Maxing out the maternity leave

Well, we have a maxi four-day weekend nearly upon us, and I have an even maxi-er holiday coming up, as today is my last official day at work before I go off on maternity leave! I say holiday, obviously I mean time-off-work-to-prepare-for-the-biggest-journey-of-my-life. And what better way to celebrate these exciting times than by debuting a new maxi dress? It's in a gorgeous deep purple with a bottom-of-the-ocean meets paisley-esque print, giving it a cool 70s vibe. It even features stars, for a little touch of magic. And on that word magic is where I sign off for the time being, as I get set for something truly magical, and look forward to meeting my little boy in a few weeks. Obviously he'll arrive into the world in style, and maybe he'll even pop up on the blog at some point (looking fabulous, natch). But for now, aside from the odd post here and there, it's time for me to go. Yummy Mummyville, here I come...

Dress, Boohoo.com

Pretty cover-up

It's set to be another scorcher in the City today, so once again I need to think cool, light layers. I've gone for a long camel vest over black leggings and metallic gladiator sandals, with gold and juicy lemon jewellery and a fuchsia nail for a colour pop. The long vest is pretty shapeless on its own, despite the bump creating its own shape underneath, so I need to stop it looking tent-like on my rotund middle. I've popped a blossom-print chiffon kimono-style jacket on, tied at the front at an empire length, to give me the illusion of a waist(!) and cover my arms for the office. The pretty print also adds a bit of interest to the plain camel. Mind you, from the side I still look ginormous, but what can you do? The baby bump is this year's hottest accessory, so I'm just going to work it.

Kimono jacket, Primark; vest, See by Chloe; gladiators, New Look

Navy and white striped light cotton blazer for the journey to work, Zara Woman

Layering up (and down)

Today is looking very promising, weather-wise, and the south east could even get up to the heady heights of 25C (lunchtime ice-cream alert!). This, of course, throws a bit of a dilemma into the mix when you've got to dress for work. You don't want to under-dress, show off too much flesh in the office and generally look uncomfortable and inappropriate as you tap away at your keyboard, pulling up your strapless bra and edging down the hemline of your shorts as you check your emails. On the other hand, you don't want to be so covered up that you're melting away by the printer, either. Oh, and Hubby has just helpfully pointed out - while reading over my shoulder - that women need to be careful when summer-dressing for work, as their male colleagues aren't always sure where to look when all the cleavage and thigh exposure comes out to play. He also mentioned some 'statistic' about women wearing on average 30% less clothing when the sun comes out, and that men don't just wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from the sun, if you get where I'm going (the sly pervs)...

So, taking all this into consideration, I'm utilising layers today. I shall be making my way to work in cargo pants, a Breton top with a red vest peeping out underneath, strappy flat sandals and a smart but light black blazer. In the office, I should be nice and cool in my stripy top and lightweight trousers. Then, when I head out by the river for lunch, I can whip off the top and bask in the sunshine in my vest, maybe even going crazy and rolling up the bottom of my trousers. Clever old layering - keeps you warm, keeps you cool, gives you a couple of outfit alternatives during the day. Nice.

Blazer, Principles

Top, River Island

Vest, See by Chloe; cargo pants, H&M Mama; sandals, Clarks

Details

There's a glimmer of sunshine out there today so I'm wearing a few pops of colour in readiness. A simple white longline granddad top against my slouchy leopard harem pants makes a good background for an orange silk scarf clashing with a red lip. And I've gone accessories-tastic with an oversized turquoise cocktail ring, teamed with a tangerine enamel cuff and gold chunky chain bracelet. Gold, turquoise, tangerine, red - juicy, ready-for-summer colours. Time for those clouds to clear now.

Top, H&M; trousers, Zara; scarf, Oliver Bonas; pumps, Primark

Colour clash: red lip, orange scarf

Ring and chain bracelet, both Primark; enamel cuff, gift

Friday print

I wanted to be comfy today, as I had a morning antenatal class and wasn't sure whether I would be sat on birthing balls or swaying my pelvis or anything (did both, actually!). But also I wanted to look nice, as it's Friday and my last day at More! mag before maternity leave, so I thought a stretch jean and a nice print would do the job a treat. My berry-gold-pink DVF wrap top looks great with denim (and with bump), and I wanted to wear ballet pumps but wasn't sure if it was going to rain, hence opting for a sturdier plimsoll-type affair. Just in case you were interested. Have a fab weekend!

