Fashion: Maternity Style

Dressing during pregnancy has been fun at times {and challenging at other times}. I would have developed an entirely different strategy if I had been pregnant in the Summer. It would be a life filled with maxi dresses and maternity shorts. That's all of you who are announcing your July babies now! That's not the life of a March mom. The bump comes right as the Winter sets in, but I have managed so far to incorporate both maternity and non-maternity items to make outfits work. Here are my tips, tricks and favorite items.

1. Blazers are your friend. I have a couple of Blazers that I bought one size up (and others donated to me) that I have loved for the cooler days. Sometimes I know I cannot button both buttons, but as long as one gets buttoned, the look is still achieved. In the picture above, I am wearing a blazer over a shirt dress with panty hose. Do people still say panty hose? Maybe they are called tights. The opaque kind. To answer your question, no I don't put them anywhere near my bump. I put them under it. Otherwise, I think they'd constantly roll down into that position

2. Camisoles one size too big. I am not even talking about nursing tanks. I am talking about those wonderful spaghetti strap shirts with built-in bras. Here's the thing: if you try to squeeze in your old ones, you will soon realize you're losing your oxygen supply. Go on size up and these are perfect for layering or as a substitute for wearing a binding bra. I live in these. I bet these will be perfect postpartum as well.

3. Maternity pants/leggings/jeans. I'll admit that I tried the rubber band trick for a little while. I even bought those stretchy bands that go over your pants to keep them up even though they are secretly

Corduroys + Heeled Boot

unbuttoned and unzipped. But, my friends, there has been no substitute for my maternity pants. I have two pair of leggings, three jeans, two corduroys and three pairs of black slacks. That may sound like a lot, but the majority of those items were snagged on sale. The corduroys were like $30 and $17 respectively. They are a winter staple for me, and they have a modern skinny leg. I think I am going to miss all of these pants when I don't have an excuse to wear them anymore, so don't judge me if I just keep them around a little while. Check  this place out for sales.

4. A little bit of height. I discovered this late in the game. I'd come to work in my flats, thinking "comfort is key." By the end of the day, all of the fluid will have pooled in my feet making them look nearly unrecognizable. When I wore my Toms wedge or a slightly heeled boot, my feet did not swell. If you're going to do it, I'd recommend something comfortable and not crazy-tall.

5.Beware of too much fabric. I made this observation a few months back, and I think it is truly a matter of preference at the end of the day. There may be an inclination to conceal the baby bump, especially mid-pregnancy, with shirts that flow, flow, flow. Know this: if you're not the size and shape of Kendall Jenner, this might be a mistake. In your head, no one can tell how big you are getting. In reality, you end up looking bigger than you actually are. The fabric has no choice but to drape over your (perhaps growing) chest and create a wall of fabric. Unless your stomach is touching that wall, it appears your body begins and ends at that point. If you don't care and just want comfort, disregard. But if you're considering proportionality at all, try belting the top at right spot, buttoning a jacket just under your chest, or biting the bullet and letting the mini-bump show.

6. Mind your prints and patterns. Some patterns are your friend. Others, as long as you are aware
of their abilities, may still be fine. A select few should never be worn. For example, verticals stripesare usually figure friendly. Horizontal stripes, depending on placement and stripe width, can be friendly or unflattering. Personally, I just stay away from large loud prints in general. So, no huge paisleys for me. 

7. Keep on Hand: Yoga pants, leggings with generous waist bands, larger sports bras, almost all of your shirts can work at some stage of the game or another. I think I abandoned ship on my tailored Oxfords because they pucker eventually, but most modern shirts are cut in ways that they can work in one stage or another. All of my shirts photographed are non-maternity. 

Some of my other faves: