This is it! This is the last post about my trip to Rome with my 2 year old! Next week, I’ll show you what I wore to Enzo Ferrari’s (the maker of the Ferrari) amazing new museum in Modena,Italy and some very awesome real Italian mom (and dad!) street style.
I’m ending off the Rome trip what I wore to the Explora Children’s Museum and a round-up of everything that went on in a few days in the Eternal City!
Rome….a re-cap! So far I’ve shared:
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Our Arrival
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Why I decided to take him to Rome for his 2nd birthday instead of just having a party
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5 Fun Things to Do With Young Kids in Rome
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All about Rome’s BioPark, a very historic and beautiful “zoo”
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Pignetto, the urban area of Rome where I stay
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Italian spring weather real mom street style
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How I packed “light” for a 6 day trip for myself and my son – traveling alone with public transportation!
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About Explora, the Rome Children’s Museum and my son’s official b-day party
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A rainy walk through the Circus Maximus and Colosseum
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A review of the Necci, Pignetto’s historic hipster restaurantt
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I’ve introduced you to my friend’s cool design and wedding invitation studio Pop The Question
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My 2 year old’s Euro little man style
What I Wore
If you saw this post on how and what I packed for Rome than you may remember this outfit:
Well, here it is in all of it’s functional, multi-layered and colorful glory, complete with all the necessary items that comprise a perfect outfit for the Spring in Italy; a scarf, closed toe shoes (that work even in the rain) and cotton layers that keep you warm but don’t make you sweat!
I’m wearing ASOS Chelsea boots bought on sale for 50 Euro, Costa Blanca jeans bought on sale for under 20 bucks (7 years ago), a cotton V-neck also bought on-sale for under 8 euro, a cotton cardigan, a leather bag from Aldo (bought something like 15 years ago!) and a belt that i designed for my husband’s leather belt brand. If you want to know more about my life working in fashion in Italy I’ve done a few posts about the experience here!
Here is a picture of my friend Cristina wearing a different version of this design, it also looks AMAZING on HER! She is a mom of two young kids (a year apart…how does she do it?!), and all of that running around has actually made her thinner than she was before she got pregnant (I know, I know, let’s not get TOO jealous of Cristina)!
Many people have written to me since I started blogging 6 months ago mentioning that they need help dressing for their “new” post-pregnancy bodies. Whether you be a little heavier or, like Cristina, thinner but with less definition, I offer you my mom style strategy.
Clothes that Fit
I’ve heard many moms say that they “aren’t going to buy anything” until they fit back into their pre-pregnancy clothes. I’m actually against this mentality because if your clothes are ill-fitting (whether that be too big or too small) you won’t feel good about yourself or your body wearing them.
Instead of punishing yourself by having nothing in the closet that fits, embrace your few extra pounds with jeans that close, your unexpected weight loss with a pair of “skinny” jeans, your new post-breastfeeding boobs with a good quality “lifting” bra and your “not quite bikini ready” stomach with a structured one piece!
Buying new clothes DOESN’T have to mean breaking the bank. I am all about dressing with as little money as possible and use my Fashion Foresight (where I shop the Spring sales for things I’ll wear next spring, and shop the winter sales for next winter) to get the best deals possible on good quality items.
The problem is when you are a mom, especially at home with the kids, you may NOT WANT good quality clothes. You think about them getting destroyed, so what’s the point of having nice things? And that is where thrift or consignment stores play a huge role. DON’T BE AFRAID TO THRIFT SHOP it is amazing what $50 can get you!
Thrift shopping is NOT what it used to be, you can find so many great items, it just requires a little searching! You may remember Erin, I featured her a few months ago for another real mom style post. She wore an amazing thrifted fur collared coat that she bought for 10 bucks that is totally trending for next fall!
Waisted
One of the dressing strategies that I love for post-pregnancy bodies is accentuating and not hiding the waistline. Just like in the above picture of Cristina, this can be as simple as pairing a loose fitting top with a belt, or buying an empire or cinched-waist top. Hide your “mummy tummy” and give your form definition with one buy!
Here is a selection of my favorite “waisted” tops from ThredUp, they sell gently used, high quality clothes at a fraction of their retail cost. All of these tops could work for someone trying to work with “transitional” body issues, they can be paired with tights (if long enough) or jeans (that fit!)
#1 BCBG Max Azria silk top in practically new condition – $16.49 (retail price is $168)
# 2 Greylin100% silk top brand new with tags – $30.99 (retail price is $119)
#3 Diane Von Furstenberg top with some pilling – $48.99 (retail price is $245)
#4 BCBG Max Azria cotton top in practically new condition – $40.49 (retail price is $138)
#5 BCBG Max Azria silk top in practically new condition – $31.49 (retail price is $168)
#6 BCBG Max Azria top brand new with tags – $47.99 (retail price is $136)
I hope these suggestions and options help some of you with your new mommy fashion endeavors. I love getting your questions and photos for my real mom style features so please keep them coming! This week I am being featured on the blog We Took the Road Less Traveled! If you are a blogger please feel free to linkup anything goes!!
Fashion link-ups!
Every week I try to link-up my style posts with these fashionable ladies. Visit their sites for some inspiration & to discover new bloggers!