Top, DVF; jeans, Dorothy Perkins; turquoise cocktail ring and plimsolls, both Primark

Little Black Day Dress

Ladies, we all know what a key item the LBD is, especially when it comes to speedy dressing for a night out. But I love how flexible a Little Black Dress is for daytime wear, too. As easy as it is to dress up a slinky black number with statement jewellery, to-die-for heels, a spritz of expensive scent and a slick of lippy, I actually enjoy working out all the different ways you can dress it down for work/weekends. Today I'm wearing a bang-on-season midi length 3/4 sleeve stretch cotton LBD to the office, with black tights and flat tan loafers (and yes, the ubiquitous leopard-print scarf), further adding to the  casual vibe with a denim jacket. Swapping the scarf for a bit of bling, the flats for heels and the denim for a smarter jacket would take it into evening mode in a jiffy. Had I some swanky do to attend after work, other than a night in with Sky+ and the birthing ball, that is.

Denim jacket, New Look; dress and loafers, both Primark; scarf, Oasis

Easy monochrome

As much as I love an accessory – cocktail ring, chain necklace, hoop earrings, leopard scarf – there's something quite calming about a simple, pared down outfit. And you don't get more pared down than monochrome. I was tempted to jazz this up a little with some red lippy or fuchsia nails or a printed scarf, but then I thought, no, keep it clean. It kind of gives you a bit of a relaxed mind when you wear a minimal outfit – like the Zen you get when you've tidied your house and all the surfaces are clutter-free. OK, so colour brightens up neutrals and accessories add personality and interest, but sometimes you just need that easy, fuss-free Outfit Zen. So today I'm keeping a calm head with a simple billowy white shirt and my standard black leggings, with a tan loafer and a classic trench. Done. 

Trench, H&M; shirt, Primark; leggings, Topshop; loafers, Primark

 

Slouchy Tuesday

Due to being woken up by a wriggly baby last night, I'm pretty tired today and in need of comfort clothes. And my go-to items of choice in these times of need are, more often than not, leggings, jersey/brushed cotton tops, soft hoodies, slouchy sweaters. So today's outfit is leggings, a long tunic vest knotted at the side to hug my bump, and a longline, light and soft cardi, as well as my Converse, so I'm huggably comfy from head to toe. I added a hit of colour with my floaty floral scarf, just to pick up the neutral tones.

And actually, it's just as well I've gone for comfort today, as I've got my first antenatal class tonight, and have been told to wear 'loose, comfotable clothing'. I have no idea why, and am slightly concerned this might indicate that we're going to be on all fours, circling our pelvises and mooing like cows (you may laugh, but a pregnant friend of mine has regaled me with tales of her own antenatal class, and there was definite mooing coming from the teacher, apparently, as she explained 'natural' birthing noises). So I'm outfit-ready, should I be called upon for any bovine-related activities this evening. Dear God...

Cardi, New Look; vest, H&M; leggings, Topshop; scarf, Primark; trainers, Converse

Borrowing from Coco

My go-to Easy Outfit of stripy top, skinnies and pumps is also giving me a bit of a Chanel vibe today (if we were to imagine Coco Chanel with a watermelon shoved underneath her top). The weather's not as glorious as it has been recently, but it's still bright and I don't want to lose that fresh, spring-like vibe, so I turned up the jeans and went for cheerful red stripes rather than navy. And I wore a black blazer, sleeves rolled up, instead of a coat, for a classic look and so that the outfit wasn't weighed down with anything too heavy-looking. Now if only Chanel did maternity wear...

