Maternity Capsule Wardrobe

Maternity Capsule Wardrobe

My style is simple casual... and for someone who doesn't shop a whole lot and who doesn't care too much for fashion (that's a topic worth its own entry), it has been an incredible arduous process to get my wardrobe into shape. Let's just say I've been working on it ever since post-college, and it's *still* a work in progress.

Now out of sheer irony and great luck, pregnancy gave me the capsule wardrobe I've been coveting but never quite managed to achieve in the past few years :)

Behold, my 14-piece maternity capsule wardrobe!

3 short-sleeve tops: Style & Co patterned top, Eddie Bauer dry-fit shirt, Liz Lange Maternity gray tee
4 long-sleeve shirts: Old Navy shirts in gray and navy, Zara striped shirt, Gap Maternity black top
1 jacket: Uniqlo tan down jacket
2 pairs of pants: Gap maternity black leggings, Liz Lange Maternity jeans
1 Bella Band in black
3 pairs of shoes: sneakers, loafers, ballet flats
+ accessories (scarf, necklaces), and does not include special occasion wear (1-2 dresses) and PJs/lounge at home/exercise clothes (chris' bball shorts, yoga pants, t-shirts, sweatpants, etc) :P

How?

Well, laziness may have something to do with it ;) it's hard to shop for new clothes knowing your body may change shape and size in a month or two, so I only purchased items as they became necessary to accommodate my growing bump. What did I buy? 1 pair of maternity jeans on sale at target for $15. best purchase ever. the stretchy waistband can be folded over during earlier stages of pregnancy, and now covers the entire belly in my third trimester. without this pair of dark denim jeans, i would have no pants to wear out in public now... lol 0_o  i really should purchase another pair of maternity pants in case anything should happens to this pair, but with only a month to go, i don't really feel like it! I also bought a striped long-sleeve shirt from Zara ($20) when my other shirts didn't quite cover over my jeans anymore--- just a shirt that's long enough to go over leggings to provide the length i needed for better coverage and some style (stripes).   

the luck bit is that i carried small--- i was able to use pieces from my regular closet through most of the first and second trimester. i put away anything that was not comfortable early on, and only kept pieces which are loose enough to continue to be worn the next few months... luck would also provide me the rest of the 'maternity'-specific clothes through hand-me-downs by friends. i didn't end up keeping the majority of what others passed down due to size and style differences, and in the end, kept only a few very basic pieces that i can wear everyday (gray tee, black shirt, black leggings & bella band). luck would also have us living in california, meaning that even though my third trimester is over winter, i didn't need any winter maternity wear... an unzipped jacket works just fine. luck would also have me at home, so there was no need for a separate set of work clothes. casual clothing is appropriate for 90% of what i do, and that is lucky because it significantly cuts down on pieces i need for day-to-day activities. 

So luck and circumstances have created for me the capsule wardrobe i've always wanted... and this is what i've learned:

-i understand better now what fashion bloggers mean when they talk about having basic pieces that work with each other (similar color scheme means more versatility- everything goes with everything else). it seems so boring to buy black/white or gray tops... except they are necessary and totally work.
-less is more! less options makes dressing easier (whenever i feel like i have nothing to wear, it probably means i have too many things that don't work together, which means if i ever feel like i have nothing to wear in the future, i am going to try getting rid of stuff first!) 
-accessories are helpful (i still need to learn how to accessorize more and how to layer properly. that's like level up :P)
  
i am happier with my closet nowadays because even though the clothes i have are very simple/basic, they are comfortable, fit correctly for my body and matches my current lifestyle needs. the irony is that it took my pregnancy to teach me a lesson about how to dress myself at a time when my body continues to change week to week-- hopefully these lessons will be recalled post-partum as i continue growing my personal style as a new mama.