Preggo Style – Day 5

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It’s finally here, the very last day of Preggo Style! Don’t cry, people, because we’re going out with a bang. For this last look, we wanted to find something that would be perfect for a fancy night out, an anniversary dinner (ahem, husband…it’s in a few weeks, just a friendly reminder), holiday party or any other gathering that demands fancy shoes and red lipstick. As Katie very eloquently puts it, this Outfit = Night on the Town, Ooo La La, Like Whoa. Totally.

{click on photos to see at larger size}

Day 5

From Katie, My Fashion Guru: The black dress. A must for any wardrobe whether you are 5 years old, pregnant or live in a cave. A woman simply cannot go 9 months without one. Things come up, holiday parties occur and tis the season is right around the corner. This dress was perfect, to say the least. The empire waist and A-line drape flatter Megan’s figure while showing off just-the-right-amount of skin. The neckline isn’t too intrusive but keeps the look sexy. I loved the satin ribbon that cinched the empire waist; blending different fabrics makes the look more dimensional, which I love.

From Megan: This dress was a hand-me-down from a former pregnant friend who thought I may be able to put it to good use. And all I can say is thank you to the zillionth power, because I love this dress! Along with everything Katie mentioned above, which makes the dress look so great, it is mind-blowingly comfortable. The fabric is smooth and stretchy (it’s a rayon/spandex mix), not at all itchy or restrictive, and is wonderful for those months when you really are fabric sensetive. The empire waist hits at just the right point above the belly and the top half is a perfect fit. I tend to find maternity items to either be way to much fabric on top or not nearly enough, so it’s rare to find one that covers up your goods, but also keeps you feeling sexy and pretty. The dress is Motherhood Maternity, and you can find a similar one on their website from the new Heidi Klum line. I find Motherhood to be hit or miss, but this dress is a total score.

Day 5

From Katie: I’ve sometimes struggled with the “what do I do now?” when wearing dressier garments out because a) they are usually sleeveless and b) it is usually below 40 degrees at night in the cooler months. So, finding what to wear that adds to the outfit is sometimes a head scratcher. The most obvious choice would be a wrap of some sort, but I think that is too easy and sometimes covers up your look without being a positive addition to it. To create a cohesive look that will flatter both the outfit and my body, I will usually look for a jacket. Did I mention I love jackets? Suit jackets are great because they are often tailored with princess seams on the bust and sides to make a more fitted look and they go along with the menswear looks that are so popular right now. This jacket, which Megan already owned, was perfect. The shorter body of the jacket hit her just right on the waist and I loved the peaked lapel, which helped dress up the look. If you can, look for a suit jacket that’s bit oversized for your evening looks. I loved this look by Stella McCartney (I realize this isn’t preggo-wear, but, visualize with me and I think the fit would work well with pregnant body types).

From Megan: Once we had decided on the dress, we scoured my closet looking for something to top off the look. This suit jacket by Old Navy was stuck in the back and I have no idea why I pulled it out. I think I’ve worn it twice ever, but Katie knew just what to do with it. I was skeptical at first, but now I know I must just listen to my fashion guru, because she was totally right. I bow down to your fashion wisdom, Katie.

Day 5 - Details

From Katie: What’s a better way to punch up an outfit’s energy than with a splash of color? You can do this with one element or several. I tend to do one and then have the other be a metallic – for example a metallic shoe with a bright colorful clutch or vice versa. I love the peep toe of Megan’s shoes, especially in the Fall – it just gives us girls an excuse to keep up those pedi’s! Another option for today’s looks could be a bootie, which might not be for some but I happen to love. Check out this blue Valentino bootie from 2009! The necklace added a fun geometric element to the soft, feminine look, and you know me by now – I love to mix it up. With Megan’s bright lip – which I wish I could pull off, but alas, never have been able to – we wanted her coiffe to be simple, so the fabric clip worked to add another splash of color that tied lip color and accessories color together.

