The Skirt Alternative (Shorts...)

I tried on Vince shorts a few weeks ago and I loved them, however shorts are something I refuse to pay a lot for. Over the past few years I have bought a few pairs of standard knee length walking shorts (no short shorts, or the dreaded "formal shorts" for me, ick), but didn't wear them so much. The new shorts seem different, more like trousers that happen to be knee length, they are nice if you have a casual workplace or want something fun to wear instead of a skirt. If I had kids and was playing on the floor or at the park a lot I think I would wear them all the time.

So, back to not wanting to spend a lot, the Vince shorts and other designer brands are well over $100 a pair. Crazy. I like these, they are adorable, interesting, and $68 -




I would wear these like I would a denim skirt, with a tank or tee shirt, fun necklace and sandals. They are shorter than what I would normally go for, but I like the volume of them, so they won't feel so short.

The Non-Maternity Maternity Dress

Huh? You might be asking with a subject like that, I'm talking about regular clothes that work well as maternity clothes, which means you could even wear it once the bun is out of the oven.


These long Ella Moss dresses which are on sale would make great summer dresses both for those of us who aren't pregnant and those of you who are, when Angelina Jolie was pregnant with her twins she was often photographed in regular long dresses that worked really well. Here are a couple options -





and





I would suggest ordering up a size if you are going to wear this while pregnant, to make sure it fits properly over your growing chest...and then you will also be able to wear it while breast feeding, how convenient...

I wouldn't try it with short dresses because the belly will raise up the hem and in a short dress it could be quite obvious (maternity dresses are made with extra fabric in the front to prevent that) but lucky for you, the maxi-dress is still huge this summer.

Wearable High(er) Waisted Jeans

I have this perfect pair of high waisted jeans. They are amazing in the way they create a defined waist, have long straight wide legs making me look tall (quite a feat, by the way) and they were so inexpensive because I got them at Uniqlo in New York, but alas, they no longer fit me. I lost some weight in the fall before the wedding and I figured I would gain it back but I haven't and so I can't wear these jeans anymore. sad. I know, no one feels sorry for someone who has lost weight.

Jeans like this scare some people, but they don't have to look crazy like on Mischa Barton or Siena Miller, they can and do look great on normal people. In fact, if you have a problem with the dreaded "muffin top" these are a fantastic way to make that go away. They keep everything tucked into exactly where it should be.
Now I'm obsessed with finding a new pair and there are so many options my head is spinning.

I'm starting with these Rich and Skinny styles (on sale at Smartbargains!) -








Then there is this pair of Acne Blue Bells from Revolve -





But there are also styles that don't have this exaggerated high waist, they look like standard styles with just a little higher rise which works much better on most women, particularly women who have had kids and don't have as tight a tummy as they used to. Check these out -

The Citizens for Humanity Amber has a rise just a little higher than their other styles, and they work really well -




J Brand makes midrise jeans in all it's different cuts, including this midrise bootcut -

Good Jeans

I am hanging out on the East Coast this week and while visiting a friend and her new baby the other day, she (the friend, not the baby) asked about my jeans - she liked them and wondered if they come in her size - 12 or 14.

I was wearing a pair of Joe's Jeans in the 'Rocker' cut (many brands now name their styles rather than using numbers, because it makes it much easier to know which one you like), which means they are pretty straight through the hips and legs, with a low rise. The low rise is not for everyone, and for a new mother I would generally recommend a mid-rise or regular rise jean for several reasons, the first being your body is not yet back to what it was - not necessarily fat, just different, and you don't want to flash your underwear at play-dates or mom-and-tot classes every time you sit down or bend over.

Anyway, back to the jeans - a brand like Joe's Jeans comes in sizes up to 32 which is equivalent to about a 12, and they do now have high rise styles which can allow women to breathe a little easier, as do the now-popular wide-leg styles. I think what my friend really liked about the jeans, and the reason I like the style so much, is that the straight-leg jean is universally flattering. It means that from the hip to the ankle, the leg stays pretty straight which is ideal particularly for women who prefer to camouflage their hips.

Nordstrom has other brands of jeans with similar styles that also go up to a size 14, take this pair for instance:

These Christopher Blue "Lloyd - Farrah" jeans look a lot like the joe's Rockers I was wearing and they are a little cheaper ($148) and go up to 14.

There is also the brand "Not Your Daughter's Jeans," which come in this great high-rise wide-leg style:


These are $108-$118 and come in sizes up to 18.

Of course if you have a very young baby and are still losing baby weight, you might not want to spend that much on jeans that you'll only wear for a couple of months (but might want to keep them for the next time you are pregnant) The Gap and even Old-navy have mid-rise, wide-leg styles.