You know how maternity clothes are known for being insanely comfortable? Like, I-feel-like-I'm-wearing-pajamas comfortable? The jeans with no buttons, the long sweaters, and the stretchy waistbands... That's what dreams are made of. I'm probably just really weird. You'll have to forgive me. I shamelessly support this method of extending your wardrobe a little and re-working clothes in a new way! Who's to say that you can't make a few pieces work for you post-pregnancy? Stay with me, people.
Everyone loves to wear leggings in the cooler months, and I'm certainly no exception. I think I have 8 pairs, ranging in color from shades of gray to navy and black. One day, (when I was clearly behind on my laundry) I was devastated to realize that I was completely out of clean, black leggings. What's a basic girl to do? I pulled out a pair of maternity leggings, folded down the panel so that it sat around my hips, threw on an oversized sweater and went on my way. What's more comfortable than leggings? Maternity leggings.
One of my favorite sweaters is maternity, purchased from A Pea in a Pod. You can't tell it's maternity, I promise! There's no excessive stretch or ruching; its just really long. It's thick and cozy and has cute little zippers on each sleeve. When I was mid-way through my pregnancy, it was long enough to cover my belly but not quite my butt. But now that there's no baby in my belly (well, except the Mexican food baby), the sweater is long, lean, and perfect to pair with leggings! Trust me. I'm wearing it while writing this, I kid you not. You'll wear this for years, pregnant or not. Can you have too many long, cozy sweaters? Dumb question. That's like saying, “I have too many pairs of leggings.” (See above.) It would be absurd. One more thing: If you're tall or simply on the hunt for a top that's wearable with leggings (i.e. long enough to cover your front and back!), don't be afraid to browse the maternity section. Maternity tops don't always have ruching; they're often just made longer to accommodate a baby bump! I have several shirts like this and if not for the tag, there would be absolutely no way to identify them as maternity.
You know when you're just a little pregnant? When your belly is beginning to protrude and the hair elastic trick no longer works, but you're not quite big enough for the full panel? That's when the side-paneled jeans are amazing. They provide just enough extra stretch to be comfortable, but still look like normal jeans! Well, these are also REALLY great for days when you're struggling with menstrual bloating and you'd rather step on a pile of Legos than wear anything tight around your abdomen, but you know, leggings and yoga pants aren't exactly considered business casual. You know what I'm talking about. And you know what else? I can't think of anything better to wear while eating a big meal. Don't act like you're not considering buying yourself a pair to have on hand for the holidays.
Are you still with me? You may be thinking this is all a joke, but let me assure you: I'm serious. #noshame. True story: I dressed in maternity leggings with the panel folded down and the aforementioned sweater, along with ankle boots and an infinity scarf. I asked my husband if he liked my outfit. He studied me for a moment and said, “Yeah, babe. That sweater looks good on you.” (Boo-yah!) Now, I'm not saying that husbands are the most observant creatures, but there's something to be said about his response while I stood in front of him wearing a complete maternity outfit.
If I'm the only mom of a 10-month-old still wearing pieces of my maternity wardrobe, then feel free to totally disregard everything you just read. Like I said, I'm probably just really weird.
I did not receive compensation for my review of the before-mentioned products.
