Tuesday, March 17, 2015

༺ Come Back Darling ~ Advice for Postpartum Fashion ༻

Maggie Tang 1950's reproduction shirtwaist dress | Lavender & Twill

Aqua, pink tea roses and pearls | Lavender & Twill

Mint green satchel & lacey ballet flats | Lavender & Twill
 
6 Tips for Postpartum Vintage Style | Lavender & Twill

3 weeks and 5 days postpartum after a cesarean section delievery | Lavender & Twill

Here we are, 3 weeks and 5 days postpartum, and outfit posts are making a come back!  I know the topic of this post is probably only going to be relevant to a few of you, but this is a subject I really want to delve into ~ dressing a postpartum body.

The reason for that is, and I’m shooting straight from the hip here, wearing clothing postpartum pretty much sucks. 

Yes, there are all the obvious statements like: “But you JUST had a baby.”  Er, yeah, despite the sleep deprivation I think I know that!  Or: “It takes 9 months of your body  changing while carrying a baby, it takes 9 months for it to change back.”  While the 9 months to get back to normal may be give or take a few months depending on your body, this statement is also a “Yup. It figures.” type thought.

The fact of the matter is, unless you like parading around in your birthday suit, you still have to clothe yourself for those weeks following the birth of your precious bundle somehow. And that’s where it gets tricky.

Dressing a baby bump can be a challenge, but it’s made relatively simple by the fact that you don’t have anything to hide. Babies are wonderful, and baby bumps are awesome! They are a celebration of the little life growing in you, and look really cute no matter how you dress them.

Honestly, I find styling postpartum fashion to be far more challenging than styling maternity fashion. No longer do you have a cute bump to hide the fact that you have no abdominal muscles, waist, or shape from your chest to your hips. ‘Coz when the bump is gone and the baby has arrived you still don’t have any abdominal muscles, waist, or shape from your chest to your hips!  ( ̄。 ̄)

I’m not going to beat around the bush ~ this is where supportive undergarments really come into their own. Whether you’ve had a natural delivery or a cesarean section birth {Because of some complications, Charlotte was born via cesarean section}, wearing some sort of support is definitely helpful. It could be it a bandage, a wrap, a foundation garment such as shape wear, or a waist cinching girdle.

Not only do support garments help your clothes to sit nicely, they also assist with recovery for postpartum muscles.  I know for myself I feel so much better with something on. I’ve been wearing a tube bandage nonstop since the day after Charlotte was born, and it’s been a real help. My posture is better, I’m not as sore in my abdominal region, and my back doesn’t hurt as much when I am wearing some support.

The challenge for dressing still remains despite this foundational trick. Maternity clothes are too big in all the wrong places, pre-pregnancy clothes are too small in all the wrong places! Nobody wants to buy a wardrobe for such an in between phase though, so here are my tips for postpartum vintage style.

~ 6 Tips for Vintage Postpartum Outfits ~

  1. Belt it! Wide belts are your friend. They help to cinch in loose clothing and define your waist. Narrow belts don’t work as well because you don’t actually have a waist yet, you are just pretending.  ; )  

  2. 1950’s full skirts are comfortable and look great with those wonderful child bearing hips. I personally find 1950 styles to be the only vintage fashion that really works with the post-baby body in those first few months.

  3. Shirtwaist dresses with full skirts win the “easiest to throw on” award ~ you have your fashion sense covered with beautiful vintage style and your baby covered with easy nursing access. Two birds with one stone.

  4. Loose, blouse-y styles will sit better than clothing requiring a tight fit. Then add that wide belt for waist definition, and you’ve got yourself a cute look.

  5. Prints are great for skimming over your shape, and creating interest aside from the cut of the clothing.

  6. Finally, don’t forget your support garments!  There are many different kinds available online; I personally favour Tubigrip, or a torso support bandage, for wearing 24/7 around the home, and a Waist Cinching Girdle for when I’m going out.

༺ ♡ ༻

Of course, all the frustrations of getting dressed are nothing compared to the gorgeous feeling of snuggling that little baby bundle in your arms. The soft, silky brush of baby hair on your face, the satiny warmth of pudgy baby cheeks and that delicious, one of a kind, milky newborn scent… (✿◡‿◡) ~❤ 

For those that have had babies, what would be your fashion advice for postpartum mothers?  Would you dress in vintage style if you just had a baby?

