Maternity Style: victory rolls and a vintage clutch
So I’ll be super honest here: I have not been feeling inspired to get dressed these days. Retro maternity style is hard to figure out, especially considering true vintage maternity style in my preferred era was… wearing a tent. And I don’t really want to wear a tent.
But then a few days ago, a friend who knows I love vintage gave me an entire lot of 60’s-80’s vintage her mom was giving away, including jewelry and purses and wigs (hey hey!) and as I mourned the fact that none of the vintage clothing would fit me, I wondered… why am I not dressing like the vintage woman I want to be? I’ve gotten stuck in the rut of putting a modern spin on my retro wear just to feel more comfortable in public, but really I want to just go full-on vintage/retro. I’m so inspired by Ashley and her gorgeous wardrobe, Skye and her all-out vintage wears, and most recently (thanks to Skye) Nora Finds. There’s no reason I can’t imitate those looks while pregnant.
It’s a bit harder, sure, but with the right makeup and hair, nearly anything can pass for a vintage look. 
So, ignoring the fact that I am pregnant as heck (UNDER A MONTH TO GO WHAT?), it’s hot out, and about five minutes after I started taking pictures a crew of road workers parked themselves and their stop sign right down our driveway, in clear sight of me and my photography shenanigans, I decided to put together as retro an outfit as I could and just go for it.
I actually started out thinking this would be a very retro-nerdy look (glasses), but ended up loving the entire vibe. It’s definitely not as glam as Ashley or Nora, nor as quirky as Skye, but it’s a step, and it feels very “me.” With a victory roll and bright lips. I think part of my block as far as style went was that I had not been allowing myself to imagine a character as I got dressed. Personally, if I don’t feel like there’s a fictional character behind the outfit, or a blatant era evoked, or an overall vibe given off, I’m not invested and it doesn’t feel right. 
So, while I am 100% wearing this and would wear this anywhere, the victory roll and red lips and vintage clutch gave it that character I wanted it to have to really feel like a style. Instead of a simple collar and flowery skirt, it’s elevated to librarian of the 40’s, or schoolteacher, or wartime era wife waiting for her husband to return home. With a very pregnant belly. That’s what I want my style to do — evoke stories. Not just my own, but many. Perhaps that’s part of the writer in me talking.
But let’s switch gears and just talk about this clutch for a second.
It was in the lot of vintage given to me, and can I just say… swoon? Between this clutch and the many pairs of vintage clip on earrings she gave me, I’m in heaven! Thank goodness jewelry and purses always fit, right? I can’t wait to list the clothing on Etsy, though; you will die over how gorgeous all of it is, and she was kind enough to say if it didn’t fit, I could sell it. So keep your eye on my shop, because really fantastic vintage is coming! (A 1970’s goddess gown! A gorgeous wedding dress! The most 1970’s bellbottoms you will ever see! Psychadelic skirts!)
So on this Wednesday, which has maintained my opinion that Wednesdays and not Mondays are the worst day of the week, I am consoling myself to the fact that I will never fit into a vintage size 2 dress with the fact that I now have a considerably large collection of vintage jewelry to add to my outfits.
I am also consoling myself with an Otter Pop. Because pretty much any day can be made better with an Otter Pop. (Or freezer pop, or whatever you call them…)
Shirt, c/o Oasap | skirt, thrifted | earrings and clutch, vintage/gift | shoes, Modcloth
What do you want to evoke when you get dressed? A style? A story? Yourself? Something else? Do you aim to get reactions when you wear whatever you wear, or do you just dress the way you dress because you love it?
I hope you are all having a good Wednesday! I’m off to control some toddler chaos.
😉
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8 Comments
Salazar
Sorry I haven’t commented in forever (my network refuses to load Disqus properly, so I still have to comment as guest for now). I hear you about not being inspired to get dressed. I’ve been working from home most of the summer and some days all I want is to roll out of bed in my pajamas and be done with it. So I applaud your effort! And I think this is a great look. I have resigned myself to the fact that vintage style is just not practical for me, but I still love to follow vintage-inspired blogs like yours and Nora’s. Keep it up!
Eccentric Owl
That’s so annoying! Haven’t you had that issue for a while? Ugh. I get annoyed that the bloglovin’ app doesn’t let you comment on things (there’s no option to view comments or leave a comment. Useless.)
I think a big part of getting a vintage look, for me, is hair. If my hair is vintage-looking, and sometimes it’s as simple as a headscarf and done, then I feel like the rest of me follows. Because I have to be practical (hello, toddler) so while I love vintage bloggers who go all out, I can’t actually wear a vintage dress or a retro dress that is SUPER fancy or I’m too worried I’ll ruin it. Practical vintage is harder to find, though. Oh well.
And for me it’s the same — I’m not a modern style person, or a minimalist, but I still love reading the blogs like yours because it’s still inspiring, even if they’re not my aesthetic.
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skye
“Personally, if I don’t feel like there’s a fictional character behind the outfit, or a blatant era evoked, or an overall vibe given off, I’m not invested and it doesn’t feel right.”
This absolutely. Outfits without narrative unity…even if they look nice, I just don’t *feel* right in them. I get uncomfortable and fidgety. I also have this really weird fear that if I go out in public in an outfit I don’t like that much, of course THAT will be the day I get interviewed or photographed or put on HONY or something.
https://colormebrazen.wordpress.com/
Eccentric Owl
Yep! I have the same sort of fear, like… what if I go out in an outfit I don’t like that much and meet another blogger or even just someone who reads my blog? And it’s not ME. It’s… the boring rushed tired mom me, which is not what I want to be.
It’s been interesting defining my style and I think the story aspect behind it is really important, because… just because I want to tell a story with an outfit does not mean I wouldn’t wear it anywhere. I DO wear outfits from the time I put them on to the time they get dirty or we’re done with errands or whatever, but I still want them to evoke a feeling rather than just look nice.
Heather Gwinn
Humm I don’t know that I ever considered whether my outfits evoked a story. I just dress in a style that feels like me. There have been times I’ve doubted the way I’m dressing. Others will even make passing comments to me asking why I’m so dressed up, which really bugs me. But then I remind myself that I love retro styles. To me it’s a timeless looks that I style with ease. I also like to remind those who make those annoying comments, Why not? I’m an at home mom and if I had to have a “reason” to dress up every time I’d never get to. Like you, what I wear in my photos is what I wear all day.
I love this vintage look! I’d love to incorporate more authentic pieces into my wardrobe. I’m currently working on improving my hairstyle. I’m terrible! Your hair is always inspiring.
I look forward to seeing what you add to your shop!
Xoxo,
Heather
http://www.thearbitraryfox.com
Hannah Rupp
I love it when an outfit tells a story! Rather than just picking it apart and saying “Ooh, I like your shoes!” you can engage with someone and ask them what inspired their look or who they’re embodying. It’s both a way of self expression and an excellent convo starter.
Also, I like your shoes! 😉 (But seriously, they’ve got me hunting for my own yellow flats because yours just match everything. How do they do that??)
Hannah | The Outfit Repeater
Eccentric Owl
They have them for sale again at Modcloth! And seriously, best little semi-splurge for shoes I have EVER made. Because like you said, they go with everything PLUS they are super comfortable and durable, and… I love them.
And also they’re pretty much the only cute shoes I can wear right now so I HAVE to wear them with nearly everything…