*Image above via Linda Tol — can you even deal with her chic, pregnant self?! She’s also nailing a bunch of the trends we’ve been talking about recently, from chunky tube socks to clogs to a fantastic sweater, and it’s all working. Even the hair tuck!
Q: An outfit for mom and dad in family Christmas photos.
A: If you like plaid/tartan, I shared a bunch of cute ideas here. If you’re looking for something else, I say be selfish and pick a dress you love and will look forward to wearing this season and then have your husband coordinate with you. Ha! For example, I love this Dondolo dress, which features festive green and red but does not hit you over the head as a Christmas explosion. Hubby could coordinate with corduroy trousers in the emerald green or maybe burgundy (?) and an ivory shawl collar sweater. I also am swooning over this velvet number — an investment but WOW. He could coordinate with a wool suit and burgundy smoking slippers!
Q: Blush (not pink) sweatshirts or sweaters.
A: I think I know what you want — more in the mauve/dusty color palette versus on-the-nose pink. A few I love:
THIS PERFECT CROPPED SWEATSHIRT
Q: Maternity clothes for months of working from home!
A: Congratulations! I shared some great maternity finds at the bottom of the post here, but if I were you, I would live in great leggings (these are the absolute BEST), Gap maternity tees, and long/dramatic cardigans that you can then use while nursing and in future seasons — I love…
THIS COZY CASHMERE (ON SALE!)
THIS LONG FINE KNIT STYLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE GRAY OR CAMEL
Any of these sweaters also work great over a knit sweater dress like this.
Then, dress up the uniform with fun, on-trend accessories, like…
Even if you aren’t going anywhere or seeing anybody, it always makes me feel happy to be wearing something special and it elevates the pregnancy wardrobe.
Q: Chic nursing friendly shirts (buttons!) in non-fussy fabrics for messy baby.
A: I loved Ralph Lauren oxfords! Pair great with jeans, stay in vogue forever, and if you pluck them right out of the dryer, you can get away without ironing. (At least, much moreso than a poplin top.)
Q: A rug for playroom, toy storage, suede boots, and fall block prints for women.
A: OK, let’s see. For rugs, I shared a bunch of great options here. For a playroom, I love the idea of one of these, which are affordable and chic and 100% cotton (therefore you can more reasonably spot clean it — some of our fancy rugs are totally impossible to clean). I also think the pattern is not too baby-ish and would sufficiently disguise the inevitable stain/spill. Less practical perhaps, but I adore this striped style!
For toy storage, I can’t recommend IKEA’s inexpensive Kallax system enough. It comes in all different sizes, but we use it in mini’s room with these bins (which fit perfectly inside the cubbies) along the bottom row to organize loose/small toys and then the rest of the cubbies are filled with books and wooden toys/stacks of games that we like to display. It’s inexpensive and it does a great job of making all of the children’s toys accessible to them! We also use these in the medium size to store different building toys under mini’s bed (i.e., one for duplos, one for blocks, one for magnatiles). Finally, I just started “decanting” (a word another Magpie recommended — love it) toy sets with lots of small parts or pieces in these bags. Makes it so much easier to pull out all of mini’s calico critters, or toy cars, or puzzle pieces rather than sifting through the bottomless pit we used to have.
For boots: there are some amazing options here, but let me highlight my favorite suede ones: these go great with floaty boho dresses for fall, these are classic and currently on sale for 60% off, and these are just the dreamiest.
Finally, several amazing fall blockprint finds here!
Q: A white terrycloth robe for my MIL for under $100.
A: Parachute Home!
Q: Tracksuits and cozy winter pajamas for toddlers.
A: Tis the season! A few sets I love:
THIS STRIPED THERMAL STYLE (CANNOT BELIEVE THE PRICE — HILL OWNS)
THESE CAMPING JAMMIES (HILL ALSO OWNS)
HANNA ANDERSSON VINTAGE VILLAGE PAIR
ALWAYS LOVE LIVLY BABY’S SWEATSUITS
ZARA ALWAYS HAS PRECIOUS RIBBED LEGGINGS WITH COORDINATING TOPS, AS DOES VANAIT BABY
Q: High-end but classic (not-trendy) crossbody.
A: The Celine trio. Major heart eyes.
Q: A dress for an outdoor wedding party in late October. Something with boots?
A: One of the chic dresses in this roundup — maybe this one?! Autumnal, festive, and works with boots! There are also some super chic options here.
Q: Brown riding boots!
A: These are harder to find nowadays — it used to be all you’d see! These Guccis are amazing, and the kind of boots that will last you a lifetime. These are a little trendier than a classic riding boot, but I adore these waterproof ones (well priced at $200).
Q: Christmas gifts for a two-year-old boy.
A: I will be publishing a full gift post on this subject soon, but a few of the top items I’m considering for micro (who will be just shy of two this winter):
THIS BALANCE BIKE OR THIS CLASSIC LITTLE TIKES CAR
A NAME STOOL (MY MOTHER HAS GIVEN BOTH OF MY CHILDREN STOOLS LIKE THESE AND THEY ADORE THEM / WE GET SO MUCH USE OUT OF THME!)
Q: Not-super-cropped black jeans. I have such trouble finding good black jeans.
A: I just bought this pair this season and I am in love. Stretchy but flattering, a good high rise and a great length.
Q: What bag is in this photo?
A: I am almost positive it is an Hermes Kelly, which is like the investment of a lifetime…or a few lifetimes. Tory Burch has some great handbags with a similar vibe at a more attainable pricepoint — love this.
Q: Tights!
A: I swear by good old-fashioned black Spanx (last forever and very flattering) but the last few seasons, I’ve taken a risk by ordering a couple pairs of Gucci logo tights, too.
Q: Comfy pants that look put-together, preferably stretchy-waisted!
A: I so hear you – I think we are all testing the limits of athleisure during this extended period of time at home. Check out Mango’s Comfy Collection — I like the way they are layering knits and encouraging monochrome looks that afford a bit more sophistication than your typical sweatsuit look might, as with this camel jumpsuit. I also like the way Everlane styles these pants in the sage color, with a silk button-down. Finally, cashmere joggers always look a bit dressier than other sets might. Pair with suede-trim Vejas and a coordinating hoodie or chunky knit sweater.
Q: Wall decor for our office. Couch/rug are navy blue and red.
A: So luxe! A few items I love that might work…
A SET OF NAVY BOTANICALS (PURCHASE WITHOUT THE FERN NAME ON IT)