Postpartum Fashion: i.e. Dressing a Body You Don’t Recognize Anymore

Karin Rambo of truncationblog.com shares her tips for postpartum fashion Karin Rambo of truncationblog.com shares her tips for postpartum fashion

 

So not to complain, but…

I’m gonna.

This past week came and went without me fully noticing. We were all so sick all week.

Well at least us girls. Can I just take a second to say how grateful I am for David?

He has done almost every single feeding and diaper change for the girls since Friday afternoon while I slept, took baths, and rested. I seriously couldn’t ask for a better partner in crime.

We’re finally on the upswing (thank goodness!), but…

Hold on… Rosie just woke up from her nap in a mood. BRB.

(insert Jeopardy theme song here)

K. Crisis handled.

Nothing like a crying baby to bring you back to reality.

Anyway… get to the point already Karin.

Something that a lot of you ladies (a lot) have asked me about is postpartum fashion… which basically translates to, “how do I dress a body I don’t recognize anymore?”

I am in 100% solidarity with you. It’s not easy.

And as you now know from Friday’s postI’m not in a massive hurry to lose all of my baby weight.

But having done it once before (and to be honest, I never really lost all of that weight either), I can attest to it being this weird limbo stage of not being pregnant anymore (so maternity clothes don’t necessarily fit), but still looking like maybe you’re somewhere in the first trimester (so your pre-pregnancy clothes don’t fit either).

It. is. a. struggle.

I also understand that it’s hard when you’re trying to move in the direction of a minimal and ethical closet.

You don’t want to invest in pieces when you’re not sure what weight you will be in a year or two… or even what your body shape will now look like.

I totally get that.

And this can really apply to anyone who has had any amount of weight gain… kind of like when I turned 25 and realized my body was not in college anymore and I couldn’t eat Bic Mac’s three times a week and get away with it.

What I’m trying to say is, most of us women have gone through some sort of weight gain at some point in our lives and it’s left us wondering how to dress our “new” bodies.

But here’s the thing you guys: weight gain shouldn’t be the thing that makes you feel more or less like the amazing human being that you are.

It really has nothing to do with your worth or how special you are.

Trust me.

I’m right on this one.

I know (from experience) that it’s easy to reflect how we’re feeling about ourselves in what we wear.

In other words, on days when I feel down or emotionally messy, I tend to stay in my husband’s sweatpants all day.

Now I’m not saying you should never wear comfortable clothing… what I am saying is that the effort we put into looking good has a tendency to impact how we feel about, and view, ourselves.

And let me just be clear: “good” does not mean size 4 Barbie doll (although if that’s your jam, then more power to you).

“Good” means whatever the heck makes you feel like yourself. For me? Makeup is not as important (although I do love a red lip) as when my hair is done. Or I feel really confident when I’m wearing a well cut t-shirt and jeans outfit. Or when I’ve spritzed a little perfume on.

Get it?

Whatever it is that makes you feel good is what will end up making you look good.

And maybe your husband’s (or brother’s… or dad’s) sweats are what make you feel good? But I’ve yet to meet someone who that’s true of…

I also understand that sometimes we go through seasons where our wardrobe just doesn’t work anymore and we feel stuck wearing sweatpants. I’ve 100% been there.

But because I’ve been there, I’ve learned that there are some alternatives to wearing sweats all day or investing in an all new wardrobe.

So here is what I’ve learned:

First of all, look at your closet and figure out what you can wear. At the moment, I fit into about 50% of the clothes in my closet (#thatsmytruth).

The other 50% I have tucked away for a couple of years until I can fit in them again (if ever… we’ll see).

Most of the clothes I can fit into are my jeans, cardigans, and a handful of baggier tops that I own. I’m still carrying quite a bit of weight in my middle section so anything that is snug or cropped really isn’t working for me right now.

So after figuring out what I already own that I can wear, I decided to invest in a few pieces that work for me right now, and, here’s the important part:

they are pieces that make me feel like myself… like I’m still a human and not just a milk machine who’s only purpose is to respond to babies cries.

But, they are pieces that will work whether or not I go up or down a few sizes.

That’s the key to figuring out postpartum fashion (or fashion after weight gain): only purchase pieces that will work whenever you are done being postpartum.

Anything else, if you really have to purchase something, try to thrift a piece that you can sell whenever/if your size changes, but that you like enough to keep if it doesn’t.

The point is that you shouldn’t wait until you lose the weight to wear clothing that makes you feel good.

No, I don’t think it’s responsible to buy a whole new wardrobe in a time of weight transition, but I also don’t think you should suffer (in you’re already insecure state) through by wearing over sized t-shirts from the men’s department (been there… done that).

I want to keep this conversation going because I think it’s something that a lot of us deal with so I’m planning on doing posts over the next couple of months that really focus in on postpartum fashion/mom fashion. Tips I’ve learned, pieces that work, etc.

I hope this helps you guys out! More than anything, I want you guys to see that you don’t have to wait until “someday” to have a closet that works for you and that works for your ideals.

I’d love to hear from you guys in the comments below! What are areas that you struggle in? What are some tips that you’ve found to be successful?

Until next time,

Signature

 

 

 

Outfit Details:

Tank: Old from Only Child. Similar.

Denim Jacket: Old from Gap. Similar.

Denim: J Brand.

Shoes: Adidas.

Necklace: Nandi Jewelry

Leave a Comment

4 Comments

  1. 5.22.17
    Kayla said:

    Yes, yes, yes, thank you for these thoughts! Three months postpartum over here and have several piles in the closet – “almost fits,” “doesn’t fit,” and “REALLY doesn’t fit.” And shirts/dresses that aren’t practical during this nursing/pumping season of life. Can’t wait to read more!

  2. 5.22.17
    Lisa said:

    About to be postpartum AGAIN (5th time) and have still never figured this out (especially in light of seeking a more conscious and minimal closet)….looking forward to future posts!

  3. 5.22.17
    Larisa said:

    Thank you! My struggle is the time it takes to find those few pieces that make me feel good AND have boob access AND won’t show the milk I inevitably get all over myself. I spent an hour at a thrift store trying things on and found nothing. Hours are precious these days.

  4. 5.22.17

    The 4th trimester (and beyond) feels like the perfect opportunity to embrace a uniform. Prior to babies, I wore a lot of different outfits, but now I just have a few in rotation that fit my body type and I focus on hair & makeup…and by focus on mean spend 5-10 minutes on. I don’t think I’ve still quite figured out how to dress my body after babies; I’m wearing the same types of things I wore prior to pregnancy. But I did buy well fitting, fancy, ethical bras and undies, and that definitely makes me feel a lot more confident in my skin 🙂

Stay In The Know!

Subscribe to my newsletter for exclusive content.

Subscribe

* indicates required