You know you really hit a nerve when VOGUE suddenly starts showcasing a few articles echoing your own "maternity wardrobe epiphany". Anna Wintour & Co still manage to stay relevantly aware of all grassroots trends, fashion and culturewise. This article was great, minus the caszh references to chokingly expensive designer labels. This other article  caused me to actually laugh out loud while reading, and then left me wanting to vomit. 
VOGUE's idea of "saving money" for your pregnancy wardrobe is, naturally, to spend $221 on non-maternity pants. And $4,000 on the handbag. Aware that I sound like a superbly arrogant ass, I have to say - I was unimpressed with their outfit ideas. 
I could do better. I did do better.
The next few posts in the series will showcase a few of my all-time favorite labels and how I am wearing them/making it work preggas. Starting with.... J.CREW!

(grey vintage cotton tank)
Why I Love J.Crew for Maternityshmernity Outfits:
1) Quality of the Fabric. This is key! Let's start with their Jersey. Shana over at Ain't No Mom Jeans perfectly shows the importance of quality fabric - its all in the drape! A really good Jersey Cotton will stretch beautifully, giving you ample room for comfort over your pregnant curves, but it will also drape well so that you don't look dumpy or figure-less. 

Black Kimono-sleeve Maxi  Green strapless (old-  it was an "Amie" dress, this is the only one available this year. Mine doesn't have a drawstring waist, so don't know if that would work) These two dresses I have included in my J.Crew lookbook here are both size Medium - but it works, not because I have some unrealistically perfect bod [I don't] but because they were not made cheaply. 
2) The Regularity of the Sales. The best part about both these dresses is I bought them on Final Sale. The green one I actually got two years ago (it looks nicer than clothes I get from Target after only two weeks) and it was around $20. It looks so much like a Hatch Collection dress, its just way way way way wayyyyy cheaper! And has the same amount of quality!
In fact, every item I have that I am using right now for my non-maternity-maternity closet was bought on super clearance. I haven't paid more than $20 for a top or $50 for a dress (and most of the normally $90 dresses were bought in the $20 range too!). Things just don't go on clearance like this if they have maternity labels. 
Yes, on sale they are the cost of full-price Target, but I find it to be worth every penny for how long they stay in my closet as favorites and staples. And withstand all the wear! (See point 1).

3) The Style. Oh the style! The most compliments I have gotten over what I'm wearing this pregnancy have been, predictably, when I'm in J.Crew. They are always so ahead of everyone else with their styles, and yet so timelessly classic, that you can wear things that are YEARS old and people will still ask you "Where did you get that?!"

My particular faves at the moment are the highlighter pink Vintage Cotton V-neck and the Graphic tee.  Covering my pregnant butt are the maternity essentials - shorts. I cut up an old pair of bootcut maternity jeans (think they were from Target) for the denim shorts, and bought the white and black shorts from Old Navy during a promotion. I have my eye on a few GAP pairs too - those will probably be my next Maternity purchase! :)
Thanks to my ingenuity with these outfits, I've been able to stash aside a little extra for shoes. I am a shoe-fetish girl, so this is an instant happy boost for this preggas. 
the shoes: Jack Roger's Navajo's TOMS BR Wedges, similar
-Kallah at Being Open to Life

Isabella Oliver for a Night at Neiman's

When I started this series,  I thought it would be all about the non-maternity stuff.  And it still is!  I am finding lots of ways to shop confidently  around the bump without the tags. But you know what I realized? When you take this approach, when you realize you don't have to have that "maternity" tag on all your clothes, you are suddenly free to buy the few maternity clothes that you do get at a much higher quality and style. This Isabella Oliver dress is an excellent example of a prudent, simple maternity staple piece. I will have this in my closet for years.

Not to mention... sexy?! 

Y'all - this never happens to me. I neverevereverever look at pictures and think, 

wow I looked so beautiful! 

But this dress gave me such an instant boost of confidence... made me truly feel like my self-professed idol for this pregnancy, Sofia herself, 

I guess that only helped "the glow" do its thang!

I have never gotten so many compliments. Seriously. Here I was at Neiman Freaking Marcus, wearing Target earrings and pumps I bought on super clearance at Nordstrom Rack for $7 (I kid you not)... and ladies wearing $3000 outfits were stopping me to tell me I looked awesome.

That feels good even not pregnant...but when you are preggas? I had to fight back tears of joy.

Also - I had never liked the ruched style on myself before. I realized when I got this dress that you can't do ruched on the cheap. The difference of a high-quality (thick and double-layered) jersey fabric, combined with the attention to details such as the perfect length and shape (just right to make you feel sexy but not hoochie lol) - are worth every last penny. Especially if you are self-conscious like me. 

