Creating my Postpartum Capsule Wardrobe with Very

AD. You might think it’s a bit late for me to be creating my Postpartum Capsule Wardrobe as my baby is 15-months-old. But you would be wrong, now is actually the perfect time to be creating it. There are a few reasons why that is.

Breastfeeding

The biggest one is due to breastfeeding. I’ve been wearing breastfeeding tops and dresses to make it easier to feed Leo when we are out and about. And as he’s getting older and feeding much less, I’m able to wear clothes that aren’t specifically designed with breastfeeding mothers in mind. Though I do buy items that I can feed Leo in – these just are a little less discreet compared with nursing clothing which tends to allow you to keep most of your dignity.

Comfy clothes during lockdown

Another reason is I’ve spent half of Leo’s life either in my maternity clothes or pyjamas. After a challenging recovery from birth and being in lockdown, I was living my best life in my comfies. I can’t tell you how hard it’s been letting go of the over the bump maternity jeans!

Pregnancy weight gain

Then there’s my weight. I gained 3 and a half stone during pregnancy! I’m almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I didn’t want to start buying a lot of clothes to then lose weight as I’m trying to be more mindful of waste and be more responsible with what I buy. So I’ve been very selective with what I’ve bought over the last year. I’m a few lbs away from my pre-baby weight and I feel really comfortable in my size 12 (14 jeans!) body.

Style has changed

Another thing my style has changed since having Leo. It’s been two years since I got pregnant now and my life has changed. Before having a baby I went to the gym, worked and went out for meals and drinks. Most of my wardrobe was dresses and workout clothes. But now I work from home and look to having Leo during the day, taking him to baby classes and the park. My clothes need to be more practical now and I wear more casual things. And maxi dresses! I love maxi dresses since I started wearing them when I was pregnant!

Being sustainable with clothing

As I’ve mentioned, I am trying to be so mindful about what I buy. I’ve been investing in clothing from sustainable brands that use recycled material that is ethically sourced. But there are other ways to be mindful of the environment when buying clothing such as buying second hand, upcycling or buying staple pieces that you will wear many times.

And it’s the last one I’m here to focus on today.

When I look at my current wardrobe, it’s full of clothes that are too big that I wore during pregnancy and postpartum. Or those that are too small from pre-pregnancy. I have donated some to charity, but there are some that I just love a bit too much to part with at the moment.

I’ve been at a bit of a crossroads really. My maternity jeans are too big, even though they’re very comfortable! But my pre-pregnancy ones are too small.

So when Very got in contact with me about creating a capsule wardrobe with their new spring collection, it is exactly what I needed.

A bit of a clean slate – a chance to reset my wardrobe as start to reclaim my personal style back after over a year of dressing only for the convenience of breastfeeding.

Over the last two years, my body has done amazing things. It’s grown a baby and then fed that baby. He’s now a thriving toddler. On the back of that, my body is so different now and I can’t wait to start feeling good about what I’m wearing again.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

I’m sure most of you know what a capsule wardrobe is, but for those that don’t, it’s a small collection of items that you can swap and change to create different outfits. This helps you to get more wear out of items of clothing and create different looks with fewer items.

What’s in my capsule wardrobe

When creating my wardrobe, I wanted items that I could dress up and down. Items that would be comfortable, but look good. I’ve gone for pieces that aren’t really a current fashion trends, but something that’s more timeless.

Top Layer

I love a jacket or jumper that I can easily throw on! For the top layer, I’ve picked a faux-leather jacket, a denim jacket and a black jumper.

I love leather jackets! I had one for years and wore it until it fell apart and my partner made me get rid of it, so I know I’ll get a lot of wear out of this. You can style a leather jacket with anything in my opinion! It can change the whole look of an outfit.

A denim jacket is a timeless piece that never goes out of fashion. I wouldn’t wear double denim, but I would wear this with a dress, black leggings or a skirt.

A black jumper is another key piece that never goes out of fashion but it’s practical and comfortable to put on during colder days.

Base Layer

So for the bottom layer, I’ve picked some tee shirts The floral one is something a bit pretty, a plain white one (also have a black one) and a striped tee are all items that are interchangeable.

They will mix and match with different bottoms and jackets for many different looks.

Bottoms

For the bottoms, I went straight to the jeans section to see what was on offer. I honestly thought I was going to wear my maternity jeans for the rest of my life. I’ve worn them for over a year after giving birth and it really is time to move on now as they are too big and have no shape to them.

I’ve got a grey pair of jeans for a bit of a smarter look, contrasted with more casual straight-legged blue jeans. A long skirt for a lighter, more colourful option (hello spring/summer!) and I’ve also got some black leggings which are great for chilling at home or going to baby classes that require a lot of movement.

Dresses

I selected two dresses as I can’t write a post like this without including dresses! Although they are harder to create multiple outfits out of than a top/bottom combo, dresses are the reason I started this blog 10 years ago! I just love them.

A picked a black maxi-dress which has so many possibilities. I’m going to get so much wear out of this – it would look great with the denim jacket and some sandals. It will be easy to wear at swimming for quick, fuss-free changing and really comfortable in baby classes.

The shorter dress is something a bit more dressy. Though it can be dressed down with flat shoes and a denim jacket, I would also wear it with heels and a leather jacket for a trip to the pub.

As someone who often struggles with styling my clothes, I’ve always had set outfits rather than mix and matched items. But once I sat down and thought about it, this was actually quite simple to select items that would go together! I’ve kept the colours pretty simple to avoid clashing and I’m so happy with my new wardrobe.

I now enjoy thinking about what to wear each day. When I add new things to my wardrobe in the future, I’ll make sure whatever I buy will fit in with my current wardrobe so I get lots of wear out of it!

Have you ever created a capsule wardrobe?