After having my first baby I felt totally lost when it came to how to dress. My wardrobe was filled with t-shirts that didn’t fit and worked best tucked into high waisted jeans, trousers that didn’t suit my new body shape and shirts that didn’t sit right on my broader shoulders. It felt like someone else’s wardrobe and it took me a really long time to let go of older items that didn’t work any more and find newer styles that felt right. To be honest I’m not sure I ever really got to a comfortable place with my style before getting pregnant again two years later; the pandemic and the ability to wear loungewear most days probably didn’t help. The reality is you’re pregnant for 10 months, which is almost a year and during that time all style goes out the window, well for me it does anyway. So here I am, three months postpartum after three and a half years of either being pregnant or confused about what to wear, and I think I’ve finally worked it out.

I can’t tell you why, but after my first baby I felt like I’d lost myself, but after my second I feel like I’ve found myself again. For the first time in years I look forward to buying clothes, to getting dressed and I don’t totally hate looking at photos of myself. Honestly I know this all sounds a bit shallow, and trust me I never thought or cared so much about this before but I think the mix of hormones and exhaustion just messes with you as a new parent and you crave a bit of self confidence. So what’s actually different this time? Because I still have a postpartum body and everything that comes with it, I still have the exhaustion… But maybe because it’s my second time the changes are less shocking, I was more prepared and the big wardrobe change has already happened so I have more options this time. Also call me old fashioned, I don’t know if this is actually true but the hormone imbalance I felt having a girl pregnancy and birth vs a boy one was SO different.

There’s also something to be said for just getting older and more confident in your own style choices. There’s something very freeing about having the confidence to wear what you feel comfortable in, instead of what you think you’re expected to wear.

So let me try to pin point the main changes in my wardrobe over the past few years as I’ve transitioned into a new lifestyle and a new body shape. The tighter graphic tees have been switched out for a more classic white tshirt with a bit more structure, slightly longer arms and longer in length allowing for a french tuck rather than fully tucked in. Other options instead of a graphic t-shirt would be a looser long sleeved top or a ribbed vest top layered under an oversized cardigan or linen shirt. The skinny jeans (although sometimes still worn with a longer oversized jumper) have been replaced with a more flattering straight leg jean, which kind of balances out my shape a bit more. I used to wear a lot of fine knit sweaters, but these days I find they just don’t sit comfortably on me and I prefer a heavier knit. I especially like if they have a zip neckline, to create a more flattering shape. I used to wear a lot of shorter jackets, but they make me look quite top heavy and so these days I prefer a longer line trench or wool coat.

Like I said, I feel totally different after this last pregnancy as I did the first time round so don’t be hard on yourself if you feel lost and like you no longer have a clue what to wear. It will come back! But in the meantime I found using Instagram really helpful for putting outfits together. It’s easy to get into a rut of wearing the same top and jeans combination, but all it takes is a few extra pieces to make an outfit feel more complete and to make you feel more confident in it. Save any outfits you see and like, then shop your wardrobe to see if you can recreate it.

Here are some of the newer pieces in my wardrobe that I’m loving. 

FINALLY… my absolute favourite time of year is here in terms of styling outfits. Summer is great and all, I’ll miss being able to spend time in the garden but I definitely will not miss having to have so much skin on show all the time. Is that just me being weird? I hate it. I’m all about the jeans and knitted jumpers! By November we’ll all be complaining about having to wear a huge coat every day because it’s freezing and Spring will seem so far away, but for the next couple of months it’s that perfect in-between weather where we can wear a jumper and no coat, ankle socks with our trainers and we don’t have to layer a thermal vest top under every single outfit. I’m giddy with excitement.

So here are some of the items that I’m excited to wear this Autumn whether that’s just at home, for a walk in the park or for a social distanced meet up with friends. How 2020.

 

Five out of seven days a week you’ll find me wearing joggers, they’re just so comfortable and practical. But I still want to feel put together and not like I want to crawl back into bed for a midday nap. There’s a whole category of joggers that I’ve discovered this year that are more fitted, made from nicer material and are the perfect in-between of a trouser and a jogger. Paired with a tucked in t-shirt and trainers, it’s my favourite look.

JOGGERS

I’m VERY excited for chunky black boot season but we have months of being able to wear them, so for now I’m going to enjoy wearing trainers whilst I still can, my favourite shoe choice. I have an unhealthy trainer addiction but I DO wear them everyday. If you’re a mum, go for a pair with velcro… you can thank me later.

TRAINERS

KNITWEAR

Knitwear for Autumn… ground breaking. But I’m here for it. Sweater weather is the best, whether it’s a cashmere knit, a chunkier knit or a waffle knit (I’m obsessed with waffle knit at the mo). Here’s my edit of the best knits around right now. Side note, I also can’t stop buying waffle knits for Grey (check Zara kids!).

Autumn… bring.it.on.

