Back to top
Home | Are You in Fashion Limbo?

Are You in Fashion Limbo?

Marin Mommies presents a guest article by Bay Area fashion stylist Katie Rice Jones.

Those few months just after the birth of your beautiful baby can be trying times especially when it comes to fashion. You feel stuck between wearing your maternity frocks that make you still look pregnant and your pre-baby skinny jeans that make you feel like a stuffed sausage. You’re in a fashion limbo of sorts. However even with your limited clothing options and an abundance of closet confusion you still have to get dressed. So how do you break out of limbo with your style intact?

First—Don’t torture yourself by trying on your pre-baby clothes too soon. Give yourself a break. You didn’t gain the baby weight overnight; you’re not going to lose overnight, either. Rest assured you will be back into your regular clothes soon enough.

Next—Don’t spend frivolously on expensive pieces that assuredly won’t fit or flatter the thinner you.

Last—Shop for cheap chic. Here are some options:

  • Shop Consignment Boutiques. Marin County has many consignment shops plumb-full of designer pieces at a fraction of their regular prices. If you don’t mind wearing others’ fashion discards, stores like these will keep you in style through your body’s transition without throwing you in the poor house. To my mind one of the best consignment stores around is Sax (629 San Anselmo Avenue in San Anselmo, (415) 456-7655). Here you will discover next-to-new, well-known designer jeans selling for around $60.
  • Shop Discounters. Target has come to stand for fashion at a low price. Shop here and peruse their guest designer collections but be mindful. These fashion capsules are cheap chic but come in a “contemporary” fit (silhouettes cut closer to the body). Hence you will have to size-up more than usual to get into these duds.

    The discounter Kohl’s is also worth a stop and shop. Their Vera Wang collection is modern without being trendy and always super promotional, the perfect line for a mama in a fashion pickle.

  • Shop Off-Price Stores. If you like to hunt for deals you’re bound to find a diamond in the rough at T.J. Maxx (San Rafael’s new store that opened this spring) or Loehmann’s. Best items to look for at off-pricers are tunics, leggings, and maxi dresses. However only buy pieces that look super fabulous on you. This way you won’t be suckered into buying something just because it is “too good of a deal to pass up.”

Katie Rice Jones is a fashion stylist who specializes in mom and mom-to-be makeovers. She is currently writing her first maternity fashion book titled Fashion DUEs & DUEn’ts. Schedule a fashion consultation with Katie at www.KatieRiceJones.com

Related Articles

October 22, 2012