favorite {non-maternity} maternity duds

When I first found out I was pregnant with Julia I remember telling Simon that I wasn't going to wear tents for maternity clothes. Nope. Only cute and belly hugging duds for me. I was so sure. And stupid.

And then I grew as you do when you're pregnant ... and I grew and grew and realized I mostly hated how tight fighting things looked (on me! A lot of people can pull them off really well!) and aside from twoish shirts ... I started to embrace the tent look as the weeks dragged on until Julia was born. With Sebastian's pregnancy I ventured more into the non-maternity as maternity clothing territory but still really loved a lot of my maternity clothes. Anyway ... over the trimesters I've found myself going back to these staples over and over again and finding them to be equally awesome in the postpartum period of joy.

Everyone has different body types and preferences and the weather definitely dictates a lot of what you can and can't wear so these might be of help to no one but .... we all know I love a good collage of clothing and I couldn't resist ...

1. Old Navy Button-ups - {worn here} I really wished I'd thought of these sooner. In the first and second trimester before you're really needing to lean heavily on maternity tops - Old Navy has an awesome selection of button up shirts in TALL (I've only ever found them online - not in the store) ... genius. I'm 5'7 and they are pretty long on me and work well with leggings and skinny jeans. I ordered the same size I normally do because Old Navy tends to run a little large a (except those rock star skinny jeans -- those seem to run about 6 sizes small -- or maybe that's just me) and I know these will work great for nursing. Done convincing you. I hope you're convinced though. They are great.

2. American Apparel Winter Leggings - I love the Albion Fit leggings for working out and um not working out but these are a great alternative because they are a little longer and just a little thicker so I feel pretty safe wearing them with tunics. All of the maternity leggings I've tried are just too thin and stretch so easily but these maintain their shape really well and the waist is low enough that they don't suffocate the bumpage at all.

3. Elastic Belt - I didn't try the belted bump until Sebastian's pregnancy and then I took it a little far belting everything - even my swimsuit. Just kidding. The key is to find one that's elastic. I found this pretty one on Amazon but I've had great luck on eBay and at Target (only clearance! Target is Target but sometimes Target's prices are a little ridic) and Goodwill.

4. Dankso Pro-XP Clogs - Not an essential, obviously. And I really lucked out finding a barely worn pair for a steal on eBay in a color that I love but if I knew how comfortable they were I might've been convinced to pay full price. Maybe. I'm sure people will disagree but I don't think they look terrible with skinny jeans and in these last weeks when my back is not feeling great (it hurts - I always forget how much it hurts! the beauty of pregnancy amnesia) these are lifesavers.

5. Mossimo Foldover Maxi Skirt - I was so so happy to see Target brought this back this year. Last year they went a funky route with the hi-low trend and slits galore but this is a sensible skirt that I've worn pregnant and not pregnant for the past three years. I hope Maxi skirts never go out of style because I heart them to a fault.

6. Merona Ultimate Crewneck Cardigan - {worn here} I love to wear these with tunics. They stretch a little and pull an outfit together (or so I tell myself) and maternity cardigans are just the funniest because when was the last time you buttoned a cardigan ALL the way up? Almost never, I'd imagine. No need to go get a button up maternity cardigan when these go on sale all the time at Target and they are constantly getting fun new patterns and colors. I get one size down from my usual ... but that's my preference and it might not be yours. Oh and I only like crewneck .... not v-neck .... not sure why.

7. White Plum Tunics - I've posted about these before but really -- I love them. I just saw they are on clearance and will be so sad if they take them away forever because they are really great. They are thick but breathable, long and flowy without being crazy, and work really well with a belt or no belt. {not sponsored at all ... I have just gotten a lot of wear out of these and really think you will too!}

I still REALLY love maternity clothes and will never be one of those greats that can flit through their entire gestational period wearing non-maternity clothing - ever. I'm wearing maternity on maternity on maternity right now, actually.

Anyway - I'm sure I'm missing a million things that you've found and love. Share it with me and my future postpartum self .... if you're feeling generous. I totally understand if you're not.