Über Chic for Cheap

Postpartum Style: Elaine

/// categories: baby, guest post, maternity, postpartum, style

I'm really excited that our next guest post is from Elaine of Clothed Much - a modest style and fashion blog she started in 2009 when she was a poor, married college student with a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear.

I'm Korean and married to a tall, skinny white guy. We live in Sacramento. I'm a new mom and don't know what I'm doing. Eating is my favorite besides chasing our shy, chubby cat. I think I'm funny but no one else seems to think so.

I recently had my first baby earlier this year (a 9-pounder!) and with that, my first experience with a whole new body. I mean, why did I still look pregnant? Were the docs sure there wasn't a lost twin in there?? Those first few months are tough and rough and basically suck. You want to show off this cute new babe of yours but you don't want to show the aftermath... (Us.) I'm still learning what looks good on this new body of mine and what I should store for that one day I'll fit into my old skinny jeans. Here are some of my go-to items that helped me dress my postpartum body:

1. Control that tummy!

As a C-section recoverer, the belly binder was my life!!!! I had to wear it or I couldn't stand or walk. Even after I was able to do those activities comfortably, I still wore it at home. I bound it as tight as I could to squish all that flesh in. And you know what? I saw my waist whittling down a little each day. Plus, if it worked for Jessica Alba, it should work for all of us, right?

Under all my clothes for the first few months, I wore shapewear, including at home so I was wearing shapewear AND the belly binder. Shapewear helped to smooth those inevitable lumps and bumps under my clothes fooling the mirror and my eyes that I looked good. And it worked. I was less self-conscious when I knew my body was a little more streamlined.

2. You're still pregnant.

Okay, you're really not, but the way I thought of dressing my new body those first few months, I thought "How would I dress if I were X months pregnant?" Because when you're pregnant, you usually want to dress up and dress that bump. I went through my closet to find the clothes I kept going back to while I was pregnant and got inspiration from them. Instead this time I wanted to hide the bump..

Some of my favorite pregnancy clothes were black leggings, full/A-line skirts (the skirts that fall away from your body), baggy t-shirts, and loose stretchy pants.

1, 2, 3, 4

3. Accessories are everything.

Say you were wearing black leggings and a white t-shirt. Nice and simple, right? Now add chunky boots, a sweater, and a scarf. It's completely different!

When choosing accessories, imagine you were someone on the street who saw your outfit - what would catch your eye first?

4. Outfit combinations to remember:

Here's a cheat sheet for you when getting dressed!

Fitted shirt + full/A-line skirt (that hits right at the smallest part of your torso)

Leggings + loose t-shirt + catchy accessory/ies

Loose pants (think boyfriend fit) + loose t-shirt + cropped jacket/blazer

Spied: River Island Tattoo Print Midi Dress

/// categories: asos, dress, mall modest, modest, spied, style

After I moved to a warmer and more humid climate, I started really seeing the appeal of dresses and skirts as part of my every day rotation. Nothing is easier than throwing on a simple jersey dress and shoes.

I am head over heels for this simple sheath. The proportions are perfect.

River Island Tattoo Print Midi Dress - ASOS - $29.70 (Orig. $42.42)

ASOS has quite a few modest dresses under $50 right now.
Here are a few good ones:

Shift Dress In Blue Floral Print (more than half off!)

Midi Body-Conscious Dress with Floral Border Print

Midi Dress With Full Skirt (on sale)

River Island 3/4 Sleeve Column Dress

Midi Dress in Ponte with Contrast Hem (more than half off!)

As always, I am super impressed with ASOS's selection.

Don't forget they offer free shipping on everything.

This Week

/// categories: our life, style, this week

We spent the weekend updating our kitchen and getting the house ready to sell. Steve's brother flew in to help us and I love how it turned out. (But not enough to stay!)

Here are a few links to take you into the weekend:

I went shopping & snagged this pretty top (I sized up to fit the bump)

I also got this, this, and these (I haven't shopped in months & went a little crazy).

I would love to try this skirt tutorial.

I love the look of these simple sandals.

I am on the hunt for new ways to wear my hair up & want to try this one next.

I think this dress is perfect for summer.

I am seriously eying this serger.

Postpartum Style: Mary

/// categories: baby, contributor, maternity, postpartum, style

I am so happy to tell you that our first post on postpartum style comes from my dear friend, Mary.

In March 2011 we welcomed the two of the best babies in the world into our family, and named them Captain Maxwell and Maggie Elaine. Those babies kept us very busy for exactly 14 months, until the birth of our (surprise) third, Lucy Eleanore. We are awesomely happy. It's just the five of us for now, but we'd like to add on to our family again someday.

My first postpartum experience was incredibly hard for me. It was nothing like I expected. Not only were my newborn twins in the NICU instead of at home with me, but my body wasn't going back to its normal size and shape quite as quickly I expected it to. My cup size, which usually hovers somewhere between an A and a B, had swelled to a DD, and unlike every previous thought I had harbored about how fun it would be to have bigger breasts, I found that I really just wanted my old body back. My mother kept saying things to me like, "Oh, you only look five months pregnant today!" or "You're still wearing maternity clothes?" Needless to say, she wasn't helping my self-image at all.