From Megan: The accessories for this outfit had to be simple, but also make a statement. Being pregnant you already feel like everyone is staring at you, especially when you’re in more formal attire, so I wanted to play up the details with nice pops of color. I knew I wanted to do the purple shoes and clutch, both purchased at Nordstrom last year. The clutch is a random off brand (found in the sale bin for $15 WTF, right?!) and the shoes are Guess. They were a big purchase for a black tie wedding I attended last year, and they have worked out great ever since, as I’ve ended up getting quite a bit of wear out of them. You could pick any color, but purple was so hot last Fall, I ended up with these. I think a red, blue or yellow would be awesome (and unexpected too)! The necklace is from Express, as are the earrings, and they were both gifts from my sister. The hair clip is from J Crew, but I’m a huge fan of Etsy when it comes to hair accessories, because you can find such amazing and unique pieces for a great price.

All in all, this outfit cost me zero dollars in new pieces. The jacket, shoes and purse were all purchased by me way before Taco John was even an idea in my brain, and the gorgeous dress was recycled from a generous friend. Another instance of saving my booty some money, which I can now spend on insane nursery decorations, yay!

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Annnnnddddd that’s all folks! I can’t believe Preggo Style week is over. Our goal was to show you don’t have to buy a ton of new, expensive maternity gear to still be a sylin’ mama.

From Miss Katie: I’d like to thank Megan for allowing me to rummage in her closet for a day while we watched the Breakfast Club, eating way too many jelly beans in the process. It was so much fun to be a part of this project and I am making her promise me that we will do a Winter edition. (pretty pretty please with sugar on top!) I’ve missed being able to dress people and this was a welcome refresher! I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. Love ya Megs!

And From Me (Megan): I have to say thankyouthankyouthankyou to Katie for giving up a Sunday to come help me destroy my closet in the name of fashion. I was a little worried before we started, but I was so surprised at how many great combos we came up with, we could have done two weeks of Preggo Style! Who knows, a Winter edition could be on the way…..and thanks to everyone who indulged us in this weird idea. You guys are the best!

{You can find Day 1 of Preggo Style here, Day 2 here, Day 3 here, Day 4 here or learn about the project here}

Preggo Style – Day 4

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I can’t believe we are on Day 4 already! Only today and tomorrow, and then the Preggo Style Project will be over. Wah. To battle our collective sadness, let’s check out Day 4 and laugh over how I make the same bored face in almost every single photo. I am so cool and above it all, can’t you tell? This look was one we put together for a regular Saturday, and if you’re me, your Saturdays are spent running kiddos to dance class, birthday parties, shopping, and every once in a while, getting some quality time with your male counterpart. With that in mind, onward!

{click on photos to see at larger size}

Day 4

From Katie, My Stylish Obi Wan Kanobi: O – M – G this is probably the look I most relate to because I love (love!) jackets, boots and those new whatchamacallits… oh yea, jeggings. Megan in her uber-chicness owns a pair of jeggings, which due to my spending freeze I have not acquired yet, but I hear (and see) they are must haves for anyone. Looking through the assortment of tops and sweaters scattered on her bed, I knew I wanted to get her in a jacket. She has numerous jackets, all of which I love and some of which have been complimented by celebrities…she hasn’t mentioned this yet, has she? The tan jacket is a favorite because of the ruffle detail and the heathered camel color that will go with just about anything. The shirt we chose to go under the jacket works because the print spices up the look and the neck line does not compete with the ruffle of the jacket. No jacket? I would suggest a vest or cape in its place.

From Megan: Ah yes, jeggings. I fought against the evil “leggings as pants” craze for so long, when I heard the term “jeggings” I immediately wanted to vomit. But mid summer I got a very thoughtful Gap Maternity Gift Card in the mail from my in-laws, and when I went online to check out some options, I saw these. They looked so “Fall” and like they’d be adorable under boots or with pumps or even ballet flats. Plus, the fact that they are jeggings make them so much softer and more comfortable then skinny jeans…I was sold. This is really the only expensive purchase, clothing-wise, I’ve made the entire pregnancy, and it was totally worth it. These jeans are great for weekends, for casual Fridays at the office, date nights…pretty much anything. They have a “back panel” fit, so you can’t even tell they are maternity, and they also feature an adjustable waist-band, so you can make them larger as you get larger. As they were a new style this year, they were hard to find on sale or on eBay, but I bet once winter is over, they’ll pop up here and there for a cheaper price tag. The shirt is from Anthropologie, and I got it online for $20 last year (thanks to GGC who posted about it on her site). The bottom has a great flare detail, so it’s still (barely) fits, although I have a feeling it will soon have to be retired until Taco John arrives. The jacket is from J Crew, and is a constant for me during the Fall, especially for work. The boots are the same Born models that we featured on Day 1.

