Surely Peeps Can Pick a More Flattering Photo to Put of Me Online, Right?

LOL.  Like this one?  Maybe?

I had done my hair, I wasn't wearing a top for a review post just so my JCA friends could see how horribly the Saint James Naval tee fit me...

Well, I guess if this ebay seller thinks that the image of me is going to help her sell this top, then more power.  But seriously, hon, there have got to be images that do that top (and me) more justice.  ;)

And, no, I don't care if she (or he) uses it...after all, as I mentioned above, I don't know if I am going to help their selling cause.

P.S. Just found this one where they just took a pic of the shirt in the navy colorway (same seller, btw).  Clearly they think my torso image is a better image than just a shot of the red and white version.  Somehow, I just kind of doubt it.  LOL.

A Look at Boden Maternity with Mommy Style Monday (#16)...

On a Tuesday (yes, I know I am nearly twelve hours late, eep!).

So the brilliant and beautiful Louise of Running on Anthro let me know that Boden had finally taken the prenatal plunge.  I desperately kind of wish they had taken that plunge back in 2006 and 2008 when I was pregnant with my dear, sweet little ones, but nope, I was only really given the options of Motherhood Maternity (nice, but kind of cheap materials), Mimi Maternity (pretty cool clothing but pretty expensive and now looking like it is a defunct brand?!?), Pea in the Pod (yikes at those prices, only on sale, thank you very much), and Liz Lange for Target (nice looking but usually didn't work for me for whatever reason).  If Boden Maternity had been around, I would have bit like a mosquito, extracting their unique take on baby bump wear for the entire time I was showing.

Here are a few reasons why (click on the photos themselves to go directly to Boden's website--if you like what you see, click through my sidebar coupon to receive 15% off w/free shipping and handling):


Double Layer Dress: I already own a double layer dress by Boden, and it is super-comfortable, casual but not *too* casual, and polished enough for everything from church to doctor's visits.  This dress allows for your baby bump to be shown off, yet still highlighting things like a neckline and gams that are still fairly thin (that was my MO whilst pregnant, highlight the bump, but really highlight the limbs which still had their pre-pregnant shape).  This dress also looks to be JUST perfection for postpartum, skimming over a tummy that may be a bit more enlarged than a mommy may choose, and a neckline that appears to be stretchy enough for breastfeeding.  Hooray!  Comes in four shades (two prints and two solids) and costs $98 (before any coupons).


Printed Gathered Tunic: I am such a big fan of Boden's tunics that I probably buy (on average) two-three a season.  The length, shape, and materials used in the tunics makes them contenders for the most worn items in my entire wardrobe (and you all know I have a *cough, cough* larger than normal closet).  In fact, I wore a merino tunic from Boden Fall 2009 again yesterday.  I never tire of the tunics I own and only re-sell them when I can't fit into them any longer.  So to see Boden keeping the tunic trend for our mommies-to-be is brilliant on their part.  This tunic seems to be especially lovely because it is made from a viscose/elastane blend which means that it is stretchy and soft.  (Who wants yucky fabric against a belly?  Not me.)  I would go with the "graphite banana leaf" colorway as it seems the most versatile, but it also comes in the blue color you see in the photo and a pinky/red color.  Retails for $98 before any coupons.


Essential Maternity Tee:  I got away with wearing many of J. Crew's tees for most of my pregnancy (surprising how stretchy their cotton can be), but even I had to finally bite the bullet and wear actual maternity tops by the 7th month.  This top comes in four colors (two prints and two solids) and is also made from the viscose/elastane blend.  The tee is also great for postpartum wear, when the ruching allows for a new mommy to gather the folds to help cover a bit of a belly (mine took months--!!!--to disappear).


