I’ll be honest. One of the hardest things about this growing belly—besides all the obvious discomfort, sore hips, etc.—is feeling good about my fashion/wardrobe, the things I wear.
Nothing fits, of course. Not most of my before-pregnant clothes anyway. Dresses with cinched waist—nope. Jeans—nope. Really, most of my shirts, pants, leggings, and dresses have been untouched, lying in wait in my closet for the last few months.
But I need to wear something, right? To be honest, some days being naked sounds perfect, but I guess I must wear something…. And I want to feel good in the clothes I wear. So, I guess shopping has to be in order.
Pregnancy Fashion and Shopping for the Minimalist
I’ve been pretty stingy about maternity shopping. I haven’t wanted to spend a lot of money (I’d rather money go toward baby girl Comte—she’s already so spoiled!). And I’ve wanted clothes that could last into part of postpartum. AND, I want my clothes to feel good on my body. My usual style lies somewhere in the midst of trendy, casual, sporty, and boho—lately leaning a lot more toward casual, very casual.
Not wanting to purchase a lot of clothing or spend a lot, my minimalist pregnancy fashion shopping, much like anything I buy, is slow. I take my time, deciding what I truly want, looking for items that will last a while—now and in my hopeful next pregnancy.
A few tips I can give with my little experience:
If you can, purchase items that are not just maternity. Find items you love and size up so they will fit your growing belly. This works especially well for dresses, sweaters, and t-shirts.
Purchase items that will last through your second and third trimester. This is where sizing up helps a lot.
Purchase from brands you already love, when you can. I get that not all brands cater to pregnant individuals. In some cases you can size up, like for dresses or sweaters or jumpers. In others, there may be some limited maternity options.
Splurge on what you love. If you find a maternity item that feels good on your body, get more. I did this with maternity leggings from Fabletics. I bought two pair and later bought another two pair with some maternity joggers. I love these leggings, which are way more comfortable than the pair I got from Amazon.n
Be aware of the seasons. Nine months may take you through three different seasons. You may not need anything in your first trimester, but in your second and third, be aware of the weather you may experience. I bought a few basic maternity tops with three-quarter sleeves so they could last me through the fall and beginning winter months. When a little colder, I can easily throw on a sweater.
My Pregnancy Fashion
So now that you have a few tips, let’s get into the fun stuff—my favorite pregnancy fashion items.
I’ve been looking at SexyModest for at least a year, without buying. Not sure why, because I love their clothing. But when I became pregnant, I decided to try some of their more comfortable dresses that I felt would work with my growing belly. I sized up so I could use the dresses through all three trimesters, and I have never looked back.
These dresses were basically all I wanted to wear at the end of my first trimester and on into my second, especially with the weather being so warm. With the fall cold coming in, I don’t wear them as much, but they still work perfectly for church on Sundays and lounging about the house after. (Sometimes I like to wear them and put leg warmers on to keep my legs… you guessed it, warm. These dresses are that comfortable!)
I told Scott the other day, after the baby comes and I lose a little weight, I’m going on a SexyModest shopping spree. Everything on their site is soooo cute!
If interested for maternity or not, you can use my code “sara10” to get 10% off at SexyModest.com. Try anything in the wrinkle-free fabric. All my dresses are in this fabric and they are lightweight, comfortable, and, of course, wrinkle-free.
As mentioned above, I tried other leggings from Amazon, but they don’t live up to how I feel about Fabletics leggings. Fabletics is where I have bought most of my yoga clothing. But I haven’t bought anything from them in over a year. I cancelled my subscription because I felt like I had more than enough items from them at the time. But, not satisfied with my recent leggings purchase, I decided to give Fabletics another go, hoping they had maternity leggings, not believing they did, because they didn’t before.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that, yes, Fabletics has some maternity leggings, for a limited time. I hope they make more, because these are so comfortable, and if I get pregnant again (fingers crossed—we’ve always wanted at least two kids), I will definitely buy.
As my t-shirts stopped fitting, I realized I needed some basics to get me through the rest of the pregnancy. In my search, I found these items by Smallshow on Amazon that will easily last me through another two months. The tops come in a set of three and are reasonably priced at $39. They are so comfortable, especially around my belly. Needless to say, I love them!
Old Sweaters from My Closet
Yes, I found a few items that still fit my increasingly large belly. Honestly, they are not in perfect condition, but they make me feel good and they keep me warm and cozy. Next year I’ll spend the money on a few new sweaters. For now, these work perfectly.
We can’t forget the shoes. The feet are so important as they ground and carry you. And with the extra weight and gravity shift caused by the growing belly, making sure you have comfortable, good shoes is important. I am a Vans fan through and through. I’ve tried other shoes with a similar look, but I always come back to Vans because they are so comfortable.
I got these cute flower-design shoes a few months ago and love them. Yes, they’re the kind you are supposed to color. But I love them the way they came, so I leave them.
One Last Tip: Don’t Forget Accessories
I don’t have specific items to showcase here. But it is important to remember to accessorize to mix things up. Wear a belt or tie with a dress, just above the baby bump. Wear a hat. Add jewelry. Maybe even a flowy cardigan. If you want to keep your maternity wardrobe basic like I have, accessories are the key to helping you feel more fashionable and give you more variety.
Do you have any other maternity fashion tips I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments.