Maternity Menswear + Car Shopping! Who knew?
{{Shirt: Old Navy (husband’s, similar)
{{Leggings
{{Boots: Similar
{{Jacket: Old Navy
{{Bag: Target
This shirt, ladies and gents, is my husband’s shirt. Sure, sure, wearing men’s clothing is not a new concept, but it is for me. In a fit of frustration the other morning when none of my clothes would fit me right, I said “FORGET IT” and decided to try my husband’s shirt on. And whattya know? It fits! It’s (obviously) a little large, but that’s nothing some sleeve-rolling and belting can’t fix!
I felt like a new woman. I texted my husband a picture of it and said, “Are you going to be mad if I wear your shirt today?” And he said, “No, that’s actually a good look on you… but it better not smell like a dang petunia the next time I go to wear it.”
Apparently I smell like a petunia. That, folks, is what we call “WINNING.” Or something.
On another, completely unrelated note: I am in the process of car shopping. As much as my little VW Rabbit has served me well over the years, it sadly will not transport dogs AND a young child easily. SO, we are on the hunt for a used SUV. And I’d LOVE your input / feedback!
Here are the parameters:
- It’s gotta be an SUV and it’s gotta be USED
- Our budget is $14,000 and we are paying CASH for this car – no leasing, no financing (basically we are counting on getting around $5,000 for trade-in on my car and the rest would be money we’ve saved plus tax refund, etc.)
- Me, personally? I want an Auxiliary or USB audio jack in the car so I can play music from my phone and I’d also kinda love a sunroof because I’ve never had a sunroof.
- Safety! It’s gotta be a safe car, yo.
So, tell me, what SUVs should I be looking at? I’d love your feedback!
Thanks, y’all!
Linking up today with The Pleated Poppy, Wardrobe Wednesday, and Random Wednesday with Shanna.
Congrats on the baby bump! I love the layering look…I think my husband’s clothes would be too big for me…even if I tried to “style them pretty”!
-Karen
thank you so much, karen!
I wish I had a suggestion for you on the car front but I don’t.
I’m jealous that you can wear your hubby’s clothes – my hubby is significantly broader in stature than I am so that his clothes make me look like I’m swimming in them. This looks really cute on you!!
thank you so much, jamie!! sorry you can’t wear your hubby’s clothes 🙂
Love the look of that plaid tunic belted!
thank you so much, krista!
Good luck shopping… car buying is never fun but once you have it the feeling is fabulous. Plus, wearing your husband’s shirt means you don’t have to buy more maternity clothes.
thank you so much, raquel!! 🙂 and yes. my husband’s closet has opened up my eyes to all new clothes.
i was just thinking how i need to look in chris’ closet soon! what a cute outfit! love it belted – what a cute belly! 🙂
aw thank you so much, katie! yes! get in chris’ closet – you’ll find a whole new wardrobe 🙂
That is such a great idea to wear your husband’s shirt and belt it! You styled it to perfectly!!! I don’t know anything about cars – I so wish I could help, but I wish you the best in your search!!!
aw thank you so much, niki! you are so sweet.
I LOVE that bag! Super cute–Target does it again! Does it fit over your shoulder well?
And in terms of a car, we recently got a Toyota Venza . It’s not technically an SUV, but more of a crossover. Super safe, great resale value and there is a lot of space (for people and for stuff with all the compartments, trunk space, etc.) Plus, I love the look– very sleek without being a “mom minivan.” It even has a special holder in the console for your phone, and connects to a charger and keeps the cords, etc out of the way! There is even a USB port that you can use to connect with your music- I love that! Venzas are relatively new to the market so I’m not sure if the used ones are at your price point, but it might be worth it to splurge- it ranked really well in Consumer Reports!
Valerie
http://www.the-style-files.com
aw thank you so much, Valerie! i will definitely have to check into the Venza!
That shirt looks great on you! I can’t believe it’s your husbands! As for car advice, unfortunately I don’t have any. But I just have to say that I love my sunroof. So if you can get one, go for it! lol
thank you so much, allyssa!!!
You look great in your hubby’s shirt. Good for him but sad for me – there’s nothing in my hubby’s closet that I want to wear.
Good luck car shopping. I am starting to look for a new car as well but not for another year. I need to save up for it. I remember buying a car before my son was born – the car choice was even more important because of the precious cargo.
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
aw thank you so much, alice! 🙂
I love this shirt on you! The plaid is perfect Good luck with the car shopping 🙂
xo,
Angela
headtotoechicblog.com
thank you so much, angela!
Adorable look. Love it! When i was pregnant we bought a used toyota highlander. Not sure if that would be in your budget but worth a try. We love our truck. I hear gret things about Hondas and Subarus too. Good luck!
thank you so much, paige! i’ve heard great things about the highlanders.
I have a Jeep Patriot and I LOVE it. Very roomy and they are very inexpensive. 🙂 Good luck!!
thank you so much, april! i used to drive a jeep and loved it.
Molly love how you paired the menswear shirt, leggings and boots together! It looks awesome!!
thank you so much, kenye!