Day 4 - Details

From Katie: Meg’s a lover of big, bold, colorful purses (just like me… have you met my green “Michelle”?). Her yellow bag was a perfect complement to this denim look and the pleats and gathers reminded me of the of the Marni “Balloon” bag (with a much cheaper price tag). The look for her hair was a must needed messy chignon that she could just wrap and go, which makes 4 year old birthday parties and shopping much easier, wouldn’t you say? She owns a couple of curly-q swizzle sticks that make creating this look easy. Here’s a video explaining how to achieve this look, but I’m warning you, it kinda makes me cringe. Get to the point already lady! I do have to say that it was pretty helpful though. Go to the 1:58 mark and she starts telling you how to use these cool clips. Megan set the look off with a pair of aviators and simple, rose lip and she was ready to cruise.

From Megan: We went pretty simple with the accessories for this outfit, mostly because I felt like on a long weekend day, I wouldn’t rock too many pieces. If I was going to add anything to this look, it’d definitely be a quirky pair of earrings or maybe a big, gaudy cocktail ring. Instead, we chose to stick with simple, adding a pair of aviator sunglasses and one of my many giant suitcases purses. You mama’s out there know how much crap you have to cart around when you have kids, but I am not a huge fan of Winnie the Pooh diaper bags, so I tend to to buy giant, cheap purses and just use them until they are too gross and I have to throw them out. This one is from Target, but you can find similar pieces at any Old Navy, Forever 21, H&M, etc. The sunglasses are from the Banana Republic Factory Store (love the discounts…love!), and were slightly smushed during a roller-coaster incident last year. Eh, they still work, right? The hair was accomplished using the new Goody Spin Pins, which I discovered this summer and lived in during those humid Kansas months. They are a bit tricky at first, but once you get the technique down, they are an awesome alternative to a ponytail that doesn’t require too much maintenance.

And holy moley, everyone, that’s Day 4! I guess you could say this is the most expensive outfit we’ve featured so far, as the jeggings were purchased new and are about $70 retail. Granted, I paid for them with a gift card, so I consider them free…but whatever. Everything else featured is non-maternity and was already owned by me. Just shows you that one great purchase can make an entire outfit! Tomorrow is the last day of the Preggo Style Project, and we’re planning on going out with a fun evening look. I will even be sporting the red lipstick that makes me “look like the Joker, the latest one, the one that died.” You don’t want to miss it!

{You can find Day 1 of Preggo Style here, Day 2 here, Day 3 here, or learn about the project here}

Preggo Style – Day 3

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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!

{click on photos to see at larger size}

Day 3

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.

Day 3 - Details

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….

{You can find Day 1 of Preggo Style here, Day 2 here, or learn about the project here}

Preggo Style – Day 2

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It’s Preggo Style Day 2, people! We decided after our first day of monochromatic work attire, we wanted to spice things up a bit with some color. So our Day 2 outfit was focused on color and comfort, and an outfit we thought could work for a casual business day and for chasing after a four-year-old at the playground. So, basically, an outfit for every day of my life. This is what we came up with…

{click on photos to see at a larger size}

Day 2

From Katie, my own personal Rachel Zoe: I think Megan looked at me a little crazily when I said I wanted to see these two items together. First we have the leggings from the previous look, which as I said before are comfy regardless if you’re pregnant or not. Then, peeking out from under a couple of other sweaters and dresses was this slightly neon, bold none-the-less, purple, form fitted, turtleneck-ish shirt. She was a trooper though and tried it on. We were both happily surprised to find out that it was not only super comfortable but also a fun, not crazy, look that was stylish, not crazy, and easy, not crazy, to wear. Again, it highlights the silhouette and the beauty of being pregnant. Not a bad thing (!). If you are less likely to wear such a bold color because, I don’t know, you are afraid, let me say DON’T BE, but then I would suggest going bold (I’m talking hues from a Crayola Crayon box), but maybe not as bright. Gap’s Ts do this to give you an example of color. This look paired with the patent leather ballerina flats (again with the shoe envy!) make this extremely comfy for a pregnant mother of a four year old who is on the go constantly (I really don’t know how she does it, I have a hard enough time walking my dog).

