You’re pregnant! Congrats—now you’re trying to figure out how to deal with your closet for the next nine months. Of course, maternity style
is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. There are plenty of ways to
approach it (whether that means sourcing an entirely new wardrobe or
cobbling together getups from what you already own), but more than
anything, there’s an opportunity to break all sorts of supposed fashion
“rules” (though you obviously can—and should—be eschewing old school
fashion edicts whenever, with or without a baby on the way). Who better
to provide some candid and actually helpful advice for dressing for your
pregnancy than the incredibly stylish fashion editors and bloggers who
have done so already?
For some of these women, the realities of maternity style
were far from the fantasies of dressing while expecting: “I always
envisioned that when I was pregnant, I’d wear cute tight dresses, heels,
bikinis that embraced the bump—the way celebrities dress when they are
pregnant,” recalls Victoria Sanchez Lincoln, fashion consultant, stylist, and former fashion director at Real Simple.
“But when I was pregnant, I had a huge belly, swollen feet, and
ankles—just overall everything was enlarged, and not in a good
way…that’s when I realized I needed to dress my new body shape.” For
others, the item that ends up being on constant loop during those nine
months was a total wildcard: “My Alaïa leggings I bought at a vintage
shop were my essential during pregnancy,” says Karla Martinez de Salas, editor-in-chief of Vogue Mexico and Vogue Latin America. We
asked 10 of our favorites about their essential purchases (and the
utterly unnecessary ones), the layering tricks and unexpected hero
pieces they relied on while expecting, and the personal style
revelations they had that have impacted how they get dressed today.
Ahead, read their takeaways on the deeply personal, sometimes arduous,
occasionally pleasurable challenge that is maternity fashion.
PHOTO: Christian Vierig
Consider Shopping Very Sparingly—And at Leisure
“Buy nothing for as long as possible, and wear what you have until the last possible moment,” suggests Stella Bugbee, president and editor-in-chief of New York Magazine's The Cut.
“Then, buy things slowly. Your body changes so much each month, so buy
one or two pairs of pants that fit for a bit, then go up a size as
needed. Also, stretchy undies are a must.”
For
those clothes you’ll likely be wearing for less than a year—and might
never want to see again post-baby—search for deals via affordable brands
or marked-down designer threads. “I only needed to buy a few maternity basics that I combined with my regular clothing: I bought maternity leggings, tops, bras, and easy dresses,” says Sanchez Lincoln. “I always searched for sales at maternity destinations, online flash sales, and shopped the Old Navy and Target maternity lines.”
If
you’re making a big-ticket fashion purchase while pregnant, consider
choosing something you can (and will want to) wear for the long haul. “I
bought just a few key pieces and wore them over and over,” says Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, founder of Romy and The Bunnies.
“You don’t want to spend too much on things that you won’t even be able
to look at when the baby is here. If you want to make yourself happy,
invest in a nice bag that you can keep for years, but dress up your bump
with [now].” Alternatively, shop for pieces “you can grow into during
your term”—Restoin-Roitfeld recommends T by Alexander Wang for its
stretch dresses and skirts.
One thing not to skimp on, according to blogger and stylist Freddie Harrel? Underpinnings. “Buy bras—good ones!—and jeans and trousers with elastic bands, which are lifesavers”.
PHOTO: Melodie Jeng
Study Your Existing Wardrobe for Unexpectedly Bump-Friendly Pieces
“You will be surprised how many pieces you can wear well into your pregnancy,” says Nasiba Adilova, cofounder of The Tot. “Wear skirts higher up on your waist, or belt a dress to give yourself a waist again. Get creative!” Michelle Lee, editor-in-chief of Allure,
tells us that she found herself reaching for body-hugging dresses more
and more when she was pregnant: The dress plus “an '80s-like blazer,
with sleeves pushed up to showcase wrists, which were my only
[unaffected by pregnancy] body part after a while, and a low, chunky
heel—that’s an instant pregnant-lady work outfit.”
What’s
more, a trend or style you might not typically gravitate toward might
just become the MVP of your closet during those nine months: “I loved
wearing stripes when I got really large, which was odd, but I kind of
loved how much it accentuated my giant belly,” recalls Stella Bugbee of
her surprising pregnancy wardrobe workhorse. “I had a stretchy
navy-and-white striped dress that became a long shirt when my stomach
got to be super big.”
For Chriselle Lim, blogger and cofounder of CINCstudios,
her pregnancy fashion go-tos were “the Bellaband, which is designed to
hold up your unbuttoned pants, so they allow you to wear your regular
jeans and pants during pregnancy, and my husband’s oversize button-ups.
As my belly grew and my tops started to ride up, I found myself living
in [his] shirts—they were comfortable, effortless, and uber chic.” So,
don’t hesitate to go through your partner’s wardrobe too.
PHOTO: Christian Vierig
Steal This Stealth Styling Hack for Hiding Your Bump
This Hollywood costume designer trick for dressing expectant stars when a pregnancy isn’t woven into a plotline
can definitely be utilized IRL. “I hid my second pregnancy for a long
time at work, well into my sixth month, by wearing blazers, open,” says
Bugbee. “It’s how they hide pregnant bellies on sitcoms when the star is
pregnant in real life. No one can see you in profile.”