Aw, you look so pretty Molly, loving the plaid with the white!
thank you so much, tara!
you are too cute. i am scared of how cute your kid is going to be. there might be a lifetime of cheek pinching ahead for your little one. i am almost a little obsessed with my kids tushies (is that how you spell tushy ?) everytime I get them in the bath, I have to squeeze those little behinds of their’s. i think it’s a mom thing. i have this uncontrollable way of gritting my teeth any time i see the deliciousness of their chubby bodies. ok – i have to stop now.
awww thank you so much, julie! you are so sweet. 🙂 🙂
Love this look on you! I think you should do it post pregnancy too! As for a new car, I’m a Jetta girl… so not much help in the SUV department. Happy Shopping!
thank you so much, emily!
The best suggestion I ever got about buying a car was, “Buy what you like! You’re going to be driving it every day!” Beyond that, you really can’t go wrong when buying a car. There is so much to choose from and it really all boils down to personal needs, and wants. I used to buy cars for a living. When it comes to vehicle safety, they’re all relatively equal. For every person or report telling you a car is awful, there’s another person or report telling you it’s wonderful. Just buy what you like.
Cheers!
great feedback! thank you so much, chris!
Oh my goodness, so cute! Some of the most comfortable shirts I wore during my pregnancies were my husband’s 🙂
We have a Honda CRV and a Mazda5. We were super lucky last year and bought our Mazda for about $9,000. Super, super blessed to find that one. I love both of our cars, but I’ve also heard good things about the Kia Sorento. Not sure how much they are, though. They’re cute, too!
thank you so much, rebecca! i have been hearing great things about the CRV.. definitely looking into those!
Sorry no great ideas on the car front (as we live in NZ!), but I do love the outfit. Thanks for linking up with WW 🙂 Can’t wait to see what you come up with next
(PS. One little momma had a tutorial for turning a mens tee into a maternity top this week – http://www.onelittlemomma.com/2013/02/turn-graphic-tee-into-maternity-top.html)
thank you so much, kelly!! and i will definitely check out one little momma’s post! 🙂 🙂
I would NEVER guess that was a men’s shirt, and you look so so so adorable, Molly! Congrats on getting through the first trimester and looking fabulous doing it!
aw thank you so much, bonnie!
love it and you look great!
Hopping on by from WIWW. Here’s mine: http://www.ordinaryinspirations.blogspot.com/2013/02/thrift-finds-what-i-wore-wednesday-week.html
thank you so much, traci!
I bought a 2011 Kia Sorento in 2010 and love it! The most basic model has all that you listed you’re looking for (maybe not sunroof? Not sure though) . Kias have really improved and are high in their class for safety ratings. Their price isn’t too bad either. Definitely worth checking out. I went from a fully loaded Mercedes to a not fully loaded Kia and I was scared I would miss my “luxury” car but I don’t one bit! Love the Sorento! Good luck with the search! 🙂
my friend has a Sorento and LOVES it. thank you so much, whitney!
We have a Subaru Outback and we absolutely love it. Best car decision we’ve ever made. We bought new, but I’m sure you could find a used one at a decent price. We don’t have any kiddos yet but that was one of the primary factors in looking for a new car – something that was super safe, not a minivan, and still had tons of room. Happy hunting!
i’ve heard so many great things about the Subarus! thank you so much, stephanie!
Hey Girly! You look wonderful. I LOVE wearing my husbands clothes. love it!
anyways…we have a Honda Pilot and absolutely looove it! Although they run a little more on the expensive side its totaly worth it. We looked at the CRV too but just didn’t feel it would have the room that we were eventually going to need. It’s worth the little extra to go a little bigger. The only downfall is the gas expense but if you know that going in to it its not such a shock when you’re at the pump!!
Can’t wait to see more!!
thank you so much, danielle!! your tips are really helpful!
This really is a great look on you!! Good pick on the hubby’s shirt 🙂 Hope you find the perfect SUV 🙂
xoxo
Melanie
thank you so much, melanie!
Unfortunately I have NO car advice (I don’t even have one)…so good luck with that 🙂 You look so so cute in this outfit…I LOVE that you’re wearing the husband’s shirt, and it looks awesome belted and with those boots!
Annie
The Other Side of Gray
aw thank you so much, annie!! you’re so green you and your no-car. 🙂
Um, I have a 2007 Yukon with a sunroof and USB jack. Wanna buy it?? 😉 Seriously, I love it!! You guys should look at those, but it does guzzle some gas. And I think this is one of my favorite outfits you have worn since being pregnant!!! Hubs shirt and all!!!
uh YES i wanna buy it!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 but seriously i wish i could afford them 🙁 lol thank you so much, shanna!
Molly! We recently got a CRV and love it–they have great resale value and are easy upkeep too! It’s Honda’s most popular car, and people are ALWAYS in the market for them. I also (attempted) to trade-in my car and learned a thing or two. First, you’re more than likely not going to get the best trade-in value through dealerships themselves. They’ll give you a lower markup because they’re covering their own costs to turn your car around and sell it. If you go through someplace like Carmax, they’ll always give you a higher trade-in value because they do all of the resale/auctioning in house so they’re not charging you a bunch of extra fees that a dealership would. We actually decided to sell ours privately and ended up getting the best deal that way. Good luck! Car buying can be stressful but fun!!
thank you so much, shannon!!! this is SUPER helpful!
