Getting Glam in Motherhood || Lady V London Dirdle Review

The last time I wore Lady V London for the blog, I had only just announced I was pregnant, and the gorgeous Audrey dress pulled me out of that “I feel like I just look like I ate too many tacos” phase and into the everyday glamour I strive to create for myself. This time, I’m nearing the end of my pregnancy and nothing feels glamorous… until I step into this gorgeous teal Dirdle. I can say with 100% certainty that every Lady V London dress I now own makes me feel glam, comfortable, and so beautiful!

Lady V London sent me a dress of my choice for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I first saw the Dirdle dress on the ever glorious Miss Amy May in the form of the amethyst rose border print, and I was smitten. The cut of this dress is so classic, with its squared neckline — something you don’t see as often in reproduction brands but something that is quite prevalent in actual vintage summer fashion — super full skirt, and (best of all) pockets! If you are not already aware of Lady V London, they are a fabulous London-based company creating classic looks with a variety of prints and a size range from UK8 to UK22 in their main ranges, and size UK14 to UK32 in their plus size ranges.

This particular dress is available up to a size 22 (a 48 bust and 42 waist, if you’re curious!) but since I am generally able to size down in most Lady V London styles, for my 42 bust I am wearing a size 14 and the dress fits just fine. (That’s about 4 inches of stretch, give or take!) I did notice that not all of the Dirdle styles have as much give as this one — I bough the Amethyst rose border print, for example, and find that it only has about 2″ of stretch overall — but since I now own an Audrey, two Dirdles, an Elsie, and an Ursula all in the same size (all coming to the blog soon!) I can say the amethyst rose border print is specifically the ONLY one that doesn’t fit me in a UK14 at the moment. The Ursula is a bit snug, but I’ll be posting a full review on that next week!

And, as someone who doesn’t like to spend a lot of money on clothing I will only wear for about 4 months every 3 or so years, I truly appreciate having found a brand that works just as well on my pregnant self as they do when I am not pregnant!

Lately, I have been making an extra effort to both look and feel good, as we enter the last few weeks (only six left!) of my pregnancy. It’s amazing to me how much of a difference it makes to look and feel glamorous right now. Being able to pull dresses from my closet that make me feel good affects my entire day and changes my entire mood of productivity.

I remember in my last two pregnancies feeling like I just didn’t have anything to wear. Nothing really fit, I wasn’t feeling like going thrifting, and I didn’t think I could pull off wearing flared skirts while also pregnant. Oh, how much has changed! Now, I’m excited to look into my closet and contemplate what I get to wear. Not what I have to wear because nothing else fits, but what I get to wear.      

I’m often asked how I do it — how, realistically, do you get makeup and hair done and wear something pretty while also having two toddlers and being pregnant? How do you  not get dirty? How do you have time?

The answer is simple and complex all at once: I choose to do so. I choose to make time for myself sometime during the day. I choose dresses I know can be washed easily — at least, dresses I can toss in my washer and then hang dry! As a mother, choosing to make time for yourself is often very, very hard. And I know that; I am still working on choosing to make time every day. But it’s worth it.

As mothers, I think it’s pretty common for many of us to feel as if putting our own needs before those of our children is selfish and unnecessary. I know I have felt that way — do I really need to get dressed and do my makeup in view of everything else I have to do today?  Is it really that important? Here I am, charged with keeping two little humans alive who rely on me for literally everything. Should I be wasting time on such frivolous things as hair, makeup, and pretty clothes?

But I’m here to say, as someone who has felt that and still feels that on occasion… yes. It is necessary to take me time, as a mother. It’s necessary to take time to feel human. Whether you spend that having a quiet cup of coffee and doing devotionals (something else I try to make time for!), getting yourself ready for the day with a cute outfit, or the whole nine yards of makeup and hair and clothes, it’s important.  It’s important because it sets you up with time to de-stress. To feel like more than just a babymaker, a cleaning maid, a toddler’s personal chef. Somehow, though we would never treat any other job like this and would find it ridiculous if anyone told us “you cant take time for yourself, you are a secretary and a secretary only”, we become mothers and cease to find ourselves worthy of personal time. But when I take no time for myself, it affects everything in my day. I become more easily irritated, less productive, more tired, and more desirous of just letting everything in my house be how I feel (blah and messy.)

It’s important, for our children. I know this may not be a universal thing in motherhood and that’s totally fine, but I want my kids to realize that they aren’t the center of the world. Its one of the reasons my husband and I do our best to take date nights as often as we are able. Because life will not revolve around them when they are adults, and we think it’s important that they learn that in gentle ways as children. Mama takes time for herself during the day because she is every bit as human and in need of a “quiet time” as they are.

The funny thing is, instead of taking time and joy away from my kids, as is something I was always afraid it might do if I took time for myself, it works the opposite. My children LOVE to see me dress up. Asa often picks dresses he wants me to wear, and Evie is always watching and begging to do makeup with me. When I’m “dressed up” (rather, dressed as myself and not in yoga pants) I tend to have more energy to play with them. Which may just be a personal thing, but I have noticed it is very true.

While it took me many years to realize it, I now feel far less guilty taking time to be put together during the day. And Lady V London has definitely helped stock my closet so that I have lots of options for feeling good! What is something you like to do for yourself every day?

Dress, c/o Lady V London | shoes, Amazon | cardigan, Amazon | hair flowers, thrifted | earrings, vintage (similar here and here)  | brooch, vintage (similar here and here)