PHOTO: Christian Vierig
When it Comes to Footwear, Comfort Reigns Supreme
Your
look doesn't have to change dramatically (or at all!) while you're
expecting—though switching up your kicks for comfier, safer, less
vertiginous pairs is a worthwhile move. “I learned that it’s best to not
overthink or change your personal style due to pregnancy. I kept my
style pretty sleek and simply swapped out my heels for a pair of
sneakers or flat booties!” says Lim. Figure out a go-to pair to slip on,
and you just might end up snagging multiple sizes of the same style. Maria Dueñas Jacobs, director of brand development at Stitch Fix and former Elle
accessories director, agrees: “I was all about flats with both of my
pregnancies. With my first pregnancy, it was summertime and my feet were
really swollen; I wore sneakers almost the entire time, especially
Supergas. I had to size up on [those] at the end of my pregnancy, but
they aren’t that expensive. In the winter, I wore a lot of combat
boots.”
In addition to sporty footwear,
consider embracing full-on athleisure everything. “Anyone who's pregnant
now is so lucky because, hello, leggings! They're stretchy, comfy and
so versatile,” raves Lee. “If I were pregnant now, you'd see me in
athleisure and Stan Smiths every day.”
PHOTO: Matthew Sperzel
Shop According to the Silhouettes You Know Work
Keeping it consistent with a certain cut can help simplify your maternity style approach. “I was working through all three of my pregnancies, so I lived in A-line dresses,” says Sarah Meikle, fashion director at Condé Nast Traveler.
“I ended up wearing a lot of Zara and Marc by Marc Jacobs dresses
throughout, paired with swing coats and pointy-toe flats. I had an
A-line black satin coat that I wore during all nine months for one of my
pregnancies; it was a bit pricey, but it got me through my entire
pregnancy, and it was easy to wear from work to dinner or meeting to an
event. I just couldn't wear pants at all, because they were too
uncomfortable.”
PHOTO: Timur Emek
Make a “Capsule Collection” Within Your Own Closet to Stay Sane
At
the seven or eight months in, consider creating a mini "pregnancy
closet" out of everything in your wardrobe. “At a certain point, it just
doesn’t feel good to have to go through your closet and find what still
fits or what doesn’t look good; it’s frustrating!” says Dueñas Jacobs.
“Figure out what works for you, and just ride it out. It was so much
easier for me get dressed by only looking at 30 pieces. It’s a little
like living out of a suitcase.” Sanchez Lincoln recommends developing a
uniform; hers “consisted of maternity leggings—find some that are really comfortable and have a full panel—and nice, solid maternity T-shirts or blouses that I could dress up or down,” as well as accessories and jackets.
PHOTO: Melodie Jeng
Behold, the Power of the Belt, in Many Forms
The most indispensable maternity
piece could be all about lumbar support, per Harrell: “Pregnancy
belts—they’re not sexy, but they save backs.” Besides procuring a waist
accessory that’s purely functional, a well-placed cincher goes a long
way. “It depends on how high your stomach is, but mine was pretty high,
so I had trouble wearing skirts, which I love to wear,” recalls Martinez
de Salas. “So I wore blazers with dresses, and embraced my stomach by
wearing belts.”
What’s more, you can go the DIY
route for less than a buck at your local Michael’s, as Meikle did: “I
didn’t spend a lot of money on clothing, and nothing I wore was maternity
[clothing]; I just bought bigger sizes, and always had a black ribbon
belt on hand in case I wanted to belt a dress or light coat.”
PHOTO: Christian Vierig
For Weddings and Other Formal Events, Don’t Hesitate to Rent
“No need to buy special occasion maternity dresses and designer jeans,” says Sanchez Lincoln—“instead do Rent The Runway, which now has maternity clothing, from work to formal wear.” Le Tote, Stitch Fix, and Of Mercer have solid bump-friendly options too.
PHOTO: Christian Vierig
Lean Into Maternity Denim
"I
had horrible morning sickness for about six or seven months, so both of
my pregnancies were more about comfort than cuteness,” reveals Lee.
“I've known a few women who avoided buying any type of maternity clothing—that wasn't me: I embraced maternity jeans, which, frankly, are way more comfortable than regular jeans.” Restoin-Roitfeld also suggests buying “one good pair of maternity
jeans” (she likes Topshop) to get you through, as does Adilova.
“Pregnancy jeans and leggings are the best piece of clothing to add to
your wardrobe while pregnant: They fit exactly the same as regular
styles, but have the support to stay comfortable as your body grows,”
Adilova says. “DL 1961 maternity jeans and Blanqi pregnancy leggings were my favorite. I literally lived in them.”
PHOTO: Kirstin Sinclair
Don't Toss Everything the Second Your Water Breaks
“Here’s the real tip: Save your maternity
clothes, because you will need them for a bit after the baby is born.
It took me six months to get back into my old clothes,” advises Bugbee.
Adilova concurs, adding that a new wave of brands, like Hatch and
Citizens of Humanity Maternity,
have made dressing when you’re expecting a lot better than it once was,
and moms-to-be can purchase styles to “wear before, during, and after
pregnancy.”
PHOTO: Edward Berthelot
Some of Those Pregnancy Style Revelations Stick With You Long After
In
the case of many of these style savants, dressing for pregnancy lead to
a more low-key, pragmatic fashion M.O. for the long haul. “I learned
that I love to be comfortable, and I don’t want to wear heels anymore!”
says Martinez de Salas. “I definitely became more practical, and that
has translated into the way I dress now as a mom. I never wear anything I
can’t run in if needed.”
Adilova adds: “When I
was pregnant, it was all about practicality, and it still holds true
today now that I’m the mother of two little ones that I’m constantly
running after—I love to pair sneakers with dresses, and after wearing
sneakers a lot during my pregnancies, I’m now even a bit
sneaker-obsessed.”
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