When it comes to getting pregnant, maternity style was the last thing on my mind. I spent years freaking out about the idea of giving birth, I then started trying and spent months freaking out about not being able to conceive and then when it happened I was over the moon/very sick in my first trimester. At no point had I really considered how my changing body shape would affect me, because honestly I wasn’t that into my body beforehand anyway. But actually, at 31 years old I had finally worked out my personal style and how to dress comfortably whilst still feeling stylish. Well getting pregnant changed everything, from 10 weeks I couldn’t fit into my straight leg high waisted jeans and wearing maternity jeans (when trying to hide the fact you’re pregnant) meant my top tucked in look was also out the window.

I spent week 10 to 17 wearing loose tops/jumpers with skinny maternity jeans, a look I wore a lot a few years back but I missed the enjoyment of picking an outfit out, putting it on and feeling confident going out in it. Getting dressed felt like just a way of avoiding being naked and I felt absolutely no joy in my wardrobe. I realised that opening my wardrobe doors to find all my old clothes that I could no longer wear was really not helping the situation, so Anna came over to help me put all the clothes that no longer fit me in storage to make room for a new maternity appropriate wardrobe. From then on I decided that just floating my way through pregnancy wearing old oversized clothes was a) not going to make me feel great and b) be quite tricky with my job.

Maternity clothing has quite a bad rep for a few different reasons. People often feel like investing in clothes that are only appropriate for a small space of time is unnecessary and often maternity clothing can be pretty dull; striped tops, dungarees and not much else really. I guess with your first baby you’re more likely to invest as you can hopefully store the clothes for the next time but still, it is a bit frustrating to have to re-do your wardrobe when you were very happy with how it was before. I do think though that the investment isn’t just in the clothes, it’s an investment in your happiness and in feeling good throughout your pregnancy which is so important. It’s a testing time with all those new hormones saying around so a nice new top or pair of jeans can’t hurt really.

Finding the right maternity jeans made all the difference to me. My old straight leg style no longer worked so I went back to skinny and despite feeling quite 2016 it just works better. Everyone seems to have their own preference on under the bump or over the bump, but I find over the bump cuts in less and helps hold in the bump in quite a comforting way. I get to the end of the day and just HAVE to take them off before I suffocate, but I think that’s just being pregnant. At the beginning I wore jeans with just a stretchy side panel, I then moved to under the bump and now I’m a fully converted over the bump-er.

Depending on how confident you are with your bump, a tight top can be really flattering. It’s so strange, you spend so much of your life trying to hide your tummy area and enhance other more flattering parts of your body, but then you get pregnant and actually it can look better to just embrace the bump. When I wear tight tops I get a lot of “oh you’ve grown”, or “ooh you’re nearly there” comments, whereas sometimes if I just wear a normal loose top people say “ooh you’re so tiny” or “where’s your bump”, so just be prepared for the conflicting opinions based on your clothing choice of the day. But being pregnant is amazing and sometimes you just wanna wear your bump loud and proud and a stretchy, tight top is perfect for that.

I’ve found maternity shopping quite frustrating as I’m someone who loves to shop in stores and try things on, I’ve always been in between sizes. Turns out most the brands who are known to have good maternity only stock it online! So I’ve done plenty or ordering, trying on and then having to return over the past few months. Places I’ve enjoyed shopping are ASOS, Zara, Topshop (who actually do have a store in town), Seraphine and H&M. I have also been very lucky to be pregnant in the winter, I have no idea how I would have managed with the heat and what to wear in the height of summer.

So to wrap this up I’m going to leave you with some of my top picks over a few different categories. What’s worked well for me has been long tops, skinny jeans, dungarees (cliche but there’s a reason) and cardigans with vest tops. I still don’t really feel like ‘me’ and I know it’ll only get harder as my bump gets bigger but it’s all for an amazing reason and I know I can go back to enjoying a tucked in top and high waisted jeans one day!

JEANS

TOPS

OTHER

Photos by Emma Croman

Worn in post:
PR Gift | Seraphine Grey Button Jumper – link
Zara Blue & White Striped Top
PR Gift | Reiss Green Coat
Gucci Soho Disco Bag – link
PR Gift | & Other Stories Blue Jumper – link
Zara Black Linen Trousers
Gucci Sling-Back Loafers
Seraphine Parka Coat – link

 

Hands up if you hate Summer dressing? Me too, me too. I love nothing more than putting on a pair of jeans, boots and a big oversized, knitted jumper – Autumn clothes, you are my one true love. 

So over the years I’ve learnt how to dress for the Summer weather without feeling totally uncomfortable and exposed. I’ve made many mistakes… I’ve attempted to wear overly girly dresses that make me look like an extra on The Sound of Music, I’ve flashed other passengers on the tube platform thanks to a gush of wind and I’ve had many a sweaty-under-boob moments when picking the wrong fabric to wear on a hot day. Dressing for Summer is a skill I’ve just about got the hang of.

I love the summer time, don’t get me wrong, but summer clothes? Nah, not the one. During the cooler months I love being able to wear a jumper/jean combo but as soon as the sun comes out I suddenly have to think about what’s been shaved and if I have the right bra for those straps? Spoiler, I never have any of the right bras. 

