A New Parent Truth
Alright, so it's time to discuss the inevitable. At some point around your 2nd trimester, whether you want to or not, you will need to buy maternity clothes. I've come to realize some women get very excited to buy new clothes but I would not say I fell into the "excited" category but definitely came to realize around week 25 that new clothes were necessary. So here's how I navigated the maternity clothes scene.
For the record, I am no fashion-ista. I am very basic and enjoy layering which are the two ideas I kept in mind when I started shopping for maternity clothes. This ended up working very well because once I purchased a few essential tees I could actually just wear the sweaters, button downs, and cardigans I already had in my closet. Score! This honestly made me feel the most comfortable throughout my pregnancy. I bought one shirt with the "traditional" maternity shape but personally did not feel comfortable in it. It was too bulky for my liking and in the 15 minutes I had it on I was constantly pulling it down to make sure it stayed in the most flattering position, soooo not worth the effort in my opinion.Not good. The good news is maternity clothes have come a long way in the last decade or so. For this I am grateful.
Below are staples/essentials from my own maternity wardrobe.
American Apparel High Waisted Leggings GAP Maternity Jeans
Old Navy Maternity Jeans
Tops
I can't say enough good things about the Factory Always Cardigan featured above. I had it in 3 colors before pregnancy and ended up buying one more coloring to ensure maximum rotation of my crew necks and cardigans (I was not lying when I said I was no fashion-ista). They're long, very thin, and extremely easy to layer for cold weather or warm weather. Also, Factory online offers 50% off multiple times throughout the year so sign up for their emails so you know when this happens and you can get them for $20ish a piece. What could be better?
GapMaterniy basic tees transition very easily from the 2nd trimester cute belly to 3rd trimester holy huge belly. I also purchased a white and black essential tank top (because I wear a basic tank under almost everything I wear) and those have transitioned very well too as my belly continues to grow. The Henley Top from Old Navy is also a fave and again has transitioned really well from the 2nd to 3rd trimester.
One last note about tops, try them on for the love of Pete. Preferably with whatever bottoms you'll actually wear with the top while you're wearing it in public so you can get the full body picture. Necklines are my biggest problem area because I have a small chest. I selected a lot of tops that looked cute on the hanger but once I got them on they did not sit well at all.
Bottoms
Here's the most important thing I've learned about maternity jeans: you either love 'em or you hate 'em. I've decided this boils down to this: every woman is different, every pregnant belly is different, and every pregnant woman is different. I think it all comes down to how you end up carrying throughout the 9 months, truly. For this reason I say head to a store that sells maternity jeans, grab every shape and stylr they offer and try the suckers on. I did this in GapMaternity (where the dressing rooms double as nursing rooms and are extremely comfortable for trying on clothes) and found that I personally like maternity jeans. You'll likely have a choice between demi-panel and full panel when looking at different kinds of jeans. Again, I reiterate... try the suckers on and bring tops with you to try on with the jeans even if you don't plan to buy them, you'll get an idea of what the jeans will look like with tops. The demi panel did not work for me because it created a muffin top around my hips and was not flattering at all. I'm a fan of the full panel not so much for comfort but for the seamless look from the waist up. I ended up with 2 pairs of maternity jeans, one from Gap and the other from Old Navy, and the jeans I have are the same size I'd wear at each store in my not pregnant state. I wear them all the time. I do have a girlfriend who is part of the other camp and isn't a fan of maternity jeans. She rocked her regular jeans, unbuttoned, with a belly band until her babe was born. It's nice to know options. Keep an open mind, try everything on, and find something that works for you.
The full panel leggings from American Apparel were such a great find. These are actually the only work pants I wore (aside from my regular work pants with a belly band which worked for me until week 28 or so). I paired them with boots, an essential tee, and either a cardigan or button down and it worked great through the winter/early spring months. Maternity stores also sell leggings with a full panel so those would be a good option. You can't beat the comfort of leggings and I think they flatter a round belly more than pants with a regular waistband. Try them on to make sure the waistline falls at a comfortable place keeping in mind that it'll lower on your belly as it grows (I think the most important thing to watch for is that it doesn't sit to low when you first buy them. If it's too low by the time you reach the mid-end of your 3rd trimester that waist band will just creep lower and lower and you'll constantly be hoisting the suckers up).
