Pregnant or recently had a baby and feeling like your wardrobe doesn't match your life anymore? You're not alone. This week we're chatting with stylist and mom of three, Megan Timmons, about how to feel confident and put-together during pregnancy and beyond. Whether you're struggling with body changes, need help transitioning from going-out clothes to mom life, or just want to look less like you live in leggings, Megan has you covered. We're talking family photo styling secrets (spoiler: mom goes first!), building a capsule wardrobe that actually works, and why a good blazer can save any outfit. Plus, she spills on rental services for special occasions, the best comfortable sneakers that still look cute, and her favorite busy mom hack--baseball caps. But it’s not just about clothes, it’s about building that confidence that will carry over to your whole family.
Note: Information in this episode is based on personal experiences and is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. We encourage you to independently evaluate any content and consult with appropriate professionals as needed for your specific circumstances.
Getting Started with Baby Podcast
A Few Key Quotes
On dressing for your changing body:
"We're so self-critical of ourselves and our changing bodies. It's unfortunate because I feel like we've gone through so much throughout pregnancy... My goal is to find things that I think will look beautiful with your body type and where you’re at right now. A lot of times that is a beautiful flowy dress. I think that you can't go wrong with that in a photo shoot " — Megan Timmons
On adapting your style priorities:
"[After having kids, I spend differently]. I spend on quality athleisure, jeans and nice quality cotton t-shirts that I'm going to wear all the time, or a nice jacket that I know I'm going to get a lot of use out of. I just know what my priorities are and what my lifestyle is." — Megan Timmons
On prioritizing yourself as a mom:
“After you become a mom, you can still dress and be all the things that you want to be. You can literally care about yourself the same way that you did before you were a mom. You are worthy … don't let yourself go to the wayside. If you feel confident and beautiful, it's going to carry through to the rest of your family” — Megan Timmons
The Takeaways
- Start with mom for family photos: When styling family photos, begin with mom's outfit as the focal point, then coordinate everyone else around her. This ensures that mom will feel confident and comfortable and it will be possible to create a cohesive look for the whole family.
- Build a capsule wardrobe with versatile staples: Focus on pieces that can be mixed, matched, and dressed up or down. A well-fitted blazer can work over a dress for date night or with jeans and a t-shirt for errands—maximizing your investment and simplifying daily outfit decisions.
- Don't chase every trend: Not every trend will work for your body type, and that's okay. For example, instead of forcing oversized pieces if you're petite, try adapting trends by mixing fitted and loose pieces to create proportions that flatter you.
- Invest where it counts: Shift your spending priorities to match your lifestyle. If you’re spending your time shuttling kids to activities and running errands, quality athleisure, well-fitting jeans, comfortable sneakers, and versatile jackets will serve you better day-to-day than expensive going-out clothes you rarely wear.
- Use rental services strategically: For special occasions, vacation outfits, or trying new trends, consider rental services like Nuuly or Rent the Runway. This is especially smart during postpartum when your body is still changing and you're unsure about long-term fit.
- Layer for instant polish: A blazer, leather jacket, or denim jacket can instantly elevate a basic leggings-and-t-shirt combo. This simple trick helps you look more put-together without changing your comfort level.
- Master the art of accessories: A stylish hat or even a baseball cap, can be a busy mom's best friend for those days when you can't get to your hair but still want to look intentional and trendy.
- Skip most maternity-specific clothing: Instead of investing in pieces you'll only wear for a few months, try sizing up in regular clothes or choosing stretchy, flowy pieces that can accommodate a growing bump and work postpartum too.
Megan's Style Picks
Credit: Amazon
New Balance Sneakers
Comfortable and trendy sneakers that work with jeans and casual outfits. Meghan switched to these during pregnancy and continues wearing them as a mom of three.
Credit: Amazon
Well-Fitting Blazer
A versatile staple that can be dressed up over a dress for date night or worn with jeans and a t-shirt for errands. Can even elevate fleece joggers and a t-shirt for a trendier look.
Credit: Amazon
Quality Denim Jeans
Invest in jeans that fit well and know your brand and size. Have options that work with both heels and flats/sneakers.
Credit: Amazon
Leather Jacket
A cool jacket that works over anything — dresses, shirts and jeans, casual outfits. Adds instant edge and style to any look.
Credit: Anthropologie
Knee-High Boots
Leather or suede knee-high boots can work with any dress length (midi, maxi, mini) or with jeans making them a versatile fall and winter staple.
Credit: Amazon
Baseball Caps
A busy mom's secret weapon for days when there’s no time to spend on her hair. A cap can keep things looking trendy and put-together.
