September 2022 Shopping Reflections

I haven't done too much shopping this September while things have been so intensely hectic at the office. At least the end to this last big busy period before my eventual parental leave is finally in sight. The nature of my job as an attorney and litigator is, of course, that more work can always come up suddenly. Realistically, though, my parental leave is likely coming up so relatively soon and with some uncertainty about exact start date - my recent gestational diabetes ("GD") diagnosis can cause added unpredictability - that it's difficult to staff me on new longer-term cases or projects.

With the escalation of my pregnancy symptoms in the last weeks of second trimester - I can hardly believe I'll officially enter the third trimester this week - and the ever-increasing prominence of my bump, I don't feel especially comfortable in any clothes now. That's even true for maternity clothes. 

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We had a few cooler days here recently, so I wore my Tibi oversized shirts and Madewell maternity skinny jeans (also here and here) out again for the first time in a few months. And the shirts have definitely gone from intentionally oversized chic to "wow, I look like I'm hiding a balloon under there!" My bump still fits comfortably under the belly band of my maternity jeans, though it's hard to imagine what happens when my bump gets even bigger.

As you can see, I finally made my long-delayed decision about a slimmer laptop backpack for work (after a pretty big misjudgment in that product category in March). Not a moment too soon, either, because pregnancy is definitely starting to make it harder for me to carry shoulder bags or totes with the typical amount of things I bring to and from work every day.

I also tried a somewhat relaxed-fit current-season Tibi merino wool-blend sweater (also here) with some subtle distressed details and an interesting cutout in the back this month, in my normal pre-pregnancy size M. While it fit and should continue to fit through most of the rest of pregnancy, it was just too difficult to imagine what it would look like after pregnancy for me to justify keeping it. The material was also not the lighter, smooth knit texture I normally expect from merino wool sweaters, there would have been a noticeable itch factor. 

Fashion - (TOTAL: $481.56)

• Knomo Beauchamp Backpack - $205.77* - Amazon currently seems to be the only place Knomo's Beauchamp and Beaufort laptop backpacks are particularly available to US customers. To be completely honest, I'm also not 100% sure the Amazon listing is fully legit? I don't typically buy fashion items on Amazon... But the product I received feels right, based on having seen the Beauchamp or Beaufort in real life (one of my law school friends has one, but I'm not sure which one). I picked the larger Beauchamp that accommodates up to a 15.6'' laptop, instead of the slimmer Beaufort that's supposed to fit up to a 14'' laptop. I don't find the Beauchamp too large, and I wanted the bigger size that's a bit more flexible because I sometimes need to carry a binder or a lot of papers home. I've been bringing my new backpack to work every day for a few weeks now, and have no complaints so far, though I've also only needed to carry my laptop twice in that time. The straps have been comfortable enough, though I can tell they might not be ideal if I really stuffed the backpack full and it got much heavier. 
• Catbird Ballerina Bracelet - $275.90* - As I mentioned last week, the decision to actually move forward with this purchase was a bit impulsive, after I pulled a near all-nighter to get our most important summary judgment filing out. Though I was also thinking about this bracelet since a few months ago. This bracelet is on the dainty side - it's small enough that it feels a bit difficult and fiddly to put on -  but it's also not too dainty. I've enjoyed wearing it 24/7 since receiving it and feel like it's reasonably noticeable for such a small piece. My listed price factored in a 10% off code for new Catbird customers signing up for the store's emails, though not the 2% Ebates/Rakuten cash-back (~$5) I also received. 

*Indicates that price includes sales tax and/or shipping charges. 

I don't always list my fine jewelry purchases in my monthly shopping reflections, though the price of the Catbird Ballerina Bracelet puts it in the zone of what I typically include. These days, because the idea of shopping for more maternity clothing has so little appeal, I find myself thinking about jewelry a lot more than I usually do. Some of the pieces I sort of have my eye on include the Jennie Kwon Diamond Wave Band and this Satomi Kawakita Braided Bracelet, and various more statement-making earrings, including from CompletedWorks (also here) or Agmes.

Except that I still can't really wear dangly earrings because I'm still fairly strict about wearing masks in public settings indoors - can't be too careful in my third trimester, especially with one higher-risk diagnosis under by belt already - and I don't want my mask straps to get tangled on my earrings. And now is also not a great time to shop for rings either, as my fingers definitely swell just a bit too much at this point of pregnancy to wear my engagement ring or wedding band anymore. (I don't think those rings are at real risk of getting stuck, but I'm a bit paranoid about that possibility so I stopped wearing those rings once they started feeling noticeably tighter most days.) Alas, I generally don't get to have a lot of fun with thinking about fashion lately...