I’ve never enjoyed showing too much skin. I don’t mind getting my legs out but for me it’s all about finding a balance and that’s not always easy in a hot and stuffy city, when you’re getting on and off the tube all day. I have a few outfit combinations that I think work really well for a summer in the city, so let’s start with the outfit in this post.

Light Cotton & Denim 

I love a denim skirt as it falls slightly lower than shorts and the shape is actually quite smart so it feels work-appropriate. With a light-weight, white cotton shirt tucked in it’s smart but you won’t overheat.  I paired these with some very casual white converse for a fun look but a smarter shoe would also look great.

 

What are your go-to non-skimpy Summer staples?

 

 

Photos by Lydia Collins

]]> https://www.lilypebbles.co.uk/2018/06/non-skimpy-summer-style.html/feed 17 36718 https://www.lilypebbles.co.uk/2018/04/say-it-with-a-slogan.html https://www.lilypebbles.co.uk/2018/04/say-it-with-a-slogan.html#disqus_thread Wed, 04 Apr 2018 08:00:03 +0000 https://www.lilypebbles.co.uk/?p=36616

I CAN’T STOP WEARING SLOGAN TEES

Maybe it’s the ability to have an opinion without actually having to say anything or just the boost of confidence a “talking” tee can give you on a meh day. I just love ’em. Sure you can use slogans to say something empowering, to share your political stance, to give someone the middle finger without actually doing so… or you can just express your love for brunch, weekends and French words like I do!

& Other Stories are killing it at the moment with their slogan tees, but I have also have been enjoying seeing the more high-end-high-street brands being a little brave and jumping on the band wagon. This ‘le weekend’ jumper in from Whistles and I immediately bought it without even needing to try it on, despite it’s limited wearability (well, if you stick to le weekend rule).

The only problem with this trend is you don’t really want to be the last one to buy a top that everyone’s been wearing. Unlike just normal tops, once you’ve seen a slogan top and it’s made you smile/think/grunt, you don’t then want to see it everywhere you go. So I’ve trawled the internet in search for some of the best slogan tops currently available and I hope you guys like the edit! Now, if someone could just hide my wallet that would be very helpful, thanks.

SHOP THE SLOGANS

 

]]> https://www.lilypebbles.co.uk/2018/04/say-it-with-a-slogan.html/feed 22 36616 https://www.lilypebbles.co.uk/2017/12/hello-winter.html https://www.lilypebbles.co.uk/2017/12/hello-winter.html#disqus_thread Mon, 11 Dec 2017 08:00:51 +0000 https://www.lilypebbles.co.uk/?p=36451

I don’t want to speak too soon but I am LOVING the cooler winter weather. It’s usually around the end of January that I resent it and start pining after the warmer months but for now, I’m embracing the chill. I love wrapping up in layers, throwing on a scarf and hat but just to balance out the unusual positivity going on here, I bloody hate the glove/touch screen phone issue (and no, I haven’t yet found any touch screen gloves that I love as much as my cashmere ones).

Before the inevitable wet and slushy part of winter arrives, I’ve been enjoying wearing my new Sezane camel coat which they very kindly sent me. I was over the moon because I’m kind of on a year-long spending ban when it comes to clothes so that I can save up for everything house related (more on that in another post!). It’s shorter than my other coats which I really love and it’s quite structured so it’s perfect for when I want to look a little smarter. For a pop of colour underneath I wore my Lingua Franca cashmere jumper that Bobbi Brown personalised on our trip to New York a few months ago, it’s so soft and thin enough to tuck into jeans. The boots are old from Topshop but they always have similar so I’ll try find an alternative link for you guys and I’m still loving these Urban Outfitters jeans, although these photos make me want to shrink them a bit!

For me, dressing in winter is all about the accessories because really, who knows what’s going on under the outerwear. This scarf is from last year and I still absolutely love it. It’s from Topshop but I chose it because it’s the perfect shade of grey, it’s long enough to wrap around twice and I love a bit of tassel so the scarf doesn’t just suddenly end and hang in a weird way. The standout accessory in this outfit has to be this Sezane Farrow bag and I picked it knowing it would make the perfect camera bag. I love to take my Fujifilm XT2 camera out with me to capture spontaneous photos here and there but it’s nice to be able to tuck it away in a bag, with space for all your other items too. The quality of the leather is amazing and although I chose the navy blue to be a bit different (and because I love navy blue), I now wish I also had it in black so I can wear it with EVERYTHING… I love it that much.

When this post goes up I would have just turned 30 and looking at these photos I’m thinking, yeah it’s ok to turn 30. I’ve felt a bit funny about it all year but now it’s here I think I’m ok with it. My twenties were epic but I feel like there’ll be something really content and lovely about my thirties with a lot less insecurity and paranoia all round. I truly feel like I’ve learnt how not to give a shit about things I shouldn’t waste my time caring about and it feels great. Here’s to the next chapter and I hope you’re all having a great December so far!

 

 

Photos by Lydia Collins.

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