Hello friends! It’s been a little while, but today I’m back to discuss my postpartum dressing journey. Before we get going I have a few thoughts to highlight. Please, please do not be discouraged by this post if you are not back to your pre-pregnancy size. I am not either! This post was written to encourage and show you how you can adapt your wardrobe to fit your changing body. Secondly, take your time with your body and be kind to yourself (a reminder to myself too). The newborn phase is a rollercoaster on all fronts so remember, grace, grace, grace. These are also just ideas and tips that I’ve discovered personally and thought I’d share, but every person is different and every body is unique and special so take what works for you and forget about the rest! Alright, let’s get into this!

Beige Sweater by asket
Wool plaid trousers by aritzia

1 - Elastic Waist Trousers

Even before pregnancy I’ve been about elastic waist anything because who doesn’t love pieces that are stylish AND comfortable? Why not have the best of both worlds. I’ve always been a huge fan of trousers as well because I like the more elevated look andthe elasticated waist adds to the comfort piece. I recently purchased these wool trousers off of Poshmark for the colder months ahead and have already been getting a ton of wear out of them. They are originally from Aritzia and are amazing quality. If you’re wanting the sweatpants feel while looking a bit more polished, I highly recommend styling up a pair of elastic waist trousers.

2 - Oversized EVERYTHING

Next, size up or wear oversized tops. I’ve always loved oversized pieces but I’m finding that I gravitate towards oversized pieces even more so now. It’s perfect for nursing and again, comfort, because comfort. is. key! For example, the beige sweater pictured on the right, is two sizes larger than my regular fit in order to achieve the oversized look and the black turtleneck in the outfit below was designed to be oversized. Oversized tops are a great piece to have in your postpartum wardrobe for style and practicality.

Side note: I realize that these outfits are very fall and winter focused, but you can definitely take these tips and apply it to your spring and summer wardrobe as well. Instead of an oversized chunky knit, stock up on those oversized tees. Those were my best friend in the early weeks after my son was born. For the elastic waist trousers, there are a ton of linen, tencel, and cotton trousers out there! Those are perfect materials for the warmer seasons.

Oversized Sweater by vetta
Wool plaid trousers by aritzia

3 - Denim Lovers: Opt for mid-rise

For the time being, I’ve had to forego the high waisted denim and pants because although some of them fit, they are a little too snug for my liking. Instead, I’ve been sporting a pair of mid rise denim these days. I’m a huge denim lover, so getting back into a pair of jeans was definitely a highlight for me. The mid rise of these straight leg jeans gives me that same denim look while providing a bit more comfort around my mid section.

4 - Cardigans and Button Ups (Plus a Bonus Tip!)

Since I’m needing to nurse my baby every three hours or so, I need things that open up easy in the front. That’s where the cardigans and button ups come in handy. The bonus tip here is to layer with nursing tanks. Not only under cardigans and button ups specifically, but under everything! I wear these tanks under everything because not only do they add warmth, but you don’t need to wear an additional bra and the snaps at the front allow for easy access when you need to nurse. Instead of wearing a t-shirt, for example, underneath a cardigan, I would wear a nursing tank or a nursing tee if you prefer, and when it comes time to feed, you can easily snap off the front and feed! My favourite nursing tanks are by Storq.

chunky knit cardigan by bare knitwear
mid rise jeans by asket

chunky cardigan by tradlands (candicemtay15)
nursing tank by storq (Candicemtay15)
mid rise denim by asket

5 - Loungewear Chic

Some days (or all days) you’ll probably just want to live in pjs or loungewear. GO FOR IT! For me, I found it helped me emotionally and mentally to get ready for the day (when I could). Even just changing out of my pjs into loungewear helped me feel a bit more alive and awake, even when most days I was, and still am running on very little sleep. It helped me get me out of the grogginess of the night and be recharged to tackle the day. When it comes to loungewear, pick some loungewear pieces that you love! Although I’m not one to follow trends much, loungewear post-pandemic is now trendy, so there are tons of great options out there. The pants pictured here are by Simple Folk, made of the softest organic cotton and cut in a beautiful wide leg silhouette with a comfortable high waist. With loungewear, a lot of my lounge pants are high waisted but they are elasticated and super comfy to wear around the home.