Can you spot a common theme? Try everything on! Seriously, have yourself a nice little fashion show in the dressing room. No one will say anything about the time you spent in there when you come out and they see your belly that is only going to continue to grow. In my experience, people a quite kind.
Miscellaneous "Needs"
It's not a surprise I love my sweatpants. In fact, my "home" wardrobe consists of a rotating collection of t-shirts from various stages of my life and lounge pants. Everything still conformed quite nicely for me until the middle of the 3rd trimester when my shirts no longer stretched around the great big belly. I decided to try wearing one size up for the t-shirts to see if that worked and it did (and still does at 39 weeks). The sweatpants are still working for me, the waistband just hangs out below the belly and luckily, going one size up in t-shirts allows for enough length to cover the belly. This addition to the wardrobe is obviously very catered to my own lifestyle but I do think being comfortable at home is just as important as looking good and feeling comfortable at work. Don't neglect any part of your day when evaluating maternity clothing needs.
Do you enjoy working out? Same principles apply. You'll probably be able to wear a few of your gym staples for a while but trust me when I say these clothes will become too tight, short, or generally ill-fitting eventually. So, if this is part of your lifestyle, buy accordingly. Personally, I found success with a few pieces from the Old Navy active line and you can't beat their prices either.
So there you have it. I'd consider this to be a very practical approach to buying maternity clothes. I wanted to still look the way I dress when I'm not pregnant and I really didn't feel the need to spend a ridiculous amount of money. I think I was able to accomplish both.
If you are looking for something more I'd recommend heading over to Little Baby Garvin blog. Her posts are easy and enjoyable to read and she has a lot to peruse through both through pictures and source posts. Also, search around to other mommy blogs too if only to find new sources for maternity clothes. Chances are, through following their links, you'll find something that catches your eye. The important thing to remember is that you can still look good and feel great while pregnant and for that, pregnant ladies everywhere can feel thankful, right? Happy shopping mama!
For the record, I am no fashion-ista. I am very basic and enjoy layering which are the two ideas I kept in mind when I started shopping for maternity clothes. This ended up working very well because once I purchased a few essential tees I could actually just wear the sweaters, button downs, and cardigans I already had in my closet. Score! This honestly made me feel the most comfortable throughout my pregnancy. I bought one shirt with the "traditional" maternity shape but personally did not feel comfortable in it. It was too bulky for my liking and in the 15 minutes I had it on I was constantly pulling it down to make sure it stayed in the most flattering position, soooo not worth the effort in my opinion.Not good. The good news is maternity clothes have come a long way in the last decade or so. For this I am grateful.
Below are staples/essentials from my own maternity wardrobe.
American Apparel High Waisted Leggings GAP Maternity Jeans
Old Navy Maternity Jeans
Tops
I can't say enough good things about the Factory Always Cardigan featured above. I had it in 3 colors before pregnancy and ended up buying one more coloring to ensure maximum rotation of my crew necks and cardigans (I was not lying when I said I was no fashion-ista). They're long, very thin, and extremely easy to layer for cold weather or warm weather. Also, Factory online offers 50% off multiple times throughout the year so sign up for their emails so you know when this happens and you can get them for $20ish a piece. What could be better?
GapMaterniy basic tees transition very easily from the 2nd trimester cute belly to 3rd trimester holy huge belly. I also purchased a white and black essential tank top (because I wear a basic tank under almost everything I wear) and those have transitioned very well too as my belly continues to grow. The Henley Top from Old Navy is also a fave and again has transitioned really well from the 2nd to 3rd trimester.
One last note about tops, try them on for the love of Pete. Preferably with whatever bottoms you'll actually wear with the top while you're wearing it in public so you can get the full body picture. Necklines are my biggest problem area because I have a small chest. I selected a lot of tops that looked cute on the hanger but once I got them on they did not sit well at all.
