Towards the end of my pregnancy, I was a bit eager to get out of maternity clothes and placed a few orders during sales in anticipation.  So, today I’ve got reviews of some affordable summer clothes from Old Navy, Amazon, and more.  Most of them are under $35!

I didn’t know how long it’d take me to recover enough from labor to make decisions about sizing, but I figured with stores having extended return windows due to COVID-19, I had ample time. Turns out my recovery has been very quick.  While I am not back to “normal” and still have plenty of added weight from pregnancy and a bit of a postpartum belly, my body has settled enough that I can decide on sizes and fit for the items I ordered.  Been enjoying getting back to non-maternity clothes, even if it’s just a few pieces here and there!

Alright, let’s get onto the reviews!

Whoa, I LOVE these joggers! They are a sporty, lightweight material, NOT a sweatpant type of material. So, they hold their shape better and don’t bag much at the knees. Plus, they’re lighter weight, breezy, and more wearable this time of year. They have a bit of stretch, so they’re comfortable to move around in. They also have elastic in the waist and, plus zippered pockets. I really love these joggers for a sporty look! They come in black, olive, and a dark beige/khaki/oatmeal kind of color which you can find HERE.

People LOVE these luxe tanks/tees for a reason! Super comfy and at least worth trying. I’m wearing it in size S.  Find this leopard tank HERE.  See ALL of Old Navy’s luxe tees and tanks HERE.

These are cute, inexpensive sandals. Of course, they will not compare to more expensive, real leather shoes. But if you’re in the market for a cheaper pair, these on the better end of the spectrum. The straps are fairly comfortable, and they are easy to walk in.  They don’t have any support or much padding, as is expected with cheaper sandals.  Not much else to say about them other than they get the job done!  They come in black, tan, taupe, and leopard print.  See them HERE.

I tried this on right out of the bag, so pardon the wrinkles.  But, oh my word, this top is SO cute! The larger buttons totally make it for me, but I also like that the material is stretchy and textured. It makes it comfy and the texture gives it a bit of oomph. It’s also fairly thick, which helps from showing every lump and bump. It’s on the shorter side, so beware if you have a longer torso, and maybe consider wearing it with higher rise pants.

Above, I’m wearing it with low panel maternity jeans, which I would *not* pair together in “real life” as they are too low for this top and show a bit of my stomach. I wore those jeans solely for this try-on pic because they were some of the only bottoms that fit at the time besides the joggers above or my maternity leggings. 😆

I sized up to M for a looser fit.  Size S was quite fitted. In size M it measures 22″ from shoulder to hem, if that helps.  A longer similar top is THIS one from Amazon.

The tie at the waist accentuates my postpartum belly more than the leopard print luxe tank above, though it’s not terrible in this picture.  (It was quite pronounced just a few days prior to taking this pic!)  Anyway, just wanted to note that for anyone who is working with a midsection as your largest part.  (Not sure what your body shape is?  Download the 5 Body Shapes and Beyond Workbook!)

Comes in black, white, and a striped version. All so cute! See them HERE.

This tee is a medium thickness (i.e. not one of those super thin tissue tees).  It starts out a tad stiff but softens up and loosens up over time and becomes quite a comfy tee with a relaxed(ish) fit!  On J.Crew Factory’s site, it looks really bright yellow, but in person it’s more of an orangey yellow, goldenrod like in my pic above.  I dig it either way!

I’m wearing size M.  Size S was more fitted than I preferred and did not have a loose, relaxed feel, nor did it have enough material to tuck or knot.  Find it HERE.

Linen Joggers – wearing size S
I recently showed these joggers in the post 3 Comfy Outfits for Summer Vacation, but I was very pregnant then.  Now that I’m no longer pregnant, I can appreciate these pants even more and wanted to circle back on them.  They are indeed really comfy!  They are super soft and lightweight.  I said before that I LOVE the jogger style leg, especially since most linen pants have a wider leg opening.  I find a jogger silhouette a bit easier to style.  They do loosen up over time.  The pic above shows what the pants look like after several wears, so they are probably as stretched out as they’ll get.  Not too bad!

They are much more expensive than the Old Navy pairs I got last summer (and still love).  But, they are a lot softer, less scratchy, and more lightweight, in addition to having the jogger silhouette.  Also, I’ve been looking for a good pair of olive joggers since last summer and am happy to have finally found some that work!  If you’re on a budget, the Old Navy pairs are great.  After several washes, the scratchy material softened quite a bit.  However, when I compare them directly to the Nordstrom pair, you can still tell the difference–the Nordstrom pair isn’t itchy at all.  If you want pants that aren’t quite as itchy and are lighter weight, try the Nordstrom pair.  Remember, Nordstrom offers free shipping and free return shipping on all orders, so you can try them and see how you like them and return them for free if they don’t work out.

One thing I didn’t pay much attention to while I was pregnant but can see now is that these are high waisted with an 11″ rise.  Typically I don’t like things that are so high waisted since they go extremely high on my short torso.  But because this waistband is looser, I don’t mind the higher waist as much here.