Don't buy maternity everything. Do buy a few things maternity that you love. That you will want to whip out, pregnancy after pregnancy  (what? maybe I am having so much fun this pregnancy, I hope to have lotsa bebe's!).  That you will look back at pictures of and think, "Wow! I love that!"
wearing: Isabella Oliver Ruched Maternity Tank Dress Jessica Simpson Moto Jacket Jcrew Necklace Target Earrings (similar) Marco Santi (sold by Sole Society) platform pumps (similar) *this post has been graciously sponsored by Isabella Oliver; all of the opinions expressed are my very own! 
-Kallah

maternityshmernity: DiaperbagShmiaperbag

Hi! Its me, Kallah!  This is not the typical style post... just sharing an awesome new find with you mamas  (slash-future-mamas)!  As y'all know, this series is about taking something that can be uninspired, overpriced and even frumpy, yet something even we most-fashionable of mama's feel locked into...  and using imagination, creativity, and determination, making it fun, glamorous, and something to be proud of. If you thought this would apply only to your outfit and not other impossible things such as your  - gasp - diaper bag - think again.  Yeah, everyone knows there are cool diaperbags to be had out there. But a few quick looks show they are all extremely expensive. And not all of this expense is warranted. The materials are not always necessarily as high as the price tag would imply... Meet my new Simone Tote, c/o Ellington Handbags, a small Oregon-based company. 

The leather is as rich and sumptuous in person as in these photos. The quality is seriously unbelievable.

Unzip that center compartment, and you have:

-The essentials for an emergency poopy diaper. 

-A washable changing pad (they sell them super cheap at Target), diapers and wipes. 

-& when I have a newborn again, I can easily add my Bebe Au Lait nursing cover-up in the bottom there. 

Ellington prides themselves on giving their customers a "forever" bag. One that will never go out of style or fall to pieces.

This is a great quality to have for a diaper bag. Its big, roomy, has just the right amount of hidden compartments for all and sundry emergency Mom stuff, and looks awesome. 

Plus, the specific bag that I got is now on SALE for 50% off! 

It also comes in black. Go. Get it. You will not be disappointed! 

I was so blown away I was able to get my act together and send Ellington a handwritten Thank-You note... and get it into the mailbox! That is a huge deal! 

Peace out, mamas!

maternityshmernity: business casual for the s.a.h.m

Outfit posts are hard. Seriously.  I was a fashion blogger virgin before this series, and I was all, "Get cute (high res) pics of myself looking my best and put them online a few times a month? psshhh. Doing it in my sleep!" And after just two of these suckers, I'm all,  "How do you people do it??!!?!" [Camille.]

My husband is getting his MBA, and last Friday evening he really wanted me to accompany him to a little get-together of his fellow classmates and a few of their professors.  It was a very lowkey event... everyone else was showing up at the bar just in their business clothes.  This was, however, more intimidating to me than if it had been fairly formal. Being a staying at home mom makes business caszh tough enough... throw in a growing bump and you have quite a challenge. Have you noticed that alot of maternity clothes are either yoga-style comfy/casual, or going-to-a-wedding-style formal? I didn't want to stand out too much...but I did want people to be able to tell without a shadow of a doubt that I am pregnant, not smuggling muffins.  (ok- I may been sticking out my little 4 month bump a bit in these pictures)

my outfit: blazer- thrift find! // short sleeve top (sm.)- *anthro. // white Blanqi (reg. length) // 7 for All Mankind denim- on sale at Nordstrom Rack (duh) // jewelry- J.Crew + Banana Republic //  diaper bag- Ellington Handbags

*anthro runs pretty boho roomy in some things, so it makes it ideal for our series! this will probably only fit me for one more week lol, but then it'll make for a great transition time when I have that weird post-partum jellybelly going on

These pictures are not what I had envisioned when planning this post. 

For one, I had no control over the fact that the weather dropped from 60 on Thursday,

to 40 degrees on Friday night, when we went out. 

40 degrees and wet. And windy. And chilling to the bone.

I had planned on wearing some cute heels with this outfit but it was just too cold and wet, 

so these Banana Republic black boots had to do. 

(no longer available - these are not similar because they have a heel and I am anti-tall-boot-heel)

Ya'll like my diaper bag? Yeh, diaper bag.

Diaperbagshmiaperbag. 

This bag made me feel lux and confident among all those MBA girls. More details coming in the next post ;). 

Fashion bloggers: clap clap clap. How you make it look so easy beats me. 

maternityshmernity: the Blanqi

I am 14 weeks tomorrow. In typical 2nd Tri fashion, I feel 5 weeks pregnant some days, and 25 weeks pregnant others.  Sometimes I feel both within the same 12 hour period. I have bought myself several roomy tops for this season, but was struggling with the pants. Obviously its too cold for shorts - but warm weather is literally weeks away,  so I hate the idea of splurging on more maternity pants/jeans. I had gotten used to skinny skinny jeans, thanks to the thigh lipo that is called breastfeeding. Give it a few weeks of the carbo-loading of my first tri, and my jeans were all causing problems.

