My Top 5 Maternity Fashion Tips

When I found out I was pregnant back in early February I was over joyed with happiness, nine months of growing a tiny human that will soon become part of my family. Along, with all those emotions, I quickly began to think how will I dress my baby bump, and how am I going to deal with my closet? Luckily for me (and every other pregnant woman who got pregnant during a pandemic), I spent just about half of our pregnancy in quarantine so I didn’t have to worry too much. I was working from home and going grocery shopping (that was it!).

Needless to say, I’m a person that needs to get dressed regardless of my changing body. I want to look and feel good. Getting dressed is physiological for me and is definitely a mood booster! Over the last couple of months I learned ways to approach maternity fashion. I styled some new pieces, and tied in outfits that I already owned. 

 Below are my top 5 maternity fashion tips that I have followed throughout my entire pregnancy. If you are just a few weeks, months, or at the end of your pregnancy like me, I hope these tips can help you make some good fashion decisions before your baby arrives.

+ Tip 1- Check your existing wardrobe for some unexpectedly bump friendly pieces 

 This was the first thing I did when I found out I was pregnant. I did close examination of my closet situation to see if there were any pieces I could wear throughout my pregnancy. I highly recommend you do this. You would be surprised at how many pieces you can actually wear into your pregnancy and all you have to do is get creative! I wore high waisted knit skirts (like this one) higher up on my waist and belted dresses to give the illusion that I still had a waist. 

 +Tip 2- Buy things slowly

 During pregnancy your body changes so much! I do not recommend going out and buying lots of items at all once because quite frankly, you don’t know what your body will look like from week to week. Buy something if you really need it and wear it until you can’t wear it anymore. 

 + Tip 3- Buy items that will grow with you 

 Before I clicked “add to cart” , or before I was ready to purchase an item in store, I asked myself, “will this grow with me”?. My key to shopping for items that will work for my changing body was the type of fabric the dress/top was made out of (stretch knit was always a winner), empire waistlines that hit right under the breast line, and dresses that were “smocked”. Dresses and tops that have smocked detailing (like this one) around the bust typically don’t have any zipper detailing in the back or side, and no buttons, allowing you to grow into it. I also enjoyed wearing wrap dresses however, I did size up on those. I can always just alter the dress later if I needed to. 

+Tip 4- Rethink spending on big-ticket fashion items

 If you are thinking of making a big-ticket fashion purchase while pregnant, consider on choosing something you can wear (and will still want to wear) after the baby is born. The last thing you want to do is spend $$$ on an item that you won’t want to even look at once the baby is born. And, if you really need a fashion fix, invest in that handbag you’ve been eying! ;) You can style that now with a bump, and in years to come.

 +Tip 5- Don’t overthink or change your personal style due to pregnancy 

 Okay, this is SO IMPORTANT!!! Wear what makes you feel your BEST and stay true to your personal style. During my entire pregnancy it was really important to me to feel like me and not wear typical maternity clothes, plus it always felt great to get noticed for my fashion and not my belly. These past few months while I was out at the malls, I always shopped at the stores that felt were more my style and then just went up a size to accommodate the belly. My greatest advice is to embrace your new silhouette and just have fun with it..make styling your bump exciting and don’t overthink it! 

My favourite high-waisted skirt paired with a smocked top. Both purchased from Aritzia.

Adding a belt is an easy way to make it look like you still have a waistline .

One of my favourite wrap dresses I purchased this summer. I can’t wait to wear this on vacation!

Sweater dresses are great during pregnancy and postpartum.

Xo Jessica