Wearing lately {+ my favorite pants}

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Getting dressed postpartum is hard. I made the mistake of trying on a pair of pre-pregnancy jeans a week after giving birth (don't do it). Four weeks out, I had dropped 20 of the 28ish pounds that I put on while pregnant but my loose jeans pre-pregnancy still wouldn't cut it. And now, 6 weeks later, I can get them on and button them (barely) but they just don't fit like they did before. I started exercising again last week: so far I've tried zumba, hip hop aerobics, and cardio-boxing along with this dvd a couple times a week (funny story that this is the same dvd that I did with my mom after she gave birth to the youngest two of my 7 siblings). Still though, it's going to be awhile before my clothes fit like they used to, and that's ok.

So I decided to pick up a couple pairs of pants and tops that fit well now. It's good for my psyche and body image in this somewhat rocky time ha...

Pants: J. Crew 
Top: J. Crew

These are the J. Crew skinny zipper pants, which are on sale today for $25 (gasp). I first saw them in this picture:


I kind of fell in love with the whole ensemble, the gorgeous blue tunic (also on super sale today) and the perfect pants. I didn't think that they'd work for me now, but I ordered them in the larger of my two J. Crew pant sizes and hoped for the best. I was shocked when they arrived: they fit beautifully (I mean, as beautifully as pants can 6 weeks postpartum) with (almost) no muffin top, just enough stretch, flattering back pockets...aaaand I may have picked up another pair today (but seriously, $25!)

These Splendid tunics are part of the very few shirts that I owned pre-pregnancy that are flattering right now, and I've been wearing them nonstop:
On left:
Tunic: Splendid
Jeans: old, current version from J. Crew Factory
Sandals: Birkenstocks

On right: 
Tunic: Splendid
Sandals: Sam Edelman

These tunics definitely fit me differently than they did before I was pregnant, but they are drapey, which is always good post-partum, and they are long enough which has been an ongoing problem for me since I started breastfeeding. They're on sale right now here in lots of colors but they're still kinda pricey (I found mine on sale at 6pm.com and on Ebay).

I know it's been said before, but I'm trying to appreciate my body for the incredible feat that it's accomplished: birthing a human being (sans epidural, no less - although whether that was a good idea I'm still wrestling with in my mind ha). So I will forgive my stretch marks, soft belly, and "extra curves" and marvel in what my body has done. In the meantime, I'm trying to eat healthy, exercise and dress in a way that is flattering now. And at the end of the day, what really matters right now isn't worrying about my clothes or counting calories, it's reveling in this sweet little guy and relishing every moment with him...it's amazing how much joy a person so tiny can bring.

Last week, in our 4th of July best!

Linking up with the Pleated Poppy and Agi.

10 comments:

  1. Well now I'm interested in trying the skinny zipper pants, you are a bad influence :) You look great, congratulations on your baby!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh your baby is sooo cute!!!
    I remember I struggled with my weight after giving birth to my kids. I was on a strict diet for about 2 months until I reached my original weight... but I could fit into my tight jeans after 9 months.
    x Nina
    http://trendsurvivor.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. You look great! Those pants are a fantastic find. Makes me want to head on over and try them out for myself! So inspiring how you've managed to maintained such a great sense of style and find time to shop (online totally counts) with all the busyness of a new mom and resident. My inspiration! Don't ever be too hard on yourself because what you've accomplished is major!

    Ele @ InspirationEle

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh goodness he's so adorable. And you're looking great!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You look fab! Love the first and last outfits (the baby was adorable, of course!!) :)

    Rock climbing near Mohonk Mountain House in New York

    ReplyDelete
  6. dont forget to check your notes on FB page

    ReplyDelete
  7. You look seriously amazing. AMAZING! I must check out those pants!! Also, I'm here to tell you that in my experience it was NOT true that my body was "never the same" after having babies, or that "things fit differently" or my body's shape was "just different." I mean, newly postpartum, of course. But eventually I ended up thinner, fitter, and more toned AFTER having babies than before. My body definitely did get back to "normal" (better, actually) and all my old clothes fit just fine (until I had to get smaller ones). Yes, it took time, but it happened on its own, as if my body knew just what to do--which it did. :) Breastfeeding helped a LOT but overall it was clear that my body knew how to revert to its non-pregnant/non-postpartum shape if given enough time and generally healthy eating/exercising.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Boo, girlfriend, how did you get these pants for $25?? They're currently listed as twice that. Bummer.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You look fabulous and your son is adorable! Thanks for still blogging! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Awee he's so adorable!!! Congrats to you and your husband. My baby girl is turning 3 this week, time does fly. Enjoy your baby as much as you can. :)
    Take care
    claudiapersi.blogspot.ca

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for reading and for taking the time to leave a comment! Your lovely comments really make my day :) I appreciate and enjoy every comment even though I don't always have time to reply.

(I also often reply via email, unless you are a no-reply blogger).