Bottoms
Here's the most important thing I've learned about maternity jeans: you either love 'em or you hate 'em. I've decided this boils down to this: every woman is different, every pregnant belly is different, and every pregnant woman is different. I think it all comes down to how you end up carrying throughout the 9 months, truly. For this reason I say head to a store that sells maternity jeans, grab every shape and stylr they offer and try the suckers on. I did this in GapMaternity (where the dressing rooms double as nursing rooms and are extremely comfortable for trying on clothes) and found that I personally like maternity jeans. You'll likely have a choice between demi-panel and full panel when looking at different kinds of jeans. Again, I reiterate... try the suckers on and bring tops with you to try on with the jeans even if you don't plan to buy them, you'll get an idea of what the jeans will look like with tops. The demi panel did not work for me because it created a muffin top around my hips and was not flattering at all. I'm a fan of the full panel not so much for comfort but for the seamless look from the waist up. I ended up with 2 pairs of maternity jeans, one from Gap and the other from Old Navy, and the jeans I have are the same size I'd wear at each store in my not pregnant state. I wear them all the time. I do have a girlfriend who is part of the other camp and isn't a fan of maternity jeans. She rocked her regular jeans, unbuttoned, with a belly band until her babe was born. It's nice to know options. Keep an open mind, try everything on, and find something that works for you.
The full panel leggings from American Apparel were such a great find. These are actually the only work pants I wore (aside from my regular work pants with a belly band which worked for me until week 28 or so). I paired them with boots, an essential tee, and either a cardigan or button down and it worked great through the winter/early spring months. Maternity stores also sell leggings with a full panel so those would be a good option. You can't beat the comfort of leggings and I think they flatter a round belly more than pants with a regular waistband. Try them on to make sure the waistline falls at a comfortable place keeping in mind that it'll lower on your belly as it grows (I think the most important thing to watch for is that it doesn't sit to low when you first buy them. If it's too low by the time you reach the mid-end of your 3rd trimester that waist band will just creep lower and lower and you'll constantly be hoisting the suckers up).
Can you spot a common theme? Try everything on! Seriously, have yourself a nice little fashion show in the dressing room. No one will say anything about the time you spent in there when you come out and they see your belly that is only going to continue to grow. In my experience, people a quite kind.
Miscellaneous "Needs"
It's not a surprise I love my sweatpants. In fact, my "home" wardrobe consists of a rotating collection of t-shirts from various stages of my life and lounge pants. Everything still conformed quite nicely for me until the middle of the 3rd trimester when my shirts no longer stretched around the great big belly. I decided to try wearing one size up for the t-shirts to see if that worked and it did (and still does at 39 weeks). The sweatpants are still working for me, the waistband just hangs out below the belly and luckily, going one size up in t-shirts allows for enough length to cover the belly. This addition to the wardrobe is obviously very catered to my own lifestyle but I do think being comfortable at home is just as important as looking good and feeling comfortable at work. Don't neglect any part of your day when evaluating maternity clothing needs.
Do you enjoy working out? Same principles apply. You'll probably be able to wear a few of your gym staples for a while but trust me when I say these clothes will become too tight, short, or generally ill-fitting eventually. So, if this is part of your lifestyle, buy accordingly. Personally, I found success with a few pieces from the Old Navy active line and you can't beat their prices either.
So there you have it. I'd consider this to be a very practical approach to buying maternity clothes. I wanted to still look the way I dress when I'm not pregnant and I really didn't feel the need to spend a ridiculous amount of money. I think I was able to accomplish both.
If you are looking for something more I'd recommend heading over to Little Baby Garvin blog. Her posts are easy and enjoyable to read and she has a lot to peruse through both through pictures and source posts. Also, search around to other mommy blogs too if only to find new sources for maternity clothes. Chances are, through following their links, you'll find something that catches your eye. The important thing to remember is that you can still look good and feel great while pregnant and for that, pregnant ladies everywhere can feel thankful, right? Happy shopping mama!
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