If you’re on the hunt for some loungewear, a few of my favourites come from TKEES (CANDICE10) and Mate The Label.

chunky knit by tradlands (candicemtay15)
WIDE LEG PANTS BY SIMPLE FOLK

VINTAGE OVERSIZED DENIM SHIRT
WIDE LEG PANTS BY SIMPLE FOLK

Thanks for joining me today and I hope you enjoyed reading about my postpartum styling journey. It took me a while to find things that I loved again and to feel like “me” in my outfits, but I’m happy with the place I’m currently at.

Let me know your thoughts on postpartum dressing, I’d love to hear from you!

This post is not sponsored but may contain some gifted items and affiliate links. If you decide to shop through the links above, I may make a small commission that helps support this blog and other social platforms. I only share products and brands I love and support. All opinions are my own.

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We are nearing the end of my pregnancy, currently writing this at 37 weeks — EEK! There are so many emotions, but excitement is definitely at the centre. I thought it’d be a good time to finally reveal our minimalist, neutral nursery. If you’re a parent out there, you probably learned early on just how expensive baby things are. My husband and I definitely had some major sticker shock when we initially began purchasing things for our baby. You’ll notice a lot of IKEA, some DIYs, and Facebook Marketplace. We received a lot of things secondhand from friends and family and for higher ticket items, we were able to score some great deals on Marketplace.

Room Updates

We recently moved into this home so this room had been designated storage for a long time. When we found out that we were expecting, it just made sense that this room would be the nursery. Although we love a good DIY, we are not the most experienced, so we juggled between creating a board and batten wall and doing this two-toned paint wall. We eventually settled on this two-toned wall because we thought it would be simpler to execute, yet still give us that clean, modern aesthetic we were hoping for. We just knew we needed to get rid of the creamy builder’s paint. Though not perfect, we’re really pleased with how the walls turned out!

We swapped out the classic cake light for the MOJNA, a cute recycled plastic pendant from IKEA which really adds a nice moodiness to the room. Changing out light fixtures makes the biggest difference in a room! We also put in a standing lamp that was kindly gifted to me by Gantri (“CMTAY20” for $20 off), a company that makes 3D-printed lights out of sustainable materials. I think this will be perfect for those late night feeds.

Large Furniture Pieces

For the larger furniture pieces, like the crib, changing table, and rocking chair, we debated a long time to find the right pieces for this room. In the end, we stuck with the classic wooden IKEA SNIGLAR crib and the TARVA 6-drawer chest which doubles as a changing table. We were stuck in lockdown for the majority of months that we spent putting this room together, so I decided to do a little DIY upgrade on the dresser. I used some leftover paint that my sister had lying around and gave this dresser a nice facelift. I liked the look of the natural wooden tones, so I left the legs and knobs plain. The rocking chair was the last piece that we put into the room because we weren’t sure if we were going to need it. To be honest, we still don’t know as we get a lot of mixed opinions on rocking chairs, but we scored this West Elm rocker for $200 bucks on Facebook Marketplace!

On the Walls

I’ve had these State Goods prints lying around the home for a while, and finally found the perfect place to put them up! I love how muted the colours are and that they don’t outwardly scream “baby nursery”. I think the clear acrylic shelves added the perfect finishing touch to this room for practical storage for books and other cute stuffies.

The finishing touches

On the front of the crib, I sewed this fabric crib caddy with excess material I had at home. The cutest Cuddle + Kind dolls sit inside baby’s crib, along with a neutral-toned cribsheet from Solly Baby, and a Snuggle Me Organic Lounger that my sister and brother-in-law gifted to us.

Let me know your thoughts on this nursery. We tried to keep everything as minimal and neutral as possible! I’m really happy with how everything turned out and now we wait for bub’s arrival! If you'd like to see the raw, behind-the-scenes progress of how we brought this room to life, check out the nursery vlog below.

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Candice Tay

How I'm Doing Postpartum Dressing / October 30, 2021 by Candice Tay