casual cool Whether it's heading to the mall, running errands, grabbing a movie with the girls, or going for a laid-back Sunday morning brunch, "casual cool" is what it's all about. In those pre-pregnancy days, you'd just toss on a tracksuit or an old scrappy T-shirt, some awesome jeans, and a killer belt for instant style. But now that you're knee-deep in hormones and feeling like the human equivalent of a Hummer, getting dressed to run around town isn't the no-brainer it used to be. Even picking out a basic T-shirt can turn into such a daunting task that finding the square root of 126,784,589 seems almost easier. Ah, the joys of hormones, my dear pregnant friend.
Enter Casual Cool. This chapter was created to help make it easier to achieve relaxed pregnancy style that flatters and feels good, even on those scary, hairy, hormone-laden days. Through the following sections, Rock Star Momma will make sure you've got the pregnancy essentials for looks that rock! Check them out:
Totally Tanks and Tees
Denim to Die For
Stellar Skirts
Terrific Tracksuits
TOTALLY TANKS AND TEES
T-shirts and tank tops are the Holy Grail of casual cool. Whether they're paired with your favorite pair of jeans, comfy trackpants, stylish cargos, or a sassy skirt, tanks and tees are true maternity wardrobe staples. By the very nature of being pregnant, passersby can't help but look at your tummy -- and in turn, at that (hopefully) darling tee covering it. So now's the time to step on up and embrace those fun and funky tops like never before. After all, people are looking!
How to find simply fabulous casual cool tees for your belly? It's easy. I promise. First, just say "no!" to those huge, long, tentlike tops. No, no, no! Honey, this is the time to delight in your curves, not drown them.
Then, keep in mind the metamorphosis your belly is about to embark upon: from shape and size to how high or low it sits each and every day of your pregnancy. What you'll look for in tops during month three is different from what you'll need by month eight. Thankfully, with the "T-shirts by trimester" guide below, you'll learn all about the hottest tops to wear now through to baby. Read on, maternity maven!
T-shirts by Trimester
First Trimester
In those early months of pregnancy, even though your bundle of joy is barely the size of a lima bean, your bod is gearing up for the many changes to come and the pounds may be a-packing. You may be feeling so nauseous that the only foods fit to soothe your stomach are laden with comforting but calorie-packed carbs. French fries? Pasta? Cereal? Bagels, anyone? Add hormones to the mix and it's only natural that you may be feeling a little bloated and...well, slightly curvier than the pre-pregnancy you. Don't even get me started on the fact that your boobs are about to burst out of your shirt!
That said, it's not quite time for you to make a mad dash to thematernity boutique to outfit your changing shape. If this is your first trip through the wonderful world of pregnancy, you probably won't even "show" until around the seventeenth or eighteenth week -- that's over a whole month into your second trimester. But subsequent pregnancies can start to show between weeks twelve and fifteen.
The best way to conceal that burgeoning bulge during those first few months is to wear tops that flatter and minimize your subtly expanding curves -- until, that is, your soft midsection evolves into a firm bump. Boxy and unshapely tees are never flattering, but if you arestarting to get mushy around the middle, relaxed, languid ones are. Justdon't wear your tees so loose that the whole world wonders what you'retrying to hide, especially if the nonpregnant you usually sticks toform-fitting shapes...you wouldn't want to blow your little secret too soon.
Second Trimester
Sometime during your second trimester your belly is going to pop. And when it does, get ready to have the most fun with your maternity clothes, especially with those tees. But until it does, those first few weeks of the second trimester can be a bit challenging. You know, when you're not big enough to don maternity duds, but you're also just a little too big for your regular clothes?
Rock Star Momma solution: Make friends with s-t-r-e-t-c-h. Cottonor jersey that also contains Lycra or spandex will hug you gently andlook sexily slim-fitting, but will grow with you as your belly (andbreasts, don't forget) expand.
