Pregnancy Style Essentials
When it comes to maternity style, the key is to keep it simple. While you no doubt want to look and feel your best throughout pregnancy, you won’t want to buy an entirely new wardrobe either. Instead, our advice is to invest in a few separates that grow with you, and work them into your existing wardrobe.
Of course, there’s always the option to simply buy a few sizes bigger, or, turn to oversized shapes and silhouettes, so as not to compromise on style. And while both are smart styling choices, they don’t necessarily work for all shapes.
Plus, there’s a whole host of brands backing maternity wear right now, and a select few high street labels have even curated pregnancy-friendly edits of non-maternity pieces you can wear long after the baby is born, meaning it’s never been easier to create a stylish maternity look.
Here are our tips to the chicest pregnancy purchases for every event on the calendar.
WEDDINGS
Notoriously difficult to shop for – even when you’re not dressing a bump or an ever-changing silhouette – it might feel impossible to get dressed for a wedding. However, a printed midi dress is a failsafe frock that’ll work for most ceremonies, and the good news is that there are plenty of options available. If you do opt for a non-maternity label - DÔEN and Zara both offer a whole host of bump-friendly occasionwear dresses - look for empire waist dresses, roomy waistbands and lightweight fabrics. For something smarter, perhaps a black tie invite, you can’t beat Isabella Oliver’s elegant collection of figure-flattering floor-grazing gowns.
Key brands: DÔEN, Isabella Oliver and Zara.
WORKWEAR
If in doubt, stick to sleek separates. Classic button-up shirts in tunic shapes – with slim or cuffed sleeves – are ideal when worn with ankle-grazing trousers, and remain an impossibly chic solution to maternity workwear. Or, try a shirt dress with a belt loosely tied over the bump. You can easily mix and match your smart separates with trend-led accessories to add extra polish and finish with a tie-waist blazer. Finally, silhouettes that skim neatly over your bump are the simplest way to master office dressing during your second and third trimester.
Key brands: Arket, H&M, Joseph
HOLIDAY
When dressing for hot weather, comfort is key. After all, you won’t want to have restrictive layers or tricky fabrics to deal with when the mercury rises. Instead, choose light, cool materials you can throw on day or night. New York maternity label HATCH has your billowing sundress, which is perfect over swimwear, and even better with gold earrings in the evening. Or, try a black sleeveless jersey dress from Topshop. Just add slides, sunnies and a woven tote on holiday, and style under a khaki shirt with trainers when you return. Lastly swimwear. Topshop and ASOS have bump-friendly bikini styles in abundance, but we’d recommend a comfy one piece during pregnancy and our unexpected hero buy comes from Hunza G. It helps the clever design really is ‘one size fits all’, and can be adjusted over your growing bump, but the thicker crinkle-fabric feels impossibly flattering and supportive too.
Key brands: Hatch, Topshop, Hunza G
OFF DUTY
Jeans and a tee is always no-brainer on the weekend, and this combo will feel every bit as stylish when you’re pregnant. But we’re also backing a few other essentials. First up: the slip skirt. Comfier than jeans and ideal for day or night teemed with trainers or heels, this is a must-have, and the likes of Topshop, New Look and ASOS have plenty of maternity iterations. Next up: the boilersuit. Whether you choose denim or cotton, a utility-style all-in-one is going to be your throw-in-and-go hero throughout your pregnancy. Last up: you simply can’t beat a classic black legging when off-duty dressing. Head to Mango for sleek over-the-bump styles and pair with a longline white shirt, gold hoops and backless flats.
Key brands: Mango, Topshop, ASOS
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