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

50’s Tea Rose Dress in Aqua | eBay
Mint Satchel | Typo, Current
Lacey Daisy Ballet Flats | Target, Current

༺ ♡ ༻

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18 comments:

  1. I can't really say that I've had any thoughts about what to wear after having a baby (that's all still a ways off for me), but you look delightful! I love the print on the dress, and you just look... beautiful. No other word.
    Cheers,
    Zella Maybe

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  2. Wonderful post! I hope I'm still as enthused with vintage styles when I get to that stage of life, so it's nice to hear from women who have chosen that path. :-)

    You look beautiful! :-)

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  3. You look lovely!! I would say you have the issues of dressing postpartum all figured out, because you look perfectly gorgeous!! :)

    Esther
    www.dollycreates.blogspot.com

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  4. I admire you for getting back on the outfit posts so quickly, particularly if your body isn't as enthusiastic!! You look lovely here, I'd say you have it nailed :) while I've not had a baby, I already know that if/when I do, there's no way I want to compromise on my style just because nothing I wore before fits! I had no idea support wear was actually helpful, that's really useful to bank for later! CC x

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  5. Great tips my dear and you look adorable!!! I can't help but giggle over the fact that your bag is robin blue egg color... hehehehe.. egg.. hehehe cos you just gave birth? heheheheh.... oh my i think im drunk.

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  6. I hope so too, as there is no reason not to enjoy vintage throughout motherhood unless you don't want too anymore. :)

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  7. Thank you Esther! It doesn't always feel like I get it right, but I am glad you think so. :D

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  8. Ooh! Haha! I didn't even realize the color robin egg blue was a thing! Lol! Well, you learn something new every day. (>_<)

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  9. Thank you Cici!


    And yes, you have to keep true to your style even if nothing does fit, or trust me, you feel even less like yourself than what you already do, and that's not a such a good thing.


    I'm glad you found this post helpful though, I was hoping that people would find it useful even if it wasn't directly applicable.

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  10. You do look positively gorgeous! I love your outfit, and the combination of your mint purse with the floral dress is so pretty.

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  11. It's my favorite bag at the moment; I am using it all the time! :)

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  12. Not only do you look beautiful here, you also look happy! I think we get so caught up in judging our bodies, we forget how the greatest accessory one can wear is a smile.

    Your advice was very helpful too ~ although, I am far from having a baby of my own. I am happy to read honest posts like this. I am sure there are many new mothers who lack inspiration and confidence in themselves. A post like this can help them and that makes me so happy! They've just brought a baby into the world, they deserve to feel wonderful!

    Hugs.

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  13. It is a time I wish I had thought about more, and wish I had known what to expect! I felt drawn to big 50s skirts and wide belts...but I wasn't prepared and didn't have many :(

    The other thing was that some of my maternity jeans still *fit*, but since they were a style that sat below the bump, they were right on my scar! Another factor I hadn't considered!

    It is so important to still be able to feel lovely-looking as well as having the amazing little bundle to cuddle. Feeling at least a bit like yourself is very necessary. You look beautiful and I'm so glad you are back to the outfit posts already and tackling these areas that others don't seem to discuss.

    For next time, I am going to start stockpiling a mountainous heap of all the wide belts I can find...

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  14. Fantastic tips and advice. I know that many of our foremothers hopped pretty much straight back into their corsets and/or girdles and have heard some older ladies say firsthand that doing so "saved" their figures, which makes me wonder why it isn't done more often still nowadays - even if a person just wore those types of foundation garments post baby bump.

    You look radiantly beautiful here, dear Bonita.

    ♥ Jessica

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  15. You are so right Amy, our best accessory is always a smile ~ but it can be hard to find one when you are feeling insecure. I do hope that new mothers like myself can feel like they can be themselves again and smile despite the complications of being smack dab in the middle of the newborn phase!

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  16. Yes, postpartum is one of those things that nothing can really prepare you for! You hear about all the sleepless nights, the crying babies, but no one tells you much about all the other little and not so little things you will have to face ~ like dressing! Or caring for the various wounds and sore spots you will have.


    It's hard to be prepared ~ it's taken me three babies to get to this point! And I totally agree, it's really important for new mothers to be able to feel like themselves. You've spent the previous nine months not feeling the least bit like yourself, and now you overwhelmed by all the caring for the new baby. Having that moment of "Oh, I AM still me" can really save a mother's sanity!


    Wide belts forever!! :D

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  17. I have wondered the same thing, and as soon as I saw that postpartum foundation garments could help with recovery I knew that I was all for that!


    And thank you dear. :D

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