Credit: Quince
Flowy or Stretchy Dresses
Stretchy or flowy dresses are ideal for pregnancy and postpartum when your body is changing.
Credit: Nuuly
Nuuly Clothing Rental
A subscription service featuring Anthropologie and Free People pieces, perfect for trying trends and dressing for special occasions without the commitment.
The Full Conversation
[edited from audio transcript for clarity]
Jane Dashevsky: Pregnancy and postpartum can be quite a journey. Your body and your life go through these wonderful but also massive changes, and you may find yourself on the other side, staring at your closet and feeling like you just have nothing to wear. Whether that's because things don't fit quite like they used to, or those going out clothes don't make much sense anymore. Or because, let's be real, you're just too tired to think about it. That's where our guest, Megan Timmons, comes in. She's a stylist and mom of three who specializes in creating virtual style boards to help the whole family look and feel great in those family photos, or just in helping moms refresh their wardrobes. Today we're getting all the style tips from what staples to keep stocked in your closet to how to look pulled together, even on those high chaos days. Welcome, Megan.
Megan Timmons: Thank you. I'm so excited to be here.
Jane: Just to get started, could you share a little bit about your background and your family?
Megan: Sure. I started as a stylist a little bit after I had my daughter Amelia in 2018. I started this business in 2019. I think a lot of moms, including myself, after they have a child, they kind of have a slight identity crisis of like, what should I do? And is the job that I'm currently in right for me? And after having my first child, I did a hard left and tried to figure out deep down what I wanted to do post-motherhood, getting into this new groove of life. Fashion has kind of always just been at the forefront of my existence. Ever since I was a little girl, I was always playing dress up and dressing my friends for events in high school.
I was talking to a girlfriend about what we could do with this crazy idea that I had for styling family photos. And she was like, “well, why don't you help me?” She has a small following on Instagram and she said, “Why don't you help me style my family? Because I don't even know where to start.” And that's how it all began. And then it grew from there.
So now I'm a mom of three. I have a seven, five and three-year-old. I'm able to be a mom and be home with them, but also do this work that's super important to me. I feel like I'm helping women feel confident and beautiful and excited about new clothes. Especially when they enter in this new journey of motherhood, I think it's so important to feel good about yourself.
Jane: I relate to so many things you said there and to what your friend said about not knowing where to start. What does family personal styling entail? If someone's working with you, what can they expect?
Megan: If you want family styling, that would be more for family photos. You're spending a small fortune on these photos, and it kind of overwhelms. A lot of moms think, “Okay, now what do I put myself and my kids in so it looks pulled together, we look comfortable, I feel good in these photos and I don't regret taking them.”
I put together virtual style boards that are curated specifically to you and your family. You fill out a questionnaire. I get details like the location of your photos, the time frame, time of year so we know what the weather is like. Any trouble zones that you may have—especially moms sometimes feel a little bit more self-conscious about their bodies—so I take all those things into consideration when I'm putting together looks and style boards for your family.
I always love to give mom like five options, at least from the get go, just so that she could try different things. Because I know myself, when I'm shopping or buying things online, I'm like, I need options. I don't know what I'm going to feel good in. So I love to give mom 3 to 5 options so she can kind of pick and choose, maybe get two things, see what fits best, and then I coordinate the rest of the family around mom. Mom is always the focal point. We stick within your aesthetic and your color palettes that you prefer. But it's really catered specifically to each individual client. So that's part one, and that's really what I focus on a lot.
Part two, I also do personal styling and this is all virtual, so I can work with anyone. Personal styling would be more like a wardrobe refresh by season. I've worked with moms that are changing their lifestyle from, let's say they were working and now they're staying at home with their kids. They don't really know how to put together outfits that make sense for going to these activities with their children and not looking super sloppy. So, I put together style boards that are basically mini capsule wardrobes.
Jane: I love that when you think about the family photos that you focus and start with the mom. How did you start doing that? Was that something that you envisioned from the beginning or did that happen sort of naturally based on how you were working with families?
Megan: I think for family photos, I want a base point. You have to style five people and it all has to look cohesive. You have to find one starting point before you can really work on the rest. And to me, mom is the matriarch. She should be the focus. I feel like she's always in the background, so it's good to have her stand out and feel comfortable. Mom probably set up the photos. Mom is probably getting the whole family ready. Mom is doing all of the legwork, and so we want to make sure that she feels confident and beautiful. And she's the one who's reaching out to me to get the styling. I always make sure mom—or grandma if she's involved—has options and feels super comfortable in whatever she chooses.
