Pregnant Child in the City

After a VERY long break away from this blog, it feels great to be back. It feels even better to say that I have come to appreciate personal style on a whole new level in recent months, mostly due to the little person growing inside of me each day...

That's right; Baby Kendall will soon be upon us! We are due in January, and my husband and I are very excited to welcome our little Winter Baby.

When they say pregnancy/parenthood changes you...they were NOT kidding. It's been entirely positive changes so far, though not without its character-building moments. With pregnancy comes a lot of give and take, especially with your changing form. You realize that feeding and caring for this little life takes precedence over all, and you come to accept that (for a few months at least) you will not be able to wear your skinny jeans. And that's completely okay.

For starters, your figure changes daily. I remember when my friend Kelly was expecting, she would have "flat belly" days and "big belly" days. Depending on where the baby was at that moment, what she'd eaten the night before, even how she slept, Kelly's belly would change shape each day for several months! Imagine trying to dress yourself when your figure changed constantly...

Then there's the actual growth of everything else...mainly in the "guts and butts" area. No, you shouldn't go to extremes to keep your shape, but things do "round" themselves out when you're expecting, and it forces you to rethink your silhouette.

Pregnancy is a natural, healthy process, and it can be an absolute joy, especially when you feel beautiful in your own skin. Preferrably, there's a supportive spouse/partner/friend by your side who appreciates your new curves, too! So for the next week, I will be posting some tips and tricks of the trade to share with my fellow mamas-to-be. To start with...

1) No matter what your current size, there are three areas that will always look slimmer: your wrists, collarbone, and ankles. Drawing attention to the first two is a great way to balance out your shape, so think bracelet-length or 3/4-length sleeves (wrists) and square or scooped necklines (collarbone). Ankles and calves should be highlighted for the same reason; it helps to balance our your figure. However, the legs can sometimes be tricky, because some of us will have swollen ankles during preganancy. So with that in mind...

2) Embrace New Styles! Highlight the features you would've downplayed before. Pre-pregnancy, I liked to emphasize my shape by emphasizing my waist and hourglass shape. With my waist growing each day, I've found myself embracing longer tops and favoring skirts, jeans, and even leggings because they draw attention towards the legs. The same can be said of highlighting the arms a bit as well.

I hope this gets all you mamas out there thinking about how to embrace your changing shape and make the most of these next few months! More to come tomorrow. Happy hunting!

With love,

Jamie