stuck somewhere in between: fashion 6 weeks out

May 18, 2012

during pregnancy, i fantasized about wearing normal clothes again postpartum.  however, i didn’t count on one thing that probably should have been obvious:

many of my clothes don’t really fit.
i realize this shouldn’t have been a shock.  while i’ve been back at my pre-pregnancy weight for some time, i am nowhere near my pre-preg shape.
  
in lululemons + one of my most forgiving tees
i went into my closet to see if i could find a dress to wear out to dinner next weekend [we’re going out for our anniversary!!  first date night!], and failed miserably.  interestingly, i’m back in most of my pants/jeans, but it’s my top half that has completely transformed.  suddenly, all of my shirts seem tiny and too clingy, and none of my dresses will zip up around the ribcage/chest.  
i started doing a little online browsing [need to use my 15% anthro birthday month discount!!], but realized i actually had to get out a measuring tape to figure out my current size.  of course, things didn’t really line up with any of them perfectly.  the funny thing is that my hips were always a size bigger than the rest of me — and now things are exactly the opposite.

this doesn’t exactly make me want to shop.  not because i don’t want to dress my current form in something other than jeans/leggings and tees [i do!], but because i am assuming [???] that my body is still in a state of flux.  as hormones shift and muscles tighten, i expect that my size will probably change over the next few months.

so, i’ve resigned myself to a pretty boring wardrobe for the next couple of months [probably for the summer].  i’ll pick up a few fun t-shirts and perhaps some fun shoes/accessories, but leave the dress shopping for the future.  and i’ll be mainly sticking to the sale rack — no point in investment purchases now, really.

finally, i’m definitely not going to throw away my previous wardrobe, but i need to organize my closet so that i’m not looking at unwearable pieces every day.  actually, things are quite empty now because i’ve moved the maternity gear out and haven’t moved much in.  maybe i’ll just embrace the minimalism.  for now.

anyone in a similar situation or have advice from previous rounds of size fluctuations? 

16 Comments

  • Reply Ana March 10, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    In the same phase (second time around this time) and, if you are breastfeeding, the top-heavy thing is going to continue for quite some time—dressing appropriately for work was an issue as everything just looked very…cleavage-y…even if I could fit into it. So maybe worth picking up several work-appropriate tops (I got a few cheaply at H&M). And maybe something fun & new for your anniversary dinner that’ll see you through the summer? (something nursing friendly, even)…its such a boost to wear pretty & flattering clothes, even it is just for a few months (and you can certainly keep it for next time…)
    And yes, I agree with only displaying wearable items in your closet…it makes it quicker & lets you assess your needs realistically.

    • Reply theSHUbox March 10, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      good point about the work appropriate tops! luckily, i just have once-a-week clinic that i have to dress up for from july –> sept, so i can probably get away with a pretty small selection! (i’m in lab the rest of the time where jeans + tees are fine). but i can just imagine the current me in my old button downs . . .HA!

  • Reply Amy March 10, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    Oh my god yes!!!! Dealing with the same thing over here. In my situation, I have about 10 lbs left to lose. My biggest jeans fit everywhere BUT the belly, so I’m having to use the old hair-elastic trick. (I tried going one size up, but those were too big!) Shirts seem small and clingy, and I also have to keep in mind the fact that I’m breastfeeding, which makes my options even MORE limited, particularly when it comes to dresses.

    But like you, I don’t want to spend anything on expensive new clothes at this point. I’ve got my one pair of jeans and some cheap stuff from Target to see me through until my own clothes start fitting again. I hope it doesn’t take too long!

    (Also are your lululemons wunder under crops? I’ve been thinking about getting a pair. Do you like them?)

  • Reply Sara March 10, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    I’m 3 weeks post-partum and haven’t had the courage to try on any of my clothes yet. I am living in yoga pants and some nursing tanks from target, plus a couple of maternity tops. The thing is, I am surprised to see how "skinny" my waist is when I look in the mirror, but I just know nothing is where it should be plus I have about 8 lbs to lose. Sigh.

  • Reply broccolihut March 10, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    I can kind of relate to this situation. As you already know, I have hypothyroidism, and my dosage is being adjusted right now due to recent involuntary weight gain. So in the meantime, I’m trying to figure out what size I am, albeit temporarily (hopefully!!!). I’ve picked up a few inexpensive dresses from TJ Maxx for all the weddings I am attending this summer, but I don’t really want to invest in a whole new wardrobe for my current body size.

    • Reply theSHUbox March 10, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      so frustrating with the thyroid! i really hope things get straightened out for you!

      i think the TJ maxi strategy is great for the weddings — and you never know, even anthro can have some outrageous deals in the clearance section 🙂 and there’s always ebay for afterwards!

  • Reply Heidi March 10, 2019 at 7:19 pm

    After both of my girls were born I lived in wrap dresses. They are very forgiving during the in between period and you can still wear them after things are back to "normal."

  • Reply Lee Becknell March 10, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    Target! Shop at Target! The stuff is cheap enough that you won’t feel bad about donating it once your body goes back to normal and it doesn’t fit anymore. Plus, some of it is pretty cute.

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  • Reply Fashion Style March 10, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    I know its kinda hard to change our usual way of clothing all of a sudden though not really should be sudden, with your current situation i can see there are some things which you need to adjust. You can actually find a dress that’s stretchable so that size would not a big problem. http://www.fabulousafter40.com/best-cyber-monday-sales/

  • Reply We Bulk Sale March 10, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    That size chart is so small to view. Could you please increase its size?

  • Reply Denise March 10, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    I can tell you that it took me 9 months to get back to my pre-pregnancy size/shape, though not everything was exactly the same – some stuff is just changed permenantly after childbirth. It took so long to get back in the same shape that after about 6 months, I assumed it was not going to go back and got rid of a bunch of stuff, which turned out to be a mistake because most of my in between clothes became too big. You seem to have the right strategy. Hold on to everything and buy minimal stuff for the in between phases. You look great, Btw!

  • Reply Erica March 10, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    Yes! I’m only about 3-4 pounds away from my happy weight, but everything fits differently. Most of my pants button and fit around my hips (which surprised me), but I’ve got a little muffin top. All of my shirts are too short, I’m assuming because of the breastfeeding boobs taking up more real estate? I got a few new pieces that I think will still work well once I get back to normal AND are good for nursing- button down shirts to wear with nursing tanks (and gingham shirts are totally in this season! ) , and some t-shirts from Ann Taylor Loft (the plus side of the shirts I got is that the neckband is super stretchy!).

  • Reply Liz @ runbakerace March 10, 2019 at 7:19 pm

    I am 4 weeks postpartum and just had my birthday too! Happy Birthday to you! 🙂 My mom got me some forgiving shirt dresses that I love when my body is in size flux right now. Dresses seem to be the easiest to wear as none of my pants zip up yet. Can’t wait to get my body back!

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