Good morning and happy Thursday! We’re back with another Ask Jess–where I’m answering four more reader questions. Let’s jump in!
Ask Jess: June’s bear suits, my favorite non-skinny jeans, postpartum hormones, and my Tiguan!
Where do you get June’s winter bear suits?
If you live in a cold climate, I can’t recommend these little suits enough–they’re like a winter coat and accessories all in one! Make sure you get the kind that fold over the hands and feet–so you don’t need to put separate booties and mittens on them. They have a hood, so you don’t need a separate hat either. (For the most part, unless it’s REALLY cold). I get her bear suits at Baby Gap, Old Navy, and H&M! (They go in and out of stock a lot though, so keep checking back!)
Are you still loving your new Tiguan?
I am! I have been meaning to do a review and I promise one is coming soon! (For reference, I have the new 2021 Tiguan–they majorly overhauled them in 2020 so they are very different than the old Tiguans!) Her name is Tiggy (technically she is Tiggy 2 because my friend Sam’s Tiguan is Tiggy 1–she’s who turned me onto the Tiguan!) I absolutely love the car! I think it’s the perfect city SUV. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it doesn’t have an automatic lift gate, so you have to close the trunk manually. Old-school. But that’s a nit-picky little thing.
I think it’s a great car, has ALL the cool tech features you could want, and a really great price for the quality–whether or not you have kids, but for us, it’s the perfect size–holds just enough for everything we need with a baby without being too big!
I’m looking for non-skinny blue jeans that are easy to style. Some feel so out of my element. What’s the trick?
I feel you! A slim straight leg is definitely much easier to style than a true straight leg or a wider straight leg. A pair that hits an inch or two above the ankle will also be a lot easier to style than a pair that hits you at the ankle. I find that if a straight leg pair is longer, it feels too 90’s/Gen Z. Great for others, not great for me–so you might find that tip to be helpful as well! Here are my reccos:
Madewell Perfect Vintage straights:
This style comes in lots of washes–I have the “Fitzgerald” wash, which is a really light vintage wash. I wear these jeans a lot and most often I roll them so they hit me a little above the ankle. (I’m 5’6 for reference!) If you’re shorter, you may consider going with the petite pair as these don’t come in an “ankle” length. Again, I think straight leg jeans are much easier to style when they hit you above the ankle, and are also most flattering that way, so if they aren’t hitting you where you want, give them a roll! However, if you don’t want to roll them, I would order the shorter version. (Another option would be to cut them so they have a raw hem and hit you at the exact right place!)
Levi’s Wedgie Fit Jeans:
The wedgie straight jeans are tried and true jeans I’ve loved for years. Unfortunately they don’t fit me right now (postpartum) but I still recommend them to everyone! They come in TONS of washes! The wedgie “icon” is slightly different and more tapered than the straight–you can’t go wrong with either!
Levi’s 501 Crops:
I bought these postpartum in my postpartum size because I had always wanted to try them in comparison to the wedgie jeans (and obviously because I needed jeans that fit me properly!) I love these as well. After wearing them a lot, I would say the legs are a teeny bit wider and the fit is a little more roomy through the leg than the other pairs listed here, so they might feel a bit harder to style if you’re only used to wearing skinny jeans, but still worth listing here!
Original Cheeky jeans or Everlane’s 90’s Cheeky:
Everlane’s cheeky jeans were my #1 most worn pair pre-pandemic/baby. (I don’t wear them at the moment because they are pre-pandemic/pre-baby jeans, but still highly recommend them!) I think these are the most “slim” fitting of the straight leg jeans and I often describe these as the training wheels for moving into non-skinny jeans! Note, they did make some updates to them and I haven’t tried the newest iteration, but I highly recommend the old version. I also loved the 90’s Cheeky, which is a little different a bit more of a “Mom jean” that still feels very wearable. Just a personal preference on which style you like better! Based on the recent reviews it seems like sizing down is best for both pairs?
How long did you feel like it took for your hormones to level out post-baby?
This is so different for everyone, but thankfully for me I would say after about a month or two? This is admittedly very soon–I think for most people it can take a LOT longer and I attribute this to not breastfeeding and formula feeding from day one– so that allowed my hormones to level out a lot sooner than people who choose to breastfeed. (More on that here, because everyone always asks and acts like this is a big deal–it’s not. Don’t think too much about it. Go with your gut, feed your kid how you want to feed them and let’s all please find more interesting subjects to discuss already!)
Those postpartum hormones are NUTS–I remember being so bewildered with my emotions and not recognizing myself. (I am not typically an emotional person!) You have to remember that you’re meeting your baby for the first time but you’re also meeting this new part of yourself for the first time. (Although I promise this new part of you will not permanently act and feel like a lunatic.) Cut yourself a lot of slack!
It can be really hard–hang in there. Remember that everything is a phase, good or bad!
That’s all for now–hope this was helpful, and thanks for reading! ♥️
