easily wear them in spring and autumn too. In Brisbane it's not that cold for most of the year, so it's easy to wear shorts frequently! A simple way to wear shorts for slightly cooler weather is to add a long sleeved top (even though the first long sleeve outfit pictured is with a dress). If a long sleeve top on it's own isn't enough even with the longer length of the bermuda shorts, you could add some closed in shoes too to make yourself a little warmer. Converse are my usual go-to!
While I'm not a shorts in winter person, I do try and wear my shorts as much as I can through the year - the mild Brisbane weather makes that achievable!
30 ways to wear Bermuda Denim Shorts In Video Format
This month I did a little something different and modeled a few of the outfits so you can see what they look like on.
While denim shorts are a wardrobe staple and you're likely to have a pair you love already, I hope this post gave you some different outfit ideas or inspiration and some different ways to wear your shorts.
