Maternity Outfit Ideas (for When You Don’t Want to Buy Maternity Clothes)
When you are pregnant, you deserve to feel beautiful and powerful — so why are all the maternity clothing options so frumpy and sad? It seems that no matter your body shape and fashion aesthetic before becoming pregnant, you will be woefully disappointed by your maternity options, especially as your belly gets bigger and your body craves comfort and support.
Fortunately, there is a solution — and it doesn’t lie in the maternity department. You can dress both comfortably and stylishly throughout your pregnancy by looking for the following types of non-maternity clothes, sized up for your growing belly.
Dresses
When you are pregnant, you want to make your outfits as convenient and comfortable as possible, without compromising on style. Perhaps surprisingly, dresses can accomplish all of these goals. Instead of trying to squeeze into pants or worrying about matching a top with a bottom, you can throw on a dress and get going. Even better, you can find a wide array of dress styles to suit any occasion. Some ideas for non-maternity dresses that fit maternity bodies include:
Bodycon dresses. Made from extremely stretchy material, these dresses tend to hug tight against a belly, which can help to boost your maternity glow.
Ribbed dresses. In the earlier trimesters, ribbed dresses can stretch enough to accommodate smaller bellies, though they might reach their limit by the third trimester.
Ruched dresses. Ruching is an incredibly in-style decorative detail involving rows of elastic sewn to create thin ripples, and it just so happens to stretch easily around a belly of almost any size.
Empire dresses. The empire waist sits just under the bust, allowing billowing fabric that easily accommodates a pregnant belly.
Rompers and Jumpsuits
As simple as dresses, jumpsuits and rompers involve one step in the outfit creation process, and even better than dresses, they tend to look and feel more casual. Recently, clothing designers have released jumpsuits in soft, flowing fabrics that easily stretch across a growing belly, but you can also size up with stiffer fabrics if you want to achieve a smarter look during your pregnancy. However, before you fill your maternity wardrobe with rompers, you should take the time to consider one downside: You will need to strip completely to use the restroom, which you will of course need to do more frequently while you are pregnant. So, you might choose to wear a jumpsuit or romper only when you know you will have the time and space to get undressed before doing your business.
Trousers
Pants are consistently the bane of a pregnant woman’s existence. It’s likely that you outgrew your regular bottoms sometime in the first trimester, if not because of your baby then perhaps because of the uncomfortable bloat. Many people cave and end up purchasing maternity pants, which tend to include extra-stretchy leggings or unflattering jeans with an elastic waist. However, you might be able to get away with a few non-maternity trousers, if you are willing to size up. Some types of trousers that tend to work for maternity wear include:
Palazzo pants. These flowing, wide-legged pants look chic on any body type and feel comfortable thans to softer fabrics and elastic waistbands.
Harlem pants. Another pants option with an elastic waistband, these can feel like sweatpants but with the dropped-crotch detail, they can look stylish, too.
Ultra-low waist. It is typical for maternity pants to rise up over the bump, but if you don’t mind showing some skin, you might be able to button ultra-low waist jeans and other pants under your bump.
Oversized Shirts
Lucky for people who are pregnant during this fashion cycle, everything oversized is incredibly in. Therefore, you can wear all sorts of slouchy, baggy shirts that will easily accommodate your bump — and other aspects of your changing body. T-shirts, button-ups, sweaters and sweatshirts and even blazers can be sized up once, twice or even three times to achieve the oversized look that is on trend. Top brands will have some cozy and stylish options, or to save money, you can look in the men’s shirt sections at your local thrift stores.
Pregnancy doesn’t often make you feel your best. Morning sickness, pelvic girdle pain, head and muscle aches, temperature dysregulation, insomnia and so much more can wear you down in the handful of months it takes to grow a baby. So, you should allow yourself to splurge on a maternity wardrobe that makes you feel good, and if that doesn’t include maternity pieces, more power to you.
