Oh, maternity clothes. How difficult you are.
I do not love shopping, so needing to purchase a brand new wardrobe was definitely challenging for me. I ended up with a maternity “capsule wardrobe,” as my friend Caitlin so cutely called it, which had some good things in it but was also mostly just me wearing the same three dresses over and over again. I was extra pregnant in the summer, but made this wardrobe work pretty well from February to July.
For the most part, here’s what I had for the entirety of my pregnancy:
- Two pairs of blue jeans and one pair of black jeans
- Three pairs of leggings: one pair of Lululemon Aligns for the first seven months, then two pairs of maternity leggings
- Three long sleeved tops that were work appropriate (this, something similar to this, and a borrowed top)
- Two plain T-shirts from Gap
- Three tank tops from Target
- Six or seven dresses: worn over leggings during the winter, and in air conditioning in the summer
- Whatever regular shirts and sweaters could be pulled over my giant belly. Cardigans are king.
I wore the same outfits over and over and over again. I got bored, I was probably a little stinky, but it was not worth spending a ton of money on a ton of new outfits that I wasn’t going to wear for that long. If I were to do it again, I’d focus on a few things that were higher quality and maybe a little more expensive. Some of the cheaper options just didn’t hold up to constant washing and wearing (like the Motherhood Maternity brand). Below is a little more detail on the what and why of what I wore.
First up, maternity pants. I favored the pants that had the big panel that went all the way up your belly, and transitioned to those suckers pretty early on, even when my belly was more bloat than baby. The Jessica Simpson brand was my favorite for jeans – they were soft, stayed in place, and looked pretty cute. Thank goodness I do not have to dress formally at work… you ladies who buy maternity businessware are queens.
For leggings, I was able to wear my Lululemon Aligns well into my seventh month. If you don’t already own a pair of these leggings, invest in a pair one size bigger than you normally wear. They are wonderful and PERFECT for your postpartum body, too, so you’ll definitely get the bang for your buck. After my belly got too big for even the Aligns (although I have heard of some women who make them work for the whole time!) I transitioned to maternity leggings from Belly Bandit and Beyond Yoga. Expensive, yes, but they were opaque and held up to everyday wear and frequent washing.
In the winter, I wore a lot of dresses over leggings. Most of my dresses were from Target and Gap. Target also had the best tank tops that were excellent for layering (linked above). Another go-to outfit was a maternity T-shirt from Gap with a flannel over it. Unbuttoned, of course, as seen here in a picture that a coworker so kindly took on donut day.
I don’t know if it was because I was pregnant in the summer or if this is just what my body wanted to do, but my feet got HUGE. Remember the picture on Jessica Simpson’s Instagram? Yes. I got a pair of Allbirds that worked great for expanding feet, as well as bought a size up in Converse. By the time summer rolled around and I didn’t have to go to work anymore, it was a plastic pair of Birkenstocks that helped me get from place to place.
That’s it! I am clearly not a fashionista, but if you are looking to keep things simple I hope you found something helpful. Maternity clothes, especially stretchy shirts and leggings, are what you’ll want to wear for the first month or so after your baby is born, so know that you’ll get a few more months of wear if you’re looking to spend a little extra on something in particular.
Good luck dressing that bump!
Mama Ensch 