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I can’t believe we are on Day 4 already! Only today and tomorrow, and then the Preggo Style Project will be over. Wah. To battle our collective sadness, let’s check out Day 4 and laugh over how I make the same bored face in almost every single photo. I am so cool and above it all, can’t you tell? This look was one we put together for a regular Saturday, and if you’re me, your Saturdays are spent running kiddos to dance class, birthday parties, shopping, and every once in a while, getting some quality time with your male counterpart. With that in mind, onward!

{click on photos to see at larger size}

From Katie, My Stylish Obi Wan Kanobi: O â€“ M â€“ G this is probably the look I most relate to because I love (love!) jackets, boots and those new whatchamacallitsâ€¦ oh yea, jeggings. Megan in her uber-chicness owns a pair of jeggings, which due to my spending freeze I have not acquired yet, but I hear (and see) they are must haves for anyone. Looking through the assortment of tops and sweaters scattered on her bed, I knew I wanted to get her in a jacket. She has numerous jackets, all of which I love and some of which have been complimented by celebritiesâ€¦she hasnâ€™t mentioned this yet, has she? The tan jacket is a favorite because of the ruffle detail and the heathered camel color that will go with just about anything. The shirt we chose to go under the jacket works because the print spices up the look and the neck line does not compete with the ruffle of the jacket. No jacket? I would suggest a vest or cape in its place.

From Megan: Ah yes, jeggings. I fought against the evil “leggings as pants” craze for so long, when I heard the term “jeggings” I immediately wanted to vomit. But mid summer I got a very thoughtful Gap Maternity Gift Card in the mail from my in-laws, and when I went online to check out some options, I saw these. They looked so “Fall” and like they’d be adorable under boots or with pumps or even ballet flats. Plus, the fact that they are jeggings make them so much softer and more comfortable then skinny jeans…I was sold. This is really the only expensive purchase, clothing-wise, I’ve made the entire pregnancy, and it was totally worth it. These jeans are great for weekends, for casual Fridays at the office, date nights…pretty much anything. They have a “back panel” fit, so you can’t even tell they are maternity, and they also feature an adjustable waist-band, so you can make them larger as you get larger. As they were a new style this year, they were hard to find on sale or on eBay, but I bet once winter is over, they’ll pop up here and there for a cheaper price tag. The shirt is from Anthropologie, and I got it online for $20 last year (thanks to GGC who posted about it on her site). The bottom has a great flare detail, so it’s still (barely) fits, although I have a feeling it will soon have to be retired until Taco John arrives. The jacket is from J Crew, and is a constant for me during the Fall, especially for work. The boots are the same Born models that we featured on Day 1.

From Katie: Megâ€™s a lover of big, bold, colorful purses (just like meâ€¦ have you met my green â€œMichelleâ€?). Her yellow bag was a perfect complement to this denim look and the pleats and gathers reminded me of the of the Marni â€œBalloonâ€ bag (with a much cheaper price tag). The look for her hair was a must needed messy chignon that she could just wrap and go, which makes 4 year old birthday parties and shopping much easier, wouldnâ€™t you say? She owns a couple of curly-q swizzle sticks that make creating this look easy. Here’s a video explaining how to achieve this look, but I’m warning you, it kinda makes me cringe. Get to the point already lady! I do have to say that it was pretty helpful though. Go to the 1:58 mark and she starts telling you how to use these cool clips. Megan set the look off with a pair of aviators and simple, rose lip and she was ready to cruise.

From Megan: We went pretty simple with the accessories for this outfit, mostly because I felt like on a long weekend day, I wouldn’t rock too many pieces. If I was going to add anything to this look, it’d definitely be a quirky pair of earrings or maybe a big, gaudy cocktail ring. Instead, we chose to stick with simple, adding a pair of aviator sunglasses and one of my many giant ~~suitcases~~ purses. You mama’s out there know how much crap you have to cart around when you have kids, but I am not a huge fan of Winnie the Pooh diaper bags, so I tend to to buy giant, cheap purses and just use them until they are too gross and I have to throw them out. This one is from Target, but you can find similar pieces at any Old Navy, Forever 21, H&M, etc. The sunglasses are from the Banana Republic Factory Store (love the discounts…love!), and were slightly smushed during a roller-coaster incident last year. Eh, they still work, right? The hair was accomplished using the new Goody Spin Pins, which I discovered this summer and lived in during those humid Kansas months. They are a bit tricky at first, but once you get the technique down, they are an awesome alternative to a ponytail that doesn’t require too much maintenance.

And holy moley, everyone, that’s Day 4! I guess you could say this is the most expensive outfit we’ve featured so far, as the jeggings were purchased new and are about $70 retail. Granted, I paid for them with a gift card, so I consider them free…but whatever. Everything else featured is non-maternity and was already owned by me. Just shows you that one great purchase can make an entire outfit! Tomorrow is the last day of the Preggo Style Project, and we’re planning on going out with a fun evening look. I will even be sporting the red lipstick that makes me “look like the Joker, the latest one, the one that died.” You don’t want to miss it!

