Infinity Sounds Good

I rarely regret letting go of a item from my closet. In fact, I’ve only beaten myself up about getting rid of two dresses. One beautiful Nicole Miller black and nude lace dress I had when I was 22 (that I could never wear again mind you) and this: the Tart Infinity Dress that I owned in a gorgeous teal green color. The Infinity Dress is a comfortable jersey knit dress that can be styled in (almost) infinite ways – or at least 8 according to Tart. It’s easy to pack, fun to wear, and if there is one thing I learned when dressing a pregnant belly, anything that wraps or drapes is very forgiving.

Here’s the deal killer: it’s normally $258 retail, and it’s on sale now at Gilt for $99. Don’t have an invite to join Gilt.com? Voila. You ask and you receive. That’s how we roll at JHS.

Shopping in Suburbia: The Perfect Tunic

Okay, so I am not going to lie and say that checking out Madewell online came to me in a flash of brilliance. (I got the idea from this month’s In Style.) But when I saw a tunic from Madewell on Jessica Alba (page 24, Ladies), I knew I had to investigate. And it turns out, I love the line. And it is perfect for new mommy casual weekend wear. Add jeggings, and brightly colored flats (like the fabulous red patent Jimmy Choos I posted on Thursday!).

Spring Summer Fashion “Haul”

There is a relatively new phenomenon in the blogging world called “fashion hauling”. Essentially, the blogger posts a video showing her fashion “haul” from her latest shopping trip. I thought the concept was kind of goofy at first, but after I saw one, I decided it was a fun concept. So, we at JHS are going to give it a whirl. Let me know what you think – and specifically, if you would like to see another one.

Here is my Spring Summer Fashion Haul and some reasons why I chose what I did when shopping for my post-baby work wardrobe.

Shopping in Suburbia: Love the Retro Swim Suits

From Garnet Hill:

Very similar from J Crew:

The key to flattering a post-baby (or thicker waisted) body is the ruching or gathering around the middle. This give you a little interest and belly camo.

Maternity to Post-Baby: It’s all about Jersey (And Not the Shore!)

Jersey was my friend when I was pregnant.  And despite the illusion that the pounds would fall off just by nursing (put in my head by too pregnant celebrities), it has remained my friend post-baby.  And I’m not talking about Jersey Shore.  I am talking about the fabric.

When I googled Jersey, I found this in Wikipedia:  In 1916 Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel outraged the fashion industry by using jersey at a time when it was strictly associated with underwear.

Despite its shaky start, Jersey is a great fabric knit because it drapes beautifully (to hide belly bloat – hello!) and with a little added Spandex/Lycra/Elastane, it will grow or shrink when you do.  By contrast, 100% cotton tends to wrinkle, not hold its shape, fade, and shrink.  So avoid 100% cotton for maternity and look at labels for Rayon, Spandex, Lycra, Elastane, Polyester, or a cotton/Poly blend instead.

Maternity brands that use high-quality fabrics for pre- and post-pregnancy include Olian, Maternal America, Japanese Weekend, and Isabella Oliver.

Moms at Risk for Internet Addiction

I am an errand runner, a shopper.  The toughest part of being a parent to a newborn has not been the crying, the lost sleep, or the emotional roller coaster.  The hardest part has been the cabin fever.

I took nine weeks of maternity leave and spent all but forty hours of it outside my house - counting Christmas shopping and the two days I went to the office during in the middle of my leave just so I could leave the house.

Pre-baby, I may have perused the online stores for a quick eye-candy fix, but I never bought much online.  Now, amazon.com is my lifeline.  And I am starting to wonder if I got my stubborn case of thumb tendonitis from hitting the Facebook app on my iPhone while I spent hours a day nursing.

So, when I ran across this article, I heard a “ding ding”.  And now I have to add internet addiction to my laundry list of pre-existing conditions…. shoes, bags, chairs, books…. chocolate, cupcakes, supplements… Dolan Geiman, baby carriers, circus animals…

Post-Baby Style-Accessories

I don’t go on a clothing strike often, but I think my current situation demands it.

My new mommy chest and middle are still swollen, throwing off my sizing, so tops, dresses, and even the new “curvy” CJ Cookie Johnson jeans that one of my clients is raving about don’t fit… What does a stylish girl do but focus on accessories.

My feet haven’t changed, and jewelry always works, so it’s time to take advantage of the sales and snag some deals.

Then, I can change up my current hybrid of maternity and larger pre-pregnancy clothes until I am back to normal.

Whatever that is going to be.