https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 17 May 2026 19:02:52 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-819326 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:52:15 +0000 saramir 819326@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Definitely will depend on how dressy your workplace is, how much you interact with others, and your tolerance for repeating. I tend toward minimalism, and I didn't have time to keep shopping as my body changed so much and so quickly in the 6-12 months postpartum, so I found 1 pair of wool trousers that fit reasonably well, 2 pairs of maternity jeans, a maternity skirt, and a $7 wrap dress I found at Target, I was fine. I had a few cheap printed t-shirts that looked nicer from Target that I wore as shells under cardigans. I didn't have 2 weeks worth of outfits and after a few months I was hating my wardrobe, but by then I rotated out the really grungy stuff with newer (smaller!) stuff. </p> <p>I was pumping so it was important to have separates as opposed to dresses; if I hadn't pumped, I would have had a larger wardrobe as I would have worn my early maternity dresses. </p> <p>I definitely agree with getting washable items. If you're pumping/breastfeeding, you may leak or spill; no matter what, the babies will drool or smear stuff all over your clothes, and especially until your size stabilizes and you have a very limited wardrobe, you'll want to make sure you can wash quickly! I wouldn't worry about having a ton of clothes to avoid laundry bottlenecks because you'll probably be doing lots of laundry for the kids anyway.</p> <p>People don't expect you to be slim upon your return, so be kind to yourself and don't stress about the belly. Camouflage the way you hid your early belly! Scarves, cardigans and blazers are your friends. </p> <p>Congrats on the babies and good luck! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-819071 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:05:34 +0000 RoRo 819071@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My advice to new moms: Get a great (easy to care for) hairstyle, and always wear lipstick and earrings. Draws the eyes to the face. Plus people will expect you to look tired, and will focus on how polished and groomed you look instead of any figure changes.<br /> BTW - I find the hair/lipstick/earrings formula also works to feel more confident in a swimsuit. Again, drawing the eyes to the face and away from the thighs! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818903 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:46:30 +0000 anne 818903@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Silk can be woven or knitted, just like wool, or cotton or polyester. It is about how the fabric is made, as opposed to what the fibres it is made from.</p> <p>And speaking of fabric, my post partum tip is to look for some pants or skirts in a fabric called bengaline. It is firm, yet stretchy and I wore them heaps after my babies. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818902 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:45:31 +0000 Anonymous 818902@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Silks can come in knits or woven. If it is a button up shirt then it is probably woven. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818891 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:24:09 +0000 Lisalou 818891@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Here's another question for Amy, Angie, any expert: Would something like silk be considered woven? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818868 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 10:31:49 +0000 Niefern 818868@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Amy, thanks for the explanation, I too needed it! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818517 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:53:04 +0000 Lisalou 818517@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Amy! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818502 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:40:04 +0000 Amy 818502@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lisalou,</p> <p>Knit fabrics are like t-shirt fabrics. Woven fabrics are like what are used in your typical button down blouses. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818494 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:34:13 +0000 Lisalou 818494@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks, K and Angie! Angie, one clarification question: By woven tops, do you mean things that aren't knit? What kind of material would I look for? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818449 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:53:43 +0000 Angie 818449@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great advice from, K can Shop! Thanks :)</p> <p>Lisalou, it is ALWAYS your goal to dress the body you have right now. Keep the wardrobe limited, but buy enough items so that you have outfits for two weeks of work - then rotate and repeat. Work on getting together 10 outfits. The last thing you need right now are bottle necks at the laundry basket. </p> <p>As far as camouflaging the belly goes, you're after high rises and woven tops that float away rather than cling. Tailored jackets, layered over these tops that do not cling, are the best way to add structure to your outfit and de-empahsize the belly. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818440 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:47:18 +0000 K. Period. 818440@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lisalou, I know that lots of folks will have advice for you on this. I also know that there are lots of us who have been in exactly your situation recently. I'll be interested to read what has worked for others. For me, I found what worked was a very limited wardrobe of mid-end items and a few low-end. H&amp;M trousers happen to fit my body shape very well, so I bought a pair or two of those. I also bought several of the Gap work trousers that were wool blends but washable. They weren't as structured or quite as good of quality as I usually bought, but at $40 or under when on sale (which you can often catch them at), they were a good value. I found that a couple of pairs of neutral pants (black and gray ones for me) were invaluable. I also really found skirts a much better value than trousers. I bought them tighter and they would sit higher on my waist. As I lost weight, they sat lower on my waist, but they fit for much longer than my trousers did. </p> <p>I'm guessing most of us will need more details to give you good advice. How dressy/casual is your workplace? How much do you have to spend on your wardrobe pieces? Are you set up with good basics that still work for you? How comfortable are you with wearing the same thing over and over for a while? </p> <p>I felt like I needed at least four bottoms that fit me plus a pair of jeans for casual Friday and weekends and a larger mix of tops. My pre-pregnancy tops fit me a lot earlier than my bottoms, so I focused on bottoms. I also had a lot of good accessories (purses, shoes and scarves) to help me add variety to my small wardrobe. I was perfectly happy to wear my cardigans and jackets open too, so even when they didn't technically fit, they still worked. </p> <p>Also, I'd suggest looking at a few of the capsule wardrobes that Angie has posted here to get an idea how they work. And, to be agnostic, I suggest also looking at the Vivian Files (<a href="http://theviviennefiles.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">http://theviviennefiles.blogspot.com/</a> ) where V. has some phenomenal examples of how to mix and match core pieces with accessories.</p> <p>ALSO: Make sure that what you buy is washable. Inevitably, I would get home and have to rush around and not be able to change before the baby icked me with some variety of goo. No one needs to be dealing with the hassle of dry cleaning while caring for two babes and working. The Gap trousers were a real winner for me on that, plus I could order them over them online rather than trying to find the time to try them on in store. It's hard to find time for shopping too! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-dressing-a-post-baby-body#post-818401 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:53:29 +0000 Lisalou 818401@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi Angie (and style experts here!),</p> <p>I had twins four months ago, and I go back to work next week. I have no idea how to dress this post-baby body as I lose the baby weight (have lost 30 lbs already, but my belly is *shaped* differently and much bigger than it ever was). I am typically a pear, and none of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit yet.</p> <p>I guess what I want to know is, a., does it make sense to buy lower-end stuff for now (Target, H&amp;M) while I lose the weight and work on the belly (I don't have a lot of money to spend on clothes overall), and b., how do I camouflage a belly?</p> <p>Happy to post a pic of the belly if that helps. </p>