Preggo Style – Day 3

And we’re back, with Day 3 of the Preggo Style Project! We wanted this outfit to be a bit more laid back than the past two (see here and here), more like something you could wear if your office had casual Friday, or even just something to run around in on the weekend. This was probably the look that took the most time to put together, as the first two were quick and easy, and for some reason we couldn’t seem to get a feel for what we wanted to do next. But after a few additions and subtractions, this is what we ended up with!

From Katie, the oh so chic one: This is the part in styling where I became a little stumped. Megan bought about 6 million pairs of pants for $10 on eBay (ok, I lied, it was only 6 or something, but still) and I really loved a pair of grey corduroys, but we had a problem figuring out what to wear with them. She also had these wonderfully soft brown corduroys that went with more of the options we were looking at, so after trying and trying to make the grey work, we sighed and moved on. She did, for the record, tell me that the grey pair didn’t go with anything, but I love a challenge. #challengefail. Ok, so… we wanted something that you could wear to work, on say a Friday, but would be a great weekend, rove-around-town look. After we started piecing together different options, we came up with the outfit you see above, which mixes both cool and warm tones. I loved the grey striped shirt. The texture of the neckline and the fact that, yes, it is horizontal stripes, but it looks fabulous on Megan! I think the corduroys could be worn to bed they are so soft, so traveling in them wouldn’t be a problem. The cardigan adds another layer of color and texture. I actually wouldn’t mind seeing another pattern worn with the stripes if you have a patterned cardigan available.

From Megan: Strangely, as this outfit took so long for us to pull together, this is one that represents me and my style pretty darn well. I tend to lean toward preppy with my casual wear, especially when I’m in pants. My dresses and skirts tend to be more 50’s or 60’s vintage looks, but for some reason I love pants outfits right out of the J Crew fall catalog. The pants (as Katie mentioned above) were purchased on eBay. I bought a box of 6 pairs of “Gap Maternity Pants” for $10. Now, I usually don’t buy from eBay unless I have a good visual on what I’m getting, but hell, it was $10, so I made my bid and went on with my life. These are brown Gap Maternity Cords, with the “demi panel,” which is my favorite maternity waist style because you can wear it early on and later in your pregnancy. They retail for about $70, but I really recommend eBay, as you can get them for much, much cheaper. The striped, ruffle tank is Old Navy Maternity, and was a hand-me-down. They have a ton of cute, cheap options on their site of similar tanks, which are great for layering in the Fall. The cardigan is from Target circa 2007/2008 and is Merona brand.

From Katie: The hat, as you can see on the ever smiley Megan, is a huge tie-in to the whole look. It worked out perfectly! Besides this super cute bucket hat, you could also do a head wrap , which I know, may be a bit ‘hipster,’ but it’s chic, easy and keeps the hair out of your face (ed. note: if you do a turban, a more structured jacket is needed), or a cloche hat. I found this hat online and I just LOVE it! Or if you want to keep the style super laid back, a flat cap/newsboy cap works as well. If you went in the flat cap direction, you could do something with a pattern/plaid/stripe to create more layering. (I love the Paul Smith Fall 2010 Collection!) Moving along, this look wouldn’t be complete without Megan’s watch, which she acquired last Christmas and I’ve been eyeing to steal ever since. With its swappable bands, this is an easy accessory you could wear with so many fall, menswear inspired looks. Top this look off (or bottom this look out, whichever you prefer) add a pair of comfy, bronze ballet flats and I think you are ready for a jet-set afternoon of running around with the fam.

From Megan: In the last year or two I’ve turned into a total hat freak. I would pick a hat over a purse any day, I love them so! I’m not a religious gal, but I swear, I’d join a church just to be able to wear a fancy hat every week. This one is from Anthropologie, and I got it on major clearance last Spring. The watch is definitely my most worn item (other than my wedding ring). If you check out any of the real time Preggo Style pics that we have posted over on Flickr, you’ll see this watch with almost every outfit. It’s a J Crew Men’s Military Watch, designed by Timex, and I received it as a Christmas gift from my ever generous in-laws. They also gifted me three different watch bands (deep olive, orange and black), so I can switch them out if I want to. I tend to stick with the green, as I like that it adds some weight and a masculine touch to a feminine outfit. (The updated version comes with a white face, which I love too!) The shoes are Old Navy, which is a great place to pick up several different colors of ballet flats on the cheap. Like I said yesterday, flat shoes are a preggo lady’s best friend, so I tend to stock up on them!

And there it is, Day 3! Now, although this look did contain two “maternity” pieces, I’d still say it was a steal. The striped tank was a free hand-me-down and the pants came in a box of 6 for $10, so I spent a grand total of $1.67 for maternity pieces for this outfit. Yeah, you can’t do much better than that. I’d like to thank Katie, her Yaris and that almost dead pot of mums for co-starring in this post, and you all for not laughing at me. You’re nice. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s outfit, featuring something I swore I’d never ever wear. And it’s not leggings…but you’re getting warmer….