From Megan: Yeah, so Katie is TOTALLY right about me thinking she was nutso for putting this look together. I love my leggings. I love this shirt-dress. But together? You all know I have some weird quirks, and one is my total disdain for people who wear leggings as pants. THEY ARE NOT PANTS! (I’m looking at you, Lohan.) But Katie convinced me to try this with the greatest line of all time, and I quote, “As long as your camel toe is covered, you’re good.” Yeah, awesome. Katie is the next Tyra. But I actually liked the way it turned out! The daring thing for me wasn’t the color, but the length of the shirt, which is a non-maternity Target shirt-dress and goes to about mid-thigh length when I’m not pregnant. I can’t seem to find it on their website, but I believe it was in the juniors section and its Mossimo brand. If I could add about 3 or 4 inches to the shirt, this outfit would be perfect. And I have to note, this is by far the most comfortable outfit we tried. Lightweight and stretchy + flat shoes = preggo awesomeness.

Day 2 - Details

From Katie: We got all “LC” on Megan’s hair to fully represent a look that will take you through everything a day could bring you and still look polished and fun. Again, the jewelry offered different textures (e.g. pearls to diamonds to silver plating), but all offered a balance through the tones of silver. The most recent glam girl I can think of that represents this mode of un-matching is Rachel Zoe (yes she has a jewelry collection that is reminiscent of 70s…big, over-the-top, yet laid back…which is SO not my style or Megan’s, but I like the idea). Finishing off the look are the ballet flats, which as mentioned above have an easy, comfortable style to them. I think every woman should own a pair of patent leather ballet flats, be it rounded or pointy toe; they are a must in every wardrobe because of their simplicity, elegance and can quickly spruce up any outfit.

From Megan: I have to say, I totally dig the LC braid that Katie whipped up, probably because LC and I are best friends. Truth. Not a lie. Anywho, I liked the idea of having my hair pulled back (for kid chasing mania and running around the office), but doing something a bit more unique then my usual ponytail. The earrings are from Target, purchased a million years ago. The silver bracelet is from Anthropologie and was a gift from my sister, as was the black pearl ring. I love simple jewelry, but like to try to bring in a statement piece, which is sometimes hard to do when your entire upper half is neon purple. This ring really does it for me because it’s bold, but the color neutralizes the boldness a bit so the entire outfit isn’t overwhelming. My other ring is my engagement ring circa 1920 from my great grandmother. It’s the most lovely piece of jewerly I own, for sure. I tend to buy shoes and then wear them until they fall apart, and these ballet flats are complete evidence of that. They are J Crew circa 2007, and I refuse to throw them away, even though they are obviously on their final leg (you should see the bottoms, oy). Like Katie said, black patent leather goes with everything, and every girl should own a pair they wear to death. Although mine seem to be discontinued, they have a great pair at Target on the cheap that are pretty similar.

Alrighty, Day 2 is done! The key word for this outfit is simplicity. And of course I have to point out that this is another day where not one piece is actually maternity. Cha-ching, more money in the bank for me! What do you guys think? Good? Bad? To purple? Too short? Too tight? Too legit to quit? Let us know, we’d love to hear your thoughts!

{You can find Day 1 of Preggo Style here, or learn about the project here}

Preggo Style – Day 1

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Okay, here we go! Day 1 of the Preggo Style Project (note: I hate the term “preggo” but it somehow stuck during the development of this whole idea, and now my brain can’t seem to think of another title for this series…if you have any ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments) is focused on work-appropriate attire. We wanted to find a look that would work for a business casual work environment, and could also carry over to after work activities. For this, I knew it had to be comfortable, especially in the shoe and torso departments, as long days seem about a million hours longer when you’re pregnant. So without further ado, here is our first look!

