Several of you asked for advice on the best maternity clothes and styling the bump tips. Now that I’ve reached nine months and experienced every trimester in all it’s glory, I feel I finally have a say in the matter. Because what worked at three months is completely different from what worked at nine months!
Photos by Wonder & Awe – 36 weeks
What caught by surprise is how challenging it is to dress pregnant. Not to mention feel put together. When I first found out I was expecting, I thought “oh, it’ll just be like you gained some pounds and all your bigger clothes will fit perfectly!” WRONG. Your bones morph and expand in places I can’t even explain.
I believe feeling frustrated on what to put on in the morning can effect your entire day. So don’t do what I did – procrastinate and just fly by the seat of your pants.
Scroll below to get my BEST style tips, brands and more so you can have an easy breezy morning and focus on things that matter – like decorating the nursery, enjoying time with your friends and going to work!
The Best Maternity Clothes & Tips
Photo by Paige Babilla
The Most Universal Flattering Look
Differentiating your boobs and bump is KEY. Given I take photos of myself regularly, the proof was in the pudding. So dress tight and show off that bump ladies! It’s as flattering as it gets. Dressing baggy and big makes you look like a tent. Several other moms agreed with me on this too – so just do it!
Photo by Paige Babilla
My 4 Best Style Tips
- The french tuck. I would tuck the front of my sweaters into my maternity jeans (leave the back untucked) and you couldn’t even tell I was bumping. The tuck creates a “v”, which gives the illusion of a smaller waistline. Hint: The french tuck works and looks amazing on EVERYONE – bump or not!
- Anything ruched at the waistline is very flattering.
- Avoid waist hemlines (even if it’s stretchy). The line accentuates your belly, making you look wider than you are. This is especially important as you get further along.
- Layer. I found vests, jackets, scarves, capes and blazers help elongate your body! And it’s so cute seeing your bump peek out.
- Hats. They balance you out and draws peoples attention to your face versus your tummy.
The Biggest Bang For Your Buck
The best maternity clothes to splurge on are jeans and leggings. I wore mine EVERY SINGLE WEEK, over and over. So getting pants that fit well and last will take you a long way. I personally like maternity jeans with the small stretch bands on the sides – versus the full on belly bands. My suggestion is to get 1 pair of nice blue jeans, 1 pair of nice black jeans, 1 pair of nice black leggings and wear them to the ground. I bought these, these and these but I’ve heard Madewell has awesome jeans too.
Tip: Maternity jeans run LARGE. I know you feel bigger so it’s weird to size down, but trust me. They fit way better.
Note: This last month the jeans I purchased above were a smidge too tight so I had to go with the full belly band. BUT I know they’ll be perfect for post baby! I just found out you still look 5 months pregnant after delivery. Eeeeeek!
Favorite Non-Maternity Brands {For Early Pregnancy}
Leith was a savior – a darling, affordable brand by Nordstrom. Their cotton, ruched dresses hug your body so well and show off the bump. I bought three dresses from them and wore them religiously. And I know I’ll be able to wear them post baby too.
Madewell’s oversized button down (it’s sold at Madewell but found it here!) I’ve been able to wear my entire pregnancy (here it is in denim). It’s so easy to layer (I’d wear regular sweaters over mine) and I even plan to bring it to the hospital since it’s nursing friendly.
Eliza J was another dress line I found that had a ton of options that didn’t have waist hemlines and stretchy. So give them a peak too! I wore this one in pink (shown above) and loved it.
Also, jumpsuits work wonders for some reason! I found this velvet jumpsuit from J.Crew (only $64 right now) and wore it four weekends in a row for all our Christmas parties!
When You Feel Hopeless & Ugly
THE BEST THING I did my entire pregnancy was have stylist, Nikki of Style Me Stratton, dress me for my baby shower. It was done very quickly over email and she nailed everything she suggested. Here’s exactly what she sent me!
- I love this one in the berry and forest green – great price point too! (I wore the forest green dress at my shower as shown above!)
- I also love this lace ivory dress – so so so pretty! good reviews too! only 1 size small left!!
- I like you in red, so also including this one! and this floral red wrap dress is SO pretty too!
- This polka dot number is adorable!!! And on sale for $34!
- As for accessories, here is a link to some fun tights (very on trend) if you decide to try them!…… and I suggest black pumps – these ted baker pumps, the vince camuto pair – great price pt!! and the polka dot pair (so many colors available)!
Here’s why it’s so helpful. A lot of brands have maternity clothes but they’re only sold online. Meaning you could spend hours online but still fall short. So overwhelming especially when you just want to look cute! So to save the stress and time, Nikki pulled not only dresses in my price range but afterwards gave me accessory suggestions to go with!
No matter where you live, she can help you! And she’ll assist you with your everyday maternity wardrobe too. Email her now to get started!
Favorite Maternity Brands
- ASOS maternity is so cute and affordable! I ordered this, this, this, this and this (which are mostly sold out) but they have tons of classics that will go with everything. Dresses too!
- Isabel Maternity by Ingrid & Isabel at Target. Ingrid & Isabel is an upscale maternity line (that I adore). But I found her Target collab to look almost identical to the higher end collection, for a fraction of the price.
- Kimi and Kai. Where I found my baby shower dress! I had NO idea about this brand until Nikki suggested it to me.
- Pea and The Pod: So many darling options on Macy’s website. Another Nikki suggestion!
Free Clothes
So this is genius. A group of my mama friends created a “traveling maternity wardrobe closet”. So whoever is pregnant gets to wear the clothes from previous pregnant friends and just add in their own items at the end. The more you can borrow from other mama friends the more options you’ll have to wear. This came in handy especially as I got bigger and bigger. Game changer and didn’t have to pay a thing. Sure, not everything fits perfectly or your exact style, but having options is a luxury the further along you get! Score.
How To Find Current Pregnancy Looks & Ideas
Brands, seasons and trends change yearly so it’s good to look at current inspiration! I loved searching the #ltkbump hashtag, then finding the exact looks on Like To Know It. I’d save anything I loved and follow cute pregnant people who were expecting the same time I was.
Get Your Makeup Done (for FREE)
Another tip – if you have a special occasion or just want to feel good – is to get your makeup done. I scheduled an appointment at the Laura Mercier counter at Nordstrom the morning of my baby shower. All you have to do is buy a product and they’ll do your make up for free! It was so nice just to sit there and relax knowing you’d come out looking great – and much faster than if you did it yourself. The less stress the better.
What To Wear For Maternity Photos
One of the most surprising things I heard from SEVERAL moms was that their biggest regret was not taking enough pregnant photos. I never thought I’d be one to share belly pics on the internet but I didn’t want to forget this moment.
Everyone has different styles, so start saving maternity pictures you love as soon as you find out you’re expecting (Instagram was my main resource). You’ll eventually have a mini archive that comes in handy when you want to take pics! My goal was to get one decent picture and I LOVE how they turned out thanks to the ever so talented Mary of Wonder & Awe. They are very me and if you live in the Chicagoloand area she is AMAZING!
Food For Thought: The shirt I wore above (an old Rag & Bone button down) does not fit AT ALL in real life. But it worked great for photos and showed off the belly! I just buttoned one of the top buttons (it was the only button that would button!) and let it all hang out. It’s basically girls gone wild over here.
I hope you found these bits and tricks helpful! If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below. I promise I’ll answer 🙂
If you liked this post, check out my baby announcement, second trimester recap and baby shower hostess gift ideas too!