Top, H&M; jeans, Dorothy Perkins; pumps, Primark

Double leopard

Doubling up on the leopard print today. It's so nice to be able to break out these trousers - I bought them back in the winter and have found them quite tricky to wear, as they're very light, so I wanted to wear tights underneath them to keep warm. Trouble is, the gathered ankle means they get caught on the tights all the time and I end up with half-mast legs all the time, or pulling them down whenever I stand up, so the only thing for it was to wait until it was warm enough to wear them with bare legs!

I've knotted my long tunic-style vest at the side so that it gathers nicely around my bump and looks less tent-like, and draped the scarf on loosely to finish off. Gold chunky jewellery and fuchsia-pink nails mean I'm sunshine-ready. Let's kick off the weekend, people!

Vest, H&M; trousers, Zara; scarf, Oasis; gladiator sandals, New Look

Coat-free Thursday

Today is the first day I've left the flat this year sans coat. Fab. Obviously the control freak in me started panicking immediately in case of a sudden downpour/chilly breeze, but sometimes you have to let loose and think positively, rather than preparing for the worst all the time Just. In. Case (blame being in Brownies). And I'm not wearing a single maternity item today, instead choosing my boyfriend-style cropped jeans (held up with the sneaky hair bobble trick), a loose-fitting silk frill-detail vest (well, it used to be loose, now it just fits) and my gold pumps. Luckily, sunnies will distract from the undesirable accessory I'm sporting this morning - eyebags from last night's birthday drinks for Hubby…

Vest, Topshop Boutique; jeans and pumps, both Primark

 

The toes are out!

Woohoo! Check out that sunshine in the capital! I'm so excited I've even decided to crack out the sandals and get my tangerine-painted toes on display. It's also Hubby's birthday, so I've brought out the DVF wrap top ready for drinks tonight after work, and am contrasting the reddy-pinky-goldy print against my khaki maternity cargo pants. The best bit about the wrap top is its extra-long ties, which wrap flatteringly around the bump. And the best bit about the whole look is that every element of it is uber-comfy (I know! Comfy sandals! Surely they take a month to break in again at the start of the warm weather?). As I've said before, I love it when an outfit comes together...

Enjoy the weather everyone!

Top, DVF; cargo pants, H&M; gladiator sandals, New Look

Cosy Tuesday

Woke up both insanely tired and miserable from the rain hammering away at the window and making the morning look decidedly grey. Booooo! There was only one thing for it – cosy clothes. Despite the weather being milder, the only thing that keeps my feet dry in wet weather is boots (must think of a mild-weather alternative, as boots can get too warm, and my only other options are ballet pumps, plimsolls and peep-toe wedges, all of which let the rain in. Not good). So I decided to work up from my feet. I opted for a cute cotton dress and 120-denier tights, cosied up with a snuggly woolly cardi.

Sometimes grey days need to be brightened up with a killer outfit. Other times, we just need to go with it and make getting through the day as comfortable as possible...

Cardi, Zara; dress, Miss Selfridge; tights, Topshop; boots, Dune

Don't shoot me...

... but yes, I'm wearing a stripe again (kind of, as it's stripey but also the stripes form a square effect in the centre, so it's totes different really. Ahem). Mind you, I normally wear a stripey top with jeans, leggings, shorts and cargo pants so I've slightly broken the mould by slinging it over a Tshirt minidress today (they seriously are the most versatile tops ever, and I'm already looking forward to wearing them over maxi dresses of a summer's evening). And I got a little bit excited by the sunshine streaming through the window first thing, hence styling it out in the Ray-Bans before I've even left the flat...

Top, Primark; dress, H&M; tights, Topshop Maternity; pumps, Primark

Rocking a leather pant

It's Friday, so I thought, what the heck, perhaps it's time to break out the leather trousers. Ok, so they're maternity leather trousers, and I'm wearing them with comfy flat pumps rather that some killer platform ankle boots with studs, but I'm still rocking out. Kind of. And I love these trousers, so I'm getting the wear out of them while I still can, before the weather gets too warm. Plus, there's always the chance my body could decide to expand rapidly in the last two months of pregnancy and reduce me to wearing tents, so I'm darn well wearing them while I can still squeeze my hormonal butt into them...

Top, H&M; leggings, Jojo Maman Bebe; scarf, Oasis; pumps, Primark