When it comes to dressing myself, this past year has been a creative challenge. Living with four real seasons, a bitter cold winter, and a new mom body, I have been determined to find an updated wardrobe that is both comfortable and stylish.
I've learned continual wardrobe maintenance to be essential -
1. To let go of things I don't like or that don't fit right. I no longer want clothes that I am not wearing to clutter up my closet and mind.
2. To try out current trends and find pieces that work for my body type. I am stepping out of my comfort zone and have been pleasantly surprised to find things I wouldn't normally think would look good on me.
Living out in the country has limited my access to stores I like. Plus trying on clothes with a child is not very fun (cue the snacks). But having clothes that I feel good in makes a big difference in how I feel. So taking the time and energy to do it is important.
I prefer to try clothes on so I don't do very much online shopping. And based off of where we live I am mostly shopping at TJ-Maxx, Gap (that is an hour away!), and Victoria's Secret (for lounge wear and leggings).
*A note about nursing:
So after typing this all out I realized that a good portion of this past year was spent nursing. It was hard for me to find nursing clothes that I liked so I wore a lot of dresses that were stretchy enough to pull down and used a nursing cover. Eventually our son was on a pretty reliable feeding routine that I could know if I would be nursing in public or if I was able to nurse in the car. This allowed me to wear what I wanted and not worry so much about pulling up my entire dress in public! While I am an advocate for modestly nursing in public I also feel strongly about wearing things I feel good in! This was my way of finding a balance.
With all that being said, here are a few styles I have added to my wardrobe this past year!
// LIGHT LAYERS //
Adapting to the weather in Virginia has brought it's challenges. Mostly I did not know how to dress for a cold climate. And yet even on the coldest days, wrangling a child to get out of the house often left me sweating. So light layers have been my go to. I now know that no matter what I am wearing, I just need to also bring a coat.
I've become all about scarves, vests, leggings under dresses, and socks or leg warmers with boots.
I also ordered this brown leather wrap strap (from Etsy) for my Fitbit that works well with dressier looks.
// LEG WARMERS AS PANTS //
Okay, so I realize leg warmers don't replace pants. But on days that aren't completely freezing, leg warmers actually do quite a bit. I really don't like wearing pants and don't always want to wear leggings under a dress. So leg warmers it is. I find it incredibly fun and stylish with a little room to breathe!
// OVERALLS //
I jumped on the overalls bandwagon and there is no turning back. I bought these super comfortable and slouchy pair from Gap. It is taking me back to my junior high days and I love it.
8th grade Ashley would totally approve!!! :D
// TRYING NEW THINGS //
Shift and boxy style dresses have been in style for a little while now and while they aren't looks I would normally gravitate towards, I have learned to embrace it. I find that breaking it up with a scarf, necklace, or even side braid/pony helps break it up. Plus they are insanely comfortable.
I have had these Ugg boots for probably about ten years and they are getting worn a lot more lately. The fur on the bottom has been worn down for a couple of years now and I just found out that they sell fur inserts! For $20 these babies make my decade old boots feel brand new! Someone also suggested buying these for rain boots! So smart. Game changer people.
Working on finding a few more tops to wear with shorts and my occasional jean sighting.
And since we technically live in the south now it seemed like a good southern thing to get myself some Lilly Pulitzer. While I would love to pull off their bright and colorful resort wear, I decided this straw purse seemed a bit more like me.
So that is what I have been wearing (and at least documenting over on Instagram) over the past year!