Second Trimester Tee Tip
It all began one day -- almost to the EXACT first day of my second trimester -- which I remember as vividly as if it happened this morning, my husband as my witness. That day I headed into my closet and something just felt "different." It was during that time when -- and if you haven't experienced this moment yet, then you might want to skip this and come back later! -- NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, worked. My belly was getting bigger but not BIG ENOUGH for maternity wear. (Later I realized that this was the moment that drove me to start my own maternity collection.) I wasn't showing enough to convince people I was carrying a child, yet I was far too big to remain looking -- and feeling -- my normal self. I was knee-deep in that awkward transition time in between showing and not showing and I felt completely and utterly GROSS. Nothing fit. Nothing was comfortable. Nothing looked or felt right. So I did what any hormonal pregnant woman would do: I wept -- like a baby! -- on my closet floor. After a box of tissues and many reassuring words of comfort from my wonderful husband, I decided to attempt small wardrobe victories one T-shirt at a time. How? I pulled out all my old favorite longer tees and layered them with those stretchy maternity tanks that are so incredibly flattering. I also loved layering a three-quarter-sleeve henley with a contrasting colored tank. Your husband's Hanes tanks will also come in handy but I say, if you can, splurge for the good maternity styles with added Lycra and length.
POP, THEN SHOP
When you do finally pop, you'll be MORE than ready to shop till you drop! When you head out on your spree, use your prepregnancy sizing as a general maternity fit guide, keeping in mind that there isn't a whole lot of consistency in sizing among maternity designers. You may be an extra-small in one brand's tees, but large in another's. Your best bet: Spend some time in the fitting room to assess what works for you. A great maternity store should also have those "fake" bellies that you can Velcro around your existing "new" belly so you can see if that shirt you have your eye on will fit in month nine! Those strap-on bellies (yep, strap-on!) are very useful and hey, it's a fun thing to visualize what's to come while attempting to master your first real maternity wardrobe purchase. Just do it...you'll thank me later!
Once you actually LOOK pregnant, don't be afraid to take risks -- you can certainly pull it off, maternity momma! Go for fitted tops in bold colors, fun prints, and flattering cuts to create looks that are cool, hip, andtotally you. Stick with body-hugging shapes. Why? Because a great fit will accentuate your bump...which will then -- hooray! -- create the illusion of a more slender you everywhere else.
Star Style: Joely Fisher
"There is no way to compare the magnitude, the wonder, the amazement, and humility of being with child, knocked up, having a bun in the oven. It is difficult to describe the unparalleled power in housing another's soul. It's also a bitch to find something to wear. In my chosen profession, I have found that I have had the unfortunate reality of my pregnancies not only having three trimesters, but second halves. The first four or five months is about hiding or masking the 'bump' from the immediate world; therefore, finding a look that is hot and being Houdini (although I hear straightjackets are making a comeback!). It's not that I have found myself unhappy with the bulging belly, just working a little harder at having that sex goddess look I've tried desperately to achieve! Second, only because it works that way -- the great reveal, the announcement of the impending addition to our planet. It is at this time that you want to do a naked photo shoot, you are constantly massaging the lump, and you can really belly dance."
-- Joely Fisher, actress and mom of two
Third Trimester
As you work your way toward delivery day, that baby's a-growing at the speed of light, and your belly and boobs look like they're about to burst.So finding great tees and tanks to fit, flatter, and feel great in during those last few months can be HELL.
Here's the key to feeling heavenly again: layering. This little trick will continue to work all the way to birth day. You may think it would add extra bulk, but hold it there! Imagine a fitted, brightly colored camisole in a thin fabric as your bottom layer. Now add a slightly shorter tank top over that (like the cheapie Hanes tank I was talking about), so that the colored cami peaks out from below. Then finish the look with a shorter, long-sleeved, fitted maternity tee. Result? A miraculously elongating (read: slimming) effect for your arms and bod, with a look that's fun and funky, too.
Be Awesome Anytime
Besides these must-have trimester tips, this section's got an arsenal of tips that will help you look and feel tee-rific anytime -- whether you're in that first, second, or third trimester.
Color Therapy: When you're feeling tired or nauseous, choose bright, colorful tees in colors like hot pink, aqua, apple green, or eggplant.They'll add sparkle back into your complexion, making you look rested and ready for the world (even if you've been up most of the night with an endless urge to pee).
Accentuate Your Assets: Got biceps? If you've got 'em, flaunt 'em, girl! Show them off in a great sleeveless tank. If you've suddenly got boobs, flaunt them with a sexy V-neck or scoop-neck tee.
It's All in the Neck: Necklines are an easy way to change yo...
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