You can be pregnant and stylish
Celebrities like Kim Kardashian received lots of flak for their maternity style, while others like Gwen Stefani are often praised for theirs.
Truth is, it’s not always easy to find styles that can accommodate a growing belly — that are both fashionable and comfy.
For local singer Sia Spence, maternity shopping proved quite hard with her first pregnancy. She didn’t know where to start looking — or for what — and felt like the styles where ugly, unflattering or sometimes too expensive. Ms Spence eventually learned about some great maternity brands overseas and started finding cute articles of clothing that suited her needs.
“When I became pregnant with my second child (my son), it was much easier to look for clothes because I knew exactly where to shop,” she said.
Mother-of-one Shannan Swan, had other challenges when it came to finding maternity clothes.
She said it was easy finding tops and dresses to accommodate her growing curves — and would just shop in the regular stores and buy items in a bigger size.
But when it came to finding pants, she was out of luck.
“I went into almost every maternity store that I could find, and even the extra small maternity pants remained too big for me to wear,” Ms Swan said.
“My frame is very small, and when I was pregnant, the only thing that really expanded was my stomach and thighs.
“Basically, the maternity pants would hold my growing bump, but be extremely baggy and loose fitting everywhere else.”
She decided to do a little research and came across “a little miracle” called the Belly Band. Made up of stretchy material, the band that goes around your waist to secure your regular sized pants.
Ms Swan also found that sticking to loose, flowing clothing did wonders for her pregnancy look. She also added belts, blazers, jackets or chunky jewellery to give her outfits an extra hint of style.
According to owner of The Nest Maternity and Baby, Lara Leite, being pregnant doesn’t have to change how women dress or cause them to have a major style overhaul.
Instead she finds most mothers-to-be opt to stay true to their original style and just find comfortable pieces to incorporate into their wardrobe to accommodate their growing bump.
“Combining old pieces you already own that are flattering to you and then purchasing new pieces that complement those ones is how most women start out,” she said.
“That way you don’t have to purchase a whole new wardrobe, especially seeing that maternity wear isn’t worn for an extended period of time.”
Ms Leite said that many of the loose fitting fashions these days can lend itself well to a growing belly.
This means that for the first few months of a pregnancy, some women might be able to get away with wearing the looser styles they currently own.
But when your baby bump is growing noticeably bigger, usually by the second or third trimester, then it’s time to see what the maternity shops have on offer.
Lara Leite’s advice for what to keep in mind when shopping for maternity wear:
1. Think about your favourite feature, whether it’s your legs or arms, and find pieces that let you highlight that, Ms Leite said. “Some women tend to keep clothes around the belly a little looser, or have the legs showing or have a shorter hemline that way.”
2. Go maternity shopping with an understanding of what silhouettes work best on you. If one style makes you feel self conscious, then look for something else that will accentuate parts you are more comfortable with, she said.
3. Invest in some staple maternity wear pieces. This should include items like a black dress, white dress shirt, jeans and a skirt in a style you like that can be mixed and matched to create a few different outfits.
4. It’s okay to experiment with brighter colours or bold patterns to freshen up your look. Some women might assume busy patterns will make them look heavier, but Ms Leite asserts they are actually flattering on many women and add some excitement to their look.
5. Use accessories like scarves or jewellery to add some punch to an outfit.
6. Remember that maternity wear can be stylish. Although there’s still this myth that maternity clothes are more frumpy than fashionable, Ms Leite said styles for pregnant ladies have come a long way. She said many maternity brands were looking at trends in the fashion world and morphing them a little bit to make them comfortable for pregnant moms. “We get the same colour palettes and styles that you see in magazines,” she said. “When I was pregnant, I even used to have a pair of leather leggings, so they definitely use the same trends and fabrics but just amend it slightly to fit and flatter a growing bump.”
7. Try a clothing brand that is meant to suit women before, during and after pregnancy. Lines like Lilac Clothing are flattering to all body types and are especially good for nursing moms as well, giving even more life to a piece of clothing initially purchased only for a few months.