I had the original VW Rabbit!!! I loved it. I missed but, it’s not practical with a child. Good luck car shopping. We have a Subaru and we love it, but i’m not sure the cost used. Love your outfit. Adorable.
Agi:)
vodkainfusedlemonade.com
thank you so much, agi!
Love your outfit!
thank you so much, amy!
You look fabulous in menswear, you should wear it more often! For SUVs, have you considered the Subarus? They are really fantastic cars, all wheel drive, really safe, and the prices are reasonable. They last forever and retain their value. It’s pretty much the only cars my parents drive and they swear by it.
xo, Yi-chia
Always Maylee
aw thank you so much, yi-chia! i’ve heard great things about subarus!
Who would have thought the husband’s clothes would look so great?! You look adorable. You are so good at improvising. I don’t have any suggestions for the car because I know nothing about cars…but good luck!!
aw thank you so much, rebecca!
I’ve heard great things about the used Hyundai Santa Fes. I’m more of a wagon girl myself. My next car will be an Outback.
me too! i’ve heard they’re great cars. thank you so much, courtney!
This is so cute! I love the plaid and I would love to try doing something similar. It looks super comfy too.
I’m going to second the person who suggested you try out the backseat. Imagine what it will be like sitting back there with the car seat, the baby, and all the baby stuff. My friends drive a Jeep Patriot and it felt nice and roomy until they added the car seat so that’s really worth considering.
thank you so much, kate!! it is SO comfy! and yes – definitely gonna try and see what it looks like with a car seat!
I wear some of my hubby’s old flannel shirts with skinny jeans or leggings. I love the facted that they are longer than my shirts.
As for an SUV, I really love my Ford Escape. It has plenty of room plus it has an auxiliary jack so I can play my iPhone
LOVE it, meagan! so glad i’m not the only one that hits up hubby’s closet. and i have heard great things about the Escape.
First…you look super cute!
Second…go to carmax.com and type in what you are looking for. They have the biggest selection of used vehicles. We have bought several vehicles from them.
Good Luck!
thank you so much, darlene! yeah i’ve been checking out carmax but no luck yet 🙁 still looking though!
I agree with Carly! Wear all his shirts! You look stylish & comfy, can’t wait to see more pics!
thank you so much, sandra!
Oh Molly this is the PERFECT maternity outfit! And good luck on the car hunt, I would suggest going to the backseat and seeing how it feels trying to get a carseat in and out….. It makes a difference haha!!
Brooke @ what2wear
thank you so much, brooke!! and that’s a GREAT tip!!
GMC Acadia, it’s one of very few mid size SUVs that have the option of two captains chairs in middle row rather than a bench. That way passengers can easily get to the third row seating without having to fold up the bench seat. I have three kids, two in car seats and it’s worked wonderfully for us.
i’ve heard great things about the acadia but sadly i don’t think those are in our $14K budget 🙁 thank you so much for the feedback, kate!
You lady are beautiful!!! As far as the SUV we just got a used Yukon Denali and love it. It’s a beast. The GMC Acadia is really nice too.
aw thank you so much, katie! you are so sweet. i love the Denalis but sadly i think those are gonna be outside of our $14K budget 🙁
We just bought a new (to us) truck in November. The #1 thing I learned was that you get the best deal through financing. Even if you pay off the loan 10 days later. You pay more to pay cash (I know right?!). We had to finance to get the price we wanted but there was no penalty to pay it off early (win!).
That aside, I love my Ford Escape. It’s now 10 years old and hasn’t had any major problems (kow), plus I’ve fit 4 adults in it comfortably (miracle!). I also like the Nissan Rogues. My dad has a 2011 Jeep Liberty and that sucker eats gas, like 18 mpg highway… pass. And it looks like a mini hummer. I’ve heard mixed reviews about Honda CRV. Great value but a bad ride. I think that’s all in the person though! Good luck!!
thank you so much for the feedback, katie. that’s crazy that the best deal is through financing… hmmm… very peculiar. i really like the Rogues too!!
Looks adorable on you Molly! Love the idea- guys plaid shirts have a ton nore color options and a great length for skinnies or leggings.
We got a Chevy Equinox a couple years ago and absolutely love it! They retain their value and you can find some great deals! Plus there’s room for our great dane with space to spare! Good luck!
thank you so much, tiffiney!! 🙂 i have heard great things about the Equinox!
fabulous look and adore the plaid layering!
kw Ladies in Navy
thank you so much, kesley!
Very cute! I love that you are wearing your husband’s shirt! We are also looking for a new car… but we will be doing financing. Hopefully won’t be for too long though because we want to get some good numbers on a trade in!!!!!!
thank you so much, rachel! good luck on your car hunt!!
You look adorable, and you’re a genius! You should wear ALL his shirts!
Carly
http://www.lipglossandcrayons.com
aw thanks, carly!