In my post Five Years of Monthly Capsule Wardrobe Lookbooks: enjoying fashion as minimalist who doesn’t like to shop, decide what to wear for the day, or try things on, I detailed my strategy of a wardrobe of basics, supplemented by a monthly clothing rental box. That lookbooks post focuses on the supplementation; in this post I’ll go into what my basics are in the season of pregnancy and postpartum.
What I love about these basics is that they accommodate a growing and shrinking belly without highlighting it, meaning that I can be the one to share my pregnancy or postpartum status without my clothing announcing it to the world. When I was googling to search for clothing that didn’t scream “she’s pregnant!!!” or “she just had a baby!!!” to everyone I meet on the street (or on a work trip), I had a lot of trouble finding what I was looking for. So while it may seem straightforward to share what I settled in on, I hope it helps anyone else looking for discreet work appropriate clothing, that does double duty at home or out with friends.
The capsule – two pants, two button downs
- I have two pairs of Maeve Maternity Colette Pants in tan and black. These transition great from maternity to postpartum, and are available second hand affordably.
- I have two Maeve Bennet Button Downs, also available affordably second hand, and also in tan and black
These combos are great in that I often rent the Maeve Colette pants or the Maeve Bennet button downs outside of my pre- and postpartum season, so they fit right in with my style. The button downs are discreet and bulky enough, that for my body type doesn’t inspire uninvited questions or speculations of “is she pregnant?”, which can happen both pre- and post- partum as the belly grows and eventually (slowly) shrinks again. Transitioning back to my typical body size, the button down can then be left open around a tank top or a dress, or tied in the front for a slimmer fit when I’m ready for it.
I love these basics because they fit with my typical style seamlessly instead of an abrupt transition, and then are suitable throughout the pregnancy stages: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th trimester (postpartum) and beyond. They don’t require upkeep, come out of the dryer ready to wear, seem resilient to baby burps and other mother mishaps, and transition from casual to office wear. And they have that property that is harder to google for: being discreet so that you are the one to share your happy news, not your clothing.
You must be logged in to post a comment.