I'm well into second trimester I thought it might be time to do a post of how i'm managing to get through the daily joy of "what to wear" during pregnancy this Autumn/Winter on a very minimal wardrobe. Now, just so ya know, I started this pregnancy from a very empty maternity palate. I had noooo left over maternity clothes from the other two pregnancies, hence my wardrobe detoxes and views on minimalism that you can read about here and here. 

I didn't know if pregnancy would ever happen for me again, so it didn't make sense to hang on to anything. Instead i passed it on. It has been over 6 years of many visits to many experts (Medical and Alternative) regarding a long stage of hormonal imbalance that i mysteriously fell into after my second daughter. It's been a pretty confusing period of time in my life, where i've felt isolated having to do my own homework when i'd rather just crawl into a cave and pretend everything was okay. But everyone goes through stuff that's hard and my dark times may seem like daylight compared to others who have been through so, so much more. I honestly feel like the luckiest person alive to have come through this and to have been able to channel my frustration into the creative energy necessary to build this business. I'm at peace with it all and feel so grateful. 

So, like i said, I really had nothing 'maternity,' but starting from a clean palette has been sooo good. I decided, like any smart lady should, not to spend a fortune on clothes i'd really only wear for 6 months. (All my purchases are highlighted as 'NEW' below.)

Let's talk 'bodies' for a second.  I think what we choose to wear is one of the most fun ways to enhance the parts of our body we're at peace with. I have a finer upper body (usually,) so being preggo comes with a litte re-thinking of what I'd usually wear because obviously the upper part of the body is the first thing to expand and it's winter so i need to wear a lot, which in turn means by 'best bits' are covered up!! 

I'm not a fan of oversized clothing on both the upper and lower body at the same time while pregnant. If i were to wear wide or straight legged jeans or trousers and a boxy oversized top, it would leave me feeling like a big rectangle from top to toe. The silhouette I've been (trying) to stick to is relaxed or 'hangy' on the top, (so technical) and more slim-line on the bottom. I don't feel like my pregnancy collection has nailed the upper half as a lot of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe was oversized and I haven't purchased too many alternatives. (Just too darn sensible.)  What I'd prefer is something to hang off my shoulders so i don't look all "face meets oversized box."  Some neck action is nice to break it up. The pic above shows how exposing a bit of neck (via this cowl neck) breaks up the effect of an oversized winter knit on a pregnant person. 

Enter Maternity Jeans. The mom-jean trend is fun and i like it but it's not gonna work for most of us preggo's. First out of the wardrobe was ALLLLL of my jeans. They were all skinny-ish shapes with a highish waist or fully fledged high-waisted mom jeans. So with the early preg tummy bloat, they were the first to go. With the other two pregnancies, i was able to wear my regular low rise, boot leg jeans the entire pregnancy. This time, purchasing a new pair of maternity jeans was an absolute must. The afternoon my daughter and i went into town on a mission to find the perfect pair (straight after my 12 wk scan,) Topshop maternity department was temporarily closed, so we ended up in H&M and all the pics below are of me in these and a pair of lace up boots from H&M as well. I was also given a pair of ASOS maternity blue jeans from a dear friend and i've been juggling both pairs ever since.

Baggy Knits. Again as long as there is just a little neck exposed and it's not too chunky. A few baggy jumpers have been staples during the Autumn-Winter pregnancy. 

 

On a side note, if you manage to get through an entire pregnancy without resorting to maternity leggings, let me shake your hand. I never wear leggings normally, but for a self-employed, home livin' pregnant lass like me, they have been too comfy to refuse:)

 

NEW Baggy Knit | New Look Maternity similar here & here.
NEW Maternity Leggings | New Look Maternity (Over the Bump x2 pack)
NEW ANJA arc pipe oxidised necklace | Lines & Current
NEW DM version lace up Boots | H&M similar here

...And i thought i'd show you an outfit gone wrong, at least i don't love how the raised neck cuts out my actual neck and the boxy shape ends at the widest part of my hips. I bought this for the purposes of photographing the jewellery and it's been great for that, especially with the kimono sleeves and cut-out shoulder detailing for photographing earrings, but as an outfit, unfortunately it hasn't made it into my pregnancy capsule.

 

So there you have it. I'll try and do another post when bump expands more to show you the progress. I'm 22 weeks here. Which outfits do you like? Any advice for me? My pregnancy wardrobe is not high fashion as I'm more into everyday function, but every girl needs a bit of sparkle this time of year so I've just purchased my first ASOS Maternity Dress that should complete my winter wardrobe pregnancy capsule. Is this wearable? Let me know in the comments section or over on Instagram? If anyone is pregnant next winter, you're welcome to it, cos at the minute i only have one fancy christmas event, so my guess is that it'll be in good nick, unless of course, things get wild. (As if!)