Enter the Blanqi (pronounced "blonky", not "blanky", fyi). 

I described the Blanqi body styler in my Basics post.

It is essentially Spanx for the pregnant woman... but that description just barely scratches the surface!

It lifts, supports and relieves stress and strain from your back. 

It definitely makes you look more belly and less blubber.

It helps your posture immensely. 

It lengthens tops, which is why I was so attracted to it in the first place 

when planning the maternityshmernity series.

But here's the exciting part that I honestly wasn't sure would work out for me:

it holds up unbuttoned (even unzipped, for some serious fat days) jeans.

Like no belly band ever could!

I was totally skeptical that the a bodystyler would hold up my pants

when a belly band couldn't. 

The Blanqi holds up my jeans without any issues...without stretching out within the day, or losing grip. 

Without making me feel uncomfortable around the waist thanks to bunched up denim fabric.

Smooth and secure. That's how it feels and looks.

top: lizzie parker hi-lo tee from Nordstrom Rack, 

jeans: J Brand from last year,

Blanqi in White, 

and Rockport shoes.

I felt pretty confident before that, with a little shopping around and a lot of creativity,

I could see this non-maternity preggas style project through to August. 

However, after getting my Blanqi in the mail, and spending the last week living in it,

I know with absolute certainty that this is gonna work.

It adds immediate comfort and flexibility to my closet.

If you can only afford one piece to stretch your maternity wardrobe as far as possible,

listen to me: this is your piece.

I can barely be parted from mine to wash it. (but don't worry. I do. Really.)

Kallah

Maternityshmernity: a Night Out

Hey! I'm here with my FIRST EVER FASHION POST.  Please be forgiving. 

I lovvvvve dressing up. I love playing with my huz's Nikon D40. Handing said Nikon to someone to have them take pics of me, posing, dressed up? Not so much love for that one.  But what's a maternity style series without real-life illustrations? 
I am doing this for you people. This past Monday night, I went on a little Moms Night Out for the Mothers of Toddlers group (MOTs) at my Church. We went to a cute little restaurant near the NoDa side of Charlotte, The Peculiar Rabbit, and as its hipster name would suggest, it was super cool and the food was uh-may-zing. I had just scored some loot from Ann Taylor the day before at the mall... this gorgeous coral (looks bright red in these pics, but its really tangeriney-coral) silk button down was originally $98, but I paid $20 for it! I also found some pretty bracelets. Trying to vamp up my accessories this pregnancy.

I had gone shopping this past weekend in search of transitional tops  - I have already outgrown all my tops. They are so uncomfortable. I read somewhere that it isn't uncommon for women in their second pregnancy to feel like their breasts get bigger way faster than they did in the first pregnancy... anddddd that has definitely been the case for me! 

I'm hoping it means they, um, stabilize, at the size they are now though. That would be appreciated.

Because the shirt is silk, it drapes really nicely, despite the sheer size of it. (I got it in a 12... we'll see how long it'll last... but it'll definitely be an awesome transition shirt for now and the month of August that I am postpartum with that gross, puffy jelly belly!).

And I felt pretty darn attractive in it, which is most important!

These black leggings are the Topshop maternity ones I showed y'all in my Basics post. They are thick enough to cover all and sundry cracks, and super comfy. Plus I love the length - I hate when leggings bunch up at the bottom. Too 80s.

The bracelet (Banana Republic) really makes me  happy. I never accessorize, so this is a big step for me. I'm growing up. These flats are my absolute favorite things - they are J.Crew "Cecilia"'s, and I am surprised by how much I love them, since I usually never go for patent leather shoes. But something about the black trim w. the leopard print goes well with the patent. Classic yet unexpected. I love it.

Oh and, okay, one "belly" pic. Though its so embarrassing.  My belly is just poochy right now!

Yep. Not a fashion blogger. Written all over my face.

(those were the alternate shoes - from Nordstrom Rack - that I ended up feeling too shy to wear. Not when I won't be drinking!)