{You can find Day 1 of Preggo Style here, Day 2 here, Day 3 here, or learn about the project here}

Preggo Style – Day 3

October 20, 2010/1 Comment/in Blond, Guest Banana, Pregnancy, Style /by Megan

And we’re back, with Day 3 of the Preggo Style Project! We wanted this outfit to be a bit more laid back than the past two (see here and here), more like something you could wear if your office had casual Friday, or even just something to run around in on the weekend. This was probably the look that took the most time to put together, as the first two were quick and easy, and for some reason we couldn’t seem to get a feel for what we wanted to do next. But after a few additions and subtractions, this is what we ended up with!

{click on photos to see at larger size}

From Katie, the oh so chic one: This is the part in styling where I became a little stumped. Megan bought about 6 million pairs of pants for $10 on eBay (ok, I lied, it was only 6 or something, but still) and I really loved a pair of grey corduroys, but we had a problem figuring out what to wear with them. She also had these wonderfully soft brown corduroys that went with more of the options we were looking at, so after trying and trying to make the grey work, we sighed and moved on. She did, for the record, tell me that the grey pair didnâ€™t go with anything, but I love a challenge. #challengefail. Ok, soâ€¦ we wanted something that you could wear to work, on say a Friday, but would be a great weekend, rove-around-town look. After we started piecing together different options, we came up with the outfit you see above, which mixes both cool and warm tones. I loved the grey striped shirt. The texture of the neckline and the fact that, yes, it is horizontal stripes, but it looks fabulous on Megan! I think the corduroys could be worn to bed they are so soft, so traveling in them wouldnâ€™t be a problem. The cardigan adds another layer of color and texture. I actually wouldnâ€™t mind seeing another pattern worn with the stripes if you have a patterned cardigan available.

From Megan: Strangely, as this outfit took so long for us to pull together, this is one that represents me and my style pretty darn well. I tend to lean toward preppy with my casual wear, especially when I’m in pants. My dresses and skirts tend to be more 50’s or 60’s vintage looks, but for some reason I love pants outfits right out of the J Crew fall catalog. The pants (as Katie mentioned above) were purchased on eBay. I bought a box of 6 pairs of “Gap Maternity Pants” for $10. Now, I usually don’t buy from eBay unless I have a good visual on what I’m getting, but hell, it was $10, so I made my bid and went on with my life. These are brown Gap Maternity Cords, with the “demi panel,” which is my favorite maternity waist style because you can wear it early on and later in your pregnancy. They retail for about $70, but I really recommend eBay, as you can get them for much, much cheaper. The striped, ruffle tank is Old Navy Maternity, and was a hand-me-down. They have a ton of cute, cheap options on their site of similar tanks, which are great for layering in the Fall. The cardigan is from Target circa 2007/2008 and is Merona brand.

From Katie: The hat, as you can see on the ever smiley Megan, is a huge tie-in to the whole look. It worked out perfectly! Besides this super cute bucket hat, you could also do a head wrap , which I know, may be a bit â€˜hipster,â€™ but it’s chic, easy and keeps the hair out of your face (ed. note: if you do a turban, a more structured jacket is needed), or a cloche hat. I found this hat online and I just LOVE it! Or if you want to keep the style super laid back, a flat cap/newsboy cap works as well. If you went in the flat cap direction, you could do something with a pattern/plaid/stripe to create more layering. (I love the Paul Smith Fall 2010 Collection!) Moving along, this look wouldnâ€™t be complete without Meganâ€™s watch, which she acquired last Christmas and Iâ€™ve been eyeing to steal ever since. With its swappable bands, this is an easy accessory you could wear with so many fall, menswear inspired looks. Top this look off (or bottom this look out, whichever you prefer) add a pair of comfy, bronze ballet flats and I think you are ready for a jet-set afternoon of running around with the fam.

From Megan: In the last year or two I’ve turned into a total hat freak. I would pick a hat over a purse any day, I love them so! I’m not a religious gal, but I swear, I’d join a church just to be able to wear a fancy hat every week. This one is from Anthropologie, and I got it on major clearance last Spring. The watch is definitely my most worn item (other than my wedding ring). If you check out any of the real time Preggo Style pics that we have posted over on Flickr, you’ll see this watch with almost every outfit. It’s a J Crew Men’s Military Watch, designed by Timex, and I received it as a Christmas gift from my ever generous in-laws. They also gifted me three different watch bands (deep olive, orange and black), so I can switch them out if I want to. I tend to stick with the green, as I like that it adds some weight and a masculine touch to a feminine outfit. (The updated version comes with a white face, which I love too!) The shoes are Old Navy, which is a great place to pick up several different colors of ballet flats on the cheap. Like I said yesterday, flat shoes are a preggo lady’s best friend, so I tend to stock up on them!

And there it is, Day 3! Now, although this look did contain two “maternity” pieces, I’d still say it was a steal. The striped tank was a free hand-me-down and the pants came in a box of 6 for $10, so I spent a grand total of $1.67 for maternity pieces for this outfit. Yeah, you can’t do much better than that. I’d like to thank Katie, her Yaris and that almost dead pot of mums for co-starring in this post, and you all for not laughing at me. You’re nice. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s outfit, featuring something I swore I’d never ever wear. And it’s not leggings…but you’re getting warmer….

{You can find Day 1 of Preggo Style here, Day 2 here, or learn about the project here}