How to Create a Post Pregnancy Clothing Capsule

I had a question re wardrobe (& btw-thank you for YOUR 5 STEP FORMULA FOR A FABULOUS WARDROBE it’s been really useful.) I have a 4 month old baby girl, so especially as an aspiring color consultant I have been on a misison to get my wardrobe organised, also to reflect the new me (as a mother, but also with the changes to my body-mainly being the fact that breastfeeding has awarded me a cleavage for the first time in my life! )

So the question is: as I start to build a classic capsule wardrobe, how should I go about chosing the fit of items given that I’m ot sure what my boobs will do after I stop breastfeeding, or indeed if I have another child in the next few years how different my body may change again?

I know you’ve been through it yourself, so look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Thank you,
Stacey

Thanks for your question Stacey, pregnancy, birth and feeding can all change your body shape, and it’s not the ideal time to start building a new wardrobe as weight can fluctuate wildly during this period. I know after feeding my son for 8 months I was thinner than before I got pregnant, but after he stopped feeding I went back to my more average weight. Rather than build a whole new wardrobe, I’d suggest creating a capsule, a bit like you do with a maternity capsule, that will carry you through the first year or two of your child’s life (and then you may end up back in your maternity wardrobe with another pregnancy anyway).

Ideally, you want clothes that have give in them, so look for fabrics with stretch (cotton elastane mixes, lycra, denim with stretch, ponti) that all will allow you some growing/shrinking room.

Then, of course, choose a color scheme that is flattering for you and work with this color scheme so that you can mix and match.

Don’t expect everything in this new capsule will work for you for years to come, some things won’t work when the boobs go, I made the mistake when pregnant of buying a jacket, that I thought would work fine when I didn’t have the bump, and discovered that when I had my baby that the collar looked odd without that tummy (it was a long low collar).

Also, this is not the time to be spending up on the higher quality end of town as baby vomit, banana hands, pumpkin stains are all part of a mum’s life when her baby is in its first two years of life. There is nothing worse than wrecking a favorite garment that cost a lot. Instead go for practical pieces at lower price-points to put together your capsule. Everything also needs to be machine washable, and preferably with little need to see an iron!

Think practical, if you’re breastfeeding, you need to be able to access your boobs easily so most dresses are not ideal – though I have included a nursing dress and tunic which have built in features for nursing mothers.

Shoes need to be comfortable so you can walk and push a pram. You may find your feet have grown during your pregnancy as the hormone relaxin and extra weight can make them spread and expand (my feet grew 1/2 a size so I had to start a whole new shoe wardrobe!).

As with all wardrobe capsules, think about your ability to layer items and mix them together so you can create multiple looks.