Moral of this post: when in the end of the first slash beginning of the second trimester,  balance maternity comfort (the leggings)  with drapey tops that will be kind to your awkwardly changing body, and be a little adventurous with the fabric and accessories. And if you are not born a fashion blogger yet have fashion blogging thrust upon you...  try not to make such awkward faces.  The End. Kallah

the Bumpy Basics

Hi, everyone! I'm here with my first real post  on how I'm going to get away without needing that "Maternity" tag  on all my clothes this pregnancy! I think the key to the success of this plan lies 100% in covering the basics.  A good foundation of quality basics will help ensure comfort and flexibility in your maternity wardrobe, giving you the confidence and freedom to experiment.  As I said in my (long) post explaining my desire to blow off maternity clothes,  I love a good sale... but most importantly, I love good quality.  These basics are based on research of the best quality I can get...  and if that quality is just too pricey,  I then look for the cheapest brand that offers the exact style I'm looking for.  Here's the first item and the pillar-stone of my non-maternity maternity closet:

1) the Bodystyler.

Made by Blanqi, this thing is a life-saver. Especially if you are like myself and have one of those awkward bods that for some reason do not cooperate with the Belly Band. They hold pants up, alleviate back pain and offer extra support for those enormous pre-breastfeeding appendages on the front of you (am I only speaking for myself?! they are out of control!)  anddddd (most importantly)  lengthen the look of a non-maternity top!  I am planning on living in mine.  2) a Tank top.

Gap Tanks are my fav anyway, maternity or not. 

They're soft, they last for a long time, and they've proven to be the perfect fit for me. 

3) Shorts. Even in North Carolina, our summers are scalding.  And our springs are swift.  And if you think you will ever wear jeans between Memorial and Labor Day,  you were clearly born Yankee. ;) The only shorts I buy when I am not pregnant are those  deliciously preppy Chino's from J.Crizz  (again: quality over quantity - buy one pair every summer  and they'll still look good in ten years)...  well, perfect though they are in length, simplicity and color,   they are not acommodatingly stretchy for a pregga butt.  So! I'm looking for similar simplicity in cut and color  in the maternity pairs I inevitably must buy.   Here are the best I've found so far - though its only January  and I am hoping there are more styles to come with the Spring collections :).  I want a black & possibly a khaki pair like these two from Old Navy:

And I'm still shopping around for the perfect white short. I live in white shorts basically.
 So I need a good classic, basic pair
 (unfortunately O.N. doesn't carry the color right now!).

I'm not sold on this one, but it would work:

This particular pair may be a little too long... since I'm only 5'5, I like my shorts like I like my laundry piles. ;)

Last on the short list: 

 (I am self-admittedly the cheesiest person you will meet. 

Apologies in advance)

Every Carolina girl needs a good pair o' Daisy Dukes. 

I pair mine with slouchy, oversized tees even when I'm not pregnant, 

to balance the look out. 

And to ensure people don't assume I'm anxiously awaiting catcalls. 

Though, doesn't it make you kind of sick that the only really stylish maternity options for freakin' jean shorts 

are all above $49? Seriously. 

Lastly on the Basics List:

4) Leggings.

I bought this sweet pair online at Topshop, and have already given them a beating

 with no apparent consequences.

 They're made of thicker material than most leggings, 

making the $40 price tag totally worth it. 

If I'd be super-preggas during any of the cooler months 

(Spring makes its appearance right around March 1 down here),

 I'd also invest in a *real* pair of maternity skinny jeans. 

I lust after these J.Brands. Man oh man.

Gorgeous, right?!

However, since I need shorts way more than jeans, 

and I know from experience that my legs will need

 lots of oxygen Spring/Summer (can only imagine how bad it'll be preggas!)... 

I'll have to keep dreamin' for now.

 (But word to the wise: you can get them cheaper from the J Brand website than from

 A Pea in the Pod. Piperlime too, though they don't offer too many options for color.)

That's it! That is everything on my Must-Buy-Maternity List. 

I'm hoping I don't have to add to it, but if I find that I do, I will be sure to let y'all know! 

The only potential issue that I see right now is finding dressier options...

 a girl cannot live on jersey maxidresses alone... 

but we'll have to figure that out by experiment.. 

If I get desperate, I can just do the cheap ones from ASOS that will definitely look good for this pregnancy

 and won't break the bank!

Until next week!

Kallah

ps. did you miss the intro. video? see it here. 

Maternityshmernity- it's here!

Aaaaaahhhh. 

I am so very excited to introduce this new Maternity Style series here on LiM. My friend and I have been planning it for months now, bursting at the seams with excitement over it. We finally get to share it with all of you! We even did a little intro video in order to share our excitement and give you a little taste of what you'll be seeing from the series :).  Enjoy my mad videographer skills. 
Isn't Kallah the cutest preggas?  She also just so happens to be a stupendous writer and shares some of her talent on her blog,  Being Open to Life.  You'll see what I mean. You'll be sucked in by her words. It happens to me. Every time. Btw, head over there for a more in-depth summary of what this series will be all about. She spells it all out so perfectly!  We both hope that you'll come along on this bumpy & stylin' journey! Get ready for some awesome-ness.

Kallah

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