While I spent the first couple of months of my twins' lives wearing yoga pants and my husband's t-shirts, I eventually kind of figured out what I was doing... just in time to get pregnant again. If you're looking for some advice on postpartum fashion, here's what I've got for you:

1. First, have an easy go-to outfit that looks like it required more thought from you than it actually did. Here's my favorite postpartum ensemble:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

- I love dark wash denim leggings because they go with everything, are forgiving around the waistband, and show off a part of your body that probably didn't drastically change with the birth of your newborn.
- A button-up is the ultimate in nursing accessible tops, and this one is cut a little larger and boxier, which means that it will hang away from your body instead of clinging to it.
- I've always found that chunky plastic frames did wonders to hide the I've-been-up-all-night-trying-to-nurse-a-baby bags under my eyes.
- These nursing necklaces are the best. Seriously, my Lucy loves to wrap her fingers in my hair {or lately, dig her fingernails into my collarbone} unless I'm wearing this, and then she's all about clenching it in her tiny chubby fist and leaving the rest of me unscathed.
- I've never been one to mother in heels; cute flats are my go-to shoes now. I feel like it makes a big difference, the twentieth time your baby spits his pacifier onto the floor, to at least have your balance under control as you stoop to pick it up.

2. Second, go shopping for a few items of postpartum clothing after your baby is born. Your body will change so unexpectedly and so drastically that it's hard to predict before it actually happens. Go alone if you have the opportunity to get away, or bring a friend {or grandma} to hold the baby while you try on clothes. Try on items a few sizes larger than you usually wear, and stick to woven fabrics instead of knits, which cling to your body.

3. Finally, get a nursing bra that works for you and has a shape that you like under clothes. After my first pregnancy, my mother bought me some nursing bras from Target and I hated them. The shape was so weird, and made me feel even uglier than I already did. The second time around, a friend suggested that I just buy a bra that I liked that had a front closure. I followed her advice and found this one at Victoria's Secret. It's still incredibly convenient for nursing, I got to try it on before purchasing {and got a free fitting to boot}, and I felt good wearing it.

Did you find a good postpartum uniform? What worked best for you?

Mary blogs here, pins here, & tweets here.

Sale: 30% off at J.Crew Factory

/// categories: accessories, cardigan, dress, j.crew, sale, style

J.Crew Factory is offering 30% off everything right now. I love this promotion because the options for a discount are endless. Here are a few of my favorite things:

1 - Printed washed silk tee - $31.15 (Orig. $69.50)
2 - Skimmer pant in seersucker - $31.15 (Orig. $69.50)
3 - Draped shirtdress - $27.99 (Orig. $89.50)
4 - Printed skimmer pant - $31.15 (Orig. $69.50)
5 - Printed Cora dress - $82.60 (Orig. $118)
6 - Summerweight cotton cardigan - $24.15 (Orig. $59.50)
7 - Classic button-down shirt in end-on-end - $31.15 (Orig. $49.50)
8 - Skinny fishtail braid belt - $8.75 (Orig. $24.50)
9 - Skinny jean in midnight wash - $34.65 (Orig. $79.50) **

** I have these and I love them with every fiber of my being. I bought my first pair of Factory skinnies before Tate was born, and I'm pretty confident my childbearing hips will never fit back into them. I am so tempted to buy another pair for after this baby comes.

Don't forget to enter SALE30 at check out to get the discount.

Has anything caught your eye?

Postpartum Style

/// categories: baby, maternity, postpartum, style

There is a funny thing that happens when we talk about maternity fashion. We all get really excited to dress a cute little bump for a few months and then we get excited about dressing a cute little baby once it's born. Not very often do we get excited, or even talk about, dressing ourselves after the baby is born.

Before I had Tate, I sorted my clothing, setting things aside I thought might flatter my post baby body or that I thought would be conducive to nursing. But after I had the baby, I had the soul crushing realization that I wasn't dressing my body, I was dressing the body of a stranger. I can't tell you how many times I cried in front of my closet or in front of my mirror because I hated what I looked like and I hated what my clothes looked like on me. I finally got that baby out of me and I was ready to bounce back. Unfortunately, it just took time.

After receiving an email from a reader who is pregnant with her first baby, I have decided to start talking about postpartum fashion. I want to share with you the things I did right and wrong, what I would do differently next time, and some of my favorite tips, products, and styles for postpartum. For the next few weeks look for posts from me and some fellow bloggers to help you through it.

What advice would you give on getting dressed after having a baby?

Spied: Stripe Cut Out Back Suit

/// categories: asos, spied, style, swimwear

Swim suits are my kryptonite. Even before I moved to a sub tropical climate with nearby beaches, I owned no less than 8 swim suits. It was one of my greatest pleasures to stop feeling guilty about my swim suit hoarding when I moved here.

If I weren't pregnant, I would snatch this suit up in a heart beat.