This post was originally published on our old blog at Born to be a Bride.
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of nesting, couple time, and fun. We went to see Miranda Lambert live (one of the best nights of the summer, hands-down). We’ve kept up our date nights, and I’ve done a lot of running around town on baby errands. It’s hard to believe there are only ten weeks left until Baby Girl arrives. Here are some of my favorite outfits featuring the 7-month bump:
If you know where to look, and what for, you can find great options that are not maternity. I am in love with this ruched Theory tank that flatters the bump and is super-comfortable. Here, I have it paired with a black foldover maxi skirt I found at Marshall’s for 20 bucks! This outfit was a clear winner — we went to Buy Buy Baby this day on a carseat mission and one of the sales associates pulled me aside to tell me she hopes she can be as put-together and cute as I am when she’s pregnant. I retorted that she’s crazy and behind every cute outfit are about 20 minutes of tears and at least three discarded options, but I’m glad this outfit had the desired effect! Oh, and if not stated otherwise, I am wearing my trusty Jack Rogers flip flops with ALL of these outfits! #swollenfeet
I nabbed this Hey Girl t-shirt from ASOS at the suggestion of a fellow style blogger, Ella at StartCloseIn. I couldn’t love it more! It’s super-comfy and large enough that even when I am nine months and barely mobile, it’ll still cover and flatter the bump. Here, I’m wearing it with my favorite ASOS maternity skinnies in a dark wash (similar styles here). We were just headed to Bloomingdales and on some other typical Gerson errands this day. Josh thought this shirt was adorable — and yes, mamas of boys-to-be, they make a “Boy Oh Boy” version, too! (ASOS.com).
The Miranda concert was so much fun. I had been looking forward to this all summer long, and it was a completely surreal experience. Before she took the stage, Justin Moore absolutely killed it. Sure, the night would have been marginally improved if I could have had a hard cider to celebrate all the country-ness, but I was too moved by the music to care about my hugely pregnant status. Josh and I wore our cowboy boots from Dallas, and I threw on a Nasty Gal little black dress in a stretchy cotton (non-maternity) with chiffon ruffle inserts at the hem and black tights. I also wore a vintage belt of my mother-in-law’s from the 70s, fastened above the bump. I got so many compliments at the concert. This was a fun outfit!
Josh surprised me with a midweek date night at 28 weeks so I surprised him with a geometric pattern shift dress. This one from Target is a light and silky fabric great for hotter temps, and it doesn’t wrinkle, which is nice. Here, I’ve paired it with my Splendid t-strap sandals (on sale for $34) that have a tiny lift to the heel. I’ve found these are ironically more comfortable than flats when my back is really bothering me, which is just about all the time now. The dress is now on clearance for under $20, Target.com and stores.
For our monthly bump pictures, I like to do skin-tight clothes so you can properly see the progression of Baby G. Here I am at 28 weeks (which I didn’t know was actually 29 — woo!) in an American Apparel unisex tank — $17 each, available in nine million colors here … and Walmart (!) maternity leggings. These are only $10. The good news is, they offer excellent coverage and full-panel belly support. The bad news is, I ordered two pairs and had to return one because it had a hole in the crotch right out of the package. Don’t expect these to last long enough to gift to a preggo friend once you’re done with them, but they’re a solid, cheap option for day-to-day.
Another weekend errand run, and back to Bloomingdales of course. I camped out on a chair with my iced decaf while Josh poked around for fall clothes for himself. Then we headed to our new apartment building to do some laps around the neighborhood. I’m pretty darn obsessed with this blue print tunic from H&M, also not maternity. I bought it two sizes up from my usual and it was great for concealing my growing middle for the first several months. Now, it softly falls right over the bump for a smooth look. Here, I’ve paired it with acid wash ASOS maternity skinny jeans and a black tank. I recommend digging in the racks at your local H&M for finds like this — I believe the tunic cost me less than $10 and I’ve worn it multiple times since getting pregnant. Bonus: it will help cover my squishy, post-baby middle, too.
Our first wedding anniversary was so romantic and special. We started off the morning with coffee (Josh woke me up with Starbucks and a card) and then exchanged beautiful, meaningful paper gifts according to tradition (I’ll talk more about this in another post). I wanted to wear my wedding shoes but my feet are wayyyy too swollen, so I opted for the headpiece instead. I paired a white lace minidress (non-maternity) that I believe I purchased two years ago at the Bloomingdales outlet — it’s an off-brand — with my J. Crew pastel flats I’ve written up before. The headpiece, you might remember, is from Pronovias. I wanted to go for a bridal look without being too cheesy — I think this worked!
… And then for lounging around, I’ve come to love my go-to Old Navy Maternity or American Eagle maxi dresses, any leggings I can get my hands on, and the H&M denim maternity shorts below. I also rocked this Pink Blush frock for a Friday night dinner date with a girlfriend at 29 weeks. Forgive my goofy face and hiked-up maxi in the first photo below — Josh and I ended up on an accidental three-mile hike in the blazing heat on Labor Day, and I was so tired and grumpy by the end! But afterward, I felt great, so go figure.
Happy shopping, preggos! The next edition will be all about fall, and I can’t wait to show y’all my key maternity investments for the cooler temps.