Thank you to thredUP for sponsoring this post! The first 100 readers to click here and enter the code ANNE at checkout will get 30% off their first order (US only, items under $150). Check out the end of this post for a shopping spree giveaway, too. 🙂
One of the main things I suggest to my AnneTheRD nutrition clients who are struggling to make peace with their body is to buy clothes that honor and fit their body where it is right now. Not where they want it to be, or where it used to be, but where it is right now. No matter what size you are, and whether it is appropriate for your body or not, if you are trying to put on clothes every day that don’t fit you, it’s not going to feel good.
Being a new mom is a weird time body-wise. You’re no longer pregnant, but your body doesn’t necessarily feel like your own, either. Maternity clothes that you wore all the time with the big stretched out belly no longer fit. And if you’re like me, you’re really sick of maternity jeans that always seemed to constantly inch their way down. But most of your old regular clothes likely aren’t appropriate for awhile (if ever), either. I know mine aren’t – every day it’s a bit of a struggle to find something in my wardrobe that makes me feel good physically. Stretchy workout clothes have been fine, but most of my casual clothes and client-appropriate work clothes are either a) really uncomfortably tight in the waist, or b) super unflattering. I’ve mostly been living in leggings and maternity tanks and zip ups for the past 10 weeks, but now that I’m starting to meet with clients again and go out and about more, it was time to get some new clothes that actually fit.
Getting back to my pre-pregnancy body is not a priority for me right now – if my body wants to get back there, it will, and if it doesn’t, that’s fine too. Do I want to get back to regular exercise, like running, and higher intensity strength training? Yes, of course. But I want to do that stuff again because it makes me feel good, not because I’m trying to micromanage my body.
When I was pregnant, I wrote about how thredUP was a wonderful way for me to add some new maternity items to my wardrobe without breaking the bank. And now, postpartum, I’m back on thredUP, this time finding myself some clothes that honor my postpartum body just where it is right now.
If you haven’t heard of thredUP, it’s a large online thrift store that resells clothing from more than 35,000 brands for up to 90% off the original retail price. It’s pretty much amazing – I’ve done a TON of shopping on there over the years and have been able to get a lot of really good deals on my favorite brands. Every item on the site goes through a 12-point quality inspection process so you know what you’re getting is in high-quality condition, and I love that they note on each item’s page whether it’s like new or slightly worn (and what kind and where the wear is) so there are no surprises when your package arrives.
For my new year/postpartum closet refresh, I had a few goals. First, I wanted 2 to 3 pairs of jeans that made me feel like a million bucks. My old jeans were really tight and uncomfortable at the waist, and my maternity jeans drove me crazy and always rode down all through my pregnancy, so I was really missing having a good pair of jeans. This mission was a total success. I ordered about 8 pairs to try on and ended up keeping 3 and sending the rest back. They have really easy returns – you can get free shipping if you do the return for credit, or you pay a small shipping fee for a full refund back to your credit card. I’ve done both options in the past!
The jeans I’m wearing in the picture above are Lucky Brand – normally $109 but I got them for $19.99. I love them! I got two really great pairs of 7 for All Mankind jeans, too – those retailed for $189 and I got them each for $27.99. That is a SERIOUS deal. I love my designer jeans but definitely wasn’t looking to pay a billion dollars for them, especially since I’m not sure how long I’ll be at this size and since I wanted more than just one new pair. The orange shirt I’m wearing is also thredUP – I love how long and cozy it is while still being flattering. It’s Banana Republic and was $78 but I got it for $15.99.
One of the things I love about thredUP is that you can search exactly for the brands or items you’re looking for – so to find the jeans I was able to put in the size I wanted, pick a few main brands, and then select the style (skinny/straight leg). It made it easy to wade through all the choices!
I was really excited to find these Banana Republic work pants, too – brand new with tags! I already own a pair of these from before pregnancy, so I knew I loved the style and was pumped to find them in a larger size. Original price $98, thredUP price $26.99. Perfect! The shirt was also a new thredUP find – it’s also Banana Republic (can you tell I was searching specifically for Banana Republic items on the website? love their stuff) and retailed for $119; I got it for $21.99.
In addition to some new jeans, a few new cozy tops, and the black work pants, I also wanted to get a couple dresses that I could wear to client meetings as I’m starting to ease back into my sessions with previous/long term nutrition clients and most of my old dresses are too tight. This beautiful blue wrap dress from Anne Taylor caught my eye – I loved the style and color and it looked comfortable but flattering. I was right! It retailed for $159 and I got it for $25.99.
I also love that a) it would be easy to breastfeed or pump in this dress since I can wear a nursing tank under it and just move the front area to the side, and b) it’s a faux wrap dress, meaning it doesn’t fully open – wearing a true wrap dress on a day that ends up unexpectedly being super windy is always a total fail, so I appreciate this not being an issue. 😉
The other work-appropriate dress I picked up is this cute JCrew striped black and white dress. Originally $158, I got it for $25.99. Loved it!
It feels good to have some new options in my closet that I know I can throw on on my way out the door without having to spend an extra 20 minutes trying on half my closet before something fits. Also, it was fun doing this photo shoot! One of my goals this new year was to finally hire a professional photographer to help with blog posts like this where I’m reviewing clothes or need lifestyle shots. Matt was getting pretty sick of having to spend ages taking photos of me, and I felt like it was time to have someone on board who was a) available during the day when it was light out, and b) would actually enjoy the process. Success! Rachel and I had a blast taking all these pictures in Shirlington one day last week. A special shout to the Peet’s Coffee employees who let me change in their bathroom a thousand times, too. 😉 I always wondered how fashion bloggers did it – ha!
Anyway! If you are spending your mornings trying to put on clothes that do not honor your body where it is right now, or if you are simply looking to refresh your wardrobe for the new year, I highly suggest checking out thredUP as a way to get the most bang for your buck.
And to help, one lucky fANNEtastic food reader will win a $250 shopping spree on thredUP! To enter, click through to the thredUP website, pick out an item you like, and come back here and leave me a link to it in the comments along with why you like it! U.S. residents only, please.
Happy shopping, and don’t forget that the first 100 readers to click here and enter the code ANNE at checkout will get 30% off their first order (US only, items under $150).
Photos: Rachel EH Photography
