Can't take the country out of the girl...

You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl.  Okay, I may have grown up in Ohio, but it was in a suburb.  Not as country as those who have teased would like to think, but those farm jokes never get old.

However, I did grow up with a father who would have liked to believe that he was a transplanted cowboy.  Therefore, he always added a touch of country to his most suave ensembles... usually in the form of cowboy boots.  I never really put two and two together until just recently.  I don't think that it is any accident that most of the boots I own have a western flair.

The cowboy thing, my addiction to J. Crew, my undying love for dresses and dressing up makes for a very interesting take on the trends.  A perfect example would be my recent dinner ensemble.  It was my anniversary last week (eight years!), and on this very stormy evening Greg (the hubs) and I decided to take our girls out to dinner.... we couldn't get a sitter.
My need to dress up, the rain and the fact that G&E were joining us, led me to an ensemble that even had Greg making comments.  Men!  Will they ever understand?

I started with a very poofy, taffeta J. Crew miniskirt.  There she is...

I added a pinch of preppy (Tippi sweater), a touch of elegance (jewelry) and whole lot of western flair (Frye boots and belt).

Drenching rain, some cocktails and very well-behaved daughters resulted in a fun evening and terrible looking hair!

I am starting to think that it isn't just a coincidence that Emma adores her pink cowboy boots...

                                                                                                                                     - Allison

Rosie's Style Tips

Not only is Rosie Pope inspiring, she also had some great tips on what to wear when expecting and in your "fourth trimester". Her advice and design philosophy are fairly classic. She follows the runway trends and ignores the maternity industry. If you see her in the store, she will tell you that "if you won't wear it when you are not pregnant, don't wear it while you are pregnant". This goes along with the belief that many women compromise their clothing and style while pregnant, and this should not be the case.  Therefore the design and quality of the fabrics are very important to Pope.

So what do you get when you visit Rosie Pope Maternity? You get an attention to design and detail as well as clothes that you would buy on an everyday basis, but are made to fit a pregnant woman. Okay, enough with the preaching... what are her tips???

The essentials for every pregnant woman...

* leggings - invest in a nice quality
* tanks - wear alone or layered - the basis of your wardrobe
* dresses - they are easy, comfy, will easily take you from day to night and will last longer (the most versatile are wraps and shirtdresses)
* pants - invest in at least one pair of great pants
* jeans - same as the pants

A tip when trying on pants and jeans... try on many different brands and fits. Just because a specific brand fit you well before, once you are pregnant your body changes. This same brand may not fit as well as it did prior to your pregnancy. Be open to trying on everything. This also goes for different types of waistbands. There are several different ways that pants are made... the waist covers the belly, fits underneath the belly, etc. You need to try on everything to make sure that you figure out what is most comfortable for you.

For the "fourth trimester", Pope gave me the best advice that I have ever heard... buy some maternity clothes that you LOVE at the very end of your pregnancy.  Don't wear them until after you have had the baby.  This way you won't associate them with being pregnant and they will fit you much better than trying to squeeze into pre-pregnancy pieces.  Also, check out nursing options.  There are some cute styles out there that will help make nursing while you are out and about much easier.

The essentials for this transition time...

* leggings - good quality
* tunics  - spend some more on some pieces so you will enjoy wearing them

This is great and timeless advice. Take it and run. Visit Pope's website and if you are close enough, head to her store in Manhattan. For the rest of the country, she is planning on expanding her clothing stores and studios next year!

                                  - Allison

*Photos courtesy of rosiepopematernity.com.