styled for motherhood

As a new mom, there have been many things I've learned quickly that I never thought I'd need to know before.  One of those was how to breastfeed, and the other was how to dress for breastfeeding.  When you're at home, you can definitely get away with wearing your nursing tank and yoga pants but you can only stay inside for so long.  Daniel and I made an effort to get out of the house every single day, but I was challenged with finding clothes that were convenient to nurse in especially if we were out in public.  

So I enlisted the help of my dearest friend, Conni!  She has an amazing blog over at Art in the Find, and she is a personal stylist.  Let me tell you this-having a friend that is a personal stylist definitely has its advantages.  Conni was able to find some pieces for me that were absolutely perfect for my nursing lifestyle, and the entire experience was too good not to share.  Here's how our endeavor went:

I first let Conni know what I was in need of.  And that, my friends, was button down shirts.  I've had an issue with button down shirts in the past because they are either too short, too long, too wide, or too small in the bust area.  I let Conni know that I was also really in need of a classic, yet high-quality chambray top.  

We decided on a budget which included her styling fee.  Knowing my budget going into this helped her know where to shop and what price point to look for in shirts.   This also let me rest assured that these tops were going to be affordable!

Conni went shopping for me!  I've quickly learned that online shopping is a mom's best friend, but buying clothes online can be tricky if you're not sure how they will fit.  Having Conni go shopping for me was a huge gift!  There are times that I enjoy shopping, but when I'm looking for something specific it never fails that I have the hardest time shopping and I feel like I wasted a ton of time.  Oh, and can I add that Conni is one amazing shopper!  She found some killer sales deals that helped me stay in my budget.  

We got together and tried on all of the goods!  This was my favorite part.  Conni came over, showed me everything she found, and I started trying on.  What I loved was how honest she was.  If something didn't fit right, she'd let me know.  If a top wasn't giving me that "yes" feeling, she would put it in the "no" pile.  And she was also honest on sizing.  The chambray top she picked was amazing, I loved!  But it was a bit tight in the shoulders, and she recommended going up a size and we agreed it was a piece that could be worn a bit looser.  

Conni then showed me how to style some of my individual pieces.  There's nothing worse than buying a top and only knowing one way to wear it.  She used Polyvore to show me a couple ways to style my button down, which will be so perfect when I go back to work.  

One button down, three ways by artinthefind featuring a gold statement necklace

I ended up getting three new tops total, and each of them are a bit different.  I'm absolutely in love with my new chambray and am slightly embarrassed by how often I've worn it.  But the most beneficial part of this whole process is that I feel stylish as a new mom while being able to comfortable nurse in each top.  Making style functional is essential to me.  I just can't stop raving over having a personal stylist!  If you're in San Diego and in need of some style help or just want an amazing stylist, definitely check Conni out!!