Pregnancy Rule of Plum

Pregnancy rule of thumb: keep the outfit simple and let the accessories do the talking. Granted, I break this rule rather frequently, but it is absolutely the safest bet for looking chic with your newest accessory--your growing belly. Wearing a simple, flattering, and dare I say, solid silhouette is the best way to feel good in your ever-changing bod. And once that belly has officially popped, there's nothing sexier than showing it off with stretchy fabrics! Adina and Raezy of Milestein Design were so sweet to send me this lovely plum dress, which is amazingly comfortable, and pregnant or not, is the perfect canvas for mountains of accessories! It looks fabulous when layered with a fur vest, moto jacket, or beaded blazer, but on this particular evening, my husband and I were attending the Yad Vashem Young Leadership Gala, so I brought out the cocktail party accessories.

I learned a lot about how to not look like a total pre-natal train wreck during my first pregnancy. There were a lot fashion mistakes that I'd rather not recount. It's difficult to learn how to dress a whole new body and not just give up and wear sweatpants 24/7. If I can get one point across to expectant ladies it's this: there is really no place for delicate and dainty accessories during pregnancy...not for everyday, not for a black tie ball. Put them away. As you grow, your accessories should grow with you to balance out the bump. Pile on the bold necklaces, chunky bangles, and shoulder-dusting earrings. Trust me, go big or go home. You will look more radiant than ever as you say to the world, "I may be growing a human life, but I can still be the most stylish girl in the room, dammit!!"

For this look, I layered 3 short chunky gold necklaces, because it's always good to draw the eye up during pregnancy.  It's better to have people look at your glowing expectant face (and if you're like me and not really glowing, your heavily bronzed fake-a-glow punim) than at…ummm other places you may not want them to look. My grandma's oversized, vintage Judith Leiber reptile clutch was a perfect fun addition to the ensemble.  Let me reiterate, pregnancy is not the time for small accessories and that goes for handbags too!  Think like Victoria Beckham, the bigger the bag, the smaller you look.  As for the shoes, you can never go wrong with a strappy, metallic stiletto--a little more bold than a basic black.  And because the dress is so simple, I had the luxury of throwing on yet another piece of jewelry.  I was debating between earrings and a bracelet, but in the end, this Rachel Zoe cuff won the contest.  

Dress: Milestein Design, Necklaces in order from shortest to longest: Bitz of Glitz, J. Crew, AERIN Erickson Beamon, Clutch: Vintage Judith Leiber, Cuff: Rachel Zoe, Shoes: Shutz

Party pic with the hubs...l'chaim!! (Don't worry, it was only a Shirley Temple..)