summertime – the Spiff

Fashion, maxi dress, outfit inspiration, outfit planning, styling, summertime, target, weekend outfit, what to wear

The Guide to Building a Cheap and Chic Maternity Wardrobe

July 27, 2015 No Comments

So I can’t promise that you’re going to daintily sneeze and pop out the baby, nor can I promise that you’ll have the perfect retort every time someone remarks on your body and how you’re carrying.

Sure, it would be great if there was a preciseness to it and we could know exactly every change before hand, but we can’t. What we do know is that our belly is going to grow and that we’re going to love that child.

Just know your belly’s not going to be that big forever.

I’ve not made it a secret that I was thrilled to have a baby belly and loved every minute of walking around with it even on the days when it felt like it weight 45 pounds all by itself.

Since there’s so much physical change going on and you’ve got that interesting cocktail of hormones swirling around, you want to be as prepared as possible with the outfits you’re going to be wearing while that belly grows and grows.

So I CAN promise that these tips will help you smoothly transition into and out of your maternity wardrobe…

(Going into this pregnancy, by the way, I also gave away the biggest amount of clothes I’ve ever given in my life. I did that to sew a seed so that I would never be frustrated dressing my baby bump. I’m here to say, it worked!)

GAP Shirts and Statement Necklaces

I am freshly into my 3rd trimester in this picture and wearing one of only 4 shirts that I bought that were actual “maternity” shirts.

I picked up this white shirt, a gray one and a coral one from GAP in order to have basic tees that I could dress up or down. In this pic I’m wearing a simple long striped tank underneath to jazz up the basic white. You can read about that ensemble here.

I paid less than $10 for all three and squeezed every last penny out of them. I wore them with all kinds of necklaces, different pants, under jackets, under sweaters, with skirts…you name it. These went so very far. And because I picked up two of them in neutral colors (gray and white) and a third one in a nice summer color (coral) the options were endless.

Jackets, statement necklaces and sweaters are all things you can keep buying at your original size and rock all throughout the pregnancy and beyond. Since I was biggest in the summer I stocked up mostly on statement necklaces, but when I was believing God for this baby, I stepped up my blazer game and was able to disguise the bump a little with them in the spring when it was still cool outside.

Elastic Waist Lines

The only maternity pants I bought were my jeans because being ~~a freak about jeans~~ an avid jean wearer, I knew that I would need at least two pairs to get me through and that’s just what I bought.

However, for business and church I knew I would need more than that, so I stocked up on pants with elastic waist bands. Pictured above are my elastic waist band patterned pants. These came in handy because they added visual interest to my outfit and allowed me more use out of those GAP maternity tops.

Pictured below is a great pair of black pants I got at GAP (from the non-maternity section). They’ve been great for business or dressier events. And because they’re so voluminous I can pair them with a tight fitting maternity top and it all works together. This striped top is the fourth of four tops I bought that are maternity. I picked this up at Motherhood on sale for $20.

Dresses – Stretch, Midi, Maxi

So I realize not everyone will have the weather to wear a maxi dress when the bump is at its biggest, but while you can, buy them and wear them because they’re something that will work later on so you don’t have to buy them from the maternity section. I got several from Ross (like this one pictured) that were $12. And really you can throw a regular jacket over them and wear them a little into fall if you’d like.

If you are going to buy a maternity dress, get one that you can do a lot with. Pictured below is the only maternity dress I bought (this one’s from Target) and I have worn the HECK out of it. Plus when I’m pregnant again, this pattern is a classic so I won’t mind pulling it back out.

Midi length is so popular right now and is a great option for preggo’s because the bump makes the dress shorter, and with a dress at a midi length that’s not a problem.

When I found one I liked I bought others in the same shape but in a different pattern and wore them all different ways. I got these at H&M and have worn them every which way – most of which included a belt so I carved out that waistline and looked less like a big prego blob.

Kimonos and Long Tees

It’s great that kimono’s are on trend right now because they’re going to help you jazz up a simple outfit. They helped me get miles more out of simple dresses and tops and also helped to streamline my shape which made me look less big and pregnant (I’ve got one on from Target with the striped dress above and a leopard one from TJMaxx in the picture directly above this).

However, they are seasonally appropriate for summer and that’s about it. So if your bump is growing well into the fall, add lots of open waterfall sweaters to your wardrobe as these will produce the same affect and allow you to spend more on something you’ll get use out of later on when you’re not pregnant.

Long t-shirts in bigger sizes helped me out greatly when it came to dressing down. In fact, honestly if I was going to panic about anything it would have been about what I was going to wear casually, but I found several great shirts from TJMaxx, Ross and Forever21 for less than $20 that weren’t maternity and fit over my bump. Then for just around the house or running errands, I went to AC Moore and picked up several $4 plain Gildan tees to wear with workout pants and sweats.

All of these tips will help you feel more beautiful and less frustrated when you get dressed with your baby bump. Plus they’ll fill your closet with pieces you’ll be able to wear long after that little one comes out into the world!

Working on a little baby bump? See what I wore for that here!

summer, summertime, west town mall, Why this works

The Pants that Flatter Everyone

July 6, 2015 No Comments

I’ve always wanted to be able to pick pocket.

Not because I want to steal things from people, but because I think being so slick with your movements and expertly diverting the attention of your target is so cool and smooth. Thankfully I can channel this weird desire for a life of crime into how I get dressed.

Picking and pairing clothes that flatter your body involves being a master of illusion, because we get to divert attention from where we don’t love to where we do.

And while there are rules and guidelines for every body type, every once in a while there’s a piece that really flatters everyone. Like fuller pants.

