Pregnant and Pretty, Part One

I'm sure I am in the majority of pregnant women who prefer nothing more than wearing stretchy yoga pants, soft, comfy T-shirts, and pulling their hair up into messy buns.  Wait a minute...isn't that most women, pregnant or not?

Fun...but not functional (or safe) for a lady in her
 third trimester!  These can wait until after baby.
 Image from fabsugar.com.

Yup - it's one of those strange facts about being female.  Although we want to be as comfy as dudes in their well-worn jeans and 80s T-shirts, we make different choices for the sake of fashion.  Frequently, we love to wear gloriously gorgeous shoes that are impractically high, stunning dresses that force us to reposition our boobs every five minutes or so, and pants that require us to perform an awkward calisthenics routine just to get into them.  We like to feel pretty, and often the route to feeling pretty is a painful one.  I'm not being sexist here; I'm just speaking from personal experience and, if I may humbly say, I'm acting as the voice of many, not all, of my female friends.  We often suffer needlessly for the sake of beauty, and frequently, people never notice our efforts anyway!  (Unless things go horribly wrong and we trip over our mile-high stilettos like baby deer learning how to walk...)

At least, in the past few years, women's fashion has generally seemed to take a turn for "cute and comfy" over "pretty and painful".  I'm talking about boat shoes, thick-calf-friendly boots, surprisingly forgiving skinny jeans, knee-skimming shorts (hallelujah!), and the return of the cropped cardigan (great for modest chickies and/or fashionably frozen girls who insist on wearing sundresses when it's still 50 degrees outside).

The desire to feel pretty certainly doesn't go away when pregnancy comes along.  In fact, maybe it's even stronger! With the frequently ugly symptoms that come along with the efforts of growing a tiny human, it's only natural for a woman to want to feel both attractive and comfortable in her own skin - and her own clothes.  With that in mind, and with my own recent experience, I thought it might be fun to put together my own little fashion show for any girls out there who might be ripping through their closets in a panic, fearing what the next nine months might bring.

First, a little bit about me, if you didn't already know: even before I got pregnant, I was always a hard-to-fit size.  I'm five feet tall and quite curvy.  I'd lost a good deal of weight last year and was about a size four or six (small/medium) or so in ladies' clothing, maybe a seven or nine (medium/large) in juniors.  I won't share my measurements but, to be delicate, my bustline makes it very tough to buy properly-fitting button-down shirts, so there are very few in my wardrobe.  I joke that I easily have a supermodel's measurements; it's just too bad I don't have a supermodel's height!

I'm happy to report that many of my pre-pregnancy clothes have carried over well and I'm hoping they'll still work postpartum, too.  I like bright colors but am always comfortable in basic black with fun accessories.  Also: I'm extremely cheap.  Unlike my husband, who would rather invest $80 in a pair of well-crafted shoes that will get him through several years, I'm more likely to drop $15 on a pair of colorful flats that might wear out in a season or two, just because they're fun.  This is both a blessing and a curse, as female fashion is fickle.  Sometimes it's not worth investing in "quality" merchandise because trends change so quickly.  Then again, sometimes those cheap shoes are so darn uncomfortable that I only wear them a few times anyway.  With that in mind, I'm noting the pros and cons, as well as the approximate prices, of the items I'm featuring in my multi-part little fashion show, so you can decide for yourselves what's worth it and what's not!  

Before I even talk about the clothes, I wanted to mention a few other options we preggos now have.  Unlike lots of other women, I never used a BellaBand or anything like it.  If you don't know, these stretchy little numbers are meant to be worn snugly around your waist and hold up your unbuttoned jeans when you're still too small for regular maternity pants.  Since I have practically no waistline, and also because I bloated up pretty fast, I did not find these items useful or comfortable.  My jeans didn't fit at all past about the eighth week or so, so I didn't wear them.  Still, they are an investment to consider, especially during a first pregnancy when you might take quite some time to show, or if you have a very different body type than mine!

Another helpful accessory, near the end of your pregnancy, is a maternity belt.  They come in loads of sizes and styles, and help support your growing belly while relieving back strain.  You might consider purchasing a gently used one, as they can be quite expensive.

Some other things that benefitted me have been accessories!  Yes, the joy of the one-size-really-does-fit all scarf, the earrings that never get too tight, and the "I've-been-wearing-these-since-college" bangle bracelets! Since I like bold prints and funky jewelry, I've scoured discount stores for fun necklace sets, whimsical infinity scarves and even belly-friendly stretch belts.  These items are great for making statements and dressing up the inevitable boring but comfy maternity dress you can't live without, and the best part is that they'll stick with you well after the baby comes.  (Additional bonus: those flashy green and purple beaded earrings will be fascinating and stimulating for your little guy or girl during feedings!)

Image from jordanacosmetics.com

Another area in which I've been enjoying experimenting is with cosmetics.  Now, since most women find that their skin changes during pregnancy, I'm not advocating a total overhaul of your cleansing and beauty routine.  I'm one of the fortunate ones who has enjoyed (for the first time in 22 years) acne-free skin.  That's not to say I haven't had any problems; my skin is definitely less smooth now, and I've seen a few dark spots that are "supposed" to clear up after I deliver.  What's been fun is trying the new, super-vivid colors that are out now: bright corals, vampy reds, poppy oranges and bubble-gum pinks.  I love the new color balms that most companies have released lately.  They've got the coverage of lipsticks, but they apply and feel like glosses.  My favorites come from Jordana and Rimmel (surprise; they're also among the least expensive drug-store brands; Jordana is available at K-Mart and Walgreens and Rimmel is available nearly everywhere).  Bright colors, if you're comfortable with them, are a good way to draw attention from your belly to your face.  If you want to, that is!  Maybe you want your bump to play a starring role?  I'll address that in part two of this series!