Buy Pet Armor

It’s been a month and a half since my last My Style post, and there is one reason for this: most of my clothes no longer fit!  Although I’m slowly learning how to incorporate pieces that are flattering for pregnancy, I’ve been amazed at how much my body has changed over the last 5 months.  Despite the fact that I’m still eating healthy foods and exercising almost everyday, I have already gained over 20 pounds at 19 weeks (and I won’t even get into how much my normally tiny boobs have grown – yikes).  I am fully embracing these new feminine curves, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that adjusting to an ever-growing body wasn’t a challenge.  Everyone has advice and suggestions, but pregnant or not, every body is different.  For example – most of my friends who are or have been recently pregnant live/lived in jersey maxi dresses, and have done it gorgeously.  But now my beloved maxi’s just make me look awkward and unbalanced.  I’m discovering that these days, what works best for me are shorter jersey dresses, over-sized tees with draping fabrics that are slightly clingy, and good old-fashioned leggings.  This ‘uniform’ is not only the most comfortable, it also works as a blank canvas for adding fun shoes and accessories.  For me, style is still important, baby bump or otherwise.

During our road trip last week, we decided to take some shots in front of the stunning lake and mountains of Dillon, Colorado (9,111 feet).  This scenery was literally right out our back door, and we spent a lot of time just sitting here, staring at the beauty that surrounded us. On this particular day, we’d had a late breakfast on the outdoor patio of a local eatery called Arapahoe that was just down the street.  Despite the sunshine, it gets chilly fast when you’re up that high in the mountains, and I also wanted to dress up my very neutral tee-and-leggings ensemble a bit.  Throwing on a lightweight coral cardigan did the trick.  I also added a few of my favorite accessories – some black and gold bracelets, a long gold triangle necklace, and some geometric midi rings.  These are the type of small additions that allow me to still feel put together when I’m wearing pregnancy outfits that could, for all intensive purposes, otherwise be labeled as yoga clothes.

My favorite part of this outfit, hands down, was the shoes.  I actually got them back in early June, but it’s been way too hot in Chicago to wear them yet.  Lucky for me, they were perfect for Colorado high country weather.  They’re called the Tugos and like many of my favorite pairs of kicks, were made by the fabulous folks over at Blowfish.  I love the bootie style, the buckle detailing, the color, and the fit.  But the best part is the hidden heel.  I wish I could say that I was one of those bad ass chicks who rocks regular heels during pregnancy, but I’m just not you guys.  I feel completely off balanced and uncomfortable in them these days, and I’m also paranoid about falling over and hurting the bebe.  So these hidden-heel booties are a dream come true – they give me a little extra height so I still feel semi-dressed up, but without the awkward/risky pregnant lady stiletto type situation.  Blowfish is currently sold out of the Tugo style, but check out the very similar Top Notch style in their ‘Heels and Wedges’ section.

I also just have to quickly mention that for my frizzy-wavy haired self, Colorado is a dream.  I used to live there, way up in the mountains, but had almost forgotten that the need for a flat iron is completely diminished when you’re at an altitude that lacks humidity.  Getting out of the shower and not having to touch your hair is pretty freaking incredible.  I slipped a brush through it once daily, and that was it. 

Shoes: c/o Blowfish  //  Grey High-LowTop: F21  //  Cardigan: old  //  Leggings: Target Bracelets: thrifted and c/o Oasap  //  Sunglasses: H&M  //  Necklace: gift  //  Rings: F21

I plan to start doing maternity style posts here more often, and would love any links my fellow pregnant mamas may have to outfit posts you’ve done as well.  I still haven’t bought any real maternity clothing, but considering the fact that fall is around the corner and my current pairs of jeans can only be pulled up to about mid-thigh these days, I do see some maternity shopping in the not-so-distant-future. If you have any favorite shops, brands, or styles that you’d like to recommend, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Bubby and Bean ::: Living Creatively