Milk Friendly - the Tunic Tee.

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Outfit Details:
Free People We The Free Charleston Tee, Target Mossimo Supply Racerback Tank, Free People Bralette (similar here and here), Free People Roll Crop Jeans, Puma Classic Suede Sneakers, Mama and Little Nicole Necklace in Sweet Mint (use code KRISTEN for 10% off!)

I am so excited about this series. Styling, nursing-friendly clothes are seriously under-represented in women's fashion. As a mom of a 7-month little boy, I am constantly rifling through my closet and trying to find things that I can wear out and about while still looking relatively cute and put-together. Most of my tops are off-limits - they're too silky (hi, let's show all the drool shall we?), too high-neck (how to access the boobies?), too low-cut (too much cleavage with these milk monsters), too tight (because I am not back to my pre-pregnancy weight) - so seriously, what's a girl to wear??

It's complicated.

I wish I could say that I can make all my current clothing work for nursing, but that's just not the case. I've had to shop. I nursed my first son Everett for 16 months, and that entire time I was always on the hunt for clothes that worked for that season of life. Now that I'm back on this milk train with Daxton, I have more of a grid for what to shop for and how to make nursing-friendly clothes relatively stylish. Because lets be honest, most of what is on the market for pregnant and lactating mamas is just frumpy. But not all! There are ways to piece together a cute and practical outfit. Over the course of this month, I'm going to share a series of looks that work for nursing mamas. And today I'm starting with one of my most-worn essentials - the tunic tee!

I love wearing tops like this one because it's basically like wearing a gigantic tee shirt - only prettier and softer. It's easy to layer this kind of look with a nursing tank underneath (I have this tank in about 10 colors) or even just a simple bralette like this. I love a lot of the Free People tees because they have some unique cuts up the side (making it a little easier to nurse), and you can either pull the top down or pull your shirt up - these tunics make it easier to do either. But I will say that most of my Free People tops are kind of delicate (even the cotton-blends), so I wash them on gentle and cold cycles. Just FYI :)

During the month of August, I will be sharing 6 different essentials for nursing mamas! I'm really excited to share because I've spent a lot of time hunting for the types of clothes that seem to work best - other than just straight up nursing tops.

Featured Piece:

We The Free Charleston Tee - Free People (on sale now!)

We The Free Charleston Tee - Free People (on sale now!)

Tell me, what is your biggest struggle with nursing clothing? Do you feel like there are things that "hold you back" from being your most comfortable self when it comes to what you wear during this stage of motherhood? I'd love to hear from you mamas!

That Momiform.

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This is the day that the lady at Sams Club didn't take my picture for the membership card. She was all, "You don't look like you're ready to have your picture taken, you can get it taken next time." Oops. Little did she know, 60 seconds before I walked in the door, we took these photos for the blog. I wanted to talk momiforms with you guys - you know, the real clothes us real mamas wear when we're momming. I thought walking into a big box store makeup free and double-timing the stroller and buggy depicted mom reality well...? Don't worry, we didn't switch our membership from the reigning king, Costco. Long live Costco, you guys. It doesn't discriminate against my scruffy vibe :)

While I value and appreciate the art of delicious fabric and custom tailoring, the truth is that I barely ever wear those cute clothes that hang in my closet. Most of the time, I am a bit unwashed and throwing on the cleanest clothes on the top of my stack of laundry. Lately, this consists of these nursing tanks, these oversized tees and these loose-fitting chino shorts (currently 25% off!) Sandals or sneakers, depending on the need for the day. I have a super big baby, so I like to wear sneakers to keep myself supported for the long haul of the day :)

Below are a few links that are perfect for everyday wear that give me an alternative to the other mom uniform I'm often sporting - yoga pants and a tank top. Thank God athleisure is a thing, can I get an amen?

Have any favorite basics that you are constantly rotating through in your closet? I would love to know if you have any comfy ideas I should be adding to my routine!