Jane: When moms are coming to you, whether it's for photo styling or for a refresh of their wardrobe, what are some of the issues that they're typically coming with?
Megan: I think that the biggest issue that moms have in general is we just—we're so self-critical of ourselves and our changing bodies. And it's unfortunate because I feel like we've gone through so much throughout pregnancy. I think that's the biggest thing—they're very worried about how they're going to feel or how they're going to feel when they look at these photos.
My goal is to find things that I think will look beautiful on them and with their body type and where they're at right now. And a lot of times that is the beautiful flowy dress. I think that you can't go wrong with that in a photo shoot. I know a lot of women don't love to show their arms, so I tend to say, maybe let's do some sleeves or a chunky knit cardigan to add some texture and layer. It’s hard because we're not models, so we don't knowhow to pose. And sometimes your arm is against your body in a weird way and it looks funky. I feel like sometimes when you're just in a flowy look, it tends to make moms feel more comfortable. And that's what's so important.
Jane: What about when you're styling someone for a wardrobe refresh? Are there particular issues that moms really want to focus on?
Megan: Yeah, a lot of moms—it's definitely a change in their lifestyle. So they'll say, ”Hey, I only have going out clothes and now I'm a mom and I feel like I will never wear these outfits again.” Or “I feel like I have no style. I really just don't even know what to wear.” And it feels like they really just need a whole refresh and update on what they will feel good in.
For that I always say, let's start with a capsule type wardrobe where we have—I don't like to say basic but staple pieces that you can re-wear in different ways. So, a really nice blazer that you could dress up over a dress for a dinner date or night out with friends, or you could wear it with a nice crewneck t-shirt and jeans for a more casual look. Or if you're running around running errands with the kids and you're wearing a cute fleece jogger and a t-shirt, you can throw on that little blazer just to make it a little bit trendier.
I try to show you all these different ways that you can build out these items within your closet, because I think a lot of women might not be sure how to style and wear what they have. I think people struggle with, “Oh, I'm running out with the kids. I'm just gonna throw on leggings and a hoodie.” I totally get that because I do that a lot too. But especially if you're a new mom or postpartum, and you're in the thick of it, you do feel better if you put a little thought into it. Even if it's a comfy outfit, you can make it look more presentable by just doing small things like layering pieces –like I said with the blazer. Or, if you have a cool trench coat or a denim jacket. I love jackets because I think they can just add so much to a very casual loungewear outfit.
Jane: That seems so obvious, thinking about that in retrospect. I think it really is easy as a mom to basically start living in stretchy leggings. And after a while you're like, “I need to see myself in something else just to feel like a fully well-rounded human again.”
Megan: Exactly, exactly. Yeah. And so that's always been my goal. I'm like, listen, if you're running around to soccer games and school pick up, I'm not going to put together a style board for you with five different nighttime dresses. We're going to put together more casual looks, but that could maybe be dressed up or dressed down, depending on what you're doing. I fit where you are in life and what your day-to-day routine is. We work around that.
Jane: You’re a mom of three. Do you feel like your style evolved pre and post having kids?
Megan: 1,000%, yes. I've always said that I don't have a specific style. I'm not preppy. I'm not super trendy. I'm not classic. I feel like there are days that I want to be a certain style, and I just dress that way. That still holds true after having my children.
Where I'm spending my money, now, is not on my dresses, my going out outfits or fancy shoes and that type of stuff. I spend on quality athleisure and jeans and nice quality cotton t-shirts that I'm going to wear all the time, or a nice jacket that I know I'm going to get a lot of use out of. I just know what my priorities are and what my lifestyle is. I have now changed up my purchasing habits to accommodate that.
Jane: Was it hard to let go of? I feel like I still sometimes find myself buying going out stuff—I don't know, aspirationally.
Megan: For sure. Don't get me wrong, I still buy them. When I do think about certain occasions that I need to buy for, I'll tend to not spend as much money on those items because I know I won't be getting as many wears out of them. What I've done recently—I've rented items from Nuuly or Rent the Runway or Fashion Pass. I'm absolutely obsessed, because I think that's also just a great way to try out new trends.
For example, if you're going on vacation and you are going somewhere tropical, but you live in the north and you'll probably never wear a floral maxi dress—rent it. It just makes so much sense. And it's good for the environment and all these things. I am all about a Nuuly rental, and I do that pretty much every other month just for fun outfits that I want for certain events, but I don't want to commit to purchasing them forever because I'm going to wear them once.
