What I Wore: The Maternity Finale

As I wrote two weeks ago, I'm officially done buying maternity clothes. With five weeks to go (and yes, I am counting every damn day), what you see is what you get. Which at the office means they basically see the same outfits every week. Of the four things I got in my last ASOS order, I kept just one. I figured this dress would work out since the style and fabric looked very similar to this dress I bought early on in my pregnancy. And, it did.

Paired with a white denim jacket (Old Navy, non-maternity), a pair of wedges, and two Angela Caputi bracelets, I didn't feel half bad. With summer in full swing here, I know I'll be getting at least another three or four wears out of this before baby McB arrives.

What I Wore: Maternity Layering

I know, it's been a while. "What I Wore" posts just aren't the same when you're wearing the SAME THING day aftery day. Up until last week the weather in D.C. was unseasonably cold and rainy...while the rest of the world was upset, it was music to this pregnant person's ears. Enter some good old-fashioned layering. A long vest or cape, a slimming pair of pants, a button down shirt (the blue one is borrowed from Dr. B (#maternityprotip) and a bump-defining belt...and you're in business (and comfortable at that). 

Once the bump makes its appearance, there's definitely sartorial benefits to defining it. And while I was somewhat slow to do that in the beginning, there's no way around it now (no pun intended). With seven weeks less, I put in one last clothing order to ASOS. Otherwise, I'm making due with what I've got. Here's what's on its way to me as I type...stay tuned for the winners.

Belted Bell Sleeve Wrap Top

Midi Dress in Floral Print

Knot Side Midi Bodycon Dress

Ruffle Neck and Peplum Midi Scuba Dress

What I Wore: Maternity Staples

We are THRILLED about the pending arrival of our little girl. That being said, I'm not one of those women who loves being pregnant. I'm just not. And while I love to dress and put together outfits, dressing for pregnancy is NOT easy. The challenge when you're tall and not super petite is that instead of getting a cute little bump you just get thick...everywhere. I want to walk around with  a sign saying, "I haven't been on a 4-month eating spree, I'm pregnant."

I thought I'd share some of my maternity staples for the first 22 weeks. You can't go wrong with a LBD and that's definitely true when you're pregnant. I love this dress from ASOS (as an aside, did you know it's pronounced a-sauce?). 

I've been pairing it with statement necklaces (History & Industry to the rescue), long vests and jackets.  Now the disclaimer...when I washed it (according to the instructions, without putting it in the dryer) it shrunk pretty significantly. ASOS has incredible customer service and they let me return it...but if you're tall, it could be an issue. This looks similar (unfortunately with long sleeves which aren't ideal for a DC summer) so I might order it as a replacement. There's no way I can go the rest of the pregnancy without a good black dress. Stay tuned for future posts about ASOS maternity clothes - I've got two dresses I bought early on before they sold out and am looking forward to wearing them. 

Gap has been my other go-to so far. Again, it's all about basics. These jeans fit great and with a 30% off coupon were a great deal. And there's no way I can go 40 weeks without a great white button down. The length on this is perfection for me. And, I'll definitely be able to get good use out of this after the mini's arrival too. 

And while I don't have a good photo, these black demi panel perfect trouser pants are a must-have for work. I'm hoping to not buy too many maternity clothes and with these great basis, I might be able to get away with it.

Do you have any favorites I should try?

Guest Post: Making La Madre

Hi C&C readers! I have been following Katie & Regan’s blog for the past five years and am happy to have my first guest post today. I started my blog, Making La Madre, back in September as I entered my third trimester to document my experience as a ‘hesitant madre’.

I post about maternity style & adjusting to motherhood with my four month old Mo.

Today I am here to share some of my favorite maternity style finds and hopefully introduce you to some new favorites.

THE HATCH COLLECTION BATEAU DRESS Have you heard of this brand? I love the concept. Well made & stylish clothes that you can wear before, during and after pregnancy. The cuts and draping make the clothes look great on all shapes and figures. I splurged on the Bateau dress early on in my pregnancy as I was looking for some retail therapy to help me usher in this new chapter of my life and I absolutely love the dress. I have already worn it post pregnancy and it still looks great.

TOPSHOP MATERNITY JEANS I did not splurge on any ‘designer denim’ for my pregnancy. I debated doing so but in the end it was not really worth it to me. Early on I bought some jeans from TOPSHOP’s maternity line and at the roughly $70 pricetag was very satisfied with them throughout my entire pregnancy. I also loved their denim cutoffs which I wore all summer.

MADEWELL TOPS & SWEATERS You likely already are a fan of Madewell and their tomboy style. I was not a big Madewell shopper prior to my pregnancy but after a walk into their shop at five months pregnant I was surprised to learn that so many of their silhouettes not only fit but also flattered a growing belly. A couple of my favorite items were: The Oversize Button Down Shirt & Anytime dress. Both fit all the way through my pregnancy and both have been items that I continue to wear now that the baby is out.

ASOS, ESPECIALLY THE DRESSES No surprise here, as this is a post on C&C, that ASOS would be mentioned! Katie & Regan were the ones to introduce me to the online shop and I have been a fan ever since! I ordered probably 30 different items throughout my pregnancy and was always pleased when they arrived within two days and I could try them on in the comfort of my own home & return the ones that didn’t work.

COS At about six months pregnant I took a work trip to Paris and had to visit the COS, the higher end sister store to H&M. Still affordable pieces but all designed with a more sleek aesthetic. I LOVE their stuff. Most of it is a line and again, much like Madewell, very flattering for a bump. I scooped up a black jersey dress & long wool cardigan. Very simple, well made & good looking basics.

Thanks for letting me share this with your readers! Happy to answer any maternity style questions and share more in the comments below!

xx Ly

Bump Watch

As you know, C&C has followed Kate Middleton since the early days of the blog! In fact, the first time I ever blogged about her was June 2nd, 2009 (here)...nearly 4 years ago. Since it's been a while since our last Kate post, I thought I would do a quick summary of her bump fashion. As in her pre-pregnancy fashion, Kate's style is always flawless.

I can't wait for the arrival of her little Royal.

images via

"Expecting" Fashionably

While I've never been pregnant (this is not an announcement), Regan has, and so have/are lots of my friends. I look at expecting working women and think how tough it must be to look and feel good every day...especially if you are into clothes and trends.

Enter More of Me Maternity. Started by fellow Washingtonian Jessica Boulanger, this company makes clothes that women want to wear - pregnant or not! Here are some of my favorite pieces. I can guarantee that when the time comes, I'll be wearing more of More.

To top it off, Jessica doesn't just run an incredible company, she has a full-time job and three little ones at home! Oh, and did I mention she has mad style (both with clothes and interiors). To see just what I mean check out this recent feature on her on Refinery29. I'm convinced that under her amazing clothes she wears a Super Mom cape.