Heading into the holiday season after (very) recently having a baby presents a special kind of challenge. However, it’s one that I feel more equipped to deal with being this is my second go-round dressing a postpartum mom bod. I feel like I have a much better idea of what works for this weird period of time when you’re tired of wearing your maternity clothes but you’re not really ready to shop for new clothes and you want to look semi-pulled together but you need clothes that are functional and allow easy access for a newborn that wants to nurse constantly. What the heck are you supposed to wear?
That’s why I thought I’d share the pieces I’ve been wearing since Charlie’s birth as they’re some great staples that can help get you through the holiday season. Often times when you see articles in magazines or blog posts about dressing for the holidays, they usually involve heels, sequins, and party dresses. And while I really do love all that fancy stuff, that’s just not the season of life I’m in this year and the social engagements I have on my calendar are toddler birthday parties, not black tie galas. Basically if something is so fancy that I can’t wear leggings to it, we’re probably not doing it this year. Ha. That’s life with a newborn and a toddler for you 🙂 But the good news is unlike all those sparkly “holiday” clothes that typically don’t get too much wear after New Year’s, the pieces below are all pretty basic and can be worn all winter long.
Tops
Normally I love wearing dresses but when you’re nursing, they aren’t super functional for breastfeeding in public. So I find that I end up wearing longer tunic style tops with leggings vs. an actual dress since I find that to be more functional. (Although three of the “tunics” pictured are actually dresses I think, they’re just short on me since I’m 5’10” and so I wouldn’t wear most of them as a dress anyway)
I picked up this lace dress (pictured top left) at my local Anthropologie where it was actually less than it is online since they were taking an additional percentage off the sale price. This one is long enough for me to wear as a dress, but I plan on wearing it with leggings and I feel like it’s something that could be worn all year long. I liked that it had a button front because it allows easy access for nursing and I thought the drawstring waist was flattering.
I have this Lush top (from the Nordstrom BP section – pictured top center) in the green color pictured as well as in two other colors and I LOVE it and kind of want to get more colors. (I also mentioned it in this post) It’s just a great staple top that’s easy to dress up or down, and paired with a nursing tank underneath, it works well for breastfeeding. I think the longer length is very flattering and I like that it’s a little longer in the back, so it works well with leggings. (I’m wearing a patterned version that’s unfortunately no longer available online in the photo in this post so you can get a better idea of how it looks on) It’s currently on sale at Nordstrom and for the price, it’s such a great shirt!
I picked up this red buffalo plaid dress at Target the other day, because while I have some plaid shirts already, they’re all not long enough (on me) to be worn with leggings and I’m not in a place that I want to wear actual pants at the moment. This one is perfect with leggings and the button front allows easy access for nursing! This one is long enough to wear as a dress, but I had to size down since my Target was out of the size I wanted, so it’s a little shorter and better with leggings 🙂
I found this long black shress (aka the term my friends and I used in college for long shirts that we would wear as mini dresses when we went out…glad those days are behind me, ha.) that comes in a few colors and I think pairs well with tights or leggings. The cut is kind of swingy and I thought it was super flattering on, plus I liked the cutout detail in the back. I plan on wearing it through the holidays, but I think it will also be perfect for traveling as well!
(Also, I didn’t include it in the collage because it’s a little bit more basic but this one button cardigan from Bobeau makes a great nursing shirt! I recently got two at Nordstrom Rack and I love them!)
Bottoms
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’m all about the leggings these days!
I recently got these Target-version Spanx high waist leggings (pictured bottom left) and really like them! I love that they are seamless, but because of that, they almost seem more like tights, so I definitely think they need to be worn with a longer shirt or dress. They definitely feel like Spanx though, so they’re kind of tough to get on but do a good job of sucking everything in once you do.
I also got a pair of legging pants from LOFT Outlet recently that I love, they’re thick and kind of more like pants than some leggings, but since they have an elastic waist band and no pockets, they still require wearing a longer shirt IMO. The ones I got are slightly cropped and have small black velvet polka dots on them, making them extra holiday appropriate. However, I couldn’t find those online but check in store if you have a LOFT Outlet near you! These seamed ponte leggings from regular LOFT (pictured bottom second from left) look really similar (minus the polka dots) and LOFT is having an awesome pre-Black Friday flash sale today (Wednesday) where everything is 50% off online with the code ‘BERRYGOOD.’
I kept seeing moto style leggings all over Instagram lately, and so I finally decided to pick up a pair! I got these plum moto leggings from the BP section at Nordstrom and I love that they’re something a little bit different from normal black leggings. (I’m wearing them with the Lush tunic in the photo in this post) The fabric is pretty thin so they are not super opaque in the back when you have them on (aka wear a shirt that covers your bum) but I think they’re super cute!
I’m not a big skirt person, but with nursing, a skirt/shirt can be a better option than a dress. I was in Hanna Andersson this weekend and picked up a super cute buffalo plaid skirt with an elastic waistband that I know will be getting a lot of use throughout the holiday season (and beyond). However, it looks like the skirt isn’t available online, but if you have a Hanna in your area then definitely check in store! However, they have a shirt in the same buffalo plaid material (pictured above) as the skirt I got that’s still available online and looks super cute! (This shirt from LOFT is a similar pattern, also super cute, and on sale right now if you’re looking for a long sleeve option!) I also included this plaid skirt from J.Crew Factory because it’s a very similar silhoutte to the skirt buffalo plaid skirt I got from Hanna Andersson, and would also be super cute for the holidays. An elastic waistband is your friend when you’ve just given birth 🙂
All of these pieces are flattering yet super comfortable, so they’re perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas shopping, or whatever else you have on the calendar over the next few weeks. Throwing on some fun jewelry can help things feel more festive and since babies and toddlers love to pull on things, I’m all about stud earrings and these glitter ones (pictured above) are perfect for the holidays! A plaid blanket scarf also works to help make an outfit seem more holiday-appropriate, plus it can double as a nursing cover!
I didn’t go through and check everything but I know many of these items, particularly things from Nordstrom, are marked down already for their pre-Black Friday sales and chances are other things will be going on sale on Friday. I know that the point of Black Friday sales is supposed to be for Christmas shopping, but hey, it’s also a great time to treat yo self! (Seriously, who else can never find clothes except when they’re supposed to be shopping for something/someone else? Tell me I’m not the only one!) I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and I’ll be back next week with some gift guides so stay tuned!
