Style after Babies



I used to have a fashion blog and write a monthly column for InSite Boston Magazine. I was like really into fashion. I scoured runway pictures and took notes and forecasted trends and loved it. I had fun getting dressed every day and I always felt good. And then I met my husband and I gained a little weight from spending Sundays snuggled on the couch, napping off hangovers and ordering in Chinese food. We got engaged and partook in all the champagne that goes along with that and then I was pregnant. I felt frumpy but told myself that I'd get my style back and feel good once I lost the baby weight, but then came Maple.

Well, I can confidently say that I've lost all of the baby weight and all of the newlywed weight. Over 65 pounds, thank you very much. But I still don't feel like I've gotten my style back. 

Sure, I dress cute but I dress very safe. I pick up what's trendy and I get excited to fit back into my older clothes which are a tiny bit dated. I feel too old to shop at a lot of the stores that I used to love and I have a hard time buying fast fashion due to the environmental impact. I've been nursing for over two years which is another thing that I think about when picking out clothes. 

So, I've made it one of my goals of this year to focus on getting my style back. I even dedicated a whole corner of my vision board to it, so it has to happen. 

I know I can't be the only one struggling with this but like most aspects of "mom culture," I don't want to grab some sweatshirts that say "namaste in bed" and "coffee & wine" or whatever Target is selling this week but I can see why its easy to fall into that. I think most new-ish moms struggle with finding themselves after baby. And with everything else that women are adjusting to, style definitely does not fall anywhere on the priority list.. And even if it does, there are so many things that get in the way. So many obligations, piles of laundry to fold, a couch that is much more inviting than sneaking out to the mall after baby is in bed. I think that style is an important part of self care for a lot of women but it gets deemed as frivolous. It's much easier to throw a couple cute things in the Target cart when you're picking up diapers and dish soap, but I think its very similar to working out, it feels good once you're doing it but it might take a little push to get started. When you look good you feel good, right?
The header from my old blog. Quirky, vintage, fun and dogs.

So I've been thinking a lot about this.  I want my style to be a grown up version of what it once was: quirky, a little boho with some fun prints and always a great jacket. 

I've started by perusing  Pinterest and creating a board if anyone else is looking for inspiration. And I intend to dedicate some time to shopping. Alone. I plan to browse and try on. Splurge. But in the true fashion of someone who suffers from Environmental Apocalypse Anxiety, I am also excited to check out some local thrift stores. But I am giving myself some grace as well because its fun to go to the mall and if I find something that I like, I'll get it. I take good care of my stuff. I can sew and I do fix clothing when necessary and I save anything that's beyond repair for our city's textile recycling events. I don't buy things that I don't plan to keep for more than one season. And I always donate or sell our old clothes.

I am currently loving oversized sweaters and high wasited jeans. T-shirts with fun little details. And this Free People jacket that I scored at TJ Maxx. 


I am a huge fan of TJ Maxx and Marshalls. The town that I grew up in had both and I have always loved scouring the racks for a bargain. Over the years, I have found some major deals. Lately, I have been finding a lot of Free People, Cloth & Stone and a lot of stuff from Anthropologie. 

I know that I've traded in heels for sneakers (I love Reebok Classics) and Swedish clogs like Hasbeens. Of course, I'm mainly rocking my hot pink soled LL Bean duck boots here in snowy New England. 


Anybody else trying to get their style back?

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