Jane: That's such a good tip because there are those occasions, and I feel like as you become a mom, too, sometimes they are fewer and farther between. It probably does make a lot of sense to be able to have the opportunity to rent some of those things. Probably also helpful because immediately postpartum, you're also in this phase where your body is still changing.
Megan: 100%. I was actually going to mention that, too. I don't know about you, but for me, I didn't fully get back to—and I'm still probably—you don't always get back and you don't know where you're going to be six months from now. So why invest in a nice pair of denim? Why not try to rent it? Because your body's probably going to change in a couple of months, and it's constant. And then you have another baby. I think rental is just such a great option for even maternity and postpartum and all those different stages. If you want to try out a trend but you're not sure if it works with your body type or your stage of life, rent it.
Jane: Are there rental services that you think worked particularly well or that you found a good variety on?
Megan: I personally tend to use Nuuly the most because they have a lot of Anthropologie, Free People and they update their styles a lot. I feel like the sizing, they usually have a lot of options. If it's summertime, they'll have a big summer collection that's on trend. You see what's trending because they'll have little categories for all of that. So that's probably my favorite. And you can pause your rental subscription at anytime. It's very user friendly, and it's not a huge cost commitment. I think it's like $100. And I actually have a discount code in my Instagram—in my Linktree—I believe that gives you $30 off your first rental.
Jane: That's great. I imagine that's also probably pretty handy for photo shoots, which again, are like a one-ish time thing. Annual thing?
We talked a little bit about some of the common things that moms will come to you with—are there any common style mistakes?
Megan: I think the biggest mistake is when women try—and I tend to do this sometimes too—you try to dress for a trend that doesn't necessarily fit your body type. The oversized bottoms and tops trend—it just washes me out. I can't—it overwhelms me. Or the Bermuda shorts trend—I have short legs. So those types of trends don't work with my body type, and sometimes I still have a hard time accepting it. Not every trend is going to work for you, and that's okay. We don't have to try every trend. I think just knowing your body and knowing what works well and playing with proportions is super important.
Jane: That's a good point. And it's funny because I've totally been there on those trends where you see it and you're like, oh, I really want to try that out, and it just will never work. And that trend feels like it will not go away. When you're in that position and you want to still feel like you're in the modern style trend, any advice for that? How do you get a little piece of that without going into something that's just not going to work for you and then ultimately won't make you feel very good?
Megan: Yeah, I think it all depends on the trend. But for example, take the oversized pants and t-shirts trend. Okay, so maybe both of them together wouldn't work for me, because I'm short—I'm only five one and a half—but I could totally pull off a baggy pair of pants but wear a more fitted top so it's not swallowing me whole. Or I could wear a baggy top with a more fitted pant because I'm not six feet tall. It's just proportionally not going to look good. You can still do trends, but make slight changes so that they work for you.
Jane: Yeah, mixing and matching. And I imagine tailoring is also very big.
Megan: That's for sure. Again, being petite, I have a tailor that I go to that I'm actually going to go and pick up a dress from today. And that's another thing—a good fitted outfit, blazer, pants—you just can't go wrong if it fits you well. It's golden. So yeah, I agree with you 100%. You need a tailor. Also, really know your jeans—you should know your brand and know your size and stick with that.
Jane: One of the things that people want from their clothes is to feel confident and feel good about themselves. And I love that you have this mission of helping people feel confident in a way that isn't stressful. Any general advice for moms struggling on that journey?
Megan: Just to feel comfortable with your body, and where you're at in that stage in life. You're beautiful. You need to know that, and clothes aren't going to change that. I do think that clothes can help, right? I think getting dressed every morning and really taking the time to put together outfits before you walk out the door in a rush with just your sweatpants on or leggings on can help. If you are having a hard time putting together outfits, reach out to a stylist like myself or somebody else that can help you figure out different items that work with you and your new body shape and where you are in your life.
Jane: It seems like that would be such a good service to make use of, especially because with kids, as a mom, you're spending so much time thinking about what they need, etc. that just having somebody also thinking about what you might need definitely is a huge relief.
Megan: Well, and that's the thing, I have so many friends that purchase these amazing clothes for their kids. Full price. $70 dresses for their daughters, and they haven't bought themselves anything in years and years. And they're wearing the same leggings from 2020. And I totally get that because we want the best for our children. But honestly, if you're not feeling good about yourself, it's going to reflect on your kids, right? You want to have that confidence that you're raising kids with confidence that feel good in their own skin. And clothing is not going to obviously do everything, but it will help you feel good. And that's my goal.
