Stylish and pregnant are two words you don’t often find in the same sentence. In decades past, being pregnant meant being relegated to oversized muumuus and hideously styled maternity wear. Luckily, the maternity landscape has gotten better, and nowadays it is possible to look chic and stylish even when you have a bun in the oven. We looked for inspiration from one of our favorite Mommies and Preggos, Jennifer Stano and came up with some tips to keep you stylish 9 months long!
1. Don’t change your style.
Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you have to give up your style in favor of matronly clothing. While it does take a bit more work than normal, it is possible to stick to your style all through your pregnancy. You can look to your favorite styles from your closet that will work with your growing belly, like your favorite maxi dresses, long tees or oversized sweaters. Not only will you feel more like yourself, but you’ll be less stressed knowing you’re looking good as well! You can check discount department stores like Nordstrom Rack for great deals on a wide variety of oversized sweaters from comfy, to cool to polished.
2. Look for inspiration from other stylish Moms.
During fashion week, it felt like every single person was pregnant – it was an endless stream of incredibly well dressed pregnant women. When looking for what to wear, the first step is to see what other people wore while pregnant and take notes. See what your favorite bloggers, fashion stars, and celebrities wore. Street style shots are great for pregnancy fashion inspiration, but check instagrams and blogs as well for everyday wear. Mommy bloggers like Jennifer Stano are great resources since they often link to their favorite brands and products and provide tips that you won’t get from just looking at pictures. Check out Jennifer’s instagram page for pregnancy fashion outfit inspirations.
3. Don’t limit your shopping to only maternity stores.
Let’s face it, most maternity stores may be functional, but they’re not always the most stylish. They can also be expensive for things that you’ll only wear during your pregnancy. The best place to shop is actually your favorite stores – just size up. Look for pieces in larger sizes that fit around your bump, then after your baby’s here go to a tailor and have it altered to your size. You may not know this but a lot of your favorite stores may also be carrying maternity sizes. So you can get the same styles but in a more comfortable fit. Our current favorite is LOFT for their awesome collection of preggo skinnies.
4. Don’t try to hide the bump.
Enveloping your bump in layers of fabric to hide it from the world may seem like a good idea, but in reality it’s going to make you look bigger than you really are. Keeping things tight and tailored around your bump, and fitted everywhere else shows you’re having a baby, not just gaining a few pounds. Check out Destination Maternity for a selection of Little Black Dresses that are tight fitting and help reveal your bump but keep you sexy at the same time.
5. Belts, belts and more belts.
If you look at stylish pregnant women, you’ll notice that their favorite accessory is the belt! Placed above the bump, it helps reign in excess fabric to emphasize your belly and keep silhouettes sleek and stylish. Use them on anything from outerwear to flowy dresses to add instant polish to any outfit – trust us! If your old belts don’t fit, size up and get a few new ones. Major department stores like Macy’s always have a wide selection of styles, colors and prices and you can filter your search further by maternity.
6. Put a jacket or a coat on it.
One of our favorite visual tricks is to use outerwear to streamline an outfit and visually create a lean silhouette, even while pregnant. A jacket or a coat kept open over an outfit creates a clean line that tricks the eye into thinking you’re narrower than you really are (at the moment). It’s genius and you can do this all year, just vary the weight of the jacket or coat you’re using. You can find several styles at Old Navy and also browse their maternity section for reasonably priced pregnancy fashion to wear underneath that jacket or coat.
Be sure to check our coupon codes for savings and deals from these reatilers.
