Oct 8, 2020

Dressing the Bump!

For just about as long as it was at all possible, I resisted making the switch to all maternity clothes, all the time. 

Here's me at 24 weeks, wearing my loosest pre-pregnancy shorts and trying to pretend that my sweater isn't threatening to expose the bottom of my belly any moment:

24 weeks pregnant

I was super resistant to maternity wear for a few reasons. 

We're only having one child, so I would feel silly spending a lot of money on maternity clothes. I'll only wear them for a few months and then never again. 

On top of that, I wasn't really finding too many styles that I even wanted to buy. A lot of the pieces looked super matronly and while I'm not exactly a spring chicken at 27 years old, I'm also not ready to trade in cute clothes for muumuus. I think you can be 67 years old and still too young to give up on cute fashion!

My bump didn't truly pop until probably around 24 weeks, so I could get away with sticking to the looser clothes in my pre-pregnancy wardrobe for a while. Once the bump bumped, though, that didn't really work anymore.

I got a little extra wear out of some basic (and stretchy waistband) pieces, like leggings, by pairing them with maternity shirts. Here's me at 26 weeks in pre-pregnancy leggings plus a H&M Maternity t-shirt that I bought when I was in Germany this summer.

26 weeks pregnant

But our baby is a 79th growth percentile chonker and even that wasn't going to hold me over all the way through the end of this pregnancy. I had to give in and order a maternity wardrobe. Fortunately, a few people recommended Shein to me.

This is not a sponsored post, but I'll share anyway that I was thrilled to find Shein's maternity section. Shein is definitely the definition of fast fashion - it's cheap, made in China, and designs are more trendy than classic. These aren't clothes you're going to be holding on to for years.

But pregnancy is exactly the use case for fast fashion, especially if you're one-and-done! I only need my maternity wardrobe to last a season or two, so it's fine if the clothes fall apart after that. 

For the price point (super cheap - I got 8 pieces for around $120) I was worried that the clothes wouldn't be comfortable. I was really pleasantly surprised to find that they are comfortable and so much softer than I expected! They're also true-to-size, which is a relief when ordering from a new-to-me online retailer.

Here's me at 27 weeks, wearing a Shein look that cost only $24 for the entire outfit:

Shein Maternity Wear Review

I think this might be my husband's favorite of my Shein outfits, but I think they're all cute. 

It's fun to try out styles that I might not ordinarily wear, because I know that if I don't love them there's no need to rewear them again for more seasons. In that way, I think embracing maternity wear and dressing the bump may help me break out of my style comfort zone longer term and learn new styles that work for my body and my tastes. 

Moms, what were/are your favorite ways to dress the bump?

Have you ordered anything from Shein before?

30 comments:

  1. Love this Shein set on you! Shein is a perfect way to find cute clothes on a budget.

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I didn't know they had a maternity section. We have 4 kiddos and don't plan to have another but I will have to remember that and share with friends.
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Four is quite a full house! And yes, their maternity section is actually a lot bigger than the ones at H&M and Zara.

      Delete
  3. Loved the outfits. the last set is amazing

    https://coralalmog.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. You picked some amazing pieces! I don't have any kids but a little tip a friend told me once (who was a very small size pre-pregnancy) was to buy oversized items you can wear as something else later. Bigger sized sweaters to go over the bump that you could maybe wear as a sweater dress down the line, same for baggy tees. Obviously doesn't work for everything but it's a good way to not waste the money on maternity items, especially if you're not planning more down the line x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a good idea! I've also been trying to pick pieces that'll work for nursing as well (most of the tops I ordered are button ups, wraps, or have deep Vs that are nursing friendly). That'll at least help get a few extra months of wear out of them.

      Delete
  5. It's definitely good to find pieces that are budget friendly when they are going to be temporary. That's another reason I love shopping secondhand!!
    XOOX
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not going into any shops at the moment given covid, since I live in a big city, but pregnancy would definitely be a great thrifting opportunity otherwise!

      Delete
  6. I feel like I would be on the same boat as you if ever I get pregnant. I wonder if thrift stores / a maternity consignment store (is that such a thing?) would be better financially.

    http://bloomingsuitcase.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure about a specialized maternity consignment store, but you can search for maternity clothes on the thrifting app Poshmark (just so you know, in case you end up needing it someday)!

      Delete
  7. I think I had the same issues with maternity clothing! It can be super expensive and you only wear it a few months! Glad you found some cute options for not too much! That skirt set is adorable on you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The last outfit looks super good on you! Great finds.
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. You look so cute!!
    xx- Nina
    http://www.stylingwithnina.com/2020/10/balloon-sleeve-sweater-dress.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the Shein dress on you! Looks so chic! I'm a big fan of Shein myself too!

    Eileen | www.yesmissy.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'd never ordered from them before, but I'm really liking everything I bought!

      Delete
  11. I didn't know Shein had maternity clothing! That dress is darling on you!

    Jill - Doused in Pink

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'd actually never heard of Shein before someone recommended them for maternity clothing, but they're my favorite for maternity wear.

      Delete
  12. You look super cute in that SheIn two-piece! It makes sense not to spend much on maternity clothes so they are a great option. When I was fashion blogging I received so many pieces from them and I was surprised how much I liked the clothes and how long they've lasted.
    Martha
    www.alovelymessylife.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I hadn't even heard of them before now, so they were a great find!

      Delete
  13. Congratulations and I like your outfits. It is important that you feel nice and enjoy in these days.

    New Post - https://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2020/10/dr-brandt-xtend-your-youth-face-cream.html

    ReplyDelete
  14. It's great you found a nice way to style the bump! I found I could buy maternity pieces second hand and in sales and then sell them afterwards, that worked well for me, and I had a lot of stretchy fabrics in my wardrobe already, like maxi skirts and dresses, that lasted right to the end of my pregnancies :)

    Hope your week is going well :)

    Away From Blue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I hope your week is going well, too! Yes, stretchy non-maternity wear is great, too. I'm still able to wear my normal leggings at almost 29 weeks pregnant, I just wear them lower on my hips rather than up around my waist to be comfortable. And if it were summer, there are some dresses that would work too!

      Delete
  15. Your outfits look so chic! Best wishes to you and your baby!

    ReplyDelete

Please say hello, leave your comments, or answer my questions! It makes me smile when you leave me a note :) I read every single one of them and it makes my day when you guys say hi!

© Living, Learning, Eating, AllRightsReserved.

Designed by Danai