Jane: As you have kids and I'm sure with three, this is something you probably faced as well—I know I did with two—there's sort of a general chaos mode that happens with kids, right? You're trying to get out the door. They need to get dressed. They need certain things. You know, as a mom, you're thinking about like 100 things at the same time all the time. And it can be hard to think – what am I going to put together for my outfit tomorrow? How can I pull this all together? How do you practically achieve that? Any advice as a mom of three?
Megan: There are of course times like even this morning when I was just out the door in my leggings and workout set. I was going to work out, and then I had to run errands in it, and I was like, I feel so not put together, but such is life and that happens. You can try to wake up with enough time, or once the kids are off at school, give yourself your time to get ready.
I've minimized my makeup routine. I do that super quick—five minutes, tops. And then I have my set outfits, my go-to outfits, and I think that's what a capsule wardrobe really helps you with. I know that I have these jeans. I know that I have this blouse. I know I can wear them with these sneakers, so I'll be comfortable when I'm running around all day. I know that I have this and that that I can pair together, that looks good and I don't have to think about it.
Jane: And that would be so important for moms who are very busy. That brings us, I think, to the next part, which is we've talked a little bit about capsule wardrobe and some staple pieces, like a blazer that are good to have on hand. Are there any other staple items that you recommend that every mom just have in their wardrobe?
Megan: I definitely think a blazer or just different styled jackets—trying a bunch of different styles. I love the leather jacket to wear over anything really. I mean, over a dress or a shirt and jeans. And to that point, a really well-fitting jean is so important. And to have a jean that fits with your heels versus your tennis shoes or flats. Knowing what works with what. I think right now, what's on trend, which works really well going into fall and winter, are knee high boots—like leather or suede or something. I think that can really just make an outfit look great either if you're wearing it with a dress and you could do midi, maxi, mini. Really any style dress, you can wear knee high boots or you can wear them with jeans. So, it's very versatile.
And then for me, one of my staples that I go back to all the time, just because I'm a busy mom and I don't do my hair a lot because I've got a lot of it, is a really nice hat, or just a bunch of hats that you can switch out. And I think baseball caps are really cool to wear. It makes you look a little trendier and can really jazz up an outfit. You can find really cool colors or, you know, heading into fall, you could look at fedora style hats or a wide-brimmed hat if you're into that. I know those are a little funkier, but for a busy mom, I think a baseball cap works great for when you just can't get to your hair.
Jane: Switching a bit—this podcast is sponsored by the Starter Set, and one of the things we do with the starter set is we try to help parents focus on what products they really need, what they don't need. Asa mom yourself, are there any items that you swear by, whether it was during that pregnancy journey or immediately postpartum that you think are just really great things to have?
Megan: I can tell you what I think are things that you may not need—maternity clothing specifically. I tend to just purchase clothes a size up. I also didn't wear a lot of jeans during my pregnancy. I think anything stretchy like a stretchy dress that could fit a growing bump—it's so much more flattering. A flowy dress that can fit your growing bump is another good option. And just maybe size up if you think you need to.
Jane: Was there something during your pregnancy journey that you found yourself buying that was different than you would normally get?
Megan: I normally do not wear sneakers because I'm short, and so I'm always in heels. But when you're obviously carrying, it's not easy to be walking around in four-inch heels. So yeah, I did look for other options for sneakers. And I love the look of a New Balance. And they're so comfortable. And I think they have a lot of trendy styles. And that's now still what I'm wearing. It carried through. But yeah, I would say that was probably one of the things that was a must have. I needed a good, comfortable shoe that works with jeans and works with my outfits.
Jane: If there was one thing you wanted listeners to take away from this episode, what would it be?
Megan: After you become a mom, you can still dress and be all the things that you want to be. You can literally care about yourself the same way that you did before you were a mom. And you are worthy, and you should take time to take care of yourself, buy yourself new clothes, feel comfortable and confident in what you're wearing. It's so important that you don't let yourself go to the wayside while you become a mom, because if you feel confident and beautiful, it's going to carry through to the rest of your family.
Jane: That's super good advice, and I think sometimes can feel so hard to do when you're in the thick of it, but is a good reminder and a good reason to reach out to a stylist. Well, thank you so much for sharing this with us. It reminds me – I have to go up my blazer game and go get some more staple pieces as well. I really appreciated the advice, and I think it's going to be so helpful for moms out there.
For more style inspiration, or the perfect looks for your family photos, reach out to Megan on her website, StyledbyMegT.com, or follow Megan on Instagram at @StyledByMegT.
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