(click on photos to see at larger size)

Day 1

From Stylist Extrodinaire, Katie: For me, this look represented a work chic option for those days at the office where you might need to dress up a bit more, say for a luncheon or meeting. I love this look because it’s looks easy and comfortable, yet can keep up with you as you run around. Nothing beats the comfort of leggings – pregnant or not. If you do not own a pair of leggings, matte tights, textured tights or some knee high socks (that I absolutely love at the moment) would rock this look as well. The dress offers a bit of texture to the look, with its geometric pattern, while the cardigan ties everything together. We went for a monochromatic look, opting to stay within neutral tones, but you could “get all crazy” (Megan face) and add bits of color (say in an accessory, or the knee socks you could wear).

From Megan: This outfit pretty accurately represents how I’ve been dressing for work, at least during this last bit of my pregnancy. I apparently own way too many empire waisted / loose-fitting dresses, because most of my non-maternity dresses have been able to be worn throughout each trimester. The dress is a short-sleeved J Crew number I got two years ago on some crazy online sale (it is no longer listed on their website, boo). The sweater I bought at Costco last year when I was under-dressed during a Fall shopping day and needed something to warm up. I wear it all the time, so I’d say it was fate, even though I’m not a big advocate of buying clothing where you buy your bulk toilet paper. I’d tell you the brand, but I cut out the tag because it was super-itchy so I have no idea what the brand actually is. The leggings are from Francesca’s Colletions on the Plaza in Kansas City. The brand is Iris and I love them because they are non-maternity, but cut to somehow fit under the belly, rendering them totally useful throughout this pregnancy. I have two pairs and I wear them constantly.

Day 1 - Details

From Katie: What I love about Megan’s pregnant style is that she loves her figure. She doesn’t want to hide her silhouette and I think that is marvelous. So to tie in (literally) the dress and cardigan combo, we took her existing skinny belt and created an empire waist. The skinny belt was extra fab because of its hint of greenish-bronze that went along with the tones of the look. The jewelry, all separate and different pieces Megan owns, were also a perfect tie in. My belief is that it shouldn’t be to matchy-matchy. Choose one element that can tie all of the pieces together (in this case, we chose color) and let the different styles and textures blend together. The necklace is a perfect example of doing this (in one piece!). While we laid out various looks, I immediately started to scheme about how I could steal these boots (which I thought were Frye’s) without her noticing….but then, you probably shouldn’t steal from pregnant women…and then she told me they were BORN boots. BORN! (!!!) (…check out the knee sock/tight combo! <3 <3 <3) So, I just settled on being jealous of her awesome buy.

From Megan: The necklace was a gift from my sister for my birthday this year…in fact most of my jewelry comes from two places, gifts from my sister or made for me by my sister-in-law. When I first laid eyes on this piece, which she’d purchased at some random purse party sale thing, I thought it was a wee bit much for me. But when I saw it with this outfit, I really liked it. We shortened the chain length a bit so it hit at a more flattering angle, and I think it works. The charms all represent something about me and it even has two empty photo frames for pictures of the kids. (Awwwww!) The boots, as Katie mentioned, are Born’s and they are too awesome for words. My sister-in-law had them when I visited her last year and I coveted them so much, I tracked them down for myself. By that time, it was almost spring so I got a killer deal, at Dillard’s of all places (they retail for $180, but I got mine at $75ish if I remember right). They are easily the most comfortable shoes I own, so they have been go-to footwear this fall, as I’m carrying some extra poundage on my poor feet. The earrings and bracelet were both also gifts from my sister, I believe from Express, circa 2004. The skinny belt is from the J Crew sale bin.

My favorite part about this outfit, other than it’s comfort and styling, is the fact that not one part of it is maternity wear. Proof you don’t need to spend a ton on special maternity gear to get a classic look. Yay for saving money!

Up tomorrow….a bit more color and another, more casual, work look….

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