Post Partum Style

7th September 2017 Uncategorised

This morning I saw myself stood basking once again in the door of my wardrobe. The reason? That regardless of the fact it has the appearance of being full, it seems that I have absolutely nothing to wear!! I know I can’t be alone in this but it’s so disheartening to feel like I have a wardrobe full of clothes but the apparant inability to pull together a single outfit other than the 3-5 failsafe ones I seem to wear day in day out.

If you follow my participation in the weekly #LittleLoves link up then you’ll know that the “WORE” section is my biggest challenge. However, in attempting to make a little more effort in this area, I have come up against 5 big obsticles:

WARDROBE CHALLENGE #1: the weather

So summer briefly came and went….did you spot it in amongst all the rain?? I had high hopes for this summer of sunshine and fun. The fun was very present but the rest was a little bit of a wash out.

This has made dressing for a season a little interesting and put a strain on my already overchallenged wardrobe. Skirts? Leggings? Tights? Vests? Jumpers? I genuinely have have no idea how to dress me and the kids from one hour to the next, let alone one day to the next at the moment.

WARDROBE CHALLENGE #2: the bulge

Henry is 14 months in a few days which means this baby weight I’m still carrying? Yeah that’s now just weight. That also puts me in that really awkward stage when it comes to clothes. You know the stage where you don’t actually fit into any of your old clothes, but you’re too tight to buy any news ones until you lose a little weight. Yep – that’s where I am right now!

It’s very rare that I do treat myself to something new, but if I do then it tends to be a dress and fairly loose fitting. I’m loving maxi dresses at the moment as the ultimate in comfort though at 5ft 2″ it’s sometimes a little tricky getting them so they’re not too long!

WARDROBE CHALLENGE #3: time

I used to shop on the high street and really enjoyed having a wander around the shops to pick out a few new things. Getting the time to have a little mooch now seems to be a thing of the past as the though of dragging 2 kids under 3 years of age with me just fills me with dread! Therefore nowadays I either make do with what I have and save the money for when I finally shed a few pounds or I embrace my inner vintage queen!

I do love finding some hidden gems in a charity shop as not only can you find some amazing bargains – I recently found a vinage Laura Ashley skirt from the 50’s for £3 – but you can find some great materials that can be made into sometime special under the sewing machine.

Unfortunately though that too takes time so for me at the moment online shopping is a winner and lets me pick up a few bits and bobs at the click of a button.

WARDROBE CHALLENGE #4: style? What’s that?!

With chunky thighs, a big bust and a waist under there somewhere, dresses are my friend. With a thicker waistline than I had previously, I’ve had to tweak some of the clothes I used to love. Those little skater dresses? Not anymore. Not only is my body not what it used to be after 2 kids in 2 years, but also well….I’m in my mid-30’s now and no one needs to see this chubby fat chubby 30-something squeezed into a little dress flashing too much thigh!

Therefore the hem’s have gotten a little longer and the style a little different, but the essence is still there for me which is a dress and flip flops for as long as I can get away with them. I’ve even been known to wear a pair of flops on Christmas Day in the snow before. My favourite ones I’ve come across this year are these amazing Heavenly Soles flip flops from JD Williams. They are so super comfortable that I can walk for hours in them!

Begrudingly though if I need to, that switches to tunics, leggings and a pair of boots if required. For my new body shape it’s all about flattering lengths and layers!

WARDROBE CHALLENGE #5: kids

Imagine for a moment, you’re dressed nice, you’re hair is done. Maybe even a little make up. You feel nice. Then suddenly it hits. Puke. Or poo. Or sticky fingers. Whichever one it is, before you know it it’s smeared up your clothes. What was previously pristine and pretty is now….well sticky and mainly unidentifiable!

For that reason the kids are usually far better dressed in far nicer clothes than I am, though it’s as much of a struggle keeping them clean as it is keeping myself clean too!

So there we have it, my reasons / excuses as to why you’ll see me most days in a dress or baggy bottoms + vest. All jesting aside though, I do want to make more of an effort and reclaim a little of my pre-motherhood style. I therefore pledge to strip out the things from my wardrobe that either don’t fit or just don’t look good and make sure I can make actual outfits from what’s left!

Let’s see over the next few weeks as to how I actually do….

What about you? What are your tips for striping back your wardrobe and making sure it contains things that you actually want to wear?? Or do you have a day to day style that’s your failsafe go to? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

 

DISCLAIMER: this is a collaborative post in partnership with JD Williams.