Maternity Leggings: I lived in leggings while pregnant, and until around month 6, I could get away with regular leggings that were hitched below the belly.  After that point, I had to encase the belly (my belly gets VERY heavy) with more support, which is why maternity leggings are a great idea.  They are like regular leggings but with a bit of extra fabric and a much higher waistline.  This is one item that I personally could not wear postpartum.  I lost enough of my belly after birth (but not all, darn it--see above description on the tee for more info) that the extra fabric on these would have made the fit all wrong (but having said that, I have friends who *still* wear their maternity pants, and they gave birth more than six months ago).  These come in two colors and retail for $28, which makes it a very reasonable price.  :)


Maternity Straightleg Jean: I had the HARDEST time finding pregnancy denim.  I am not even kidding.  All of the pairs I bought were either too loose or too tight or the belly part was too weird shaped or blah, blah, blah.  In fact it got to the point where I didn't even bother with jeans.  Looking at these, though, I see promise.  The belly covering part seems to be made large enough for a full belly, BUT it can be pulled lower for ladies who prefer to have their pregnancy jeans sit below the belly (there is a preference and some women are below the belly and others, like yours truly, want their belly covered).  I also like that the jeans come in three colors in stretchy denim in a always classic straight leg.  These retail for $88 before coupons.


Ruffle Front Dress:  I saved my favorite for last.  I would seriously think about buying this in all three colors if I was pregnant.  I wish they had this in non-maternity!  :)  The ruffle detail is so pretty and feminine, and although you are supposed to feel at your most "feminine" while having a bun in the oven, any lady who has had bloated ankles, morning sickness, or varicose veins can tell you, it often feels like you are at the very OPPOSITE end of dainty and girly when pregnant.  This dress would help (at some level) ameliorate the feelings of "blegh" that all mommies-to-be suffer from!  Retails for $128, which is a bit high, but may be worth it for your self esteem.  LOL. 

I enjoyed looking at all the offerings that Boden Maternity has this season.  I cannot offer real life experience with these, so I am calling on you beautiful pregnant ladies to help me out...if you wouldn't mind, I would very much appreciate any IRL photos or reviews you could send my way (dinagideon@aim.com). 

Also, Mommy Style Monday has looked at pregnant fashion and postpartum fashion before...click away for more ideas on how to feel your best from the outside! 

And I leave you with an image of me VERY pregnant with Rex.  I loved this outfit and felt good, but I have a feeling that the Ruffle Front Dress and a cute cardigan would have been a tad more comfy!  LOL.  :)

Mommy Style Monday #2--What to Wear When You Are Finally Showing...and a Review of the Double-V Dress...

After I did my very first Mommy Style Monday last week, I heard from mrsanketell over at Polyvore about how she has a particular dilemma, what to wear when you are 29 weeks preggo. Since I heard from her a week ago and I assume her pregnancy is progressing like mine did, she would now be 30 weeks pregnant. For those of you unaware of where 30 weeks puts you...this is the 3/4 mark, or 75% done with your pregnancy. This is also the point where most women have to just give up on regular clothing (like those highlighted in last week's post) and go to Pea in the Pod, or Motherhood Maternity, or Old Navy's Maternity Section, etc. You are definitely no longer looked at as "hmm, is she gaining weight," and instead it moves to, "wow, you must be ready to deliver soon!" (Unfortunately, as all of us previously pregnant women can tell you, this last statement is usually delivered when you are still 10 weeks from delivery, and when you tell the person that, they get really silent and look like they are really, really worried about how big your kid actually will be.)

30 Weeks Pregnant??? by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Since I know that mrsanketell is 30 weeks pregnant (7.5 months is yet another way of looking at it), I called my polyvore set "30 Weeks Pregnant: Non-Maternity Options." I will be doing a post on really cool maternity wear soon, but since mrsanketell is still pretty early in the "showing" phase, I thought she may appreciate one post on what options are out there that are not from the traditional maternity stores. I had a few reasons for doing this: 1) Maternity is ridiculously expensive and if you are only wearing it for a few months (including the postpartum period), it can be a bit prohibitive; 2) I like the idea of taking these items in your normal (or maybe one size larger than normal) size and wearing them as a showing yet not quite full-bellied enough to fit into real maternity wear; 3) If you do buy these kind of tops/dresses in your traditional size (or one size up), these tops/dresses WILL work for much longer than your pregnancy and postpartum period last (for more on that--I STILL wear the tee shown in this photo).

The tops are a mix of Boden and J. Crew AND mini-Boden and crewcuts.

