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?

What I Wore: Back to Basics

I bought two great staples for my wardrobe recently that are just too good not to be shared. Everyone should have a crisp, white button down in their closet. My go-to is Brooks Brothers because as much as I appreciate a good iron (and I say that sincerely), there's nothing quite like pulling an oxford shirt out of the dryer read to wear! I've got some of their regular dress shirts, but was looking for something a little longer. Their new cotton tunic, was just the ticket. 

Zara vest (old), Joe Fresh crop pants (old)
Brooks Brothers tunic, Maison Martin Margiela wedges

It has proven itself to be a great layering piece for work and weekends - as you'll see below. The second purchase were two pairs of J. Crew Pixie Pants (navy and black). These are the adult-appropriate version of the legging. The fabric is substantial enough to wear to work, is constructed of a great "holds you in" fabric, and look good on pretty much everyone. I went up a size because I wanted to make sure they weren't too tight for a professional setting. I've already gotten a ton of wear out of them. 

Brooks Brothers tunic, Uniqlo cashmere,
J. Crew Pixie Pants, Zara boots and scarf

Do you you have these must-haves in your closet?