Show Some Shoulder.

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I've never really shared why I think clothing matters.

Clothes aren't vain or shallow or silly. Clothes are powerful. They speak, breathe and feel. They encourage and inspire, they challenge and surprise. One of my favorite quotes about fashion, hilariously enough, is from Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl (judge me all you want, that show was my guilty pleasure), "Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It's movement, design and architecture all in one."

Since becoming a mama, I've actually gravitated more towards fashion and developing my own sense of style. By default, when you become a mom, you enter into a season of endless sweatpants and topknots and tennis shoes that accompany the naptimes, sleepless nights and hectic newborn routine.

There is nothing wrong with this "momiform", this is normal. But I have learned through my own experience that if you aren't careful, the sweatpants will eat you.

Okay, they won't eat you. But they will eat up something inside of you, very slowly over time, this tiny little bit of self-worth that says, "I am worth the effort of 5 minutes of hair and makeup. I am worth wearing a cute shirt and necklace instead of the same nursing tank 4 days in a row. I am worth a new pair of shoes every now and then."

The level of sacrifice that mothers faithfully give everyday to their families absolutely astounds me. Women are amazing. My mom - she's absolutely amazing. She never made me feel like I was an inconvenience. And yet, she did a great job of taking good care of herself. She exercised. She ate healthy. She and my dad worked extremely hard to send me and my sisters to every cheerleading camp and chorus trip and a yearly summer beach vacation. And my mom was always, always stylish.

She showed me that she was important, that her self-worth wasn't a selfish endeavor, and that enjoying beauty wasn't frivolous. My mom's style is ecstatically bold and bright, stocked with armfuls of silver bangles and botanical scarves and strappy sandals. She has shown me that fashion, cultivating one's own style - this is an art to be enjoyed. A lifetime journey of tweaking, growing, changing and discovering one's own style. Allowing yourself to grow. Allowing your body to change shape. Allowing yourself to feel beauty, inside and out.

Clothing matters because it is an intimate insight into who you are.

And also, clothes are like, really really fun.

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I am currently getting re-acquainted with my body. My fleshier postpartum size can be frustrating, but it is also an invitation into a greater depth of self-love. Instead of disliking what I see in the mirror, instead of clinging onto the past with a fear grip, I am invited to see what will be compatible for me in this fresh season. I don't want the body of 18-year-old me (okay, I admit that might be nice here and there), but honestly - knowing what my body is capable of now is incredible! It's endured childbirth and overcome surgery and it is continuing to nourish and sustain a human. I don't know what could possibly be more miraculous and sexy and sensational - it's powerful. And sometimes when I feel powerless, clothes help to remind me. Remind me to give myself grace and celebrate.

I am absolutely loving the cold-shoulder and off-the-shoulder trend this season. I think it is one of the most flattering ways to highlight beautiful parts of every woman's figure - the shoulders, decolletage and neck. These are elegant lines on virtually every woman, and if you're feeling a little bit uncomfortable in your skin these days - this trend is for you. And for me. I am hoping that the off-shoulder look sticks around for a bit because I adore how flattering it is. Banana Republic sent me this butterfly-esque top and this lasercut dress, both sporting the off-shoulder detail, and I am loving how I feel in these clothes. With Easter just around the corner, a few other Banana Republic spring pieces that I am loving are this tropical top, this chambray dress, and this scallop top - their entire spring line is giving me goosebumps lately. I love all the super feminine details.

And now I have to ask - what does clothing mean to you? Do you find your style evolving in different stages of life? And also - have you found the perfect Easter dress yet?!

Outfit Details:
Look 1: Banana Republic Structured Off-Shoulder Top c/o, Free People Rolled Crop Skinny Jean, Anthropologie Sparkle Slides (similar here and here), Stella & Dot Covet Initial Necklace

Look 2: Banana Republic Lasercut Crepe Cold-Shoulder Dress c/o, Franco Sarto Wedges (similar here and here), Gap Round Frame Sunglasses, Stella & Dot Freya Fringe Necklace, Stella & Dot Ansley Cuff

Many thanks to Banana Republic for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Little Black Swimsuits.