The Boden and J. Crew tops were chosen because of their "easy" nature. If you buy them in your normal/one size up size, then you should be able to make them work for you up until you are around 35 or 36 weeks, plus postpartum, and later. I say 35 or 36 weeks because for most women, those last 3 to 4 weeks are the point when your belly gets SO big that most "normal" shirts become far too short to be worn decently. Yep, that is when maternity tops are your best option...also because (if you are like me anyhow) you feel ginormous and want to be done with it all, you could potentially get into the whole "tearing clothes off your body because you are so frustrated with how everything fits, you could hurt clothing that is pretty"...and who wants to do that to a lovely embroidered top from J. Crew? :)

The J. Crew dress option was chosen because the March catalog had a lovely pregnant woman wearing this dress (the Double-V dress) and she looks serene. I can tell you from experience that J. Crew jersey dresses are ideal for most of pregnancy. I wore many of them when I was pregnant with both kids. I also took them in my normal size of small (now rapidly moving to extra-small because of vanity sizing) and they fit up until about 35 or 36 weeks (see reason above on why I stopped wearing them). Note that I have a review of this dress below...I am not pregnant but this shows the versatility of this dress.

The mini-Boden tops were chosen because they are cut in such a way that they are ONLY flattering for little girls or really pregnant ladies. I know this because I bought a mini-Boden top to match CW (I bought a 14, but could have bought the 12 size...they run large), and it looked silly on my non-pregnant body, but I remember looking in the mirror thinking, "this would look great if I were to be pregnant again." It wasn't enough incentive for me to keep it, but I know that this style would work well for those with child.

The mini-Boden and crewcuts dresses were chosen because these are in essence, tunic tops for pregnant ladies. The great thing about the crewcuts options are that they have a neckline that reminds me of a halterneck and would do a great job of showing off shoulders, which for many in the maternity set, is the ONLY part of their body they don't mind baring. LOL.

I hope these options have opened your eyes to the potential that is out there for all the lovely ladies who are carrying precious cargo.

Next up is the review of the Double-V dress. I bet that after this post hits the blog-world, J. Crew will have a run on this dress...it is that good.


I bought this dress in a size small. If this dress were a tad more roomy in the hips, I would have returned this for an extra-small. I bought the slate color as black makes me look like death and the light purple (berry) color they have is very bad with my skin tone.

The dress does indeed have a double-v, one in the back, one in the front. The waist is actually an empire waist, but is a wider empire waist, so it doesn't become a babydoll dress. The waist is ruched elastic, so it E-X-P-A-N-D-S, which in pregnancy speak equals A-W-E-S-O-M-E. :) From the waist the skirt billows out, just so, but not enough to be unflattering (you know how if an A-line gets too full it just makes you look too full).

Because the dress is super-simple, the potential for accessorizing is HUGE, and I took it and ran with it (this was from when I went to Vegas), pairing the dress with the beautiful Aqua multi-chain gold necklace and a pair of silver sandals from J. Crew (2009).


I am standing here with my own product of pregnancy, CW, and my very pregnant (at this point she was 33 weeks pregnant) friend. She agreed that the double-v dress would be a very good option for her, although I have to say her faux-wrap dress does the trick nicely, too.

BTW, although I look "slightly" with child in this photo (showing its ability to look good on a pregnant body), I am not. This is what happens when you take a very heavy child and place her on your hip, you end up bowing your back (bad, bad for your posture) and looking pregnant. And for this post, that is just fine.

:) You all have a fantastic Monday. I have been on vacation, and still will be when this post publishes. I apologize if I cannot comment back quickly, but will do so when I return from my vacation.

As per last week, if you have a request for a Mommy Style Monday, let me know...either comment here or at polyvore, or go ahead and e-mail me at dinagideon@aim.com.

Mommy Style Monday #1--What to Wear When Newly Pregnant...or Newly Not Pregnant...

Over the weekend I held a Blog/Business Bash for my new partnership with Arbonne (more on that bash and a giveaway in another post--most likely tomorrow), and while there, some of my awesome friends started talking about what they do when they find out they are pregnant but they don't want the word to get out yet. A lot of my friends, including myself, live by the "wait until the second trimester--or 12 weeks" to tell everyone about pregnancy. There are many reasons to wait, but the reason most of us wait is for fear that something will go wrong with the pregnancy (like miscarriage) and then we will have to spend the next few months answering questions about our pregnancy that wasn't. It is a terrible thing...but one that has to be addressed.

