With everything going on in the world, it’s hard to think about anything Covid unrelated. But, this week, perhaps due to the gorgeous Spring weather and my return from maternity leave, I decided it’s time to get back to some sort of normal, albeit altered. So, I’m excited to finally share a pretty pleated look that I shot with Stephanie almost immediately before everything changed to remind myself and all of us to look forward to days that we can frolic around New York City again. Personally, it’s also rewarding to see how far I’ve come on my postpartum weight loss journey. These photos were taken in the beginning of March when I was 10 lbs heavier than I am currently. Since many of you fellow new moms have reached out to ask me recently about how I lost the baby weight, I’ll share what I’ve been doing in a separate, more detailed post.
Now back to the look and how to wear pleats. I’ve heard a lot of women say that pleated skirts can be unflattering, especially if you have a little belly, but worn correctly, pleats can actually be super flattering, elongating (who doesn’t want to look taller) and help to camouflage a belly, which is why I chose this dress for my first outfit shoot post-pregnancy. The key is to get a pleated skirt or dress in a size where the pleats fall straight without any stretching or tugging. In other words, your skirt or dress cannot be tight, especially at the natural waist. I cannot emphasize this enough. Otherwise, the pleats will highlight the hips in a super unflattering way, making you appear heavier and wider (and no one wants that). I also find that the longer the length, the better for creating height.
I purchased this burgundy pleated midi dress with lantern sleeves in preparation for New York Fashion Week before baby fell sick and I was unable to attend this season’s shows. I was particularly attracted to it because of it’s long lantern sleeves that would help camouflage my arms (I unfortunately always gain weight first in my limbs) and the belted waistline that allowed me to cinch the dress at the smallest part of my waist (best trick for creating a small waist). For accessories, I opted for a gold vintage shell clutch that my mother in law bought me for Christmas (isn’t it gorgeous?) and gold drop ball earrings. For shoes, I went neutral with my favorite pair of grey suede pumps from Schutz.