Think of this fuller pants shape as the magical jeans you could form a sisterhood around.

A fuller shaped pant or jean balances out the shape of someone who is bigger on top, they give your body shape if you’re straight up and down, and when worn to the ground with high heels they make even the most petite legs look miles long. You can also pull them off if you have a bigger bum, but be sure to pair them with a jacket or sweater (to balance you out) and always always wear them with something that highlights your tiny waistline.

Here are the options I’ve picked out for you – all found at West Town Mall.

1. The Limited: Show off your best summer heels with these full culottes.

2. Banana Republic: They’re cool in every sense and would look great with a light weight summer tee and necklaces.

3. American Eagle: Loose and comfortable? Yes! Wear them with a tighter top to balance out their flow.

4. GAP: Office appropriate and perfect for summer especially when paired with a tucked in shirt and blazer.

5. Dillard’s: A dressier version of the linen pant, which means you could wear these to all kinds of summer functions.

Think about this too – their flow-y fit really mimics the airiness of a maxi dress so they are great for warmer weather (especially on that very rare occasion where you haven’t shaved your legs)!

Maternity note: I bought a pair from Gap that have an elastic waistband so I’ve been able to wear them now throughout the pregnancy and later – which is awesome!

Fashion, forever21, jcpenney, maxi dress, summer, summertime

Get the Most from Your Maxi Dress

June 22, 2015 No Comments

The following is a post from last summer. I wanted to bring it to you again because now that the temperatures have heated up, it’s nice to know how to get really good use out of the most comfortable pieces in your closet – your maxi dresses! Enjoy and check back Wednesday for the white hot trendy item you’ll really appreciate having this season!

The one piece I end up missing the most when summer is over, is a maxi dress.

Thus while I’ve got summer on my side, I’m going to figure out as many ways to wear them as possible. This not only helps me when packing, but it also helps to stretch my dollars -and you can’t say that’s not fun!

Here are three examples of how I’ve taken a plain maxi dress and jazzed them up a bit…

There are so many great simple tank maxi’s out there, don’t shy away from them! Look at them as a blank (and wildly comfortable) canvas. Add your personality all over it by way of a belt, a long swingy necklace, a jean jacket…the list goes on and on.

I hate having to work around my bra straps this time of year. That’s why I stock up on printed tank tops that aren’t razor backs so that I can wear them underneath a strappy dress like this one and still be comfortable in my regular bra. If you have a dress that doesn’t work with a tank top underneath, click here to read about a great strapless bra.

This striped dress has been with me all over the country. Because it’s so easy to pack and can be worn 10 different ways. Look for a maxi in a simple pattern like this one so you can wear it with a sweater, a shirt, a jacket, a sweatshirt…you get the idea. It’s freakishly versatile.

Ross has one of the best collections of maxi dresses I’ve ever seen. That’s where I bought the flower print one pictured. The other two came from Forever21 (JC Penney also has a great collection). Get out there and find one you love, then wear it ten different ways from Sunday!

Fashion, styling, summertime

What to Wear This Weekend

August 8, 2014 No Comments

Any 80’s kids remember that show, “Salute Your Shorts”? Today I’m going to help you get your shorts so dressy they just might get saluted. Probably not. But maybe.

This outfit was one of those downtown ensembles that I love to put together. I don’t know about your downtown, but ours has that artsy vibe. So I always like to break out of my box a bit whenever I’m going down there for dinner.

The box out of which I broke with this outfit was my “I don’t like to wear shorts” box. I’m not a fan of how they feel, and most of the time they look all bunched and wrinkly so they don’t often make it into my rotation. However, with it being a bit cooler out at night (and with a solid tan going on my legs) I thought it would be good to at least take these boys out once this summer (the shorts that is, not my legs).

Even though I’m not a big fan of shorts, this army green pair I got from Gap are pretty awesome. I love the length – not too mom, not too hooch – and the fact that they cuff and in doing so make my legs look smaller makes them ok in my book.

I balanced out the shorts with a patterned sweater and anchored the whole thing with gladiator wedges. Shorts get 1,000 times more flattering when you wear them in heels, FYI.

It’s a pretty simple outfit, in fact I’m sure you have some of these same pieces in your closet. So give it a try this weekend and see what you think!

Fashion, outfit planning, summertime

Fun With Pants

June 23, 2014 No Comments

Cute, comfortable and cheap are three words that don’t often exist in the same sentence.

But they’re all chilling together when it comes to describing these $7 pants I picked up from the Target clearance rack. Which is lesson one in this blog: always take time to skim the clearance rack because you never know what gems are waiting (just be sure you try it on before leaving the store, especially if the return policy is tricky with things on super sale).

I love these tuxedo pants because they’ve got that awesome stripe down the side, giving them an edge over just boring black pants (which I admittedly own too many of).

I secretly love these because they’re really really comfortable. They’re soft and flexible and have an elastic waste band making them perfect to sit in all day long. Which in turn makes them perfect pants for the office.

This whole outfit – the blazer with the t-shirt and fun pants – it’s what I would want to wear on a magazine cover because it perfectly embodies my style. Easy going, cool, playful. This could be my uniform, people.

What would your uniform be? If you’re trying to discover your style – the language you want to speak to the world – think about the one piece (or pieces) that you would wear on a magazine cover. Or what you’d wear to meet an old friend that hasn’t seen you (or your Facebook) in years. What would you wear to represent you?

Think about it, then build pieces around that one you love. From there you can grow an entire closet! But while you’re searching for all of that, shop the Target clearance rack and keep an eye out for easy cotton pants like these. They’re so comfortable!