To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman, and undoubtedly inhabited.
Anne Buchanan & Debra Klingsporn
There is nothing that can make a woman feel more vivacious than her own pregnancy.
Every pregnant woman absolutely glows with beauty. Pregnancy is such a joyful and miraculous experience in life...And maternity clothes immediately become part of that experience. Thankfully there are lots of stylish options.
Transitioning Your Wardrobe for Pregnancy:
Only add pieces that you need
Growing a baby belly doesn’t mean that you will immediately have to ditch your entire wardrobe. Since the growth happens gradually, you have time to wear your current clothes while adding pieces that you need over time.For example, you can wear pants that have elastic waists until they are too snug to put on. Pants or jeans with a button or zipper fly can be worn open with discreet camouflaging.
One trick to extend the waistline of your non-maternity pants is to take a hair elastic band and loop it through the button hole then stretch it over the button so it creates a stretchy extension cord between the button and the hole. Then, simply cover the extension cord with a long camisole, shirt or sweater.
Or cover your extension cord with a BellaBand. This super cool maternity gadget looks like a tube top but you wear it around your hips and belly. It serves two purposes: to support your growing belly and cover up your zipper fly if you are extending the top of your pants.
If you do reach a point where the squeezing into your regular jeans is out of the question, many department and online stores carry a huge collection of designer maternity wear. For example, you can find a lot of the pieces shown in this article from Shopbop. Maternity at shopbop.com
Yoga pants
Another alternate option to hitting the maternity boutiques is to wear yoga pants. Choose black because it goes with just about anything. The tops of yoga pants can be folded under your growing belly as you grow. It also provides nice support. Plus, they are super comfortable. When I was pregnant, I had three pairs that I could pull off wearing to work. Just add a blazer, scarf and some accessories and your golden!Get your clothes second hand
Women eventually part with their maternity wear. Heaven knows, once you’ve had your baby and are back to your old size, you won’t want to see your maternity clothes. So why not buy or accept second hand maternity wear?My girlfriends and I who were similar in size, had bins of maternity clothes that we circulated between us for a good part of a decade. We had outfits for work, casual, swimwear and formal events. I had these bins twice, and over the years, the collection would evolve. It was a welcome alternative to buying everything brand new.
Wear dresses
As you get into your last trimester, it is highly unlikely the button-fly extension cord trick will work for you. Dresses are a welcome, comfortable alternative. They don’t feel restrictive, they are pretty, and you can wear them to just about anywhere including work.Make do, and when necessary pick up only what you need
As you grow, you will need to pick up items here and there. I once was called for a job interview when I was seven months pregnant and was given very little notice. I had to make do.I took stock of what I had. Bought a nice black top, wore one of my regular blazers, (I just couldn’t shut it). And yes, I even wore my best black yoga pants with heels. I chose a simple flattering necklace and earring, and voila! I got the job! (Hopefully, they liked what I had to say too.) The point is, you can look presentable without making a huge investment.
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