The discussion then turned to what to wear after you have given birth, you know right after having the baby when in reality you still look pregnant. You so DESPERATELY don't want to appear pregnant, but you do, so you try your best to find anything. ANYTHING. that doesn't make you look like you are about to give birth. I have had this happen to me:

Teenage Boy Sales Clerk: "Ah, when are you due? Are you excited?"
Me: "I gave birth last week. I am here for some slippers because none of my shoes fit--my feet are swollen to three sizes bigger than normal."
Teenage Boy Sales Clerk: (Turned BRIGHT RED.) "Oh, ugh, ah, uh, oh, oh, I...aaaamm...sssooorrrry."
Me: "It's okay, I can't even wear normal clothes yet, so of course I look pregnant. You wouldn't know better. What are you, 17? It's okay!"
Teenage Boy Sales Clerk: "Lance, LANCE, I can't make this till work, can you take care of this lady, PLEASE!?!?!?"

Yes. I frightened a poor teenage boy because of my inability to choose my wardrobe wisely enough to prevent his breakdown after he discovered that I was indeed not pregnant, but instead just REALLY. REALLY. FAT. (It's okay, I know it is baby fat, but come on, you all, it is still an extra--in my case--45 pounds of fat around my belly and face and FEET.)

So why do I highlight both newly pregnant and newly not pregnant? Because these are two times when a lot of women have extra weight where they didn't before, and is the time where your choice in clothing can AND will do a lot to "hide" your condition.

And just so you know, many of my newly pregnant friends are pregnant for the third, fourth, fifth, and even sixth times, and supposedly the weight comes on faster and fiercer with every baby you have.

As far as the postpartum weight goes, each lady is different. The story I told about me was with Rex...and although I carried an extra 35 pounds after CW, the running around after a very active BOY toddler helped me shed that much, much quicker. I still needed to hide the "pudge" a bit, but I found that I was able to put away the specialty clothing much quicker.

SO--with that transition sentence--onto the main crux of this post. What is the best shirt or top (specifically--we will get into other items of clothing in other weeks) for the newly pregnant or newly not pregnant?

It was determined at my bash that the best shirt or top was not a maternity top as most of those styles actually make even the most flat-tummied women in the world look pregnant. It was also determined that the baby doll style top also has that effect, even on teenagers (who still wear this style, regardless).

No, hands down, the favorite style was any top that had shirred or gathered detailing at the neckline and then flowed gently and smoothly away from the bust down. It made a lot of sense after we deconstructed the choice. Rather than being too tight at the bust and then too loose through the waist like many maternity/baby doll tops, this style top is loose throughout but not too loose. After all, whether newly pregnant or newly not pregnant, there is generally not enough belly to justify a super-loose waist/belly area on a top.

What also makes this top a go-to choice for us is that is super-flattering even when you aren't trying to hide a little something, something. I still wear these style tops and I have lost all baby plus some AND *very important* am not with child now.



Gathered and Shirred Tops!!! by dinagideon featuring Old Navy

Above are some examples I found over at polyvore this morning.

I love them all but am especially fond of the purple blouson top at the very top left hand corner, the floral v-neck in the second row, the grey cowl style tank on the left in the third row, and the ultra-luxurious silk tied waist shirt at the very right of the third row.


And here is a photo of me wearing a popular tank style of this top (J. Crew--summer 2007). I was still attempting to lose that last little bit of tummy in this pic and I love how this just looked fresh and sweet on me and not like I was trying to hide. Because in the end that is what we all want when we are trying to hide something...to make it look like we aren't.

And with that I bid you farewell! Happy Mommy Style Monday!!!

P.S. Do you have a question for Mommy Style Monday? I would love to help find you an answer to your specific needs...either newly pregnant, pregnant, postpartum, stay at home mommy chic, working mommy needs, etc. If you have a kid and have a question, I will do my best to help you out! :)