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Bathing suit shopping is never really fun. It always seems to come astonishingly soon after the holidays, when the sugary coat of treats is still clinging to my overwintered skin. Alas, this year beckons with a set of circumstances that are even more varied for me personally, because I've got a nice layer of newborn baby fat that will be joining along for summer's joyride. I'm okay with it - nursing my baby is a gift and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be doing this gig again. (And while many people believe breastfeeding helps you lose baby weight, many people don't know that breastfeeding also keeps you from losing the last bit of that weight in an effort to cling to excess fat stores for the baby. Good times, guys.) I would absolutely be lying if I told you I'M TOTALLY FINE WITH LOOKING THIS WAY, because that's not the case. Don't we all want to be the best-looking, fittest version of ourselves? But in my case, the best version of myself is exactly what I am right now - healthy and happy and sustaining 2 human lives. Boom.

Enter the black (bathing suit) market.

I've tried on a handful of these, and I'm still mulling over sizing and whatnot because it's only April and I want to buy suits that will work for me throughout the summer. Who knows what size I'll end up being at the end of the summer? Exactly what size am I am right now? I have no idea. But I do know that black is a gal's BFF and one-pieces will be my jam this summer. So here we go, a few that I loved in a range of price points. Hope you find something you've been looking for, too!

Will you guys let me know if you like posts like this? I'm happy to share more roundup-type posts if you find them helpful and inspiring - but if they're a bore I'll just keep my online shopping to myself :) Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear from you! And happy spring break shopping to you!

Jump for Joy.

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I'll be honest. Family life is harrrrd right now. Not bad-hard. Just all-encompassing hard. Stevie and I keep looking at each other, when we've both been anointed with spit-up and pee and both the boys are screaming their brains out, and kind of sarcastically say, "You having fun yet??"

We had a LOT of years of goofing off and traveling and dating and having tons of fun, so it's not like we didn't really make the most of our time, pre-babies. We really, really did. We are just in the stage of life where family is our THING and whew, we are in it, you guys. We are in it. Bottles, bedtimes and boogers; discipline, diapers and diets (for me, not them). Haha don't we sound like SO MUCH FUN. Come over. I dare you.

But even in the midst of this stage of life, I literally can jump for joy because I am a blessed, blessed woman. I have so much to be thankful for and I wouldn't trade one second of my circumstance for anyone else's. I truly wouldn't. These people are my joy! Now let's talk about this little jumper/romper situation.

I love it.

There aren't enough clothes in the world that are cute/functional for breastfeeding, so I am going to do my best to share with you when I find something that ticks all of those boxes for me. We mamas gotta help each other out, amen? I found this little number at Target and I love pairing it with my trusty old leather Keds. I got so much crap for buying these Keds about 5 years ago (because apparently its a very grandmotherly thing to wear, white leather sneakers), but I LOVE them. I will gladly graduate to granny status now if that means wearing and enjoying them because oooh, they comfy. And white leather means they clean up so nice with a little rub of nail polish remover every now and then. And apparently these kinds of sneaks are "cool" right now, so that just goes to show ya - follow your own instinct and wear what you think is cool, no matter what anyone else says! And while we are at it... just trust me when I say that fanny packs are coming back, too. All in due time, friends. All in due time.

I also want to point out that this is a great piece to have in your closet when you are like me and in between sizes. The postpartum body is one that is seriously hard to dress - what shirts will fit your new knockers? What pants will actually get over these thighs? Rompers are looser-fitting and only require 1 choice: pulling it out of the closet. It doesn't need a pant/top as a buddy, so it's much less likely to stress you and and cause extra anxiety. I'm all about reducing the stress!

What pieces are working for you these days? Any spring trends that have you excited? Happy Monday, friends!