They come in 5 solid colors plus a camo print version.  Check them out HERE.  I wear size S.

Top: Amazon (exact–wearing size M in Red Mini Daisy Print)
Jeans: Nordstrom (similar, similar, similar)
Sandals: Target (similar, similar)
White Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact–wearing size M)
Metallic Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (similar)

I don’t know what it is, but I really like this top! It’s got cute flutter sleeves and buttons, and it can be dressed down for an elevated casual outfit with denim shorts or eventually dark wash jeans (months from now during the transition to fall). Or, tuck it into a skirt. You can also dress it up for work. More importantly, it’s really lightweight, which is super important in the summer! It does a much better job of floating over my midsection compared to the tie waist top above.

It comes in 6 prints. Check them out HERE. I wear size M.

Amazon was kind enough to let me choose a few items to try, and this cute green dress caught my eye.  It’s a little dressier than I need at this stage in life, but I thought it’d be great for some of you as it’s pretty versatile for both a dressy casual look and work.

This is basically the dress version of the shirt above. It’s very lightweight and relatively thin. There are always pros and cons to thinner material. Pros: good for staying cooler in really hot weather. Cons: Might not provide as much structure or support and be more prone to showing bumps, especially in solid colors / non prints. Also, this is not lined, so it could be see-through in lighter colors.  The cons might be counteracted by wearing a slip underneath.  (I like THIS type of slip because the lace waistband lays flat against your stomach versus a thin elastic band that digs into your stomach.)

That said, the dress IS pretty cute and can be paired with wedges for a dressy casual look, or it can be worn to work with nude pumps. It’s got flutter sleeves, a belt at the waistband to offer some shape, and buttons down the front. It comes in 6 cute prints! See them HERE.  I wear size M.

This is another gift from Amazon that I wanted to try.  I can’t wear it much in the foreseeable future as it’s not breastfeeding friendly, but I’m a sucker for a black and white spotted print!  I also thought it’d be another versatile piece to try that would work for a lot of you.

If black and white spots aren’t your thing, this top comes in 40 (!!) prints and colors, in both this crew neck and v-neck styles.

The silhouette of this shirt is really easy to remix as it can be worn with pants, under blazers and jackets, and tucked into skirts. The material is the type you can wear for elevated casual outfits or to work. And, the crewneck makes it easy to wear with both statement and pendant necklaces.

For sizing, I sized up to 8 which is a tad loose around the armholes but fits better down the torso.  Also, while it works to tuck it in, it doesn’t have a lot of extra material to drape out nicely.  I might prefer to get it hemmed as opposed to tucking it to bring up the length.  So, it’s not perfect, but it IS only $19 and is quite versatile.

Note: this is fairly boxy/straight. The v-neck version may help add some visual curves and movement whereas this crewneck version lacks that. Just keep that in mind if you’re considering trying this and don’t typically love items that are cut straighter. But, if you have Amazon Prime there’s free shipping and free returns on many sizes and colors so you could try it anyway and easily return it if it doesn’t work.  Check out all 40 prints and colors HERE.

Amazon Black Wedges – wearing size 9

This is the last Amazon piece I chose as part of the gifted items.  These are only $33, yet they look a lot better than other wedges at this price point!  They are decently comfortable with soft straps made of “kid suede” (is that real suede? I don’t even know, haha!), and a rubber sole. They’re NOT buttery and luxuriously cushiony like shoes that cost 2-3x this much, and I’d opt to add an insert for more cushion in the footbed.  But compared to other wedges at this price, these feel a bit better overall.  The heel isn’t super high.

I like the style of the wider straps. I have an old pair of wedges that has a similar style that you guys ask me about constantly (THESE) which have unfortunately been unavailable for years 😭) but these straps kind of remind me of those.  They are a tad large for me around the ankles, but not so much that they slip off when walking or anything like that.

These come in black and blush. Sizing does not include half sizes, and even though the site says to size down, I went up 9 and they fit my feet perfectly.  Find them HERE.

I’ve talked several times about a pair of Born sandals being my favorite pair over the years. Since I find those so comfortable, I also wanted to try this t-strap pair. These have the same comfy, padded footbed and rubber sole that I love about my other pair. The leather strap is soft and flexible, too. And I LOVE the touch of snakeskin print as a deviation from my usual leopard print sandals. The only problem is that the strap was really loose around my ankles, so I didn’t feel the sandal was secure enough on me while I walked. I tried size 9, but unfortunately they do not offer half sizes in this style. I think 8 would be far too small for me. Wahhhh! Anyway, if you’re interested, they’re worth trying since Nordstrom offers free shipping and free return shipping!

There’s also a “gold metallic” pair (far right in pic above) that looks like a light tan but has a TINY BIT of sparkles.  It’s cute and adds a touch of pizzaz without being super metallic and showy.

Check them out HERE.

There are several other things I blogged about in the last month-ish that I’m eager to try.  Will be placing more orders soon!