This post is long overdue. I had several readers (and a close friend who has now given birth to her pregnant belly) ask me last year for a post on how to dress while pregnant but, as I stated yesterday, my cranium was cruising my nether-regions and I never got around to it. So here it is!
Why don’t you…?
* Wear a long, shimmery, clingy dress to a formal occasion? Embrace the beauty of your baby bump? Wear nail polish and sparkly rings? Use bronzer to highlight your gorgeous glow?
* Invest in leotards? Navy? Forest? Evergreen? Wear them under a-line shirts, floaty tops and cardigans? Be fabulous and try a unitard? With a white summer dress? And a million floaty scarves?
* Dismiss hideous maternity pants and have your existing pants altered? See what magic a tailor can do?
* Try being a hippy? Long flowing skirts, wrap around dresses and empire waists? Fabric draping with the line of your new figure?
* Make an effort with your beauty routine? Be sure your eyebrows are always plucked? Wear flattering make-up? Style your hair?
* Do an Audrey Hepburn? Dress in knits? Stretchy capri pants? Black ballet flats?
Julia Roberts- dark, flattering base colour and a chunky necklace. The balloon sleeves balance the silhouette.
Milla Jovovich – Gorgeous grey with sultry red lips and a whole lot of bling.
Katie Holmes does jeans and a baby doll blouse. One does wonder how confortable those jeans are though…
Nicole Richie embraces a casual wife-beater and knit combo.
Gwen Stefani kicks pregnant butt in flat jewellery sandals, Indian prints and flattering lines. The Queen Mum.
What about you? Had babies? Any advice to share with my readers? What article of clothing could you not have lived without during your pregnancy?
Love Lady Smaggle
xxx
15 Comments
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I see sooooooo many pregnant women who wear baggy tshirts and those (as stated) horrid pregnancy pants! Which instead of making them look glowing and happy mummy to be’s makes them look grumpy and flabby.
Invest in a pant expander. Bras and things sells them so you can wear all your current pants and not have to have the altered? You will probably have to wear a long shirt over the top (like the pretty ones pictured above) to hide it though 🙂
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Ahaha! I WAS grumpy and flabby! I’m entirely in favour of happy pregnant people looking gorgeous, but I was miserable for the full 9-month term with all my kids, and I was a hideous eyesore (all my energy went on trying not to vomit in public. For 9 months. With each child).
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Miss Addict, there was no way that I could get into my normal pants post 8 weeks pregnant – my hips got too broad and my arse had too much padding. The pregnancy pants were heaven. But I did have a hard time finding ones that were a nice shape, making me look preggers, not fat. I’ll have to dig them out to find the brands that worked. I am in favour of the pants with the adjustable elastic on the waistband and the ones with the fold-over elasticised waistbands (so they can sit under the bump).
When I was pregnant, those floaty skirts that were shirred from the waist to the hip were in vogue. I used to wear them as tops. The shirring covered my boobs nicely and the skirt floated over my ginormous belly. I also bought cheap stretchy tops in the next size up and wore them to death. It was much cheaper and more fun than buying proper maternity tops that were all too low cut for me anyway. For some reason maternity wear seems to be made for 6′ tall women and not for 5′ tall women.
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Lady – I am thinking that I may need to invest in some Indian prints and flattering lines. No – not preggers. Have not been jogging once in your absence. Obviously not causing me real distress though as I am on my way to see Roomy Smaggle for a Sticky Toffee tea and getting some Moroccan Soup Kitchen on the way home. We miss you!! Come back RIGHT NOW!!! xx
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Bonds singlets or similar cheap version from Kmart with spaghetti straps, when you get bigger and they don’t quite cover you anymore, invest in a belly belt or support garment to bridge the gap, they sell them nearly everywhere in basic colours and they’re pretty cheap too. These items have been the cannot-live-without staple of my pregnancy wardrobe — they cling to you in the places where you’re still skinny and accentuate your big fat bump. I never understand women wearing big sweatshirts and baggy clothes that make them look fat; you’re womanly and gorgeous, not obese — embrace it!
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Long floaty dresses about 4 sizes up from what I usually wear, stretchy singlets with maternity jeans (soooo comfy) and empire lined EVERYTHING.
But there were days when I felt like a beached whale and wore pyjamas and this is totally ok too.
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I don’t care what anyone says – stretchy black pants from Target were my best friend in the last half of my pregnancy. With lots of long stretchy colourful t-shirts from Portmans. Stretchy is the pregnant woman’s friend!
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Great post, sent it to my pregnant friend. :-0
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After two babies, I swear by: 1) stretchy trousers from Melbourne designer Body 2) long Metalicus tops 3) flat shoes, thus avoiding the ‘egg on stilts’ look, and most importantly 4) lashings of red lipstick. Giving in to the inner dag never made me feel very good, and stretchy normal clothing in bigger sizes meant I could wear things in the post-baby deflation stage (which went on for months and months) and not feel like I was in maternity clothes.
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@ Nadist: I cant imagine feeling like that for 9months let alone doing it for more than once! Major Major Kuedos to you! After mentioning this post to a friend she pointed out the “glowing pregnent” women thing isnt always true. Apparently her aunt got so grouchy she started throwing things at people.
@ The Mumma. I am 5’5 so technically average height and I have the problem with pants being made for people much taller than me all the time so its probably not constrained to Baby Belly Accomodating clothes!
Scratch the extender idea then. Silly me for getting sucked in by marketing! Also I havent seen any pregnancy pants around where I live that are decent but I am sure the internet has some options (ahhh bless the internets)
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The most comfy thing i wore during my preggie time,was a stretchy ,strappy top and my sarong! Not that i live anywhere exotic,but it was sooooooo comfy. And a good bra was a must!!!!
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Like Nadist, a bucket was my must-have pregnancy item. Luckily, I worked for Navy and the boss helpfully pointed out that carrying a plastic bag in your pocket is useful in such circumstances (having seen sailors do it for seasickness).
I also did the shirred waist skirts as tops, over leggings. All that upheaval meant I dropped a dress size on my hips, so my legs looked fabulous. Downside is most shops don’t do size 8 maternity pants. Wearing bike pants during pregnancy is a good way to get a breech baby to turn, too – who knew fashion was good for an unborn baby! Anything Metalicus is good – go the “easy fit” that has an extra side panel.
Dresses were also fabulous. No need to worry about finding maternity pants that fit, there’s lots of empire line maxi dresses in non-maternity shops, and they’re practical in late pregnancy when your waters break unexpectedly. Wear them with jewelled sandals or ballet flats – pregnant women can’t be expected to do up shoe laces or buckles. And get someone to paint your toenails for you, it’s a good excuse to put your feet up.
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Hi, interesting post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for writing. I’ll definitely be subscribing to your blog. Keep up the good posts
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The best product I bought while pregnant was Belly Ups – http://www.bellyups.com They helped keep me looking good by keeping my pants from sagging in the rear and prevented me from all the pulling and tugging I seemed to do. Its the biggest fashion fixer out there. I had my baby already, but still wear them and its my little secret! 🙂 shhhhh
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My $20 Target maxi dress, dark wood bracelets, wedge sandals or flip flops, extra long ruched tank tops, leggings, a baby pink frilly cardigan.
